About a week ago, I got a call from a casting director who wanted me to work as a body double in the film The Men Who Stare at Goats, which is shooting in Santa Fe. Occasionally I will do extra work, just for kicks.
I thought this an interesting title (and George Clooney is starring), so I researched the book, went to the library and checked it out.
WOW!
It's about the US Military and their history of interest in psychic and new age principles. The book describes the enduring vision of a high-ranking military official, Lieutenant Colonol Jim Channon, whose goal was to turn the United States Military into a force consisting of "Warrior Monks."
Here's a excerpt from the book:
In the future, our soldiers would "fall in love with everyone, sense plant auras, organize a tree plant with kids, attain the power to pass through objects, bend metal with their minds, walk on fire, calculate faster than a computer, stop their own hearts with no ill effects, see into the future, have out-of-body experiences, live off nature for twenty days, have the ability to massage and cleanse the colon, stop using mindless cliches, stay out alone at night, and be able to see and hear other people's thoughts."
(As an aside, I've seen and experienced much of those things described above firsthand with my indigenous Spiritual warrior training. Those stories and accounts appear as the introduction to each of the chapters in The Complete Empath Toolkit Book, coming out January 15th).
The title of this book alludes to the military's use of goats to experiment with psychic warfare. They used the goats in an effort to stop the goats' hearts simply through intention and will. Goats were chosen because "it was determined within Special Forces that it was just about impossible to form an emotional bond with a goat."
I've always loved goats. In honor of this book, the title, and the goats who are sacrificing for our military, I post this picture of me and a Goat from 10 years ago.
Check out this book, it's fascinating.
- Michael
