<i>The Sphere and the Hologram</i> recounts an extraordinary three-way partnership, that produced extraordinary results. The physical end of the collaboration involved two people: Rita Warren, a Ph.D. professor of psychology who, after her retirement, spent four years directing The Monroe Institute's laboratory, helping volunteers to achieve and explore altered mental states under controlled conditions, and Frank DeMarco, an author, former journalist and co-founder of the Hampton Roads Publishing Co., Inc., who had learned to bring forth messages from the other side. <br><br>The nonphysical end involved what DeMarco calls "the guys upstairs," a group whose composition changes from time to time, depending upon subject matter and other variables. Together, in the summer of 2001, they began a series of weekly sessions in which DeMarco entered an altered state and Warren asked questions that had interested her for years, questions for which the volunteers she had quizzed had been unable to provide satisfactory answers. What is the nature and purpose of life? Is there a God? Is there an afterlife, and if so, what is it like? What is the truth behind crop circles, UFOs, etc? In short, how does the world function? <br><br>As it turned out, the guys upstairs were more than willing to share what they know. Using a combination of explanation, analogy, pointed questions, jokes, and thought experiments, they set out to answer anything that could be asked--and their fascinating series of conversations may help you change your life.