Following Rehana Moughal's enlightening article on Djinn in Issue 2 (p26), FW simply had to review this new release by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Phillip Imbrogno. The pair have collaborated before, and make an excellent writing team. The book opens with the theory that Djinn, Allah's 'first people' who were banished from the Earth six thousand years ago, are trying to make a vengeful comeback any way they can. The authors have compiled a body of evidence to support the theory that Djinn are more than creatures from Islamic mythology and that they are in fact fourth dimensional beings capable, due to their energetic make-up, of shapeshifting into forms that other cultures recognise more readily. They could be responsible for much of the inter-dimensional disturbance we currently experience, from ghostly encounters to UFO sightings. The book is almost worth purchasing for its explanation of dimensions, alternate realities, and other aspects of quantum physics, which is accessible and informative, as well as being relevant to the subject at hand.
Historical and religious sources are juxtaposed with modern-day accounts of unexplained phenomena, and the science that could be behind them, making The Vengeful Djinn very compelling indeed. In terms of writing style, the book is easy to digest and engaging, but for one thing: the authors are experienced in compiling encyclopedias and reports on paranormal topics (Guiley has worked on 9 encyclopedias), and at times it's clear that The Vengeful Djinn is designed to be dipped into, rather than read from cover to cover. A fair amount of material is reiterated throughout in an effort, I've no doubt, to make it dippable, and if I have to read the phrase 'Djinn are beings of smokeless fire' ever again, it'll be too soon!
That being said, the authors have covered all bases, sourcing information from the Qu'ran, oral folktales, eyewitness accounts and more in their extensive work, and they paint a complete picture of this ancient and potentially malignant race.
One of the most interesting elements of the book is its comparison of Djinn and other beings – fairies, leprechauns, UFOs, spirits and so on. In particular, fairies, Djinn and UFOs share the capacity to abduct their human victims – fairies for example lead humans into different realms, usually accessed somewhere underground - just like Djinn. The possible science behind these realms and portals was very well presented and made for a striking argument. Occasionally it seems as though all paranormal activity is being attributed to Djinn, but later in the book the authors make it clear that this is not the point of the argument. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the theory of Archons – fourth dimensional beings who are apparently attempting to destroy mankind – as I think there are some interesting parallels. Overall, the book is definitely worth reading, even for someone with no prior interest in Djinn.
