Under the Tree a Novel by Greg Stone

Interview with Author Greg Stone

What motivated you to write Under the Tree?

I found few books that addressed the Afterlife in an in-depth manner. There seemed to be a need. The feedback I’ve received has been gratifying.

From the beginning, my goal was to avoid platitude and speculation. I wanted readers to find hope based on substance and reality. Personal experience prepared me for the writing task.

Is the book inspired by actual experience?

Everything in the book was inspired by personal experience. It is not, however, a one-for-one account of such experiences. The subject is dramatized, fictionalized. Nonetheless, the contents could have been written in a non-fiction format.

Why did you write Under the Tree as a work of fiction?

The primary mode of conveying spiritual truths has been storytelling. Christ spoke in parables. The Buddha’s teachings were spoken narratives.

Most of us are more comfortable with new information when it is conveyed in a story. Fiction allows the reader to identify with characters and allows the reader to consider new ideas at their own pace.

A reader might come upon an idea that is difficult to accept. In reading fiction, the reader can attribute the belief to the character, without endorsing the idea themselves. The reader can disagree with that character’s views and continue reading.

In non fiction, the writer speaks directly to the reader and asks him or her to accept his views. That may be difficult if the views expressed are unfamiliar. When the reader picks up a work of fiction, the reader is prepared to travel to new and strange lands. When reading non fiction, they seek the familiar.

With Under the Tree, if readers come upon a concept with which they disagree or with which they are unfamiliar, they can continue reading, accepting that the character, not them, holds those beliefs. Knowing the contents of Under the Tree would challenge many readers, I thought it best to write in the fiction format. After all, a book about the Afterlife is a trip to a new and strange land.

Why is it important for us to understand the post-mortem state?

Tibetan Buddhists have long understood the importance of the period after death. The Tibetan Book of the Dead (otherwise known as Great Liberation through Hearing) is an instruction manual used by monks to guide the recently-deceased through post-mortem stages called the bardos.

Tibetan Buddhists consider the afterlife period critical in determining future incarnations. In the bardo state, one can make great strides toward becoming enlightened or encounter barriers that dictate a less-promising future.

In Christian thought, planning for the Afterlife is important, though Christians often focused on a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” decision as to the final destination, heaven or hell.

There are other differences. Buddhism provides a more detailed scenario of the Afterlife. Buddhists believe the person grows spiritually after death and believe actions after death have consequences. Buddhists believe a person’s post-mortem fate the result of his or her own actions and self-judgment rather than the result of external judgment. Buddhists believe in rebirth, rather than an eternal heaven or hell.

One Buddhist afterlife realm, a “pure land” (like heaven), is reached by having strong faith in a compassionate Buddha. This has strong parallels to the Christian model of being “saved” through unwavering faith in Christ as Savior.

In these traditions, preparation for the Afterlife is preparation for an important transition. We plan and prepare for life’s mundane events while, historically, fear of death has kept us, as a culture, from paying proper attention to this important transition. Under the Tree was written to correct this oversight.

So you feel there are “real world” consequences to what we do or don’t do in preparation for the afterlife?

The Buddhist practice strengthens our control over the mind. This is important, as once the person departs the body, he or she enters ideational realms. Ability to control thought becomes an ability to control the post-mortem reality. The person who has no control over his mind finds himself in confusion and is besieged with terror. This can result in reincarnation in a lesser state, perhaps in one of the hell realms.

Christian beliefs are similar but focus on complete spiritual devotion to a compassionate savior, the Christ. To the degree one focuses on spiritual devotion to serving a compassionate savior one achieves mental control in the Afterlife.

Too often, however, fear of going to hell is sufficient to attract one to hell realms. Unless one calms such fears, fear itself will draw one to that realm. For that reason, using “fear of hell” to motivate people proves to be a losing proposition.

Thus, preparation for the post-mortem state is a practical matter with significant consequences. Under the Tree guides the reader into this process.

What is a pink unicorn?

Skeptics use the phrase to refer to belief in God or belief in the supernatural. It is a derogatory term meant to mock belief in that which does not exist except in the imagination.

Skeptics commit serious errors in their criticism of the “imaginary.” Imagination is more primary and more real than the so-called “objective world.” This is explained in the discussion of Idealism found on the site or in Under the Tree.

Idealism, by the way, is the only philosophy that can be supported or falsified by science. The only one. Most skeptics are unaware of this fact.

So using the name Pink Unicorn signifies embracing that which the skeptics criticize.

Do you hate skeptics who attack the existence of spirit?

Understanding the mental conditions which prompt attacks on the spiritual and the supernatural, I find no reason to hate.

