50 reviews for The Power of Now

momentummikey
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Great additional book for self study, but not by itself... One word summary for the book- “Consciousness“.To be honest, it was a toss-up for the one word summary. The other option was “Heavy”. This was my second or third time through the book in an attempt to grasp more of it. I had started about two years ago, and couldn’t wrap my awareness around some of it, so the book collected some dust. I tried again last month and finally, success in getting through it with a moderate understanding and feeling in resonance of it. (But that only demonstrates where I am in relation to his ideas, you are in a different place on the path, of course.)Tolle covers all the topics that most of us want to understand a little more. Fear is really only a construct of the past or future. The Ego plays tricks on you into thought processes that do not support your NOW moment. The illusionary sense of your thoughts and thinking. Most of all, he discusses how to live with an inner-awareness, that is deeper than what we’ve become trained to see.The emergence of our higher self is the key to enjoying and living in the NOW. We must give up the notion that we are the one doing or watching something. We are the essence of consciousness that is watching the watching or doing. (Heavy, I know.) Your level of happiness rests only on your level of awareness. Who is in between the thoughts that is rushing around in your brain? The idea reminded me of some Buddhist teachings about Illusion and releasing of Self and Mindfulness.Ironically, I think it because of his negative surroundings while growing up, that Tolle’s focus on a “Pain Body” exists in his writing. I definitely picked up a heavy residual experience there, which I had a difficult time connecting to. Maybe I’ll “feel” it the next time I re-read the book.Some real “Enlightments” that really lit up my own path were:“People carry too much residual resistance, too much fear, too much attachment to sensory experience, too much identification with the manifested world.”“Your primary task is not to seek salvation through creating a better world, but to awaken out of identification with form.”on death – “it’s only tragic because you projected a separate self where there was none. You got hold of a fraction of a dynamic process, a molecular dance, and mad a separate entity out of it.”“It is through the world and ultimately through you that the Unmanifested knows itself. You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold.”The Power of NOW is an incredibly empowering and “self”-evaluating book. It’s always great to read and learn and interupt the processes that you currently have in your life, and then try a few new ones. Tolle offers plenty of ideas that may help release “perceptions” that are holding you down in fear and attachment to impermanent conditions that your mind shows you. You are not your personal history, you are deeper than that.In Tolle’s own words, “Let me show you how to go more deeply into what you already have.” I believe he does a great job of this, and I definitely appreciate his insights. The book is definitely recommended for anyone seeking a calmer, deeper sense of who you are. 4 people found this helpful
Farnoosh Brock
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly soothing and powerful especially when read on audio by Eckhart himself What a meditation in itself to listen to Eckhart Tolle on Audible in The Power of Now. This book describes a belief system based on living in the present moment, in the Now, never outside of the Now for there is where all of our human sufferings resides. None resides in the Now. The core message is that our emotional problems are rooted in our identification with the mind, the stories that our mind tells us about the past or the future. If you want to disable the mind and find that stillness, that silence in which all heavenly peace resides, you must come to the present moment. The mind, Eckhart explains, cannot function without the concept of time and that is why we are either in the past or in the future, attaching, clinging, worrying about one or the other. There is no concept of time in the Now, and that is how you cease the bickering of the mind.The format of the book is in Q&A, someone reads the questions and the author answers. I found this to be very effective in breaking down the concepts in digestible chunks and expressing the views of us the reader as if we too were having a conversation with the author.You can certainly argue with him on every point he makes, but then again, your higher awareness knows that it is your mind trying to defend its position so it can keep you hostage to its own whims and desires. Maybe it is better to let go and experience the joy and the peace that truly resides in the now.As I was finishing this book, I was vacationing in Hawaii, and while I've been on Oahu a number of times and experienced the very same beauty, I decided to emerge in it. To really see it with fresh eyes, to really be present in everything, to see if I can even glimpse into the joy and the beauty which is hidden right before our eyes because we simply do not slow down enough to see it. And I must say, I felt a sense of deep joy and constant happiness, one that I didn't even have in my previous trips even though I'd describe all of those trips as "great"!!!Eckhart's voice is slow, measured and methodical. This book is easy to follow. Most spiritual books can get complex and deep. While there are passages which I hit rewind to take in more than once, it was done in such a way that I am most grateful, because of its simplicity, I hope it will stay with melonger.A must-read if you want to free yourself of worry and anxiety. You may just hear the same message of all spiritual books in a way that it will stick, and isn't that what it's all about? For us to hear what we already know deep down in such a way that it will go deep and reach into our own divinity and allow us to let go of nonsense so we can experience peace. So much peace. 19 people found this helpful
Hiro Kumagami
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars *Edited - Great, philosophically advanced book 06/03/20:The philosophy of this book is about not engaging in life. It has many characteristics of Eastern philosophies in which the main point is to avoid suffering. The problem is in order to avoid suffering, you must avoid engaging in life, and people, completely. The book demonizes the ego, but without an ego communication/interaction is impossible. There is not a universal/fundamental/conscious answer in communicating with another person, it is up to one's ego.In the analogy of life as a "game", this philosophy would be 'not playing'. In other words, "I can't lose, if I don't play."This philosophy basically involves committing mental suicide. Once your mind/ego is dead, there is no more suffering; kinda like the philosophical equivalent to a lobotomy. In complete detachment (ego death) you can no longer be hurt as there is no more "you". This is when you just "are". You are completely carefree, with no attachments, or responsibilities.I think philosophies of detachment and "you are not your thoughts" are very helpful in times of extreme stress and suffering. It is very useful to sometimes separate your consciousness from your thoughts/emotions. But to throw away your desires/motivation/mind/identity/life to avoid suffering is a bit extreme imo.I gave this book 4 stars cus i'm not saying the philosophy doesn't work. It absolutely does work in avoiding suffering, but it comes at the price of "your life." If you take this philosophy to heart "you" should not have a life anymore, you should just exist in carefree, joy.__________________________________/////EDIT (11/25/20): *5 stars/////I recently started re-reading this book and I can't believe how misguided I was the first time around. I can't go into all the details so I'll sum it up.The biggest reason I rejected the ideas in this book was because I hadn't answered the most important question: "what is the meaning of life?" It might sound like a joke but in order to mentally digest this book you need to read it from an absolutely fundamental perspective.If you are reading this book and disagree with it's philosophy (as I did). Ask yourself, what is the meaning of life? What do you truly want? If you are hellbent on success/achievement/prestige (as I was), or fame/power/wealth/etc. ask yourself, why do you want these things? Who is "success" for?I can give you the answers to these questions but I don't think I or anyone can really make you believe/understand, unless you arrive at them on your own.I think it's important to analyze and reflect on life/reality fundamentally, before reading this book or else things like the separation of self from the idea-of-self will just sound like a bunch of mumbo jumbo.P.S. I realize there are many misguided/ignorant thoughts in my first review. I like to keep it as a humbling reminder. 10 people found this helpful
streem
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars sit with it I wasn't going to write anything, but some of these other reviews have compelled me to do so. People are criticizing Tolle for, what they seem to think is, idealism and hoopla and logical falicies. But this book holds no such things. Someone actually wrote a critical review because "it doesn't work." That is sad, because this reader missed the whole point of this book. This book is not a quick fix, nor does it claim to be. IT IS A WAY OF LIVING. Yes, Tolle claims his method will change your life, but he does not claim that you will be able to exercise the Power of Now effectively as soon as you put down the book. That impatience is precisely what the book is trying to alleviate. Just like yoga and meditation (which this book is very close to and works very well with) this is a lifelong practice. For example, try concentrating on the next 10 breaths you have Follow the breath in. Follow it out. Don't think about them, just notice them, without one other thought entering your mind.............yeah, it's hard as hell. But wouldn't it be nice? That is where this book can take you, but you must not look at your inability to complete this task as a fallacy of this book. Taking Tolle's advice rather, fully accept where you are in the process at this time, right now. And I have to defend Tolle's comment that gays and women are closer to enlightenment than heterosexual men, which was criticized in a review below mine. They aren't closer to enlightenment simply because they are gay or because they are female, and no, Tolle doesn't claim God has something against straight guys. Women and gays TEND to be closer to enlightenment because MOST of the time women and gays are more in touch with there feelings, and less likely to suppress them and try to be "tough," like the stereotypical straight American male. Can anyone argue with that? And I have to address the criticism of Tolle for his concept that this very moment is outside of the realm of time (past and future). You can only argue with this if you are not in this moment. Sure, we all now that every minute is a part of time, part of a past and future, but if you are truly IN this moment, you cannot have a concept of past and future, which in essence means that you are not in the grasp of the past and future, you are "free of time." For example, when you tried the breathing exercise above, if you had even one breath of pure presence, you know what I am talking about, there is a freedom in each moment. I know it is hard to grasp, for me as well, but I urge you, especially the person who wrote that comment, to continue trying, because although I have only had glimpses, there is nothing like the feeling you get when you truly experience this very moment, with all of its wonder, with every sound, with every feeling, with every sight. We have been given and infinite supply of these moments, and this book at least helps us find a way to appreciate them. This book has begun to change my life. It also led me to the book "wherever you go, there you are," which is also a life-changing read. Hope this helped you out a little. Good luck. 48 people found this helpful
Mohammad (N: Simba)
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars It is a great book and summarized well in "The Practice of the Power of Now" book. It's been over a year and a half since I read this book and bought the practice book which is just a summarized version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1577311957/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1Be aware of what you feel and think, watch your thoughts, feelings, and actions.That is what I understood as the theme of the book, but it obviously goes into more depth. From what other people say, I can see where the nonsense and ramblings may be perceived.Here's a little about myself so you can understand who this is coming from:I try to take an observational approach inside and outside my life, exploring and tasting the abundance around me. I wouldn't label myself as a spiritual dude or hippie, I like improving myself and that includes my state of mind. That's not to say that I promote or walk around looking like a coachella concert smoking enlightenment all day, I am a guy who does guy stuff. I talk trash with my friends, I embrace all types of humor including dark humor and what have you. As one who loves life and its inhabitants, I still like to keep a healthy amount of skepticism (an open mind) to what I experience, including what I read or what is said.During my read I found that the author also realized many people would reject the way he thinks and so he even speaks about why one must keep an open mind. Any form of rejection such as judgement, spite, or complete distancing of a subject or situation can happen because the mind will reject anything not comfortable to what is unfamiliar. With my skepticism I still read on and true. There is a lot going on in this book that's easier said (and not understood) than done and can take time to absorb. What I can say to that is just get to the summarized version because that is a lot less wordy and just gets straight to the why you must practice presence and how to become present.The book has a lot to offer around his concept of presence, reality, and other experiences. Some may revel in beautiful harmony from this book, others will willingly move forward trying to practice it, testing the waters (which includes me), and others will just say no. All are fine because self-improvement is an investment, and this is a big one. To that though I would like to say that none of these reviews can really tell you what you need to know. The only experience worth living is the one that is being experienced and so I say to anyone and to you just read it, give it some attention, try it out. There was a quote that said, "Don't be too busy building the ship that you never embrace the sea" That is in my perspective, don't be too busy looking at these reviews and just experience it yourself!Overall, and so if you're also just a casual reader and would like a new perspective or practice to try, this is also it.Wish you all the best, fellow friends and coachello's 20 people found this helpful
Holli S.
