Eckhart Tolle is a first-class charlatan. Despite this fact, he has sold–and continues to sell–millions of copies of his book The Power of Now.
As the son of famed New-Age guru Elizabeth Clare Prophet, I grew up around a lot of ‘spiritual’ posturing. I’m familiar with all the verbiage and the tricks of the New-Age trade. So I know a charlatan when I see one.
But here’s a snip from Wikipedia article:
The charlatan is usually a salesperson. He does not try to create a personal relationship with his marks, or set up an elaborate hoax using role playing. Rather, the person called a charlatan is being accused of resorting to quackery, pseudoscience, or some knowingly employed bogus means of impressing people in order to swindle his victims by selling them worthless nostrums and similar goods or services that will not deliver on the promises made for them. The word calls forth the image of an old-time medicine show operator, who has long left town by the time the people who bought his snake oil tonic realize that it does not perform as advertised.
“Selling them worthless nostrums and similar goods or services that will not deliver on the promises made for them.”
It is in this sense of the word that I am labeling Tolle as a charlatan. His nostrums as laid out in The Power of Now are worthless and do not deliver on the promises made for them. I will demonstrate this conclusively over the course of this series. If people understood the contradictory nature of Tolle’s work, and its reliance on discredited metaphysics and theories of mind, they might not be so eager to play along.
Let’s start with Tolle’s credentials, or rather lack thereof:
He had no formal education between the ages of thirteen and twenty-two, refusing to go to school because of its “hostile environment”; but he pursued his own “particular interests.” Tolle graduated from the University of London and entered, but did not complete, a doctoral program at Cambridge University, having studied literature, languages and philosophy. At the age of twenty-nine, Tolle experienced what he calls an “inner transformation,” after suffering long periods of suicidal depression.
So here we have a “spiritual teacher” who skipped high school (presumably he was teased or had trouble fitting in socially–what else would “hostile environment” refer to?), never studied a lick of psychology, avoided any notable science courses and lived in a state of suicidal depression for several years of his adult life. Yeah, that’s really the kind of damaged person I want to hold forth about how to find joy, and the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
On the first page of the introduction, Tolle describes his literally overnight “awakening.” From out of what sounds like a night sweat, he comes to some kind of awareness of his sub-personalities: the self that is experiencing terror and dread, and the self that is the observer. Rather than getting these two parts of himself to have a conversation so that he can find out where the fear is coming from, he immediately decides one of them is not real. He splits off the “lesser self” and determines to vanquish it. He then describes himself as having lived the next five months in utter bliss and joy, having “found what everyone else is looking for.” He describes his deeply fearful self as a “fiction of the mind.”
This is the gross error and singular point of departure after which every concept which follows becomes meaningless. It’s a regurgitation of religious duality, good and evil within the self, God and the Devil. For millennia, religions have tried to improve human morality by splitting off from “evil” and declaring war on it. You tell me: has this approach worked?
This is not how the human psyche functions. You can repress parts of your personality, but you can never eliminate them. What Tolle has done is to repress what Carl Jung would have called the shadow self. Without even knowing the man, I can be certain of one thing: If he hasn’t had a complete change of attitude or undergone a deep course of Jungian therapy, that suicidal and terrified self he repressed 30 years ago is still lurking deep within him, waiting for some opportunity to emerge and wreak havoc.
The same can be said for every Power of Now disciple who thinks they’ve conquered the “lesser self” or the “ego.” You don’t get something for nothing, and you don’t get rid of your shadow by reading a book. You must fully face and acknowledge it, and come to terms with it through intensive inner dialog or therapy. Having done so, you’ve only dealt with that small part of the shadow of which you’ve become aware. There’s always more lurking beneath the surface, and it can sometimes be glimpsed in dreams. It goes extremely deep. All the way back to our primal origins and down through the ages where we survived through mortal combat with the forces of nature, animals, and each other. Civilization is such a recent development that only the thinnest of psychological veneers separates us from our evolutionary legacy of primal fear and rage.
On page 5, Tolle actually steals the word “I am” from New Thought and masters organizations. He uses “I am” to describe his “true nature” as consciousness divorced from form. So we haven’t even gotten to Chapter 1, and already he’s taking us into mind-body and spirit-matter dualism (not to be confused with the good-evil duality mentioned earlier). These are archaic beliefs. Not a single reputable scientist today would accept that there is any identity absent the neural correlates of consciousness.
Tolle describes how after his awakening he spent nearly two years of his life sitting on a park bench destitute but in a state of “bliss.” (Some would call that vagrancy). After his two-year stint in the park, he decided he would become a spiritual teacher.
Tolle uses several devices in the introduction to rhetorically inoculate his readers against questioning. The first is a little curly-cue symbol which is sprinkled throughout the book. He says “after certain passages, you may want to stop reading for a moment, become still, and feel and experience the truth of what has just been said.” Well maybe I might want to decide whether what I read made sense to me or not before I meditate on the “truth” of it? But he’s preaching to the converted. People who’ve bought his book have already decided he’s a “wise man” who knows more than they do, so they’re uncritically lapping up his every word. The curly cue-symbol basically says, “pause here to be sure you thoroughly hypnotically induct yourself with this particular piece of spiritual propaganda before moving on.”
