Hindu character - need beta help, fact checking

[Zellie 0]

Hi, I'm working on a novel involving a Hindu family and need some help making sure I portray the religion accurately. I've researched some online but I'm not sure which beliefs are appropriate to the context, to the sect, which are outdated or interpreted differently, metaphors verses solid beliefs, and how to reconcile those beliefs with the fact that a lot of the story takes place in a dreamworld.

 

The family is originally from Mumbai but have spent the last 20 years in America. The daughter is the main character. The parents are very interested in social status so knowledge of the caste system would be good. Anything dream-related is GREAT. The conflict in the story stems from nightmares seeping into reality and posessing negative people who in turn grow more negative.

 

What I'd really love is someone willing to read through the story as I work on it and offer suggestions such as 'in their home, they might have a dawn/dusk lamp and it would look like....' 'Since dreams are involved, she might remember a time when her mother told her about Brahman using dreams to punish immoral actions' etc

 

It's a young adult / adult fantasy with horror elements. I find some inspiration in Neil Gaiman's work. www.zellie.info is my website

 

Bonus points if you speak Hindi

 

Please let me know if you are interested in helping with this long-term project zellieberraine-at-gmail-dot-com

 

Thanks!

[Smiley 1]

Dr. Frank Morales, Ph.D.

 

Dr. Morales is currently recognized as one of the nation's leading authorities on Hindu philosophy and religion, as well as South Asian studies. In addition to directing his own institute, Dr. Morales works in conjunction with several educational institutes and think tanks globally. Dr. Morales maintains a very demanding schedule consisting of lecturing, consulting and writing. Dr. Morales has been a guest lecturer at over two dozen major universities throughout the USA, including Cornell, Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois Institute of Technology, and University of Virginia. In addition, Dr. Morales has served as a South Asian affairs consultant for such corporations as Ford Motor Company, Lucent Technologies, Goodwin Procter Law Firm, and the Global Health Corporation. Topics that Dr. Morales has spoken on include:

 

Meditation, Philosophy, Religion, Hindu Studies, South Asian Affairs, Ethics, Asian Culture, Contemporary South Asian Politics, History of Religion, Foreign Affairs, Comparative Theology, Principles of Effective Leadership, Yoga as well as many other subjects. He has spoken throughout North America before diverse audiences ranging from 50 to 5000 people.

 

www.dharmacentral.com