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book Life changing if you follow his advice.
Netspiderz
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Priceless book, filled with wisdom. For the ones that are ready to understand the dept of this book I love Eckhart Tolle, thus below my comments reflect my passion for his teachings. As you know everything is relative, in this case, my review is relative to my personal experience.The most profound book I have ever read. Finally I have touched the depth of consciousness. When you are ready, you may understand it. Otherwise, it may be a heavy book. It's like giving a computer book to a technology savvy versus someone that is not familiar with computers. I have also read every other book of this author. I find this book to be the starting book into the author philosophy. This book will help you understand other books that may be more difficult without this base knowledge such as The New Earth. There are several other spiritual teachers, but this Author is the only one that is truly effective that contains substance making a difference in my life. Other authors always leave me with nothing, lot's of words that don't lead anywhere.This book was given to me from a friend and it was the best experience ever that changed my life. I am glad she pushed me to start reading it, because I kept it on my bookshelf for weeks. Once I started reading it I was astonished and since then my life changed, my eyes were opened. However, not everyone is ready to understand. I have tried sharing it with some other people, but not everyone was able to read it. Since my background of meditation, spirituality, and introspection, this book came easy to read and understand. For me this book was the missing block from my spiritual path.Thanks Eckhart Tolle for helping humans make it to the next stage of consciousness.Good luck and I hope that anyone coming across this book is ready to discover the realm of non-thinking, non-judging, non-labeling. I would say, this is a non-mystical, clear understanding of what's behind religions. This can help any person to understand more their religious/spiritual path. The book is neutral, it doesn't favor any religion over another. It brings everything together into one as it should be.My message to everyone:Gaining more knowledge doesn't make people wise. Wisdom should be developed in pair with knowledge. Too much thinking stresses you out. Practice meditation. Discover the ego in you (we all have it), but you don't have to listen to it. The mind wants to think taking you away from what you are currently doing. Be aware of compulsive-recurring thoughts that are draining your energy. You should be able to stop the flow of thoughts, regain energy, feel at peace, in between daily tasks. This will bring wisdom in your actions. Otherwise, stress can only led you to poor results, poor performance, poor outcome. Empower yourself with gaps of non-thinking, which will make you experience FREEDOM. That's were you can find freedom, in your head only. It's nice to stop the mind flow of thoughts. You'll feel light, free, happy, and worry-free. Otherwise, your mind keeps generating thoughts causing you to be slave of recurring/compulsive thinking. That's why people drinks or get drugs (legal and illegal), to experience freedom from your mind that never stop stressing you out. Alcohol causes more issues than benefits, same as some drugs. Learn how to become free from your mind and from addictions. Then you can start enjoy life and express yourself at your full potential. This book is a pointer to freedom. Here is the door, can you open it and discover what's in it? 12 people found this helpful
Alex
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars WOW Need to read again to continue to be reminded of this. This has helped me be more present. This has helped me see what I already knew. 2 people found this helpful
Derek
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Please read this book. Get the book. Even if you just flip through it you will find something special on any page. I always keep a copy near by & gift this one to everyone I love. Truly life changing. 5 people found this helpful
Fenrir Wolf
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A Life Saver I can't say enough about this book. I broke up with my girlfriend over 30 years ago and could never get over her. I tried everything and nothing worked. Eventually I ended up suppressing my memories and emotions of her and eliminating anything that reminded me of her. I had no choice; I was going crazy! I didn't understand what was happening. I had dated and been in love before and it took a while to get over them, but this was different; it never ended!Between the suppression and elimination, I was able to get my sanity back and live a normal life again...basically. That all changed about a year ago when I came across her profile on Facebook. It was like unlocking Pandora's Box and all the memories, all the emotions, and all the pain came flooding back.Suddenly, I was right back where I left off 30 years ago. The problem was this time I was unable to suppress any of it. I couldn't get the genie back in the bottle. I sought out a therapist which helped me answer a lot of questions but failed to provide any relief for the pain. I tried everything once again to no avail and felt myself going crazy all over again.It was terrible. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't focus on anything but her. Not crying but bawling my eyes out to no avail. My life had become a nightmare like before, one I couldn't wake up from. I continually searched the internet for answers, for something, anything and by some miracle I watched a YouTube video that recommended this book. With nothing to lose I bought the book and within a half hour the pain was gone!!!Detaching from my mind and focusing on the "Now" literally saved my life! Nothing else worked! The future for the first time in decades looks bright! I no longer have to worry about the memories or suppress anything. I just have to focus on "Being". She's still with me and I'm sure she always will be, but now the memories are pleasant and not painful. Also, they grow more distant by the day as I'm able to focus on other things and WOW has my focus improved!If you're on the fence GET THIS BOOK!!! This book worked where everything else had failed and it's been the best investment I ever made! I got it on Kindle, paperback, and hardcover! A thousand stars out of five for me! 53 people found this helpful
The Rebecca Review
Rated 3 out of 5
September 23, 2024
3.0 out of 5 stars Peace of Mind through Controlling the Mind - A form of enlightenment It is obvious to me that Eckhart Tolle is a student of many religions and that was how he was able to write this book. Basically the ideas in this book are based on Zen Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism and Jesus' teachings. The main core of this book is the idea that humans are really a form of consciousness which Eckhart Tolle seems to believe is God. So really what he is teaching is that humans are actually God but they don't realize it. This is a New Age belief that is quite prominent in the literature. This distracts from all the other good things in this book which seem based on some advanced understanding of psychology. So if you take that one motivation out of the picture you have a book that tries to assist the reader in solving some very human problems.The reason Eckhart Tolle actually awakened to a new reality was because he was in such deep suffering that I think there was no other option. I too awakened after years of continuous and intense psychological suffering which started for me when my ex boyfriend broke up with me. Six years later I was still crying and upset. This seems unreal now but it was my reality. Finally I got the idea in my "head" that I didn't have to suffer anymore. I could decide to get over the situation. 25 years after this breakup I still remember how it felt but I'm completely a different person. I also think that committing more deeply to my Christian faith and becoming a real follower of Jesus was key to me waking up completely. Eckhart even says that salvation is a way to become Enlightened. Although I think Christian enlightenment is different in that we give ourselves over to God's love as we accept we can't save ourselves, only Jesus can save us. In Buddhism it is almost like you have to save yourself.So I think Eckhart Tolle is right in some regards when he addresses the fact that humans are consumed with thinking and don't feel their true essence. Except Christians believe that essence is a "soul" which is conscious and eternal. So a slightly different way of looking at consciousness. If this book used different words for things it might even seem like a Christian book being that Eckhart talks a lot about the peace of God. And what he seems to be talking about in my understanding is a feeling of love towards God.If you are a Christian reading this book it will be a bit of a minefield. If you are Buddhist you will probably understand it quite well.My question is, what good is a feeling of complete peace without the knowledge that you will live eternally in heaven? Eckhart of course doesn't seem to believe that heaven is a real place. He also doesn't seem to think Jesus was a real person, even though he quotes him constantly. I don't think his form of enlightenment guarantees anything beyond this life. The type of enlightenment spoken of in this book seems a temporary solution to an eternal problem. Just because you learn how to control your mind and become happier doesn't mean you are God.I have a good way to find out if you are God or not:1. Sit quietly in a chair and take two deep breaths.2. Ask yourself: "When is the last time I created a universe with 100 billion galaxies?"3. Think very deeply then answer.4. If the answer is "never" BINGO you are not God.5. Take two more deep breaths and realize how glad you are that the real God is in control.If you want to know how to be permanently Enlightened I suggest this book: done.: What most religions don't tell you about the Bible ~The Rebecca Review 62 people found this helpful
Matthew
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Letting go and surrendering Fantastic book, thank you Eckhart for taking us through the journey of spiritual inner peace. Wonderful read. Thank you for your wisdom.
