The last half of my life has been spent in the active pursuit of truth. In the following pages I sketch the broadest map of what I have learned in the fewest words possible. You will not find proof between the covers of this book, rather ideas and principles that give you understanding and perspective on proof existing all around and within you. The more you investigate these ideas for yourself, the more intelligently you can judge the accuracy of my map.

If ignorance is bliss, why seek truth? Because permanent freedom is far more valuable than temporary comfort. Truth frees you from the manipulation, miscalculation, and disillusionment that ignorance inevitably brings. You want to know, and no amount of external gratification can satisfy that inner vacuum yearning to be filled with meaning, purpose, and understanding.

Society once suffered from ignorant superstition; today it suffers from ignorant skepticism. When people are confronted with a challenging view, most see only that it differs from their own, and so they dismiss higher truths beyond their recognition as quickly as they would those obvious delusions beneath their threshold of gullibility. Higher knowledge is therefore fringe knowledge because those who pursue it have been alienated to the fringes of society. These fringe truth seekers follow their hearts and open their minds, having placed more importance on the liberation of their souls than the conventions of society.

Treat this book as a working hypothesis, an educated guess to be tested by your own experiences, research, and insights. Take what makes sense and leave the rest for another time.