Tolle is not used to being questioned. He’s so convinced of his rightness that he simply “deals with” people’s objections with that sickly-sweet patronizing haughtiness we’ve come to expect from guru types:
“questions or objections may occasionally come into your mind as you read. They will probably be answered later in the book, or they may turn out to be irrelevant as you go more deeply into the teaching–and into yourself.”
In other words, “if my hypnotic suggestion’s not working on you right away, give it some time and it will eventually.” Then comes the flattery. Every good con man butters up his mark as he enlists their cooperation. Tolle is no exception as he pretends to the role of humble facilitator:
“I can not tell you any spiritual truth that deep within you don’t know already. All I can do is remind you of what you have forgotten. Living knowledge, ancient and yet ever new, is then activated and released from within every cell of your body.”
Then a defense of the inevitable vagueness:
“I use words such as “mind,” “happiness,” and “consciousness” in ways that do not necessarily correlate with other teachings. Don’t get attached to any words. They are only stepping stones, to be left behind as quickly as possible.”
This guy is practically self-refuting. Don’t get attached to words? That’s right, if you actually read the words, (you know, those groups of letters we use to convey meaning) and process them with your mind, you might figure out that what he’s saying doesn’t make sense. It’s the oldest rhetorical trick in the book. “Oh, don’t listen to my words, they mean something different when I say them than when other people say them.” It’s equivocation, trying to make oneself a priori immune to argument.
FInally, Tolle attaches himself to the coattails of the “timeless wisdom of all religions.” If it’s wisdom, and it’s so timeless, how come theologians can’t manage to keep from eternally bickering with each other? He might as well have said “the timeless nonsense of all religions.” As the Marquis de Sade remarked in Juliette, “the religion proves its prophet, the prophet his religion.”
I’m tired of talking about Tolle and hearing people say “I don’t see what’s so bad about him.” Why buy a book because it’s “not so bad.” I’d say you should buy a book that’s demonstrably great. Last time I checked, credibility, accuracy, and evidence were important features in order for something to qualify as knowledge. Tolle’s books are woefully lacking in all three of those departments–they’re lengthy statements of his personal experience and opinions. By working through this debunking, I’ll be able to talk in detail about Tolle’s specific factual errors and shortcomings.
It’s almost a complete waste of time, I agree. Those smart enough to avoid The Power of Now already have, those lost enough to fall for it aren’t really interested in what’s wrong with it. But as with all atheist critiques of religion, I can only hope this will find its way to some receptive minds which have begun to question their former dogmas, and may be open to eventually realizing that Emperor Tolle has no clothes.
117 comments
Critiquing Tolle with Jung is like hitting tofu with a jello bat.
inkadu,
Great metaphor! Had to laugh. :-)
But seriously, I don't think it holds in this case. Jung's work is vastly more substantial. Granted, most psychology is theoretical at this point. I look forward to a time when that can change through reverse engineering and modeling of the brain.
But even without empirical verification of the theories, there's one huge difference: Even though Jung was quasi-religious, his concepts of shadow and universal archetypes accurately describe the full range of human motivations. They do not require any dualistic metaphysics to be valid. And they are not in conflict with what we know about evolution and the human universals.
That's a world of difference.
inkadu,
Great metaphor! Had to laugh. :-)
But seriously, I don't think it holds in this case. Jung's work is vastly more substantial. Granted, most psychology is theoretical at this point. I look forward to a time when that can change through reverse engineering and modeling of the brain.
But even without empirical verification of the theories, there's one huge difference: Even though Jung was quasi-religious, his concepts of shadow and universal archetypes accurately describe the full range of human motivations. They do not require any dualistic metaphysics to be valid. And they are not in conflict with what we know about evolution and the human universals.
And if we would integrate that shadowy ("evil")side of the heart with the light ("good") side of the heart and be unafraid of the dark side, and embrace it and master it and ourselves. Then the shadow part is under our command, under our own will.
I bucked up against Jungian theories for a while, but I see their essence in other books and ideas I pick up and like, and accept.
Right on, Amaterasu. And thank you Black Sun, for recognizing Jung's concept of the shadow for what it is–a useful tool that can help us understand our unconscious minds–but only if you nurture that giant mass of neurons that keeps us breathing and smiling.
Alas, history has taught us that there is no one-size-fits-all recipe to feed the mind. Some eternal truths, but for the most part, you're on your own.
Too many non-believers seem to dismiss the concept today, erroneously concluding that it's married to the metaphysical. It's also often overlooked that Jung had a "psychotic break," and I doubt he'd ever have had the insights he did without that experience. His mind went splat.
To understand a mechanical device, engineers take it apart and try to put it back together.
Plato: "Our greatest blessings," [says Socrates,] "come to us by way of madness, provided the madness is given us by divine gift."
Jung: "Although insight into the problem of opposites is absolutely imperative, there are very few people who can stand it in practice."
I agree with all of your ideas about light and darkness,
except that somtimes in life we might need to contact our "spirtual" selfs (which is a sub-personality as well) and for some people, to reed about it, and get inspired from it, might be a very usefull healing process
the important thing is to keep open and explore all aspects of ourselves, know them and not reject them
ypu can't keep away from the "fark side" but you do not need to identify yourself with it : you can actually decide not to live by it
in the other hand , you can't either just identify with the "light" or the "spiritual" or "good" or "angelic"side but you can choose to do good things ot of your life, be kind and loving and honest rather than revengefull and mean
"this is my opinion
gretings to all
amina
inkadu,
Great metaphor! Had to laugh. :-)
But seriously, I don't think it holds in this case. Jung's work is vastly more substantial. Granted, most psychology is theoretical at this point. I look forward to a time when that can change through reverse engineering and modeling of the brain.