SBYogaman
Rated 3 out of 5
September 23, 2024
3.0 out of 5 stars False Authority In the midst of a move recently I sifted through my book collection and before giving this away read it for the first time since I’d bought it many years ago. I’d quite forgotten the book’s faults and how those faults have compounded with time.The book is heavily derivative on other sources and it shows: I’d estimate about 50% A Course In Miracles, 25% Krishnamurti and 25% other sources (mostly buddhist I would say) overlaid with the usual bong water phrasing: “opposite energy polarity”, “blockages of energy in the body” and the like. Admittedly he’s quite open about this and the source material is paraphrased quite well but why have an intermediary at all?While I have nothing against and in fact heartily endorse the last two sources it’s the first and primary one I’m going to examine here.I’m quite familiar with A Course In Miracles, having studied this christian based psychotherapy (though I’m an atheist) extensively a decade or more ago and while there are some useful insights hidden in its voluminous and rambling text - just enough to keep reading it - I regard it at its heart as imposture or delusion. Continuous immersion in it - and the community it supports - just like in any of the more formal religions will tend to hypnotize the mind and impair reasoning. I believe this is what has happened to Tolle. Someone who bases their life philosophy on it at the very least has suspect judgement.Like Marianne Williamson before him he’s found A Course In Miracles followed by Oprah to be a route to riches. Tolle is essentially a new age entrepreneur complete with his own creation myth and cadre of fanboys. Alternately challenged and flattered in time-tested style his audience have lapped it up, helped in the US at least by the book’s christian theme and celebrity followers.The peddling of life after death fairy tales also helps. It’s been clearly shown by cognitive scientists like Daniel Dennett that every thought has its physical correlate in the brain - there is no intangible being existing outside of it. The mind is impaired in direct proportion to injury or deterioration of the brain. Effectively the mind is the brain. When the brain dies you die. But no one wants to hear this.The book’s apocalyptic tone is also fairly standard for the genre - and of course offering itself as the antidote. Every age in modern times has believed that theirs was the end of times - and remember the book is now 20 years old. In fact objective living conditions have improved immeasurably worldwide and will continue to improve. We’re no closer to annihilation than at any other time. Yes there are nuclear weapons but also more capacity to resist bacterial and viral threats - the Black Death killed about half the population of Europe in the middle ages. Though it all the human mind is largely unchanged. Technological change has meant losing some serenity perhaps but also gaining sophistication and opportunity. Able to read books like this for example.This kind of book does a disservice to their audience by insisting on progression through catalytic events to result in the finality of an enlightened being once and for all. From my experience there are no enlightened people only enlightened thinking; the best person imaginable can be prone to quite shocking thoughts and conversely for the worst person imaginable. There is overlap between every human being and never any kind of finality to psychological progression but only a process; issues will continue to repeat but if we’re lucky smoother and less traumatic each time. There is a human (egoic) need for certainty that paradoxically acts against any progress.So the book is derivative and has shaky foundations - what’s the harm if some find its psychological truths helpful? Doesn’t he express them quite well? He does indeed but I still don’t get the impression it’s entirely “lived in”, experiential, straight from the horse’s mouth as it were, unlike say, Kabat-Zinn or Krishnamurti. This can’t help but give the book a false authority. Still any kind of authority even if it’s fake is apparently essential for the cult of personality. The public flock to this kind of guru-worship and always will.I don’t wish to be unfair. These days after decades of reading I don’t get too much out of “spiritual” (whatever that means) books - I prefer to study the mind first hand and apply it to a daily health program that includes a mindfulness practice - but there were some passages that made Tolle’s book useful. The section on addiction and relationships is particularly good. He’d make an excellent marriage counselor - and that may well have been his true calling. He’s intelligent and if you ignore some of the more dubious assertions he can be a quite wise if sometimes unreliable guide to the mental landscape we all travel through daily.Giving the book a rating is difficult; if you’ve never read anything like this before, just religious type mumbo-jumbo then four stars might be appropriate, a gateway to more solid foundations. You’ll benefit from reading it at least a bit. If the book is instead an alternative and a blockage to more honest, dare I say more adult authors like Anthony De Mello, Krishnamurti, Jon Kabat-Zinn or even more distant figures like Emerson and Thoreau then I’d give it a punitive two stars. In any case ultimately we have to put aside the books and courses and discover the truth for ourselves. 16 people found this helpful
Asko Korpela
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars 015 Tolle's original thoughts I now notice that I have read Tolle's two main books in the wrong time order. This 'Now' is about ten years older than 'A New Earth', so here are the original thoughts. Of course, they can be read independently, and they both contain the same basic ideas, but they are not replaceable by each other. The New can be seen more like consequences of the Now, a building on the fundament of this older work. It is remarkable that the original work is still valid, a kind of proof of the firmness of the original ideas.To me it is the most fascinating idea that without me feeling to the least degree scitsofrenic I can think that there is two bodies of myself, or actually three: the physical and two spiritual bodies: the conscious mind and the real inner body. 'When thinking, the tyrant, the mind is ruling me, my real being' as Tolle says. Tolle's ideas, presented in this book, are a valuable guidance tothe recognition of the Real Me, my inner body.According to Tolle, the Real Me is not recognized by deep thinking, but on the opposite, by stopping it, surrendering to what is, what exists. Damn the past, do not worry of the future. There is no such thing as time. Time is just an illusion. All that really happens, does it right now. So the old wisdom of the two words 'carpe diem' - 'seize the day' is the kernel of Tolle's Now. - It is just astonishing that these word are not referred to in this book. It can well be, of course, that a day is too concrete and too long unit for Tolle, in fact a unit of time, which just is completely damned.If you are thinking any past ideas, then the mind, the conscious mindbody is using you. You are unconsciously identified with it, so you don’t even know that you are its slave. In stead you should try to reach the consciousness away from mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This is the essence of meditation.Says Tolle: "Ceasing to create pain in the present and dissolving past pain — this is what I want to talk about now. Here is the key: End the delusion of time. Time and mind are inseparable. Remove time from the mind and it stops — unless you choose to use it. Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now."When you remember the past, you reactivate a memory trace — and you do so now. The future is an imagined Now, a projection of the mind. When the future comes, it comes as the Now. When you think about the future, you do it now.Tolle's radical advice sounds: 'Find the "narrow gate that leads to life." It is called the Now. Die to the past every moment. You don't need it. Only refer to it when it is absolutely relevant to the present. Feel the power of this moment and the fullness of Being. Feel your presence.'Do not turn your attention elsewhere in your search for the Truth, for it is nowhere else to be found but within your body. 'Through the inner body, you are forever one with God' says Tolle.And how can you in concrete terms try to find your inner body and give more space to it? This is what Tolle says:"When you are unoccupied for a few minutes, and especially last thing at night before falling asleep and first thing in the morning before getting up, "flood" your body..."Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. However, do not confuse surrender with an attitude of "I can't be bothered anymore" or "I just don't care anymore."...In surrender, you no longer need ego defenses and false masks. Presence is the key. The Now is the key. 27 people found this helpful
Vegan Fazool
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Audio book desperately needs to be re-recorded. This is the classic work from Eckhart Tolle and my docking of a star has nothing to do with the content of the book. Content is 5 stars, of course. However, the narrators of the questions (one male and one female reader) are pretty terrible voice actors, which is very distracting. Also the subheadings which are very important to the content, are, for some reason, completely skipped over in the audible version. This actually causes issues with the text and audio syncing up properly in whisper sync, as well as comprehension issues in the transition of the text.Bottom line, I'm aware this will likely never happen, but the book should be re-recorded with Eckhart reading the entire thing, including the subheadings and the questions himself. Also, please remove the high pitched "awareness bells" that randomly occur between section headings. These are distracting and jarring when listening and don't increase present moment awareness, lol. 6 people found this helpful
Ibishead
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Not For Everyone: Only For Those With An Open Mind Firstly, I would like to say that if you were to purchase The Power of Now, I would recommend buying the audio, and not the book. It is a lot easier to understand if you hear the author talk about it, rather than if you try to read it and to make sense of it, even though the audio and the book are of the same content.Next, I would like to say that this book is not for everyone. When I first started listening to it, some of the things the author talked about rung true with me because of things that had happened to me in my life, while other things I looked at with extreme skepticism and ridicule to the point where I discarded these teachings as nonsense. If you have never studied anything spiritual, and have never had any first had experiences with such issues, then you will have a hard time understanding what the author is talking about.That said, I have concluded from connecting the ideas in this book to those from a variety of other books, and from my own personal experiences, that what the author is speaking of is certainly true. There are many reviewers who claim Eckhart Tolle is a thief and a fraud because he keeps repeating the same idea over again and because there is nothing in this book which can't be found anywhere else. It is true that there is nothing new here, but he openly admits it in the book. He says that this book is the one true spiritual teaching which can be found in all the world's religions. Yes, with all the hate and strife that religion is causing us, it is difficult to believe that all the world's religions contain the same message of love. I had a hard time believing it myself, but it is the truth. What the author has done is he has collected the esoteric teachings and put them in words which the layman could understand, so instead of reading the ancient Hindu and Buddhist texts which are rife with symbolism, you can read this book where all the symbols are deciphered.You might not be ready to read this book today. You might not be ready to read it in a year, but there will come a day when you are ready to take in what the author has to say and you will know the truth without a doubt.(ADDED CONTENT BELOW MONTHS AFTER WRITING ORIGINAL REVIEW)There is one thing I would like to advise people new to the subject of Eastern practices. You may get the impression from this and many similar books that life is meaningless, bleak, and that the only way to be happy is to lose any amibition you have to accomplish anything. This is not the case, and you will only see this when you've immersed yourself with this practice and developed a higher level of mental ability. Once you're there, you will be able to accomplish whatever you want because you are no longer afraid of failing. You won't get upset when you strum the wrong string; on the contrary, you will embrace the mistakes and realize that they are all part of the learning experience of life.I used to be very driven when I was younger, but when I started getting involved in Eastern spirituality, I lost most of my fire because I realized that my life would ultimately end. It's one thing to think about it, but when you realize it deeply, it shakes you to the core. I no longer strived to reach the heights of the world because I didn't feel there was a point. However, slowly but surely, the drive that once characterized my personality returned with avengence, and I have become more ambitious than I have ever been. I am in the constant process of improving myself through reading (non-fiction, vocabulary building, writing style, self improvement), meditating, lifting heavy weights, stretching, and I've taken up guitar playing. I want to become the best at it, but I am doing it for myself. I am no longer driven by an obsessive need to be seen as the best by others, the need that subtly haunted me during my basketball days.My main advice to you is to be patient with this practice. There may be a hopeless transition period where you are breaking down the barriers of sludge that have cut you off from who you were always supposed to be, but once they are down, it be more than worthwhile. 59 people found this helpful
Joe Gallagher
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic What a fantastic read that really opens up your mind to contemplate your own consciousness. No better time than now.
