In the Course of a Dream
Emanuel For Love
“I felt very much the outcast. I was poor Hispanic gay and HIV positive” Ruben Bailey confesses in In the Course of a Dream: Emanuel for Love. He wears his oppressive background sexual orientation and affliction like a stigmata. Like any guru or self-appointed savior Bailey claims to have visions of heaven and God. His ideas are bits and pieces from many philosophies and religions.
“God is ONE” he writes. “I believe in Christ in Buddha in Krishna Tao and so many others. AMEN MY LORD for all who have come before me to guide the way. AMEN MY LORD AMEN.” Some religious practitioners would take issue with this statement. While the world religions have similarities some are so contrasting that to claim that one believes in them all is a politically correct cop-out.
Bailey holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems and is pursuing a Ph.D in Metaphysics. He claims to be widely read in a variety of esoteric topics. In the Course of a Dream is Bailey’s dream journal and the story of his path to personal enlightenment. He believes it is his legacy to pass on the story of his journey and show how one can follow in his footsteps by carefully observing their dreams and looking for Jung’s ideas of synchronicity as signs from spirits or God. His intentions seem honorable and just.
Readers will wonder what the author does to maintain an income since according to his writing he spends the majority of his time either asleep and dreaming awake and dreaming or having a vision of things that were or things that will come. When hippopotamuses are not dancing above his head then fairies and pixies are producing revelations. Bailey writes “Now I too had my own little hippo above my head. It was so delightful to watch … He was dancing and jumping head over heels … The dream vision faded and I opened my eyes to find a faerie hovering over my bed … He reminded me of a little Indian boy. He was so cute and colorful.” There is a disturbing quality to Ruben Bailey’ writing as if there is something dark hidden and implied between the lines of all his praises and hyperbole.
Readers of Carlos Castaneda’s books including The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge or the books of Dan Millman such as Way of the Peaceful Warrior may enjoy Ruben Bailey’s Emanuel for Love. But they might find it difficult to take the author seriously because of bizarre imagery and clichéd phrases.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