But even without empirical verification of the theories, there's one huge difference: Even though Jung was quasi-religious, his concepts of shadow and archetypes accurately describe the full range of human motivations. They do not require any dualistic metaphysics to be valid. And they are not in conflict with what we know about evolution and the human universals.
…and if you don't like Jung, here's Alexander Solzhenitzyn saying essentially the same thing:
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
Nice try, Blacksun. I recommend this book to anyone seeking the true meaning of life. Without "The Power of Now," I'd still be addicted to an oval-shaped snooze button on my Sony "Dream Machine." In fact, the book was so powerful, all I ever read was the title. Right now, you and I are alive. At some later point, we'll both be dead. See the power of now, now? Yeah, I thought so.
Here, here!!
Wow I can't believe your narrow mind, I can't believe how people just tend to Critize things they don't even understand. Anyways just like was Jesus Christ was critize… Eckhart, Donald Walsh, Budda, Madre teresa & many more will be too. Open up your hearts let go of your Ego grow up listen & learn from your past but, live in the now, The now that's the only thing the exist. There no Past or future only the now! Wow you need to find yourself because you are so lost buddy G*d may blessed you.
Speaking of that, what " the true meaning of life" does even mean? I had a hint, once, from Monty Pithon, but it was long ago…
I remember starting to read this book, then feeling suspicious and annoyed, and then putting it down. It was the same feeling I had when my yoga instructor told me that we modern folks get into the habit of thinking too much, and that it causes stress and we sometimes need to stop and not think at all. It's kind of paradoxical to have an emotional (rather than rational) reaction against people who say 'don't think', but I do. I sometimes think my brain does all the processing and just notifies me of the results by how I feel, which is of course very unscientific, but also very efficient. Anyway, maybe she's right. Maybe I think too much and I should meditate and lose consciousness.
"Nice try, Black Sun?" You recommend this book for anyone seeking the 'true meaning of life"? Whoa… here we go… the definition of a zealot. The canned version of "true meaning of life".
First of all this guy has taken an age old message, from many traditions… Zen Buddhism, for one… and even more contemporary… "Be Here Now" in the 60s…. and made millions off of it., of course, giving no credit where credit is due. As well as the Sumaraii's and their daily meditation upon Death to keep them awake and fearless in the face of the horrors of life. This is a simple/complex practice. Yet it does not stand alone. Which is why the traditions I speak of above encompassed ardent daily disciplines and study.
The zealots, I have met, who have given me Eckhart's books and the tapes, are ungrounded and developmentally damaged people… unconsciously beating up others with their wounds/shadows, while skipping along practicing what they call their enlightenment. Its very unfortunate. Over time one particular friend has returned to intensive therapy to work on the power of THEN, the past that dramatically was controlling her now abusive character.
If these philosophies could be suggested as an adjunct to life, rather than THE ONE & ONLY TRUTH YOU NEED… they could serve. And we could see these teachers as very ordinary human beings, and in this guys case, just a disseminator of already known information, rather than inflate them to a stature they do not deserve…. as well as money that could be serving desperate needs in other places. (One of his many dark shadows.)
Life is much more complex than one simple answer. And each one's 'meaning' is uniquely their own.
Just another product from the global soul kitchen. A bit of the Gita, some part from Jnana yoga pratice, spiced up with phrases from Zen, without referring to the sources.
love and agreement
Okay… okay…. realize you were being sarcastic, Mindsplat… which I didn't catch until I looked at your name. Got me! And… it actually afforded me the opportunity to say what I wanted to say anyway… so thanks for the rub! ;)
ah… will the REAL zealot please stand up?
"Be Here Now", Eckhart, or Eckanckar, best experienced while on acid on a beach somewhere (Mexico is good). Of course. Jung, not so much. Helps to be under – oh, I dunno – maybe 40? for the Eckhart stuff.
I'm looking forward to reading the follow-up on this introduction Sean.
I think in the long run such a series of articles will be helpful because people in many cases simply do need to have access to opposing viewpoints on people such as Tolle.
There is so much sycophantic agreement in so many other places on the Web and the wider world that being able to google 'Tolle' and find links to critical articles like this could really help some people.
I know that it has been helpul to me to read your previous articles on Tolle. In conjunction with the Rick Ross Cult Education site, your site has been one of the most helpful to me in regaining a sense of critical perspective after ten years being involved with New Age beliefs and practices of various kinds.
So please keep it up, thanks!
By the way I tried to post this comment using OpenID but Yahoo wouldn't allow it because they say this site is using version 1.0 instead of 2.0.!
Kind of frustrating!
Anna, thanks. I hope I have the patience to stick with it. I just posted another installment. Sorry about the comment problems. I'm sticking with intense debate as they work the bugs out. Thanks for visiting.
[…] Black Sun Journal » Debunking The Power of Now: Introduction […]
Good vs evil is one distinction, spirit vs matter is another. We know there are many distinctions but we should be careful not to call both 'dualism'. People may get easily confused (Tolle for one?), especially when instead of having the same word for different things, might also be (who knows?) different words for the same thing.