Nike
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest works by Eckhart Tolle If you are looking for the real meaning of life, read this book.This is an amazing book. One person found this helpful
Guillermo Góngora
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars tal cual lo publicado llego el producto tal cual lo publicado , vendedor agil y recomendable, el libro es de una edicion aceptable, gracias
Barb
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book very much. I enjoyed this book very much and it has been very instrumental in getting me to stop overthinking every five minutes. Overthinking was really becoming a serious problem for me, and it was detrimentally affecting my health. So thank you, Eckhart Tolle, for helping out of the horrible funk I was in. One person found this helpful
lee
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars If everyone lived like this book outlines, The world would be at peace. I've had many copies of this book over the last 20+ years. I give them away and have to buy another.I enjoy reading parts of it every now and then, just to remind myself of the lessons it has.* One important thing I would like to point out for you... if a person can place a small part of their focus on their body located in your surrounding space, you will get this down much faster.In other words, feel your self being there, sitting at the desk, at a meting, working in the garden... You can focus on your work or entertainment, but a bit of it is reserved for your body being there too, not just your mind.If you can do this (with practice), you will understand this books' meaning. One person found this helpful
Someonereallyimportant
Rated 3 out of 5
September 23, 2024
3.0 out of 5 stars I had a disturbing thought about the motives behind this book and more.... First, I have had what felt like a true fight between good and evil for my soul in recent years. I had wife who insisted on following the mormon religion, which divided my family for years. My child chose not to follow the mormon beliefs, but in the end the marriage ended. In the years following my divorce, I was tempted by not one but several women who were willing to give me anything to hang onto me. They would try to bring other women into our bed and they used sex to tempt and control me. Things got progressively worse as I would break things off with each woman, only to be tempted by another exactly like her. The new women would pretend to be Christians, good people, moral people, but in the end, they were just evil. The severity of each woman's revenge grew in intensity 10 times more than the one before for leaving them. Ultimately, I was left broken and beaten down. I have spent the last two years receiving medical treatment and trying to just get back on top of my life again. I looked to the Power of Now as a way to suppress the pain and move forward. It seemed to be helping and I found myself buying books for strangers, telling people about it at every turn, both online and in person.I have been told on multiple occasions that I must be a very important person to have survived the horrible things that were done to me in the fight for good and evil. I would take this as nearly insulting, because I was a broken man at the lowest point in my life. It seemed patronizing and made me feel as though I should be outraged that someone would even suggest that the indignities done to me were part of a plan for my life. Violence was forced upon me with last two women I dated as they tried to see that I paid for not wanting to be with them anymore. This violence resulted in chronic pain and multiple surgeries to repair the damage. Of course, these women enlisted the help of new men in their lives to teach me a lesson, because women control men in ways we may never even want to openly admit.In my attempts to erase the painful memories, I started reading the "Power of Now". One night I woke in pain while I was having a vivid dream about good and evil, where I was left with this shocking insight to the possible real motive behind the book. The author talks about the existence of another entity inside of us as though it is just a common thing. More than that, it says we should learn to NOT LISTEN TO OUR OWN THOUGHTS, saying that in time we might even eventually laugh at the voice inside our head instead of listening to it. I thought for a moment about an exorcism movie I had seen where the priests fought to reach the real person, who's body was taken over by a demon. This had special implications with me, because in the last few years I have had many lapses in time where I had gone to the store in the middle of the night or written emails, etc. that seemed to not even be coming from me. It was blamed on the head injury that I had received and at other times it was blamed on sleep medications like Ambien and Triazolam. They called it sleep walking, but the bottom line is that I felt violated every time I woke to a morning after being someone else for a night with no memories at all. You walk and talk to people as though you are in a zombie state. I went as far as to give Ambien to one of these women who had taken part in the destruction of my life one night. She was awake and looking into the camera with dead (possessed looking) eyes, as she proudly told me the real story about dozen of lies she had told me over the years. She had cheated on many occasions, while launching verbal attacks on me to divert the attention off her. On the Ambien, this girl told me the truth about everything with a smile on her face. With the pride of a demon, she would smile as she told me about how hot the other men's orgasms were. She used words that would be as painful as they could be as she mockingly told me all of these stories with very vivid details. This was not SLEEP WALKING. It was the act of a evil entity. It was like looking into the face of evil. I broke all ties with her and later she was launching another attack on me about how delusional I was to believe all of the things I did about her. I told her that I had a video of her confessing everything in great detail, to which she replied that I was a (cursing) liar and to (cursing) prove it. I sent her video and she was shocked. She reacted with such disbelief as she watched the video. It was her, telling me as harshly as she could ever evil thing she had ever done to me, that she always claimed were just me being delusional when I would question her about where she had been or what she had been doing. She could only tell me that she didn't know why she said those things, but that maybe she was just screwing with me or something. I have always believed that this girl had given in years ago to the forces of evil and she claims to be an atheist. If Ambien could make someone who lived a life full of secrets suddenly look into a camera and boldly tell 20 sex stories in great details that had happened and with no other goal but to see pain on my face as she told me while smiling, then what is the true purpose of meds like Ambien and Triazolam? Is it all just tools of evil to peck away our soul's ability to be in charge of our body?I am throwing allot at you at once, but keep reading.It is my belief that our souls are the entity that is primarily in control of our body, but that there are other entities constantly trying to take over, like in the possession stories. In the possession stories, some other entity takes over the body at their will, not your will. The demons kill and abuse others. When the person wakes later, they have no memory of anything happening. Anyone who ever took something Ambien and woke to weird things that had been done by them with zero memory or first hand accounts, will see this connection now and (like me) are feeling a chill run up their spines.The forces of evil are about deception. They are about manipulation. What does any of this have to do with the Power of Now book? We are knowing taking medications that may in fact be allowing these other entities to take over our bodies. Then I read this book, which is supposed to be about ending suffering. It says that we must be open it. It says we should lay down our will and not believe that we are the ones who are supposed to be controlling our bodies. The book encourages us to "stop thinking". It tells us to empty our mind and ignore the voices in our head that are questioning love and life. It uses words like enlightenment and oneness to shame us or peer pressure us into falling into submission. The fact that the author openly talks about other entities inside of us is powerful. It says the only difference between us and a crazy person talking to themselves as they walk down the streets (which we have all seen), is that we have these conversations inside of our head everyday. They don't keep it inside their heads, but aside from that, we are the same. He says over and over that they voices are real. He tells us to ignore the voice that we "think is in charge" and learn to numb your mind to the point of letting our "true identity" take over. Does anyone else see a problem with any of this?I do not have a great education. I am communicating this as clearly as I can. I think I am supposed to tell you all to look at this from from this point of view. Are we becoming enlightened? Or are we following instructions to lay down our will and let another entity take over our bodies? Why don't we remember the things we say or do while on Ambien or other similar medications? Do they artificially have the same results? Do they force our true identity to lay down control to another entity? People have been charged with crimes committed while on these medications. What would a demon do if they could joy ride with your body for a night? When I first read the book "The Power of Now", I felt a wisdom that did not seem possible to come from a single man. When I heard the audio recordings of Eckhart Tolle reciting his book, they sounded like the words of God. His voice is hypnotizing and anyone who has heard it, will have to admit that. The immensity of his pure and simple logic was frightening to me on some level, but I read on. Now, I fear that they are all tools of the forces of evil, trying to get us to lay down our free will. God gave us free will and I have heard that evil cannot exist anywhere that it was not first invited. I don't even like to watch Hollywood movies about evil, because that is a form of us inviting evil into our lives.I don't honestly know my role yet in this fight between good and evil. I honestly don't even know if I am the good guy or the bad guy yet. I am just reporting my insights as clearly as I can for you to consider, because I have been moved to do so. I am honestly fearful that by me going public with this that I will be inviting evil into my life. I have no intentions except to tell what I have witnessed