The Golden Frog by Michael Mamas

I was very excited about this novel at first, seeing it as the thinking man's "Shack." But towards the end it falls into that boring ploy of lecturing by having one character give lessons to another -- in this case, on connecting to God, the Universe, Oneness, the Force, the unified field, etc. It is an attempt to explain in fiction what it is to have a mystical experience and how to do it. While I'm skeptical about the possible success of this kind of attempt, I did learn a few things of interest. For instance, the Surya method: "The key to proper meditation is that it's natural and effortless. Many meditation techniques try to force the mind to be still. That's all wrong. Proper meditation allows the mind and body to unravel naturally." You are supposed to relax into your true nature, an approach I believe is much better than disciplining yourself into quietness.