Drifted in the Deeper Land by Adi Da Samraj (1997) Michael Starks ABSTRACT Another spiritual adventure from a modern master. Adi Da is certainly one of the most powerful enlightened beings of modern times and his spritual autobiography ``The Knee of Listening`` (1978 originally, but revised and enlarged continually-see my review) is probably the most detailed and fascinating personal account there is of the process of enlightenment. He is a very smart and a good writer with a substantial output. However when speaking he is far less interesting as can be seen here or in any of the videotapes available from the Adi da web page. This book is mostly transcribed from his talks to the small group of devotees with whom he lives on a small island in Fiji. It will mostly be valuable only to those who have followed him for many years and know his jargon and style and who practice his meditation or sit in his presence. Others will find it very tough going if not downright boring as he tries to convey the ineffable state of enlightenment). Those wishing a comprehensive up to date framework for human behavior from the modern two systems view may consult my article The Logical Structure of Philosophy, Psychology, Mind and Language as Revealed in Wittgenstein and Searle 59p(2016). For all my articles on Wittgenstein and Searle see my e-book 'The Logical Structure of Philosophy, Psychology, Mind and Language in Wittgenstein and Searle 367p (2016). Those interested in all my writings in their most recent versions may consult my e-book Philosophy, Human Nature and the Collapse of Civilization Articles and Reviews 2006-2016' 662p (2016). Adi Da is certainly one of the most powerful enlightened beings of modern times and his spiritual autobiography ``The Knee of Listening`` (1978 originally, but revised and enlarged continually-see my review) is probably the most detailed and fascinating personal account there is of the process of enlightenment. He is very smart and a good writer with a substantial output. However when speaking he is far less interesting as can be seen here or in any of the videotapes available from the Adi da web page. This book is mostly transcribed from his talks to the small group of devotees with whom he lives on a small island in Fiji. It will mostly be valuable only to those who have followed him for many years and know his jargon and style and who practice his meditation or sit in his presence. Others will find it very tough going if not downright boring as he tries to convey the ineffable state of enlightenment. Of course as with any master, it is the presence and not the words that matter. Unfortunately, along with the spiritual advice one finds lots of superstition and anti-science nonsense by him and his devotees. The idea that one can stop a fire or storm or cure a disease or end a war with mental force or spiritual practice does not belong in the 21st century and is totally counterproductive. The game of life must be played by mother nature's rules by everyone in any possible world and, from one point of view, has no relation whatever to the spiritual quest. If it were possible to create `perfect` people who never get sick or even unhappy they would no longer be human and life cannot have any more value for them than it does for a bicycle. He expresses his frustration that his devotees (many of whom have followed him for over 20 years) are not getting enlightened. Of course very few people manage this regardless of their master or practice. We know of less than 1000 in all human history. The tendency to enlightenment is eliminated by natural selection and bound to be very rare and difficult. Perhaps one day we will find some combination of meditation, drugs, computer facilitation or surgery that can trigger the process in most people. Even so, it is unlikely to change the world as those people or societies that remain unconscious, materialistic, and militaristic will automatically dominate. Natural selection is a powerful acid that eats thru all utopian fantasies (e.g., it would eat through the utopian robot society in Kurzweil's `The Age of Spiritual Machines--selfish programs instead of selfish genes being selected in this case). Like all other forms of education, the only point of religion for an educated sane person is personal growth. It is almost certainly a vain hope that human nature can be changed and the world saved. Also, Adi Da seems wrong about death being the problem of life--even though he may only be using this as a teaching tool. From a spiritual standpoint, genetically programmed unconsciousness is the problem and even those few who overcome that need death to recycle the body. Without death there would truly be no hope--even for a world of enlightened beings.