On a small planet in a little known system at the edge of a remote galaxy, a cosmic drama of almost inconceivable grandeur is being played out. The people of this world, having lost sight of their origins, their history, and the purpose of their journey through space and time, are sleepwalking towards certain self- destruction. All their major institutions, social, political, economic and religous are on the verge of collapse. The spectres of war, famine, fear and oppression are everywhere. The planet's seas and waterways, forests, soils and atmosphere are all being poisoned. Indeed, all life forms are threatened. Cataclysm seems inevitable.

And then, at the very last moment, a miracle occurs: all round the planet pinpoints of light appear. Solitary men and women, alert to the dangers that beset their world, begin to gather into groups and link up, forming a fragile network, gossamer-fine at first, but quickly gaining in resonance and power.

As the darkness intensifies, this network goes into overdrive, creating the living hologram of a new world co-existing with the civilisation that is dying all around them. A great rescue operation is mounted : first hundreds, then thousands, then millions of the population are woken out of their daydream by this growing army of light. Balance is restored, critical mass is reached, and the unspeakable is averted.

Science fiction ? On the contrary : as you have already surmised, that world is Earth, those people are ourselves and, we are all leading players in that cosmic drama

Michael Joseph
Foreword to
Rising Out of Chaos
Simon Peter Fuller 1991