James Redfield originally self-published his seminal work, The Celestine Prophecy, in 1991. Selling copies out the boot of his car, he reached an audience of excited readers drawn to his unique combination of spirituality, social commentary and adventure. 

100,000 sales later, Redfield was offered a publishing deal for the rights to the book by Warner. It sold 23 million copies, and spent 145 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The Celestine Prophecy has become one of the most beloved spirituality/self-help books ever.

What’s the reason for its success? Why have audiences around the world found themselves captivated by this tale of an ancient manuscript, found in the heart of the Peruvian rainforest, that promises nothing less than a global spiritual awakening? 

Redfield weaves his story around 9 insights which offer the reader the means to furthering their own spiritual evolution. Each one is discovered through Redfield’s hero as he embarks on an epic adventure, encountering spiritual teachers and repressive religious leaders.

The story starts in the USA. Here, the main character meets an old friend who tells him of the manuscript and the shift in consciousness, occurring for many, as the second millennium draws to a close.

More people are becoming aware that their so-called coincidences aren’t random (the 1st insight). Instead, they are synchronistic – there to provide insights and encounters furthering their spiritual evolution. Excited by this idea, Redfield's hero travels to Peru to learn more.

Here, he meets a history professor who teaches him about ‘The Longer Now’ – the manuscript’s 2nd insight. Human evolution isn’t just about advances in technology, government and living standards. It’s also about the development of our consciousness. 

Since 1000 AD, we’ve passed through two epochs and are just beginning to move into a third. The years 1000 to 1500 were characterised by religious dogma – the individual subject to the Church. Around 1500, this paradigm was questioned, and replaced, by a scientific approach.

Challenging the credibility of our religious leaders, we began to explore the world and look for ways to improve our material security. Having been successful in this mission, we’re now beginning to ask, “what’s next?”

The 3rd insight reveals that we are moving into a spiritual epoch. Outdated Newtonian logic – life is a series of random events – is being replaced by Einstein’s thinking – much of what we consider matter is mostly empty space with an energy pattern running through it.