Eckhart Tolle is one of the more annoying New Age speakers I've heard. He's slow and boring. But then I think Wayne Dyer is pompous and Deepak whashisname (just kidding, Chopra) is absurd. Good debunk, Blacksun.
Completely agree on Dyer's pomposity. Can't stand to listen to him.
Gotta disagree with all the debunkers on The Power of Now; & while I respect Sean Prophet's take on a lot of other topics, it's clearly evident that his "pendulum" swings 180 degrees away from anything that he considers New Age(so over-used) because of his upbringing & life experience(his parents). Can't blame him there. However, think possibly baby is being thrown out with the bath water.
proteeny,
"Baby out the the Bathwater" is not an argument, it's apologetics. Please state a rational premise as to why you think Power of Now is valid or useful. Come on, even one tiny little piece of logic?
Yes, you're right. "Baby…,etc." isn't an argument. Just a personal observation. It's been my experience to date that no amount of argument, logical or otherwise, changes anyone's mind. One's "mind" is changed when it(for whatever reason) is ready to change. "Rational premise" is as subjective as "spiritual belief". Call me lazy, but I don't care to try to convince anyone that they should share my feelings (oh-oh; I'm using the F-word!) about that book or any other. However, I'm glad that there are those who take the time & energy to expound their views. Makes life more interesting. I see a trend here with rubber-stamping ideas that fall outside of "rationality/logic" with the big 'ole New Age label. Kinda boring. Maybe someone can come up with a more original term, something a little less limiting. But then, I guess that's the problem with words; as Tolle might say, they aren't the experience, they just point the way. P.S. Is it not a good thing to "like" something?
"bhn" didn't write the above reply to blacksun 72p; 'twas I, Proteeny!
Still no argument. Personal experience doesn't count for much. It's by definition subjective, and wrong more often than not. Knowledge is only acquired through strict observation by multiple observers, and peer reviewed scientific study.
New Age = woo = vague and meaningless sentimentalities. Call it whatever you want to call it. It's doesn't improve self-knowledge and it therefore has no demonstrable utility for human progress. It keeps people confused and in the dark about who they are. The worst part is they think it's a source of enlightenment.
Quoting Tolle to defend Tolle. Might as well quote the bible in support of the bible. Nice touch.
Well, I guess you told me! Think I'll give it all up now & go study science ; thanks for the tips- Ciao!
Anyone who believes that science isn’t subjective is in for a rude awakening upon any close investigation. There is a great deal that is subjective to scientific investigation, particularly in the area psychology. The topics researchers choose to investigate, to their interpretation of the data they gather and the conclusions they draw on that basis. The apparently empirical process of science has many cracks where one’s intuition, insight, and subjective impressions can squeeze in their influence.
To suggest that an experience is meaningless simply because it can’t be validated by scientific investigation is as irresponsible as it is shortsighted. An individual maintains the right, and in fact the responsibility, to define for him or herself what does or doesn’t matter to them. In fact denying someone that right or suggesting they should pass the hat to gain a consensus on what their experience means to them doesn’t make much sense and is often the kind of stuff that takes people into treatment not out of it.
I once did a fake interview with Tolle…some people wrote to me convinced it was real. This was strange given the fact that I just strung together a bunch of meaningless phrases.
Hmm…is that Tolle's secret?
http://dontstepinthepoop.com/interview-with-eckha…
Judgment, condemnation and harsh negative criticism are all projections of the Jungian shadow self. Interesting how you have gone so completely out of your way, expending countless hours of energy to even post a pseudo interview, hatefully "debunk" someone who has brought nothing but soothing and healing words to millions of souls on this planet who desperately need it. In response to your comment about Eckhart's suicidal depression and years of suffering:
"Yeah, that’s really the kind of damaged person I want to hold forth about how to find joy, and the meaning of life, the universe, and everything."
Why would you want anyone else than someone who has walked a mile in your troubled shoes to teach you how to overcome it? Spending years in a classroom studying books, makes you a wise person not. Experience is the greatest teacher of all. The fact that Eckhart has suffered to the point of virtually killing himself because of it, in my opinion, gives up all the credibility and authority he needs to teach me, and the world about transcending suffering. He's lived in a state of peace, joy and tranquility for over thirty years. Can you say that? When you can, let me know, and then I'll consider listening to you.
Actually, judgment is something the mind does to decide whether a proposition has truth value or not. Tolle's biggest problem is that in denying the role of the mind, he is in denial of his own nature. He's trying to lead others down the same path, something not healing, but actually destructive.
We are evolved beings of mind, and trying to pretend there's something else higher is a travesty. Clearly most Tolle followers haven't begun to master the use of their minds, and the all-important skill of critical thinking. So they abdicate, putting themselves in that mushy state of acceptance, a prerequisite for stagnation and sheep-like submission.
If any point of view can't stand up to criticism, if the only defense is that the reviewer is hateful, critical, or "a projection of the Jungian shadow self," said point of view isn't worth the price of the paper (or screen) it's written on. The whole point of shadow work is to realize we all have one, and to get to know it well enough so that it doesn't erupt and create havoc. No Jungian would ever advocate shadow avoidance or repression.
