Pseudonymous author R. Jeannie Self claims to have been divinely inspired to write this book, which theorizes that the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp is, in fact, an ancient Christian retelling of the life of Jesus.
To support this claim, Self cites Bible passages, analyzes secret meanings hidden within words (“DEMONS – N = DEMOS, the common people.”) and paraphrases work by the famous channelers Abraham-Hicks. This leads to a theory about the ego and how it’s our link to God; when someone tries to diminish your ego, they’re “pooh poohing” in your magic lamp!
The notion that Aladdin could be a stand-in for Jesus is interesting to consider, and Self makes a few meaningful connections between the two. But much of the book finds her stretching to make the argument. She thinks Jesus was not the lamb of God but, rather, the “lamp” of God, and chalks up the misunderstanding to a typesetting error in the Bible, ignoring the book’s Greek and Hebrew origins and, more importantly, that Jesus was sacrificed, like a lamb.
The book is riddled with spelling and grammar errors; “venerable” appears where “vulnerable” should, and information is “gleamed” rather than “gleaned.” Self also addresses the reader directly: “Wow! I am shaking to the bone, as if I have had an electrical shock. I hope you are okay.” These passages are awkward and dramatically exaggerate the impact of her revelations.
Magic Lamp may interest a few fans of New Age spirituality, but others will be inclined to (gently) pooh pooh it.
Also available as an ebook.