and the enlightenment that I recently experienced about it all leads me to suspect deception. Someone told me awhile ago to question books like "The Power of Now", because even though they talk about the empowering us with true enlightenment, they may ultimately be leading us down a road of deception. These people told me to only trust the Bible and my first reaction was that they were being purist and that anything that leads us to internal peace can only be a good thing. Now, I fear they may have been right.There is no doubt we are living in the final days. 200,000 people died in the earthquake of Haiti, thousands more in the tsunami in 2004 that shook the world, the tsunami that claimed the nation of Japan, and so on. Japan now has a person committing suicide every 15 minutes nationally after the tsunami. Its their number one cause of death nationally since the tsunami hit. Japan continues to be rocked by earthquakes every week, so does the Philippines, New Zealand, The United States, and Europe. Look up how many volcanoes have erupted world wide in the last year alone.Look up Supernova info regarding the Red giant star Betelgeuse. Look up the Great Rift. Its a black hole in our solar system. Why do I mention both of these? Because the Betelgeuse (ancient name for Satan too) supernova is predicted to happen as early as next year and the earth is also supposed to travel dangerously close to the great rift next year. Next year happens to be 2012, aka end of Mayan calender, etc. Its really all just too much to be ignored any longer isn't it? Personally, I think its all happening right under our feet. If a day to God like a thousand years to us, then today may be the day of reckoning. In fact, all of these terrible disasters have all happened in just a few years of each other.Revelation 1:12 talks about opening the sixth seal. When the "SIXTH SEAL" was broken John tells us that there was a "GREAT EARTHQUAKE," and the "SUN BECAME BLACK AS SACKCLOTH OF HAIR," and the "MOON BECAME AS BLOOD," and the "STARS OF HEAVEN FELL TO THE EARTH," and the "HEAVEN DEPARTED AS A SCROLL," and "EVERY MOUNTAIN AND ISLAND WERE MOVED OUT OF THEIR PLACE." The great earthquake is basically happening now. If you don't believe it, look at the US Geological Service's website [...] and you will see a 7 day window to world quakes. If you look at a larger window for several years, its frightening how much is happening right under our feet. It says the moon will become as blood, which has happened many times in history from earthquake gases and volcanic ash released into the atmosphere. Here is just one example [...]. As for the heavens departing like a scroll and the sun becoming black as a sackcloth, what do you think would happen if we went into a black hole in the universe? The stars would fall from heaven? The black hole would make everything fall from heaven, but the star suspiciously named Betelgeuse imploding, becoming a second sun in our own sky for a week or so before dimming to just a glowing cloud of smoke in the night sky would also sufficiently be described in this way. Certainly, every mountain and island would be moved of their place, but again this has already happened in our poles being shifted by earthquakes of recent years. The entire nation of Japan was shifted 3 feet and the poles moved again.I am not an overly religious person really. I do not preach or even talk opening about this stuff often, but for some reason I am being compelled to share my insights. I have many questions about all of it and that is all I am saying to you. Question Everything. "The Power of Now" may just be another cleverly disguised tool of evil and I only want you to consider that as you read or listen to it. Are you being given instructions to lay down your free will and let another entity take over your body? Lookup "Is Ambien creating a nation of zombies?" on Youtube. It talks about people "sleep driving" and "Sleep walking". It talks about crimes being committed and people even walking off buildings. What would a demon do if they had control of your body. God gave us free will and Eve chose to be disobedient to God. He gave them one rule and she broke it. In keeping with the nature of women in general, they want to be heard by their man. They want to bring knowledge into the relationship and to be valued for that. I think that Eve truly thought she was just enlightening Adam, who she loved. I do not believe she intentionally misled Adam. In her mind, she had figured out that the fruit was good and she wanted Adam to see it too. This simply analogy can be applied to life in marriages around the world and the situations they find themselves in daily. Deception comes in many forms.My mother always told me, "God will never give you more than you can handle".Paul tells us: "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength but with your testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Over time that promise has become abbreviated to "God will never give you more than you can handle."Maybe its my job to remind you of this and to draw attention to the devil's tools of manipulation. Maybe I am being chosen to provide you the way out by sharing this. Women are Biblically one of those tools as well. It started in the Garden of Eden. I am only saying that men are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of the family and that if a woman is leading you down a different path, that you should recognize that for what it is. Its deception and manipulation. A woman scorned is not something we should make jokes about. It is truly an example of the wrath of evil and its real. There are good moral woman out there, but more alarmingly there are women out there who feel they are good and moral as they lead you down a path of destruction.I don't know all of the answers. I am certainly no scholar. I am saying to you to be strong.Do not lay down your will to an unknown entity, a medication, or a deceptive woman.I know there are truths that have been shown to me and for some reason it is my responsibility to tell you.I have done that.May God protect my soul. 269 people found this helpful
J. Nash
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Transformative Journey to Mindfulness This profound book offers deep insights into living in the present moment and breaking free from the constraints of the mind. Eckhart’s teachings encourage readers to embrace stillness and find peace within themselves. A must-read for anyone seeking spiritual growth and a more fulfilling life. 7 people found this helpful
Dwooryl
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Amazing! Must read. This book if read with an open mind will literally take you out of suffering. Great book, will read again. One person found this helpful
S.R.
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars How to become your best self... Powerful packed information and teachings on how to become your absolute best self. A recommended must read. It was somewhat difficult read. One person found this helpful
Raymond L.
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Look inside Good book, makes one think. One person found this helpful
Amazon Customer
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the read. Just buy it. I’m 29 and I just have to say this is the best book I’ve ever read. I just happened to start reading this book just weeks before my 29th birthday actually. Ironically enough, on the first page Eckhart starts off with “one night not long after my twenty-ninth birthday...”I’ve been through depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, dealt with undiagnosed adhd all the way up through my 20s and only diagnosed after college, I’ve been through abusive relationships, have become toxic myself in following relationships, have been through ptsd because abuse, have never met my own dad and have dealt with an unstable family life my whole life... basically I felt absolutely lost nearing my 30s and most of the time hopeless. My main emotions were anger and fear. I felt them constantly for as long as I can remember. They overcame me quite often and was exhausting and detrimental to everything in my life. It was holding me back from my true potential and I wallowed in self pity and being a victim. I’ve tried an antidepressant and it only works to an extent, but it doesn’t help change your outlook and detach from your pain. This book has changed my life and has helped me through my own awakening and detaching from my own pain body. It’s truly helped bring me to enlightenment. So, to address the people who are giving this book a one star... all I can say is that these people are still asleep or they have not gone through what they need to go through to understand Tolle’s words. They are in simple terms just not awake.I can’t tell you how many times I read parts of this book and just thought holy crap, I GET it. It’s amazing. I never open this book and put it down without having new revelations. Not only has it brought enlightenment, but it’s also brought me closer to God and understanding of the universal as a whole (I guess that’s what enlightenment is though lol). I think it’s awesome as a Christian that Tolle has implemented God in such a delicate and tactful way. It’s not in an idolizing way and never once undermining Him either. Much respect there.It touches on so many things that we never have answers to or even think of asking these questions and brings about an explanation that just gives so much peace to your mind. It shuts it up and lets you really live in the now and to stop worrying.Just an example, but this week I’ve been dealing with pms and I was struggling a bit with being irritable and snappy. It always happens exactly a week before my period starts and I picked my book up today to read before bed and coincidentally I had been reading through chapter 8 and Tolle just happened to touch on the pain-body and when women deal with pms. It gives tips on how to stay on top of these reactions and to be aware of them, so that you can remain in your consciousness. He also mentioned how a partner can help you stay conscious when this pain body tries take over. I know I’ve dealt with this and my recent ex noticed it as well and always tried to help me through it when he picked up on my cycle, as I’m sure most men have recognized their girlfriend/wife go through. I think it’s awesome that Tolle explained how a partner can help their love through that week.Overall, just get this book if you’re on your spiritual journey. Well.. we all are, but if you’re awakening and looking for some guidance it’s well worth the read! I’m actually tapering off my antidepressant this week, that I’ve been on for a year and a half, and I can say I feel strong enough now and this book is a nice comfort to have during this time. 66 people found this helpful
Paul M.