Look at the the Eckart Tolle demographics and one finds an insidiously dangerous problem with Tolle-speak and New Age-(rhymes with sewage) style regurgitation of eastern philosophy: externality really doesn't matter. Join me on mountain you unenlightened one and "transcend" all that pesky suffering out there, like war and economic and social injustice. Don't use that pesky little mind of yours to protest, innovate, and actually solve some of the problems that really do exist. Eastern philosophy is being used to justify the continuation of unnecessary suffering in our world by lolling rich Westerners into passivity and a shirking of social responsibility. Westerners are in deep need of conversion, but not a conversion like Tolle's, which is no conversion at all. I think you're better off just hitting the snooze button. Same difference. Anyone who is living is a state of peace, joy, and tranquility in this Anti-Kingdom of a reality is lobotomized.
Looks to me like Eckhart Tolle and Billy Meier have amazingly similar, nearly identical in fact, backgrounds AND marketing techniques for the hokey philosophies they promote. The only difference I see is that Meiers tries to bolster his lack of serious credentials with being a "Chosen One" for Extra Terrestrials who "channel" their messages through him to enlighten the people of Earth that the end is near. BTW, Billy has a warehouse full of books for sale and has a retreat/meditation center too for the "Rich and Famous" can hide out in Switzerland. Meier was doing very well until his UFO photos were debunked and his predictions came to naught!
In doing some research on the history of Transcendental Meditation using internet search, I started to see Eckhart Tolle book references popping up with some regularity. By the way, I knew nothing at all about him at the time. So, I switched gears temporarily to see if I could get a feel for what his gig was and did some searches about him. I did indeed find out a lot of the background that has been presented here. The first thing I asked myself was why is this guy so popular, he has NO credentials! THEN, I discovered that he was a virtual nobody until Oprah started to promote first his book, then him on her Media Network which move the sales of him book from him going door to door to bookstores to self promote him wares to selling millions of copies of them, doing seminars, retreats and web casts. I thought myself, ANYTHING endorse by Oprah needs to be treated with suspicion if not full blown skepticism. Tolle has a deceptive video called, "What is Meditation" (this is probably why he kept coming up in my searches to begin with, btw). The video opens with Tolle just sitting there looking stupid. He says nothing for a pretty long pregnant pause before he begins explaining that the video isn't really about Meditation and he goes into his "shtick" instead. I said to myself, "what a pompous, self-centered, and arrogant moron!" I was really pissed off and it went down hill from there listening to the mumbo jumbo that followed. Normally, I would have said psychobabble but the nonsense that he up with was more like my idea of a "snake oil salesman" or a perhaps more like a delusional rant. The video repeats most of the objections that have been articulated in this article but I found his damn snickering at his own cleverness which he frequently does throughout the video to be annoying. I had no "axe to grind" with Tolle before I viewed the video but its clear to me that he is by no mean a Spiritual Guru, clever marketing guru perhaps. Much of what he presents is circular and/or repetitive such that it crosses the "boring" boundary and goes straight away to the "offensive" category. His repetition isn't used as a teaching tool but rather as filler in logical gaps. To paraphrase Julia Sweeney's reference to her final analysis of Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle is pretty much "full of shit". Thank for the great article.
I don't have much interest in reading Tolle's book because it's not worth half of Zen and Zen isn't worth anything without sutras… BUT
I did want to comment on what I saw here. I have to agree with an above writer that clearly you are getting exactly what you want out of his book: spite about everything you superstitiously consider to be superstition and apparently "new Age" whatever that means anymore. As a matter of fact, if it's mostly based on Zen there's nothing New about it, is there?
There was another statement I saw… "FInally, Tolle attaches himself to the coattails of the “timeless wisdom of all religions.” If it’s wisdom, and it’s so timeless, how come theologians can’t manage to keep from eternally bickering with each other? He might as well have said “the timeless nonsense of all religions.” As the Marquis de Sade once remarked, “the religion proves its prophet, the prophet his religion.”"
So in other words… you hate religion and are going to disagree with anything someone says simply because it might be tied to religion. Also you obviously don't put any value in good lessons from history, for example the wisdom and scientifically proven healthiness of the Bible's nutritional guidance. Interesting: throw the baby out …. apparently more suits this kind of ranting.
Next you say why don't religions get along? It's exactly the kind of one-sided "I am right" relativism YOU DISPLAY that does that.
You are clearly unaware of the 10 vibratory valences of the mind (everything is a wave so don't bother arguing here) which allow us to see what your deal is: you are in the 8th level… not bad btw, and you like to pick on those in the 7th because in the 8th level you resonate with the 4th (anger). Your self-satisfaction is described in Mahayana Buddhism as a great pit from which you will suffer until you leave it, and certainly your hate-filled rhetoric proves that is true.
The Daishonin said, and you aptly prove it true, "The blind cannot see the characters of this sutra [meaning Truth]. To the eyes of the ordinary people [of the lower six paths]4 they look like characters. Persons of the two vehicles [of 7th and 8th Realms] perceive them as the Void. Bodhisattvas look on them as innumerable doctrines. Buddhas recognize each character as a golden Shakyamuni [Buddha]"
Is being atheist and refusing to believe we can know anything not a form of attachment to Void!?
I can see you clearly having once been exactly as you are… and I am glad not to be like you anymore: so arrogant, so irritatingly dismissive of things. Also being in a higher vibratory state I can accept other points of view and religions and even unite them with their similarities and even unite science with religion.
