Touched by the Presence

“With the perspective of time and the confirmation of evidence, Gary Lachman has proven himself to be a formidable writer with a serious, thoughtful, investigative mind. It seems obvious why we wanted Gary for Blondie the very first time Clem Burke introduced him to us. Amor Fati.” * Debbie Harry, cofounder and lead vocalist of Blondie *
“I’ve known Gary since he was nineteen. I’m not sure what I thought he might become later in life, but his being an expert on spirituality and the occult makes perfect sense.” * Chris Stein, cofounder and guitarist of Blondie *
“As a fan of Gary Lachman’s work, I was interested to find out how a musician goes from Blondie to the absolute expert on all things esoteric. Not just a memoir but an education.” * Johnny Marr, guitarist and songwriter of The Smiths *
“In these pages, we learn what has secretly driven Gary Lachman all these years—from rock music, through Nietzsche, a near electrocution, Faculty X, and Silver Age comics, to endless insights into magic, the occult, the evolution of consciousness, and superhuman powers. We learn what it means to be ‘touched by the presence.’ This is a profound read by a real reader and a real writer.” * Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of How to Think Impossibly *
“Gary Lachman is one of the world’s foremost historians of esoteric culture, having written seminal books about Blavatsky, Steiner, Swedenborg, Jung, Ouspensky, Colin Wilson, Aleister Crowley, and many others. His newest book, Touched by the Presence, is a deep dive into his mind and his incredible journey. This book describes an amazing transformation from an abusive childhood, to becoming a near-homeless vagabond, and then a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, to his present career as an intellectual of high standing. While the book is a tribute to Lachman’s creativity and his humanity, what stands out to me is his unwavering curiosity about the deepest philosophical problems facing contemporary humans.” * Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D., host of the New Thinking Allowed YouTube channel *
“In this compelling autobiography, Gary Lachman, former iconic pop musician turned author, vividly describes his inner and outer odyssey and the key people, movements, and books that have influenced him. He tells a riveting personal story that is full of fascinating observations on life, literature, culture, books, places, and more.” * Christopher McIntosh, author of Occult Germany, Occult Russia, and The Call of the Old Gods *
“In Touched by the Presence, former Blondie rocker Gary Lachman has written a zestful and inspirational memoir. A late baby boomer who grew up in a dysfunctional New Jersey family, he discovered music as a path of escape during the vibrant 1970s counterculture that spurred his life pivot to writing lucid books on spirituality and consciousness. Highly recommended!” * Edward Hoffman, Ph.D., author of Paths to Happiness *
“Fluid and articulate, Touched by the Presence is at heart a bibliophile’s memoir, delivering wide-ranging assessments of 20th-century philosophers and literary thinkers by an avid young reader who devoured them while undergoing a major life transition from being a member of a world-famous band to a prolific writer on distinctly off-the-grid metaphysical subjects. Spanning twenty years from the 1970s through the 1990s, the story is as much about the books Lachman encounters on this journey as the people. And the satisfying Act I–style ending leaves him and us poised on the brink of this new life, wondering what comes next.” * Victoria Nelson, author of On Writer’s Block *
“I recommend Lachman’s story. Yet I have a feeling that, as a bonus, you will find your story. You may not be named the New Age Pope, but you’ll realice that the quest for gnosis makes life all the more interesting, as it has done for Lachman.” * Miguel Conner, Quest Journal *

Gary Lachman is a prolific author and lecturer on consciousness, counterculture, and the Western esoteric tradition. His 25 works include The Return of Holy Russia, Lost Knowledge of the Imagination, Maurice Nicoll: Forgotten Teacher of the Fourth Way, and Dark Star Rising. A founding member of the rock band Blondie, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. He lives in London.

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