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book Provides a common sense overview of how the ego can clog up life. Filled in some unknown spaces for me. 5 people found this helpful
Chris Ingram
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic boook Great book. Rarely do you come across a book that can cause immediate life-improvement. This one absolutely does it and it’s one you could read 10 times to stay refreshed and uncover more nuggets of wisdom and self-awareness. 6 people found this helpful
Atreya
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming my life positively This book, and its author, Eckhart Tolle, have changed my life for the better! (It's going to be hard to keep this review short.)I started reading this book after I went through a very tough time in my life. In late 2018, I was introduced to a kind of yoga practice. The first step in the practice is to finish an online course and practice a few stretching exercises, basic breathing exercises and chanting. It probably works fine for most people, but in my case, it messed me up big time! I started having trouble controlling my energies, lost sleep (just sleeping 2 or 3 hours a night) and was working like crazy at job... Then I went manic. Though I wanted to stop the yoga practice, I couldn't. It was like a drug at that time! I started talking too much at home and work. People started getting scared of me, since I was pointing out things from their lives that they were themselves only peripherally aware of. I eventually lost my job and almost lost my family too! It took me a few months to realize what had just happened. After that manic phase, I went into severe depression. I had no job, a very strained relationship with my wife, and was blaming myself incessantly. I also stopped the yoga practice around this time. A few months later, when I realized I couldn't handle it myself, with the help and support of my wife, I went to a psychiatrist... and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder... (I now know through this book that all illnesses are just temporary situations to deal with. I have no identity with the situation. The reason I am mentioning the label here is to help others who might have gotten this label, or other such labels. Right now I am on medication (200 mg daily of a mood stabilizer, called lamotrigine). I see that it helps me, for now. But I don't buy my psychiatrist's argument that I have to carry that label for the rest of my life. I was doing just fine for 40 years before the yoga practice... and the situation might change in the future. For now, I am going along with the recommended plan since it is working well and I accept it totally.)The only things that pulled me out of that deep pit was total faith in a Guru (who is not living in His body anymore) and probably, the medicine too. At that time, I had to totally lean on faith, since I had no strength myself. The ego had gotten such a heavy beating that it became extremely scared and depressed. Every moment was torturous and I could do nothing about it. I wanted to commit suicide, but having been raised with strong Hindu spiritual teachings, I knew that suicide would only temporarily postpone the inevitable, and that I would take another life and face the exact same situation. (I don't know if that is true or not; it at least prevented me from committing suicide.)This book was referred to me in December of 2018 (when I was in full blown mania) by someone whom I met at a bookstore. I knew about the book, but had never read it. The next day, I found a used copy of "The New Earth" by Eckhart for $3 in a used book store. I bought it, but couldn't read it since I didn't have any concentration. The moment I read one sentence, my mind took off and I could see where Eckhart was going... (At that time, my mind was telling me there was nothing I didn't know.)Only in November of 2019, after I went through a full cycle of mania and depression, and was slowly recovering, I borrowed a copy of "The Power of Now" from the local library and started reading it.The very first practice of "watching the thinker" was a revelation... Especially the statement Eckhart made about not judging the thoughts and just watching the mind... I was mostly aware of what was going on in my mind, but I was criticizing the mind the moment it produced what I judged as a "wrong" thought. This created a lot of suffering. It was a huge relief to me that all I need is to just watch it and be the witnessing Presence.Later, Eckhart talked about "watching the inner body" to take attention away from the mind when it's not needed. This helped me during my job interviews. I had always felt anxious about job interviews... This practice really helped me through that challenge. (I did fine in the interviews and usually got good offers, but the anxiety was so much that my palms and feet would always sweat.)The book doesn't get into the practical aspects until much later, but its message is very clear here. Separate out life situations from life itself, and deal with situations in a practical manner, doing what you can, one step at a time. And if there are things that you want to change, there are only 3 sane options: 1. walk out if you can, 2. take steps to change it, focusing on what you can do now, or 3. if neither of the above two are possible, accept the situation totally, even if only temporarily. Acceptance itself is a doorway to peace... These teachings are helping me every single time my mind starts to complain or blame.The biggest lesson I learned is to use the mind only when it is necessary, and not follow every single thought that occurs in my mind. The exercise of awareness is the toughest one I have ever done in my life!I still experience mood swings. Unfulfilled desires from the past with respect to my profession keep springing up. (The mind's imagination here is very strong.) But I know, right now, I have to just live a regular life, as a householder, be with my family and continue my current job. My mind isn't stable enough for other pursuits now, since it's constantly changing, going in circles - one day it wants to go back to graduate school, get a PhD and become a professor, next day it wants to go to a tropical island and work as a waiter (getting away from all work that requires my brain), another day it says life is wonderful as it is and how much money I would lose if I went elsewhere... With Eckhart's help, I now know that all these are just narratives of the mind. I know what's practical for my life now and what I need to be doing every hour. Just focusing on that is enough. (Let the morrow take care of itself.)Like Eckhart recommends, I am using my situation as a strong motivation to practice Presence. In my case, the situation is not external; it is extremely close to me, since it is my own mind! The suffering I experience when the mind takes me away from the Now is too much to bear. I have no choice now but to practice Presence.My current practice is to just keep my attention on what I should be doing this moment, and keep checking where my attention is. If my attention has gone astray, I don't condemn myself; I just bring it back to the Now. I find that my job keeps me sufficiently present, but at other times, when mind is not needed, I need to practice this consciously. Due to the force of habit, I frequently fall trap to following useless thoughts, but I am slowly breaking out of that bad habit. I am becoming more aware of my internal state. I also engage myself in helping my son with school work, reading, doing stock investing, writing, spending some time on Facebook, and watching TV shows and movies occasionally. Whatever keeps my mind engaged, or keeps my attention in the present, are all working just fine.Along with this book, Eckhart's videos on YouTube have also brought my attention back to the teaching. The message is the same, but every time I hear it, it's fresh!I conclude with the Zen statement from the book: "What, at this moment, is lacking?" 291 people found this helpful
phantom
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars RIGHT NOW! Basic points in this book:1) Focus your attention to the present moment "Right Now" and Time is an illusion!!-The characteristic of the subconscious mind is the present moment "RIGHT NOW", not the future or the past.!! Whenever things happen good or bad, focus your attention to the "Right Now." Also when there are thoughts/emotions in your head; say to yourself "is this thought/emotion contributing to the "right now." What can I do "right now," do not regret about the past or the future. I am not saying don't plan for the future or think long term, you need to do that too, and in order to do that you need to focus on what you can do "right Now" Always shift back to the "right now"2) Do not react, be neutral.-People are reactive beings and polarized, that likes to lash out and react. be neutral, be de-polarzied. If people insults you or says something bad to you, do not react, ignore and move on. For example: people are very mad that Donald Trump is president. There is no need to be mad or to react. You decide your own future, you make yourself happy or sad, you make yourself poor or rich, you choose your own destiny. you are a corporation and you are the CEO. Donald trump does not dictate your life, Donald Trump does not make you sad or happy. its all on you!3) There is a life cycle and a time for everything-There is birth and death. New - Old. Beginning - ending. Alpha and Omega."A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." -Ecclesiastes 3:8-You need to learn to give in, and know when its time to get out and let go. there is natural cycle in the universe!-Most practical example I can give you is: if you have a old car that is a money pit, you need to learn to retire that car and not spend more time and energy into something that is going to end!You create your own REALITY!! One person found this helpful
Christine E McMannis
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars The power of this book! Let me tell you how truly special this book is! About 1/3rd of the way through it, it has managed to achieve what 6 therapist/psychologist over my lifetime so far, have failed to do for me. It has given me a spiritual awakening! I'm 44 years old and have had severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Anxiety most of my life. About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. That also affects the mood/mental state by causing depression and feelings of hopelessness during flare-ups. Just 4 days into reading this book and my road rage is gone, I am more friendly and tolerant to other people, I have been treating my husband kinder and with more understanding, I have been learning to control the racing thoughts in my mind that were poisoning me, and I appreciate and admire the beauty of nature more than ever! For years I have been looking for peace and a way out of the vicious stress cycle I was stuck in. Is this going to be easy? Is it an overnight fix? No. You have to want to feel at peace and take control of your life away from your mind. It will take a lot of practice and I am going to learn how to meditate as well. But for the first time in my life I feel like I can get better! I have been told many times that there is no cure for PTSD. BUT it can be controlled and managed and you can live a relatively normal, joyful life. I was at a point in my life though where I am longing for peace and happiness. My body and mind are tired from what I have put them through all these years. I knew I had to make a change if I want to be at peace. If you are determined you have to change, if you are tired of being stressed and how it affects your family and friends, if you yearn for the peace and joy you have never know, but seen other people experience, delve into this book with an open mind and see what it does for you! It CAN change your life!!! 6 people found this helpful
Bud
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book Best book Have purchased several over past 24 years 2 people found this helpful
Shawn