But views like yours I will harangue and demonstrate their perversity because your self-satisfaction and arrogance is astoundingly obnoxious, like a know-it-all drunk on his own toxic brew. Also because I despise that part of me that was like you (you are right it is difficult to rid oneself of past self)
Finally you say dualism is dead. Last I check we called it wave-particle duality and there are perhaps a billion other things that can be attributed to yin/yang just like those with the disease atheism are yin and those with the disease of dogmatic attachment are yang. (In medicine, a- is a prefix to indicate lack of, meaning you are deficient in belief)
It IS true that duality is a myth of the mind debunked by the Buddha, but not for the reasons you state. Once again you need to rotate 180 degrees and humble yourself to the superstructure around you. Seriously it is all around you. Your uniqueness of mind when standing in a field… your telekinetic (do you type?) and time travel (do you not have memories?) powers that are yours irrespective of your physical matter which is nothing more than 99.999999999999999999% empty space and FIELDS OF RELATIONSHIPS .
It's so obvious… do you really want to be one of the sick ones that can't see the sky above and the ground below, etc…
btw – I am is the translation for Yahweh and predates that which you reference in the article. You'd know that with some research.
let me tell you what it means for me " the power of now". it means chance, but real change. this book was a support for my low morality. i recommend it tho everyone that had a problem in life and he/her couldn't overcome.
This book is great. It serves as a new introduction to a timeless essence. Don't get caught up into all the pseudo psychoanalysis tricks of Jung and his followers unless you truly want to be ripped off by a therapist. Anyways, this is by no means a new topic, but it is packaged in a non dogmatic fashion unattached to any religious labels. By far there are better books about this topic coming from the Buddhist tradition, but they are filled with the religious slang and idolatry that that most religious adhere to. The posters response to me sounded like a wounded egos retaliation to a timeless reality.
Seriously Eckhart Tolle is a con man, a good hypnotist that speaks rhetorically vague bullshit and either puts you to
sleep, or lets you come up with whatever meaning you want in relation to his empty words, so you can trick yourself
into believing he's enlightened.
Well said. As a Zen Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, I cannot tell you the times I have had to deal in one way or another with the damage that this man's ridiculous platitudes and half digested spiritual 'truths' cause in the longer term for those who take them seriously. He is a charlatan and a snakeoil salesman.
The whole reason I got to read this page is that theres two youths at youtube who are pushing everyone to read Echart Tolle and Charles Eisenstein (rhymes with Einstein hmmm), and saying stuff like 'yeahhh…if you LOVE your hate you feel sooo guuurrrrd…yeah. So I though I should re-vive my research i did few times boack Googling 'Debunking Echart Tolle' so as to remember
The article here I like EXCEPT where is implied that5 because comeone finds school hostile, and doesnt want to do a psychology degree, and has suicidal thoughsd is somehow without any hope of insight….? Errrrm pardon me. That conclusion is as dodgy as whatever Tolle is pushin
And then Jung is made out to be lilly white. Not so….I suggest not limiting yourself and to research about the ENFORCED 'education' system, (John Taylor Gatto), and feminist critiques of Jungian thought.
ALSO to understand the roles of entheogehns in authentic spirituality. This is important to know. A good interview I recently listened to which will reveal things –I am not sure of the html here so please Google this which will bring you to it 'Mike Crowley gnostic media podcast interview'. Crowley is talking about his forthcoming book 'Drugs in Buddhism', and will reveal things like—you will not find any word referring to .mushroom' in Sanskrit, and this is because entheogenic mushrooms were taboo for the 'lower castes' but not for the 'highest cast' the Brahmins.
Now this is important to know because the very guru system originated from India. Anyway check it out—-just to say that as should be implied–once they hide the sacrament they then can replace with middlemen who can profit from your ignoreance and needyness–the 'needyness' being the denied freedom to openly explore our depths with the aid of entheogenic plants and substances.
Can I also recommend this book which also goes deep into the phoniness of the guru system–The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power. I dont agree with ALL they say, nor their solution, but it is an amazing analysis of the propaganda surrounding all of this.
Very cool, I didn't know Mike Crowley!
Thank U.
Excellent! we need to oppose this horrible corrupt reptilian guru system and bring about it's demise
Tolle's book, like all books, contains some truths, and some questionable viewpoints. But then, there is no ultimate truth anyway, just philosophical statements that may have relevance or meaning to someone at a particular time and may be percieved as "truth."
Tolle's book is a great starting point for discussion and thought about what matters in life, and a handy guide for someone who might need some guidance, in language that is not steeped in religious bias. Any intelligent person would be disinclined to accept it as ultimate truth, any more than any intelligent person would accept the bible as ultimate truth. It is all just part of a big debate – which always has and always will be ongoing – but having the discussion and asking the questions is not a bad thing.
I think it's pretty immature for any person to be completely for or against this work. We insult ourselves when we think that simplistically. The fact is, a lot of people have experienced comfort and healing from this book, and for those that it doesn't work for – fine – no one is forcing it at you. Read something else.
If someone needs to spend a great deal of time and emotional energy debunking this book – that is their priviledge. Unfortunately some of the efforts sound more like ranting than critical comment.
Mein Kampf gives comfort to racists. Saying something gives comfort only means it tells them what they want to hear.
