Stress Center Peer Support

Hi, all.

If you haven't read A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle I strongly suggest that you do so. I picked it up today, and felt the need to tell you all about it as I'm reading it now. It's one of Oprah's new book club picks & there'll be an online "class" on it starting March 3rd and continuing every Monday night, for about ten weeks, I think.

The back reads:
With his bestselling spiritual guide, The power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived "in the now." In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.

I'm on page 54, and I already feel that this book deserves the hype that surrounds it.

Of particular interest might be this passage, which begins after Eckhart describes a memorable incident, where he witnessed a seemingly "insane" woman mumbling aloud, angrily, to herself:
"I was still thinking about her when I was in the men's room prior to entering the library. As I was washing my hands, I thought: I hope I don't end up like her. The man next to me looked briefly in my direction, and I suddenly was shocked when I realized that I hadn't just thought those words, but mumbled them aloud. 'Oh my God, I'm already like her,' I thought. Wasn't my mind as incessantly active as hers? There were only minor differences between us. The predominant underlying emotion behind her thinking seemed to be anger. In my case, it was mostly anxiety. She thought out loud. I thought- mostly- in my head. If she was mad, then everyone was mad, including myself. There were differences in degree only.
For a moment, I was able to stand back from my own mind and see it from a deeper perspective, as it were. There was a brief shift from thinking to awareness. I was still in the men's room, but alone now, looking at my face in the mirror. At that moment of detachment from my mind, I laughed out loud. It may have sounded insane, but it was the laughter of sanity, the laughter of the big-bellied Buddha. 'Life isn't as serious as my mind makes it out to be.' That's what the laughter seemed to be saying. But it was only a glimpse, very quickly to be forgotten. I would spend the next three years in anxiety and depression, completely identified with my mind. I had to get close to suicide before awareness returned, and then it was much more than a glimpse. I became free of compulsive thinking and of the false, mind-made I."

Please note that I am not condoning the contemplation of suicide, just the contemplation of reading this book. So, go pick up a copy! I have a feeling that it's an action not to regret taking.

Suzy,

I really enjoyed Eckert Tolle's other book, "The Power of Now." It was a sensational book . In fact, I now own a copy of it.

I will add his new book to my library list, read it, and see what I think. I have a feeling that I might like this one, too

Thanks for the recommendation!

Lilly_Light

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to get those books too! Take care!

No problem at all :] Happy reading.

I started reading the power of Now and had to stop because it was making me anxious. It's bothering me because I've been feeling so good and it's just a book. I've only read the first chapter. I can't figure out what about it struck a cord with me. I think maybe him describing his experience seemed so scary and his description of his behavior after his "enlightenment" mirror that of someone who had gone insane. I'm reading it thinking to myself, I don't want to sit in a park for two year, regardless of how good I feel. I'm thinking that I might not be ready to read this book yet. I would love to hear other peoples interpretation of the book and what they think of my concerns.

JocelynA19,

You don't have to read the book:). That's one thing this program teaches you-to know when to push yourself to do something that makes you anxious and to know when not to as far as what you watch on t.v. and read, etc. I think this is a time of "not to" for you.

I love to read, and I love to read self-help books, and I'm not trying to judge the book before I've read it, but that caption that was presented bothered me for a few reasons. I don't need to say for what reasons because it's just my opinion, and if others like the book, and it helps them then that is good for them:). I think the book is meant to help, and if it doesn't help you or me, then why read it? I may not be one of those people that likes it, and that is just fine. I've had books I've ordered in the past such as "Held" which is written by a survivor of 9/11 and talks about trauma and her relationship with God. The author is writing the book when she is in a certain stage of trauma that I am no longer in so it doesn't help me right now because I've moved forward to another stage. I definitely think the book would help someone who is just experiencing a trauma, but since I've moved on, the book doesn't help me. It's no big deal:).

A lot of people with anxiety don't like states of mind where they feel out of control. That's probably why the whole enlightenment thing may be what is bothering you. Anyway, it's O.K. if you don't want to read the book:) because it makes you feel more anxious. There will be another book that helps you:).

Take Care,
luvpiggy

Luvpiggy,
Thank you for your input and advice. I was feeling like a big baby but I also knew that whatever I was reading was not making me feel good. I have found another book that I'm enjoying . Thanks again.

Jocelyn