Greetings for the New Year! We have a fresh slate ahead of us, and may you find peace, happiness and prosperity in the coming months. To that end, see my feature article this month, “How to Become A Genius: Think Like Leonardo da Vinci,” based on the work of Michael J. Gelb. It could revolutionize your life! Meanwhile, new directions are shaping up for me, with several books coming out this year, and brand new research projects and media!

NEW BOOKS
2011 will be a big year for me with several new books out:

The Vengeful Djinn – March, Llewellyn

My first co-authored book with Philip J. Imbrogno explores the history, mythology and folklore of the mysterious Djinn – and also how they are interacting with human beings through paranormal experiences. This is a ground-breaking work with original field research and personal experiences, and will make you think twice about the “paranormal”!

Haunted Salem – April, Stackpole Books

My first book for Stackpole features all-original research of the 35 best haunted public places in Salem, as well as some from the surrounding areas. I spent quite a bit of time last year documenting haunted sites in Salem, Danvers, Lynn and Marblehead. Salem may be known for its witch history, but it has plenty of ghosts, too! This book will be an absolute MUST if you plan to visit the Witchy City. Walking guide map is featured as well.

The Encyclopedia of Vampires & Werewolves Second Edition – June, Facts on File/Checkmark Books

Updated, expanded – and now with color art! I made substantial additions to folklore and history, and significantly updated vampires and werewolves in arts and entertainment – including a lengthy treatment of the Twilight Saga. The publisher’s switch to color enables us to feature many photos and drawings in full color.

Talking to the Dead – October, Tor Books
My first co-authored book with Coast to Coast AM host George Noory delves into the technological side of communication with the dead, including the “ghost box” devices. Great, comprehensive history plus our firsthand experiences and anecdotes, and interviews with researchers in the field!

Also in the works: Rick Fisher and I expect to get our book on the Ouija out this year… we recovered ownership of it from Llewellyn. And if Llewellyn moves things along, maybe my second book with Phil Imbrogno, on portals, will actually make it out toward the end of this year.

NEW DIRECTIONS
I am continuing with my paranormal investigations, but on an increasingly selective and private basis. It’s no secret that the paranormal has gotten skewed by un-reality TV. I will continue my work with a few groups and individuals on cases that contribute to my research for books, presentations and media.

Meanwhile, I am returning to some of my metaphysical roots. Metaphysics underpins everything in the paranormal, as those who dig deeper discover. I have new projects on angels, the afterlife and saints underway. Also, in the paranormal realm, I have a new project on cryptids and mysterious creatures in West Virginia, and two projects with John Zaffis. My research on the Djinn, portals, interdimensional entity contact, and Shadow People continues as well. (When do I ever sleep??!)

MEDIA
I am pleased to announce that I am returning to regular work with Richard Syrett as a monthly correspondent on his “The Conspiracy Show,” which broadcasts in Toronto on Zoomer Radio AM 740 and streams on the Internet. On January 9 at 11:30 PM Eastern I will discuss one of my major Djinn/entity cases. Go to www.richardsyrett.com for information. I will be on every second Sunday at 11:30 PM EST.

And, I am continuing with my monthly report on Exploring Unexplained Phenomena with Scott Colburn, the fourth Saturday of every month at about 11:10 AM Eastern, live on KZUM FM 89.3 in Lincoln, NE and streaming on the Internet. Go to http://www.e-u-p.org/ for more information.

Look for me sometime this year on The Haunted on the Animal Planet, on a case with Carl Johnson, Rie Sadler and Jim Jones. Air date to be determined.

In November I did an interview on my research and work with Kendra Belgrad of Spirit Realm Investigations. We covered a lot of territory of interest to paranormal investigators and enthusiasts. You can access it here:
http://www.spiritrealminvestigation.com/illumination/featured-interviews

More filming for documentaries is in the works… details will be announced later this year!

ROSEMARY ON THE PARANORMAL ROAD January-March
Visit my calendar page at www.visionaryliving.com/calendar for more details.

January – Field research weather permitting
9 – The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, 11:30 PM EST
22 – Exploring Unexplained Phenomena with Scott Colburn, 11:10 AM EST
22 – The Church of Mabus with Jeffery Pritchett and Guy Weddle, 11 PM EST
24 – Gut and Bone radio show, 7-8 PM EST

February — California and Arizona
13 — The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, 11:30 PM EST
18-19 – Haunted America East Coast, San Diego
24-27 – Intl UFO Congress, Phoenix area
26 — Exploring Unexplained Phenomena with Scott Colburn, 11:10 AM EST

March – Virginia, Kansas, Pennsylvania
10-13 – EPIC Con, Virginia Beach, VA
13 — The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, 11:30 PM EST
18-20 – Reykawvik Summit UFO Con, Lawrence, KS
24-27 – Phenomenology 103, Gettysburg, PA
26 — Exploring Unexplained Phenomena with Scott Colburn, 11:10 AM EST
27 – Dead Air Paranormal Talk Radio 8:30-10 PM EST

FEATURE ARTICLE
The following can be reposted provided you include the byline, copyright information and website URL. Thank you for your courtesy! This article is posted on my website, and also has appeared in FATE Magazine, of which I am a consulting editor.

