Countdown to Coherence is a wonderful compilation of facts, theories, and useful information for anyone working on their own spiritual journey. The author, Hazel Courteney, who had her own trial by fire and spiritual awakening in 1998, has interviewed some of the top researchers and theorists in an attempt to find the science behind her experience and other phenomena traditionally associated with "enlightenment." The result is an engaging and thought provoking synopsis of the latest cutting edge science.

Readers will be familiar with some of the research, but much of it is new. Courteney's interviews with luminaries such as William Tiller, Gary Schwartz, Jude Currivan, and Alberto Villoldo, cover a surprising range of topics -- from the appearance of "orbs," to the science behind "manifesting" --there is something for everybody here.

Countdown to Coherence raises interesting and sometimes controversial questions and issues. (Fans of The Secret can learn why sometimes wishing your hardest for something fails to manifest the desired outcome.) Courteney's premise that we, as a society, are evolving toward coherence, or enlightenment, poses new and interesting ideas of what exactly we're headed toward -- God? Home? A Utopian society? The author's exploration of these topics and possible future scenarios (both good and bad) are intriguing, and worth the read.