From 1987 to 1991, Time-Life Books published a comprehensive series of books about Psuedo-science, mysticism and the occult called “Mysteries of the Unknown”. The series started with the very popular “Alien Encounters” and went on for an additional 32 volumes. After the first year of the series being published it would become the most successful series ever published by Time-Life and a must have for X-Files fans everywhere. Why did it sell so well? Check out these commercials:
Time-Life Books “Mysteries of the Unknown” Commercial 1
Time-Life Books “Mysteries of the Unknown” Commercial 2
Did you own any of these fun books? If not you can usually find them at a used book store or at a garage sale. I picked up a full set for only $5 at a local sale. Here is the pull listing of titles:
- Alien Encounters
- Ancient Wisdom and Secret Sects
- Cosmic Connections
- Cosmic Duality
- Dreams and Dreaming
- Earth Energies
- Eastern Mysteries
- Hauntings
- Magical Arts
- Master Index and Illustrated Symbols
- Mind Over Matter
- Mysterious Creatures
- Mysterious Lands and Peoples
- Mystic Places
- Mystic Quests
- Phantom Encounters
- Powers of Healing
- Psychic Powers
- Psychic Voyages
- Search for Immortality
- Search for the Soul
- Secrets of Alchemists
- Spirit Summonings
- The Mind and Beyond
- The Mysterious World
- The Mystical Year
- The Psychics
- The UFO Phenomenon
- Time and Space
- Transformations
- Utopian Visions
- Visions and Prophecies
- Witches and Witchcraft
Those commercials freaked me the f*** out when I was a wee lass (who was also rather impressionable and had a shaky grasp on what was and wasn’t real; remember it was the 80′). The bit where the mom immediately knows something happened to her little boy has, like, a direct mainline to every woman’s worst and most primal “my friends and family might be in trouble and I can’t do anything” fears. Heady stuff to show during the commercial breaks for “Looney Tunes”.
I spent many a Summer eating these up after borrowing them from my local library. They had a huge impact on the way I viewed the world. Thanks for the memories!
my fiance’ has almost the whole set are they worth anything?please reply to: melissashaffner@hotmail.com
I have an original TIMEW LIFE Mysteris of the Unknown, unopened and unused set, for sale at $100.
pls contact johnmartini79@gmail.com if interested.