Visions of Innocence

This book will be quite useful to those whose childhood spiritual experiences continue to guide them as adults. Hoffman provides hundreds of accounts from adults remembering numinous, dramatic or uncanny moments from childhood, across a wide range of contexts (nature, the backyard, near-death, prayer, ecstatic moments, religious settings, and dreams). In the late 80s, I responded to a magazine ad calling for contributions to this book; I am the "Harvey" who tells of his childhood encounter with a Christian icon, and how it influences the present (page 131). Hoffman's books, and others helping adults integrate authentic spirituality across the lifespan, are enabling the "repair of the world" in a simple, yet profound manner.