Do any of you actually try to understand anything about life through daily experiences or are you all so fu&ked up analysing, mentalising and trying to massage your own egos as to how freaking smart you think you are with all the crap thats been written out there. If tolles a fraud then so what, get over it and practice, follow what works for you. Obviously nothing does as most people are damn lazy and ignorant to make any real effort to understand any truths, instead they find it more fulfilling to bash people like tolle.. happy bashing you bunch of sad to$$ers
Says the one who just spent a paragraph analysing and bashing people disagreeing with a wannabe cult leader
Eckhart's my boy. The only tangible moment we have is right NOW. Past and Future are intangible illusions. I read The Power of Now in a residential drug rehab.
A friend recommended Eckhart. Within 5 minutes I was disgusted by his thinly disguised NLP tricks.
“questions or objections may occasionally come into your mind as you read. They will probably be answered later in the book, or they may turn out to be irrelevant as you go more deeply into the teaching–and into yourself.”
“I can not tell you any spiritual truth that deep within you don’t know already. All I can do is remind you of what you have forgotten.”
I.e. don’t question me, you *know* I’m right. Seriously, people buy this cråp? If he had said: I believe this, it worked for me and I think it (the power of ‘now’, whatever that means) is worth experimenting with then I could let him be. But this mental extortion of the most vulnerable in society – that’s disgusting and Eckhart should be ashamed of himself.
Absolutely great book. Don't be put off by this post. "The power of now" is a book that will either completely change your life when you are ready or be meaningless (case in point above).
Your own credetentials as a son of Elizabeth Clare Prophet are even scarier than those from poor Tolle! And I certainly do not understand how are you him a charlatan based on Tolle's lack of professional credentials when your own are as invisible as Tolle's…I, for a change, I do have a MD degree and a a PHD on Psychology, and even so, wouldn't dare to dismiss Tolle's work with such level of contempt as you gratuitously are doing here. The amount of suffering that you may have endured with such a family, although abolutely respectable, does not make you free to insult another's man´s life and and work with less than enough arguments.
Dr.Manuel Gerardo Monasterio
Everybody really familiar with Jung’s concept of the “Shadow” knows that it is projected onto somebody else when not integrated into one’s personality. In that sense it works like a boomerang and reveals much more about the person “debunking” than the person “debunked”. The author of the article should ask why he or she is agressively “debunking” in public a peaceful person that has not done the author any harm. Usually, if we don’t like what somebody says but don’t feel threatened by the words we tolerate the person. Why can’t the author tolerate Mr. Tolle? How can the author claim that somebody who has been living peacefully for many years and inspiring many people has not dealt with its “shadow” when he or she clearly hasn’t done so either? My guess is that the author has fallen victim to its own shadow projection. That’s no tragedy- everybody does it. The tragedy starts when we are not aware of it and don’t deal with it.
Exactly, that's what this post shows. Nothing more to add.
Hello ! This is my critic of Tolle's mythology and simplistic psychology. It's in French, sorry :
The title is :
The illusion of power's in spiritual's path. A example : the power's of now illusion.
http://clidre.skyrock.com/3057696667-Mentalisme-d…
have a nice day !
Thank you for the affirmation re: Tolle. I do not agree with the "doc" who posted negatively about you. Look at him why don't ya, throwing his credentials around, to prop himself and his thoughts up? Now that is just immature. However, I am thankful that you wrote this, as I am sure many feel the same way and appreciate your sentiments, and others who are not sure and checking into this Tolle can maybe learn to drop him like a hot potato. Obviously you share your opinion with us because you DO feel that his ramblings are not helping people find their real inner selves. I feel as you do, that his useless ponderings lead people away from the work that they MUST do to find themselves. So, don't listen…keep being the people's watchdog..kudos to you for investing your time in a very true opinion. Tolle is a charlatan, and trying to reinvent the wheels of spirituality…which is impossible. He doesn't even make the wheel more understandable. For those who praise him for helping, Tolle may have only offered them a finger for the dam. Peace out folks.
SUCK MY DICK>>>>>NOW!!!
get a life you fucking critics. GET A LIFE> NOW!
If buying his products are really a BIG DEAL to you. Then download the pirated ones. EVEN THE PIRATED COPIES MAKE SENSE.
Tolls is a narcissist……like some of his followers. Look at the causes of narcissism….Tolle’s upbringing ticks all the boxes that cause the narcissistic personality….fascinating! I dated a narcissist and he quoted and blogged Tolle’s teachings constantly, luckily I was open minded, but not so open minded that my brain fell out….hurrah for Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens…..the saviours of the analytical thinkers.
Just the fact that he never went to school means that this guy really thinks out of the box. I will definitely finish his book now! I myself completely disagree with school as a place that brainwashes us into a particular state of thinking which damages our true creativity. A lot of the greats flunked school or never payed attention. That is what made them great!
From dimensional mathematics, we know that the past and future coexist with the present. The first dimension of time is a vector which is transected at every point by eternity. This means that for God (or any entity comprising the six dimensions of time and space) past, present and future are occurring simultaneously. Alpha to Omega. Hence the resurrection of the dead in Christianity, which is analogous to Nietzsche's concept of eternal return.
