More than Allegory

On Religious Myth, Truth and Belief

By: Bernardo Kastrup

Narrated by: Matthew Josdal

This book is a three-part journey into the rabbit hole we call the nature of reality. Its ultimate destination is a plausible, living validation of transcendence. Each of its three parts is like a turn of a spiral, exploring recurring ideas through the prisms of religious myth, truth, and belief, respectively. With each turn, the book seeks to convey a more nuanced and complete understanding of the many facets of transcendence. Part I puts forward the controversial notion that many religious myths are actually true, and not just allegorically so. Part II argues that our own inner storytelling plays a surprising role in creating the seeming concreteness of things and the tangibility of history. Part III suggests, in the form of a myth, how deeply ingrained belief systems create the world in which we live. The three themes, myth, truth, and belief, flow into and interpenetrate each other throughout the book.

©2012 Bernardo Kastrup; Introduction copyright 2015 by Jeffrey J. Kripal (P)2021 Tantor

Wow

All I can say is wow. This concept of consciousness, reality, myth, truthful fiction, resonates with me at the deepest levels.

Dense

I plan to start over and listen again. I made it through part one then skipped to the allegory - part III. This is so chock full of thought provoking narrative, I can’t just let it go. I know I’ll get so much more — enlightened viewpoints — by going at it again. I have it 4 stars because my mind wandered so much as I listened to it the first time.

I will listen to this again!

If you want to hear a case for the importance of symbol, metaphor and the like then this is a goldmine. I found this deeply satisfying.

One of kind

I’ll be listening to this audiobook again soon. So much packed under its pages. Recommended.

Stunning

This dense nugget of a book is like being given some of the missing pieces to this puzzle.
The way he builds the lesson makes it very scalable and accessable.
Don't underestimate what you may find in this book.