Questions: What does it mean for an atheist to experience God in the twenty-first century? How does a modern, rational person make sense of a direct experience of Spirit that connects him in an instant to the ancient sages? What is the true nature of this human birthright to experience the divine? And why don’t we as a society know the answers to these questions?

Say you’re lying on the couch and reading a book, minding your own business, when without any sign or warning, your life ignites into a mind-blowing blaze of glory. So mind-blowing that you wonder how come no one told you that such an amazing experience was even possible. The only people you’ve ever heard of who could possibly understand this experience of overwhelming love, awe, clarity, and insight into the True Nature of existence, are long-gone guys like Jesus and Buddha.

Welcome to the strange and miraculous, mythic world of what Joseph Campbell called "The Hero’s Journey."

"This Machine Solves Koan" is a personal account of an unexpected and un-sought-for initiation into the esoteric world of the mystics, and its effect on my otherwise ordinary life.