A Few Words from the Authors . . .
We started this project like we knew. We ended up, well, you know the name of the movie . . .
So if you’re standing in the aisle of the bookstore reading this, and you’re looking for some guide to tell you “how to do it” from way advanced beings who have already “done it,” you probably want to put this book back on the shelf.
But if you are still reading, we’re going on a trip.
Or rather, we went on a trip. We trooped around the country interviewing all these brilliant people so we could get on film what they had to say. Turns out we wanted to get on film what we thought they had to say and soon learned that what they really did have to say was different. Different from some of our notions, different from each other, different from what we were taught in school, different from what was preached in church and different from what we see on nightly news. And in the end we were the ones to decide. To decide for ourselves where the truth lies and what to try out in our lives.
There seems to be a human tendency to think there’s the magic formula, secret esoteric technique or hidden tradition that will suddenly make it all work. If there is some easy formula like this, in our combined decades of spiritual practice, we haven’t found it.
So since we don’t seem to know that much, you may wonder what we’re doing writing a book. Well, for many people, What the BLEEP introduced many new ideas and ways of looking at the world. For others it seemed to validate what they’ve always felt to be true, but never knew anyone else thought that way. So part of the book is informational: digging deeper into the science. Then there are the parts that reflect back on ourselves, how we perceive (or don’t), what we do, and how our attitudes impinge upon our experience and reality. We also explore what some researchers have found that may give a key into why we do what we do.
And then there’s the crystal ball. Many of the people we interviewed are visionaries, pioneers and prophets. We all sense we’re on the verge of something; something big. Throughout history major shifts in the way people view the world (i.e., paradigms) are preshadowed by visionaries who either felt it coming and/or led the way. Did the visionaries create the new paradigm, or did the new paradigm go back in time and create the visionaries? Or does one thing create another, or, as some new models suggest, there is no one creating another, but only a state of mutual existence where cause and effect is replaced by is?
That’s a rabbit hole. And as mystical as it sounds and bizarre as it reads, there is some scientific data that suggests it is indeed so.
We found interviewing our Greek Chorus of scientists, philosophers and mystics to be completely engaging. So much so that by the end of the interview, our film crews usually ended up jumping in and asking questions. And these crews were not people familiar with the material. They were film professionals we picked up in each city. And when they got exposed to these ideas and concepts, they couldn’t help but get jazzed and start to wonder about the possibilities. And that’s why we’re writing this book—because people, lots of people, are interested in these subjects. And many of those interested didn’t know they were until they got a taste. So if we can serve up some “quantum cooking,” we are happy to do so. Have fun with it all, because it’s a real trip into some really amazing stuff.
Five years ago I remember complaining to myself (as I often did) that Hollywood just wasn’t making the kinds of films that I really felt were worthwhile and the world needed. I was a cinematographer at the time, and what I really wanted was to find directors to work with who wanted to make transformative films. All the while, I kept complaining about the film industry being shallow. One day, stark reality hit me, and I realized that it wasn’t Hollywood’s job to make life-altering films. Maybe it was mine. And all these years I’ve been blaming “it” for not meeting my requirements. Rather arrogant, wouldn’t you say?
It never occurred to me that instead of complaining about it, I should just start directing—duh! Shortly after that I met William Arntz, who is probably one of the bravest men I know. Very, very few people have put their money where their mouth is, the way Will has. Together with the very talented Betsy Chasse, we formed a creative partnership that would give birth to this film, this book and a new sense of self for each of us. For the three years it took to make the film, we lived all the emotional addictions you see in the film, and have come out the other end older and wiser. This book contains a few more thoughts that never quite made it into the film, but also the same concepts and same information that made the film such a hit. I believe this knowledge and information is life-altering stuff. Enjoy our glimpse into the future of humanity.
Four years ago I was living happily in my shoe consciousness. (What kind of shoes do I wear? What kind of car am I driving?) Then this film literally landed in my lap. Talk about the universe sending you a message! I have spent most of the last four years asking everyone and anyone, “What does this have to do with me?” and “How do I use this in my life?” Trying to even begin to understand most of this stuff and then incorporate it can sometimes feel overwhelming. This book has been an amazing opportunity to explain our understanding of the wacky, weird world we live in. I hope that it helps you begin to do the same. This is our journey, our experiences and our take on it all. I don’t profess to be a teacher or guru—but I can say that having the experience of making it into a film and then writing it all down in this book has changed me forever. I hope you’ll find some useful info. But don’t take our word for it—try it out yourself.