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly enlightening experience. The mind light bulbs lights up many times. So powerful message. Everything is verifiable from your own experience. Make it your practise. 5 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars When you truly understand the Power of Now-It is life experience changing. LIVE what you learn in this book. While we think of 'time' as linear progression of events, there truly is only ONE moment, ever. The moment of 'NOW', simply created ever so slightly on the most minute scale, over and over again to APPEAR as a linear progression....but truly only the moment of NOW created new, and slightly altered from the moment of NOW previous. Hence, the future and past are simply 'perceptions' based upon a linear experience. The human brain simply cannot stack every memory of every event on top of one another in ONE memory, as it cannot sort them out to make sense of each individual event. Thus the human mind stores our memories in linear fashion that we can easily sort through for comprehension. The same holds for the 'future'. However, all memory of the 'past' or 'future' is done in the ever present NOW moment.Another tip from a highly advanced life long student of lifel who has truly died a physical death and experienced 'the other side' of reality of which many author books about, visualization and imagination is done in your mind, the unseen realm of the NOW, thus imagining the past, or future, good things or 'bad' things, brings THAT type of energy vibration to your NOW moment (the present, your current experience). Thus why constantly thinking of the past re-creates similar events that hold people into their pattern of living the same old thing over and over again. CONSCIOUS creation intentionally done, is utilizing with purpose and intention, the imagination, emotion (energy in motion) and belief to bring desired events and objects energy patterns to the NOW moment through your imagination and visualization, then letting go so that it can happen in its OWN WAY and own 'time'. Learning these truths will allow you and extremely beautiful life experience in your moment of NOW and you will find the POWER OF NOW in your experience. Want to learn more advanced material that will change our life in ways other books have contributed? Read Eckharts New Earth and other books and... Seek out SETH books and enjoy your journey. Namesta~ I salute the Divinity in you, and in all things. 2 people found this helpful
Cole Stiverson
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly profound, only for some. I mostly listen to the audio book version of this book which might make it easier to digest its meaning and get through some of the 'fluff'. I personally did not notice any of this fluff, it mostly resonated with me. I have attempted to give copies of this book to many people and mostly unsuccessful and reading some of these reviews back that up. My suspicion (and this is from my personal experience when my intimate relationship was breaking down and my partner was attempting to get me to read this book) is that either people are unable to comprehend its meaning or unwilling, as this text is a frontal assault on just about everything we thought we knew about ourselves. Anyone that truly understands this book experiences dissolving of identity, and some people are not ready for that. I usually tell people if they don't grasp the meaning and profoundness of the book within the first chapter, you probably wont at all. Personally, I broke down in tears at one of the first passages in the first chapter about the beggar and the gold in his box he'd been sitting on for years but never looked inside. I had already understood some of this books meaning deep inside to some degree, but the way Eckhart put his ideas, theories, and understanding down on paper instantly resonated with me and brought me in touch with myself to an extremely deep level.A note to people that end up loving this book:I 'study' this book all the time by repeatedly listening to the audio book version because its easy to forget some of the important stuff. Also, the next book "A New Earth" is a must read! It answers a lot of the questions about how to put his teachings into practice.Remember, the now is all you ever have. 8 people found this helpful
Kindle Customer
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Only in my dreams have I ever felt elevated until now When I was a young child I frequently dreamed that I was floating. I could go anywhere without restrictions, no emotions, just a feeling of utter Bliss. As I Grew older, the dreams became less and less, until there were no more dreams. Through the course of reading this book, I once again dreamed of me floating. But this time, I didn't just float, I could fly. I could now control how fast and how high I could fly. As I was flying higher and higher, I began to feel this Unlimited Bliss followed by a vision of a gleaming multicolored blue Crystal like orb surrounding a black silhouette of a human body. The edges of the crystal orb continously changing in form ever so slightly. For a lack of better words it was beautiful. But it's visual beauty was nothing compared to the extreme sense, most compelling feeling of Peace that I felt from within, radiating outward. I began to feel myself waking up from this dream. The vision faded when I opened my eyes. but the feeling was stronge. This Unlimited Bliss stayed with me even though I was physically awake Icontinued to feel what I believe to be my inner being radiating, fully conscious, in the present moment, of the power of Now. 8 people found this helpful
Susan M F C
Rated 2 out of 5
September 23, 2024
2.0 out of 5 stars Multiple spiritual concepts merge into confusion I read this book twice so why only two stars? Because while the principles are familiar if you're a Christian or Buddhist the path to Tolle's truth is not clear and the message gets lost along the way.Essentially he says that our ego is predominate and rules us through our thoughts instead of us embracing our true selves by always staying in the immediate moment. He repeats the concepts many times, presumably because they're difficult to grasp, but ultimately the entire message gets confusing by the end of the book. This could be because he also throws in some philosophy and psychology and with all of those elements swirling around the way to his enlightenment gets lost. My spiritual path has been choppy throughout my 68 years but I'm always searching and open to new understanding so I had high hopes for this acclaimed book. But by the end of the second reading (had I missed it the first time? Too deep for me?) I determined the central simple tenet of staying present requires more practical instructions than this all over the place book provides.
Deidre
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing! This book is so powerful! It has helped to change my perspective of life, how it works, and the unnecessary suffering we bring to it. Thank you to the author for helping me surrender to what is! Thus, bringing peace to my soul. 12 people found this helpful
Gabi
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A very insightful book of truths, realities and useful knowledge to tame the mental noise and bring to light what really matters If you've got a lot of "noise" running around your mind, like myself and many others, this book is a smart choice. The "noise" I speak of is the endless stream of thoughts, hypothetical conversations, and worry about this, that, or the other thing.The book's Q & A format is great because if you're reading this review, and interested in this book (or the self-help genre in general), then you have questions and are seeking answers and solutions. The Power of Now definitely provides a lot of answers and explanations. The "solutions" you'll have to come up with on your own. They differ from one person to the next and should become clear as you digest the information within.Depending on your personal belief system and/or religious practices, some of the realities explored in the book may seem a little "out there" or "new age-ish". My advice is just keep an open mind. There was nothing in this writing that seemed off, wrong, or insulting to my personal beliefs. That may be because the very "religious" upbringing I was force-fed always seemed "off" to me, but I had little choice in my younger years. My point is we're not exactly taught the "truth" growing up, or exploring life as an adult (about a great many things). The intent of this book seems to shine a light on that fact rather well. Whether or not it is something you're *ready* to learn about is up to you.If you're already on the "path of enlightenment", there may not be anything truly new in The Power of Now, but what it has to offer, it does very well, in my opinion. In my case, it spelled out and reinforced many truths and realities I already felt deep down inside but struggled to bring into my consciousness.It's been very helpful to me and may be to you, too. Keep in mind the book only contains information. Any difference in your life it makes will be in how you *apply* the knowledge, not in simply having it. In other words, if you're seeking help with something in your life, you need to do the work in order for positive change to happen. Understanding alone will not cut it. That's just my personal advice, not something the book gets into.I've already recommended this to a couple of friends in my life and now I'm doing the same for you. 4 people found this helpful
Dean
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars The audiobook version is great. Recommend reading short sections instead of all at once. This book offers many great passages on how our minds and egos can be the most destructive forces in our lives. We are conditioned by society to always live in the future or the past as opposed to simply living in the moment. We have computers and technology that help connect us accross distances but lead us further away from the people that are right next to us. How many times are we glued to computer/phones while we ignore the world around us. People search for answers to Life's greatest questions in religons that want you to believe that there's a paradise waiting for us after death. Why should such such a paradise exist if we can't be there right this moment? If it causes us to forget about all the joys and experiences we encounter during life why should we have so much hope for it?There is much potentail to what the author lays out in this book but it is up to the reader to follow what is written. While some people may not agree with some aspects of the book or feel that there is too much repition the central message is clear: Start living in the NOW and stop letting your mind control your life. This is not one of those books you should read fast but would be great in small chunks. Any philsosophical text requires one to read a passage and take some time to digest/think about what they read. I puchased the Audible version of this book as well and feel it would be great to listen to passages while on walks through nature or just during meditations. The fact that the author himself narrates the book adds another layer to the information he presents.During my reading/listening of this book I never found any strong religious overtones so while there a some Biblical references he does bring in some Buddhist concepts as well as Taoist ideas. It's not a preachy book in that sense which kept me reading (It probably would have deterred me from reading it otherwise). I don't have much of a relgious background (my family did not have any religious affiliation growing up) which is why I find the ideas in the book easier to accept over the literal interpretations of, say, the Bible. I think anyone regardless of religious affiliation would find something in this book that would coincide with what they already practice.This book is something I look forward to rereading/listening to in the future (which doesn't exist if you accept what the author states) during walks though nature. I recommend the audiobook version because the author does a good job with the narration and it wasn't much of an extra cost for it. 82 people found this helpful
Alan Kennedy
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is life changing! The media could not be loaded. I just finished reading this book. It is quite amazing. It is easy to read however it does require thought and meditation to comprehend. Pull the trigger buy the book. Don’t just read it, study it And practice it. it deserves more than one read. 18 people found this helpful
TheCosmicBird
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Two words. Life Changing. Upon moving to New York City for a new life and job, I was thrust into a face-paced world that seemed to never stop. Endless opportunities for entertainment, great food, meeting people, and always being on and open for the newest adventure to experience.The Power of Now came into my existence the first month I was in New York. And thank goodness it did. I was already a person who lived very much in the past and the future, constantly thinking, worrying, and over analyzing everything. And New York is really a city that caters to that kind of thinking...and vice versa, people with that mindset can really feed off of NYC.Obviously, it doesn't really matter where you live to experience the Power of Now...but for me, NYC was relevant because I had just moved here when I found the book. And further, NYC is a very fascinating place which is why so many people choose to move here. But unfortunately, the prevalence of unconscious insanity is also ripe here, which is why so many people choose to leave.Ultimately, the Power of Now helped me realize that the past and the future are really just illusions. We tend to have "selective memory" of our pasts as the details get more and more fuzzy over the years. Further, our past is the source of Regret and Resentment.Our future hasn't happened yet...so "what could happen" is just educated speculation at best. Yet, the future of "what could happen" is the source of our Anxiety and Fears.Through the Power of Now, I have been able to become conscious of my past and future "illusions" which are fueled by thoughts. Thoughts that aren't really me. Being conscious of these illusions means I no longer unconsciously identify with these thoughts. Instead, I am just pure consciousness.It's very humbling to realize that my ego isn't really me...but instead just a mask that covers my true self. My true self being an eternal being which is forever in the NOW. A place where past and future illusions cannot to exist.As a result, I've been able to really embrace NYC with love and joy, to really see it for the wonderful and exciting place that it is, and have compassion for the unconsciousness that I continue to experience around me...without letting it get me down. I live a life of pure acceptance of the Now.And I thank the Power of Now for helping me awake from my own unconsciousness.So, here's to staying humble, simple, and PRESENT. 10 people found this helpful
