Published by I've spent the last twenty years creating marketing campaigns in a variety of industries from health care to education to film, music, television and video games. I'm a political and corporate consultant and advisor, and way back in the day I was an on-air reporter and journalist (Fox News, NBC, ABC/Capcities, Chicago Tribune/Hearst Publications). Currently I'm penning the weekly column, State of the Game, for Pi's alliance partner, Wizard World Magazine (wizardworld.com). Oh, and I love the color blue, everything by Jeff Buckley, Jamie Notarthomas, The Stones, Zep, Dylan and Monk, Mingus and Davis. Ken Goldstein on June 12, 2011
This article first posted in my column, State of the Game, in WizardWorld Digital...
State of the Game: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes
Quick – what is the fastest way to become a Superhero? Get bitten by a radioactive spider? Zapped by a gamma ray? Witness the brutal death of a loved one? Escape as the only survivor after your home planet blows up? Nope. The fastest way to become a Superhero is to just be. Be love, be kindness, be compassion and -most of all - be present and in the moment.
In author Deepak Chopra’s latest book, a joint effort with his son Gotham titled The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes, he explains that everyone has latent powers inside of us that are accessible simply by allowing them to surface. These powers are the same powers that make the most iconic comic book and video game characters so endearing.
Yes, Superman can fly, but how much of his story takes place in the air? His real super power is in the greatness of his actions; his selflessness, desire to create a more peaceful world, acknowledging the sick or downtrodden and his passion for truth, justice and the American way.
Likewise, Batman may drive the coolest car and wield the best weapons, but his super strength lies within his investigative skills, intuition and the ability to be present in any situation so he’s always poised to solve mysteries and save lives.
This is the basic message in Chopras’ book: Our core humanness itself has greater potential to change society and eliminate evil than x-ray vision, pyrokinesis and teleportation combined.
Because this review is in Wizard World Digital, I knew it wouldn’t be satisfying for readers to simply read about my take on this book. So I contacted Gotham, who tracked his dad down on a tour stop in Montevideo, Uruguay, for an exclusive interview.
My first question was about why he wrote this book in the first place. Gotham, as you probably know, is the co-founder of Liquid Comics so it makes sense there; but Deepak, a medical doctor turned spiritual advisor and self-help guru? Why a book about Superheroes with cover art that is an obvious olive branch to our community?
“This book connects the dots between my teaching and the whole Super Hero industry,” he tells me. “The creatives behind comic books, graphic novels and video games are taping into the same archetypes that spiritual traditions have always tapped into. There’s nothing new, except the costumes are different. These stories are about the same values and dormant potential that human beings have always had or sought. So power, transcendence, intention, transformation, strength – all common values and aspirational traits.”
This new Chopra book is basically an instructional manual on how to unlock your super powers, and it gives you the tools to unleash them just be reading it. By the time you’re just a few pages in, you have the sudden realization that it’s pretty easy to become a Superhero. Kindness, for example, is a common trait in Superheroes – so Deepak suggest you start your transformation by being nice to your neighbors. Simple, yet effective, stuff.
“It’s a human thing to want to be extraordinary. No other species wants to be more than it is. But humans want to fly with the angels.
“These powers lay dormant in all of our consciousness because of social conditioning. What we’ve been taught and what we’ve been told keep our potential locked inside us. You take away these voices and all the power is waiting for you.”
Up, up and away!
