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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the dreaming person?

2. What does Maya do after the narrator tells her what he thinks about her?

3. With whom has the narrator been renewing his acquaintance since returning from Peru?

4. What does Long Eagle say the narrator must do?

5. What is one circumstance that brought the narrator to where he is standing at the opening of the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Wil tell the narrator about Soul Groups?

2. What does Wil say he sees in Maya's dream?

3. What does Joel say to the narrator about his beliefs?

4. What kind of sound does Lipcomb and the narrator hear, what do they see, what does the narrator suggest and what is Lipcomb's response?

5. What does the narrator do that injures him and why did he do it?

6. What do Wil and the narrator do with Williams and what do they learn about him?

7. What does Wil tell the narrator is the reason for him disappearing in Peru?

8. What does Webber explain to the narrator about the Experiment and his involvement?

9. What happens to Wil and the narrator when they move to another plane?

10. What happens in the narrator's initial encounter with Maya?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are three clearly defined sections to Chapter 9. The first and third continue the process of entwining the novel's narrative and spiritual intent, moving the characters towards confrontations with their external and internal destinies. The author is not, it seems, striving to create a logical narrative, but rather to lead the reader into a broader experience of spiritual possibility and understanding. The lengthy middle section of the book, while undeniably preachy, is a clear explanation of what the author sees that possibility and understanding bring into being.

1. Using examples explain how you perceive sections one and three of Chapter 9 move the characters towards confrontations with their external and internal destinies.

2. The author is not, it seems, striving to create a logical narrative, but rather to lead the reader into a broader experience of spiritual possibility and understanding. Do you think this statement is true? Why or why not? When you read this book, was the narrative important to you or only the exploration of the spiritual understanding? Why or why not?

3. The lengthy middle section of the book, while undeniably preachy, is a clear explanation of what the author sees that possibility and understanding bring into being. Explain, with examples, whether you think that author has fulfilled this statement.

Essay Topic 2

The narrator remembers a previous life. In this life, narration reveals, the narrator was a monk, initiated into an understanding of the Insights and determined to bring them into the wider experience of the Christian church. While being persecuted, he pretended to have an ankle injury to buy himself more time to write out and distribute copies of the first Nine Insights, but was eventually arrested, imprisoned and executed.

1. Given the interest the narrator has in spiritual principles in his present life, explain why his vision of a past life, e.g. being a monk, would be a logical type of past life the narrator might see.

2. With research, if needed, explain why any spiritual system such as the Insights would be contrary to and threatening to the Christian church. Use examples to support your answer.

3. If the Nine Insights have been known for as long as the author asserts, why do you think only a handful of people actually know about them? What might this say about spiritual paths in general? What might this say about the importance of spirituality to the majority of humans?

Essay Topic 3

What the author is researching and discovering are old truths recycled here as they have been throughout the centuries. It could be argued that this is part of his narrative and thematic point, that humanity has been aware of the truths being espoused but has been unwilling and/or unable to fully act on them (because, the narrator/author would probably say) of the Fear.

1. Why do you think the truths the author is espousing are old ones known and thought about throughout the ages? Use examples to support your opinion. Use research if necessary.

2. Do you think that that the author writing about old truths is part of his narrative and thematic point, that humanity has been aware of the truths being espoused but has been unwilling and/or unable to fully act on them? Why or why not? Use examples to support your opinion.

3. How do you think fear blocks people from becoming enlightened? How much do you think human reactions and behaviors are based on fear? Use examples to support your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

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