BEN BACKUS AND THE QUEST FOR COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS

In Bea’s novel, a young man follows a professor on a spiritual journey in Northern California during the Reagan era.

One ordinary afternoon in the early 1980s,Michael gets his mail at his San Francisco apartment building after another mundane day at work as a microcomputer salesperson. In the mailroom, he meets Ben Backus, who initiates an intriguing conversation about human existence. He’s a professor at a Midwestern university who’s on a sabbatical in San Francisco, where he’s on a personal quest for “cosmic consciousness.” From then on, whether the two men meet for tea, take a walk, or go to the de Young Museum, they always discuss topics that enhance Michael’s worldview. They touch on philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s definition of will, which Ben describes as “The life force in you right now. That power. That urge. That drive. That energy. And that same energy in you he called Will,” as well as other ideas—in particular, psychiatrist Richard Maurice Bucke’s aforementioned notion of cosmic consciousness. Along the way, Michael witnesses Ben’s quest to reach the larger level of consciousness beyond self, other, and the universe. Bea’s novel effectively offers a coming-of-age story of a young adult as he embarks on learning new ideas regarding his very existence. Overall, the work soars when it leans into conversational approach to philosophy, which offers newcomers to the field an introductory view on a range of topics and offers reflections on expansive ideas. A bit more incident would have given the narrative more momentum, and more illustration of Ben’s impact upon Michael’s views at the conclusion would have enriched the overall reading experience.  Overall, though, this novel manages to pack a great deal of thought into a small space.

A consistently engaging crash course in philosophy in narrative form.