How to Become a Genius: Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
By Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Copyright Visionary Living, Inc.
www.visionaryliving.com

History has many geniuses, people whose thinking, creativity and innovation have shaped lives for centuries into the future. It may seem at first glance that geniuses are born into their calling by some combination of heritage and fate. But geniuses can be made, according to a man who has studied the works and life of one of humanity’s greatest minds, Leonardo da Vinci. Learn to think like da Vinci and you, too, can harness new powers of brain and mind.

Michael J. Gelb has developed a seven-step plan for daily living that he says will enable anyone to step into bigger creative shoes. Gelb, a consultant in innovative thinking who lives in Edgewater, New Jersey, is the author of the best-selling How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. I attended one of his presentations, on which this article is based.

“Leonardo da Vinci is the archetype of human potential, self-knowledge and all types of intelligence,” Gelb said. “His thinking and teaching were similar to Taoism. One of his mottos was, fix your course to a star, and follow it.”

Da Vinci (1452-1519) lived in Italy during the Renaissance, one of the most fertile creative periods in history. Titans of art, science, philosophy and literature flourished. Da Vinci stood above them all. He may be best-known for his art – masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, recognized as two of the greatest paintings ever done – but he also excelled in science, architecture and invention. He was far ahead of his time.

His ideas were so prolific that it is hard to list them all. He conceived of the airplane, helicopter, parachute, three-speed gear shift, extendable ladder, folding furniture, bicycle, crane, alarm clock, hydraulic jack, snorkel and more. In addition, he conceived of numerous labor-saving devices, and an astonishing array of advanced weaponry. He made significant contributions to anatomy, botany, geology and physics.

How did all this genius pour out of a single mind in a few decades of time?

According to Gelb, a key to da Vinci’s creativity lay in his approach to daily life. The ideal Renaissance thinker was well-rounded and open-minded. The modern Renaissance man or woman also should be well-rounded in education in both liberal arts and science. One needn’t be an authority in all fields, but should possess good knowledge. Other essentials for genius-thinking: computer literacy, mental literacy, and global awareness.

Gelb has distilled da Vinci’s personal philosophy and creative approach into the following seven principles. Embrace and incorporate them into your daily habits in order to profoundly change your life:

1. Curiosity (Curiosita)
“Da Vinci was probably the most curious person who ever lived,” said Gelb. “He was curious about everything.”

Probe, investigate, and don’t be afraid to ask “confounding questions.” Study with intensity. Keep a notebook for ideas and inspirations. Nothing is too outlandish or impossible. One seemingly “outlandish” idea may lead to a brilliant breakthrough.

2. Demonstration (Dimostrazione)
Demonstration, said Gelb, is the “discipline of experience.” Draw your conclusions based on your own experience, not on the word of others. One of our greatest challenges today, he said, is too much information. Our own experience suffers as a result.

Da Vinci examined everything from three perspectives or suppositions. For example, when he drew something, he drew it from three different angles. The lesson here is to examine things from different perspectives in order to see the bigger picture.

Another part of Demonstration is taking responsibility for whatever you manifest, even your mistakes.

3. Sensation (Sensazione)
“Da Vinci said that the five senses are the ministers of the soul,” Gelb said. “He also said that the average person lives without experiencing their senses.”

Pay more attention to how you experience the world through all of your senses. Every experience is full of lush subtleties. Most of us are so hurried, stressed and distracted that we pay little attention to our senses. We’re too preoccupied with multi-tasking.

“Savor the joy of every moment,” said Gelb. “Everything is a miracle.”

4. Sfumato
“Sfumato” is an Italian term that means “going up in smoke,” or “turned to mist.” In art, it describes the haziness in da Vinci’s art that gives his pieces their mysterious, mystical qualities.

To embrace Sfumato means to go into the unknown, the parts of life that are ambiguous and uncertain. It also means embracing one’s own shadow side, the parts of our inner depths that are difficult or even forbidding to explore.

The artist or Renaissance person who brings forth Sfumato brings forth what lies within.

5. Art/Science (Arte/Scienza)
This refers to the art within science and the science within art. According to da Vinci, the two go hand in hand. “He said that trying to be an artist without science is like setting sail without a rudder,” Gelb said.

Mastering Art/Science involves integrating right-brain thinking with left-brain thinking. Expansive ideas must be organized into logical structure. It is one thing to dream big, but one must organize the dream into a process of manifestation.

6. Corporality (Corporalita)
Corporality involves taking care of one’s physical health to maintain vigor, energy and stamina. Good physical health aids creativity and mental processes.

Corporality also involves poise and grace in all situations.

7. Connectedness (Connessione)
Connectedness refers to a holistic outlook, and patience in the unfoldment of processes and events. Da Vinci paid keen attention to the patterns and connections in his environment, and how one thing either profoundly or subtly affected another thing, Gelb said. He related these patterns to his ideas, and was not afraid to combine different elements into bold new patterns.

In daily life, see how different, even disparate, things and events are interconnected.

Gelb’s exploration of da Vinci’s genius is further explored in his books How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci and Da Vinci Decoded. Readers are given numerous exercises and suggestions for integrating the seven principles into daily life. Gelb has also written Innovate Like Edison. His website is http://www.michaelgelb.com.
###