We’re dealing with long-term issues that span many lifetimes. Behind such hostility, incredible fears are lurking. When people are driven by fear, they will attack. It is that simple.

Yet one cannot let fear-driven attacks dominate the marketplace of ideas. Though one may recognize fears that fuel negative emotions, one must not shy away from presenting spiritual views. Unfortunately, such views will inevitably arouse fears in a small minority.

In Under the Tree, Ray Carte faces this dilemma. He knows he will be attacked when he presents his certainty that we survive death. A public discussion of his near death experience will bring a negative response. He must weigh costs and benefits. From time to time, each of us faces the same dilemma.

One purpose of this site is to assist those who find their spiritual views challenged by skeptics. If those under siege feel they must respond to the skeptic, this site can provide support and information useful in the preparation of counter arguments. Reading Under the Tree will help readers flesh out their own views of the Afterlife.

Do you believe science will eventually encompass the study of the spirit?

Science has been tainted by the bias of philosophical materialism. This bias defines science in purely naturalistic terms, placing the entire endeavor in an arbitrarily narrow box. The bias limits the scientific search for knowledge to natural or material causes and effects. Those limits would be fine if the universe was a closed system in which only natural causes and effects were at play. If, however, the universe consists of both natural and supernatural causes and effects, then science, suffering under the influence of an arbitrary definition, fails.

The failures in science are most noticeable in two areas: cosmology and the study of consciousness. Failure in those disciplines will force science to re define itself. This philosophical distortion of science is a temporary affair. Eventually, the spiritual and the supernatural will be explored by science.

If you were appointed to run an institute devoted to the study of the paranormal or the spiritual, how would you design the program?

The primary task is the creation of a cogent, comprehensive model of the supernatural and spiritual. Lack of an overall model undermines parapsychology as well as studies of the survival of consciousness.

After setting the stage, I would develop research protocols with particular attention to foundational factors. As individual hypotheses are verified, the overall framework will come into relief. This conceptual skeleton will allow other researchers and institutions to see the relevant issues.

An example of the problems science faces can be found in my critique of Dying to Live. A study of the NDE written by Susan Blackmore, Dying to Live sets out to compare the “Afterlife hypothesis” with the “Dying Brain hypothesis.” Blackmore, however, lacks a coherent model of the Afterlife and only musters a straw-man version.

One is tempted to write Blackmore off as a biased materialist. If one looks closely, however, her failure can be seen as a symptom of a missing model. Lacking a coherent model and the personal experience needed to construct a model, she runs aground.

In Under the Tree, conflict arises between those who believe in the afterlife and skeptics who dispute its existence. How do you propose resolving the conflict?

The fears mentioned earlier must be addressed. That is not an easy task. The topic of our spiritual existence and the Afterlife touches the deepest aspects of our self identity and taps our emotional core.

A wonderful book titled Difficult Conversations addresses the challenge of discussing topics that threaten self identity. That book and others produced by the Harvard Negotiation Project provide excellent templates for entering into principled negotiations aimed at diminishing conflict between spiritual and secular views.

In Under the Tree, you refer to Buddhist concepts and Christian concepts. Some feel Buddhism and Christianity are like oil and water.

The similarities may be greater than the differences. The problem lies primarily in the misinterpretation of Buddhism rampant in the West. One finds atheists and philosophical materialists camped in western Buddhist circles. A few passages in Buddhist scriptures lend themselves to easy misinterpretation that complements the bias of materialists. This misinterpretation gives Buddhism an anti-transcendental, anti-spiritual and anti-Christian flavor it does not inherently possess.

There are Christians as well who have lost the spiritual ground of their religion — some are apologists for evolutionary psychology who see religion as a brain-originated illusion—so the same dynamic applies. The breakdown in spirituality can be found within religions, as well as within secular groups.

In such cases, it is a matter of losing touch with the spiritual ground of the religion. The closer one moves toward the spiritual base, the closer religions become to one another. Conversely, the farther away religions move from that spiritual ground, the more differences appear and the more conflict arises.

Resolution of inter-faith conflict will require a move toward the spiritual foundations. As religions move to that spiritual core, differences are shed and common ground appears. The surveyed trend toward more people saying, “I’m spiritual, not religious,” reflects a populist move to the core.

The flyer characterized Under the Tree as a western Tibetan Book of the Dead. In what way is that true?

As mentioned previously, Tibetan Buddhists give considerable importance to guiding the deceased through the transitional stages after death. Under the Tree provides the same type of instruction for a contemporary reader.

Under the Tree prepares readers to recognize post-mortem events they will encounter. When that time comes, the reader will recall lessons from Under the Tree and will be able to overcome difficult moments. Under the Tree may be one of few books readers can use to prepare for the Afterlife.