Jess McCann
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars I read this book and suddenly my whole life made sense!! 10 years ago when I picked up this book, I was in the middle of a severe health crisis. I thought I was going to die because no one could figure out what was happening to me. Fearing the worst, and riddled with anxiety I started reading. By page 40, I had a huge awakening about myself. I had always been an anxious person and I thought it was just how I was, but Eckhart Tolle explained exactly why I had been anxious and what the feeling truly was - it wasn’t “just a part of me” but an unrecognized attempt to cope with a future scenario. And, as he pointed out, you cannot cope with anything that isn’t happening NOW. It’s simply impossible. All my life I was planning for the worst, attempting to deal with whatever life would throw my way. Always preparing mentally. Never had it occurred to me that I simply had a habit of thinking in the future and just needed to embrace the moment I was in, no matter what that moment contained. There can never be peace in the future. Peace only resides in the now.The awakenings didn’t stop there. I realized many other things about myself - why I felt a certain way (usually depressed,) why I was attracted to certain people, and why I never felt like I was as good as others.I may be Eckhart Tolle’s number one fan.I have recommended his book to every person I know at least four or five times. I’m a relationship and dating coach and I recommended it to all my clients. The only issue that some people run into is that it’s a tougher read, as other reviews have mentioned, so you have to really want to understand it. I ended up writing and publishing a book based on these teachings for my clients in more layman’s language because I got tired of having to hold study sessions. But without this book, I know that I am a completely different person today than I was 10 years ago. I have Eckhart Tolle to thank for curing my anxiousness, building a successful business and having a healthy marriage. He’s my hero. I hope one day I get to meet him and shake his hand (if were still doing that by then!) 5 people found this helpful
John
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read! It will change your life. Why do we all feel that something is missing? We feel discontent, unworthy, anxious, depressed, ashamed, and sometimes plain bored. Why do we suffer in these ways, and what can we do about it? Strangely enough, this small book holds the answers. It is a well-drawn map to freedom.I have read it four times, and each time it resonates as deeply as if I had written it myself - for me. I have also read many other similar books from the “self-help” shelf, but none of them do what this book does. Each reading, I understand more fully, and I walk away challenged to embody the lesson. Each time I become … more. This book transformed my life.Critics of this book claim it is full of “New Age,” woo-woo cliches. They’re right, in a way, although fear not: you will find no mention of crystals, astrology, or spirits here. The eclecticism and self-spirituality of the New Age movement inspired many to comb through world religions, mystic teachings, depth psychology, and philosophy to dig up gems of wisdom and free them of their dogma. I view this book as the culmination of their work. The result is a practical application of mysticism, drawn heavily from Zen, Advaita Vedanta, Sufism, and Gnosticism. Tolle compares his teachings most closely with those of Ramana Maharshi and Jiddu Krishnamurti, but what he delivers is uniquely authentic, insightful, and profound.We are not our mind. We are not our past. At our core, we are the “One Life from which all that exists derives its being.” We are the Source. All of our problems and most of our suffering stems from misplaced identification with the ego, our conditioned mental self-image, and the “pain-body,” the ego’s dark shadow of remembered pain. There are various methods we can use to shed this delusion: be intensely present in the Now, surrender full to what is, witness our thoughts to disidentify from the mind, and focus on the energy field of the “inner body.” In fact, to accomplish any of these tasks is to accomplish them all. And when we do, we experience stillness, peace, joy, love, and more.”Imagine a ray of sunlight that has forgotten it is an inseparable part of the sun and deludes itself into believing it has to fight for survival and create and cling to an identity other than the sun. Would the death of this delusion not be incredibly liberating?””When you are transformed, your whole world is transformed, because the world is only a reflection.” 2 people found this helpful
June
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars I had spent my life reading thousands of books trying to "figure it out" to make my way to a place of happiness and functionalit I was feeling suicidal and had been for two years. I was completely done with life, with trying to heal my emotional traumas, limitations and with trying to be a full-functioning adult. I felt trapped inside an endless corridor of meaninglessness and pain.The Saturday morning when I was contemplating really ending it, I heard an inner voice say "one last book, read one last book and if you still want to kill yourself, go ahead." This was my "last book" I read it three months ago and haven't returned to that dark and hopeless place yet.It taught me how to disconnect from the insanity of the mind. I had spent my life reading thousands of books trying to "figure it out" to make my way to a place of happiness and functionality, what Tolle explains that trying to solve the problems of thought from the level of thought is an impossibility. When we let go of mind-consciousness we do not become a meditative vegetable, instead, we gain access to the consciousness of our whole body and a more advanced awareness. I know it sounds weird, but it works. When I can stay present everything I do becomes more effective, and my social skills are way better now then they have ever been.I don't mean to say that this is the be-all and end-all to human growth, but it has in fact saved my life, so I figured it at least deserved a good review. I am no longer helpless in the face of crushing memories and emotions. Thank you, Mr. Tolle. 2,985 people found this helpful
natalie
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars A book I’ll read over & over again- requires patience, but worth it! If you’re wanting to grow mentally & emotionally, this is a great book. It’s not something that’s easy to grasp though. It requires practice. Every time I read this book I get something new out of it. It’s one I’ll keep referring back to time & time again 8 people found this helpful
Barton Breen
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars from an Unlikely Source Often, for a review to be meaningful, it helps to know where the reviewer is coming from in their own point of view.By most accounts, as a former pastor in an evangelical denomination and someone trained as an apologist in Biblical Literature from a primarily literalistic and fundamentalist point of view, I shouldn't like this book. I should be lambasting it a "new age," "mystical" and "universalism and pantheism."Yet I'm not. I found the book interesting and very helpful. I found the challenges within it to my own patterns of thinking to be worthwhile and I wasn't particularly threatened by the fact that it's a spiritual book (not religious) and it draws from multiple sources including the teachings of Christ, Zen, Hinduism, gnostic writings, Buddhism, Taoism etc.That said, I recognize that there are elements of the book with which I don't and others from my traditions will not agree. In spite of that, I still highly recommend the book. While the book is undoubtedly spiritual it is also based in good psychology and it opens the reader who allows themselves to detach from themselves and take the role of an observer of their own habits and thought processes. It provides insight into how our "thought habits" take us out of the present moment and utilize our minds to either continually dwell on the past or worry about the future.Emotions are in significant measure a product of how we think and how we condition our minds. When we lose the need to continually keep our minds "busy" with things that keep us out of the present moment, then we can live in freedom and independent of our circumstances. Our emotions become connected to the present moment and we're able to "live" freely.These are not new or unique ideas, even in Christian Tradition. There is a long and strong tradition of mysticism that extends back to the very earliest church and church fathers. Much of what is touched in by Tolle would be considered fairly standard fare in the eastern Tradition of Christianity. It is to the Western analytical mind, that much of this is a great challenge.So, while I don't necessarily agree with and give equal weighting to all the sources used within the book, that doesn't mean that I don't see the parallels. More than intellectually evaluating the book analytically, the point of the book is to learn how to turn off the mind and move beyond the "noise" that we create to distract ourselves from being present within the moment and enjoying life.I find that to have been a very helpful thing and I'm glad I read the book. I likely will reread it on occasion for the reminder and reinforcement.5 stars.bart breen 14 people found this helpful
Jobo
Rated 5 out of 5
September 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing... I don't normally write reviews but felt compelled to with this book. I was an anxious, extreme over thinker desperate for help to calm my mind. I've heard of a lot of books being "life changing" and dove into them excitedly only to find them mediocre(definitely not life changing). Back in 2010 my friend had recommended the author to me and actually sent me "a new earth". I tried getting into it but really, it was over my head and I was not at a point where I could grasp it, not so much because it was difficult but because I was very immature.Fast forward a decade and I came across "the power of now" as soon as I read "be the watcher" I was able to apply it. I was also able to remind myself it was going to take practice as my mind wasn't used to it and naturally going to cling to familiarity. The way I look at it is when I "become the watcher" my mind gets fear of missing out and immediately trys to go back to the static that is over thinking, and like any muscle or skill it will take time growing it. On top of that, learning to look at my angry bitter attitude as a separate entity trying to get life has helped me immensely... I now just remind myself I don't like that entity and don't want to feed it. I played it in our car and now my husband (who I NEVER would have expected to have an ioto of interest in anything like this) uses it himself.It's truly gave me a new way to deal with myself and I am grateful. 24 people found this helpful
Kaden Yokota
Rated 4 out of 5
September 23, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to read, but you only need to read the first 100 pages This book is particularly difficult to read for a average Joe. It is important that you annotate and remember the core messages but do not stay connected to the words. After the first 100 pages, the author becomes repetitive. However, despite dealing with the 100 or 200 pages after the first 100 I still believe the message of the book was important for me to hear. The author makes the message of the book sound particularly important, because of a contribution to a global awakening, or a global consciousness. The author constantly recites words of religious figures and emphasizes how their lessons are timeless, and they themselves aren’t bound by time. The meaning of the book is to help people stay in the present, where her ego cannot thrive. The author suggests that ego can only exist in the past, and in the future, but not the present. the author emphasizes the use of meditation to bring about a connectedness to one’s body and one’s mind. However, the author wants the reader to not associate with the mind, rather, he wants the reader to look at the mind, and observe its tendencies from afar. Negative emotions, such as fear also thrive in the past, and in the future, but not the present, because it is connected to the ego. it is difficult to explain everything in this review, but I would recommend this book to someone who wants to get into meditating or transcendental meditation, or has trouble reigning in their thoughts. 26 people found this helpful