There is a correlation between drug addiction and Tolle's ideas which is very suggestive; they both appeal to narcissists. The Power of Now is a (vile) product of phenomenology (i.e Castaneda), which opposes traditional esoteric ideas and most visibly the cultures of indigenous peoples. The concept of sacrifice involves paying for one's past. And not simply the mistakes of one's own past, but those of one's father and grandfather. This is connected with patriarchal morality, family and community.
Those who wish to be "real" men and women should start by taking responsibility out their own lives, paying their debts to their family and especially their parents who gave them life and therefore are in effect God for each person. If one wants to start esoteric work, one must be grounded in the values of everyday life.
I say this as a follower of Gurdjieff.
Alan Watts (1915-1973) distilled Zen / Buddhism succinctly and explained it to Western audiences in an easy to understand way. He did this decades before Tolle whose book "The Power of Now" is really an inferior copy of the same material. The fact that Tolle does not acknowledge such obvious sources, and that he has dressed it all up as his own experience of enlightenment is a disappointment. The fact that he may have helped so many by disseminating some Eastern philosophy is commendable.
Eckhart is a narcissist and possible even a sociopath.
You know what hes doing here? Hes essentially teaching people how to suppress there emotions
Just as he's barely suppressing his own.
Who is so disingenous in their presentation and glamor?
This is a book that uses clever manipulative language.
I think Eckhart is a greasy salesman. Its like selling a awesome looking cake but it tastes terrible.
I can’t disprove The Power of Now until I have put it into serious practice. If after serious practice of the Power of Now I find I’m not experiencing what Eckhart Tolle promises, I can say it is false. To say it is false before I implement and experiment with it would be un scientific. I can use reason and discernment to help me decide if experimenting with The Power of Now is worth my time. If I decide it is not rational and choose not to practice the power of now I will not know if it’s true or not, but I can believe it’s not true. If I’d categorise Eckhart Tolley with fairies and aliens I would not bother because my disbelief in them is likely to be true, but if I have a thought of it being possible then I’d experiment.
If Tolle's message is so good, why does he demand that I give him some of the fruits of my labour (i.e., money) so that he can tell me how wonderful I am (or could be)? When Yeshua of Natzeret fed 5,000 people, gave sight to a man born blind, and raised El'azar (Lazarus) from the dead all the while telling them about the good news of the Kingdom of God, did he demand payment first? Did he demand any payment at all? The way I tell about the genuineness of someone's message is what they demand in return for telling me how wonderful I am (or could be). As I said, Yeshua demanded nothing in return for his giving us his message of life by turning to God from our rebellion towards him and trusting him rather than looking into ourselves as gods.
hang on – – so all u guys that hate on tolle are saying that MEDITATION – ie observng ur thoughts and feelings, acknowledging and feeling them, and then letting them go, and returning to awareness , is something thats bad or unhealthy!??!!
Tolles MINDFULLNESS is no different than normal closed eye MEDITATION , in that the END RESULT is AWARENESS and staying with AWARENESS.
Closed eyed meditation – focus on awareness (breath up and down, follow ur breath in ur stomach up and down , watch it up and watch it down)….if thoughts arise, observe them, and then dont engage in them, just let it go and return back to breath ie AWARENESS. Same with feeliings….observe them, feel them, but dont get too caught up and simply return back to ur breath up n down up n down.
Tolle is saying pretty much the SAME – – observe ur thoughts, acknowledge them….observe and keep observng until you return back to the NOW ie AWARENESS. OR….dont engage in ur thoughts and feelings and the content sround them…acknowlwege them as the pain body or ego….watch and obseve them ie YOU ARE FEELING THEM….and do so till you return back to AWARENESS
End result is returning to AWARENESS after acknowledging the thoughts and feelings
Of course tolle suggests to drop the pain body quickly before the thoughts and feelings catch you out, BUT, he says if you cant drop the pain body in its ANTICIPATION or your anticipation of its coming, then all you can do is ACCEPT its hold on you…you werent QUICK ENOUGH to ward it off with ur awareness…..so ACCEPT IT and feel the feelings and emotions and thoughts till u return back to awareness
Look, this is no different than any kind of MEDITATION where the end result is AWARENESS
I agree somewhat that trying to ward off the pain body before it takes hold is trying to escape triggers and past triggers of emotions that you are aware of…..and that u may be pushing it down…….and it will come back again at a later timr……BUT…heres the difference……if youre AWARE enough to not get engaged in bad thoughts and feelings….what u r saying is that you know better…..and from this space of knowing better ie AWARENESS, you can entrain new BELIEFS into your mind!….so awareness of the pain body coming on and saying 'uh uh hre it comes again….I KNOW BETTER…and then entraining POSITIVE thoughts, beliefs and affirmations from that space so as to avoid emotional turbulence and the same triggered responses of the past……cannot be a bad thing. Look , if you have to FEEL the inevitable bad feelings, so be it. Bur many times u can catch out the coming storm and be ready for it….in AWARENESS…so as to lessen its impact…..and that brings u back to awareness quicker instead of going thru blown out pain body emotions.
End of day the end result is AWARENESS….just like all MEDITATION….u dont get too involved in thoughts and feelings….thats the bottom liine.
SO youre saying that MEDIATION is BAD??? In most cases of tolles mindfullness….you acknowledge and feel but dont get too involved in ur pain body if you can 'CATCH IT OUT' right at the beginning!! Is that any diff then meditation???
Going into no-mind and no-thought is the other method. The longer u meditate, the stronger ur awareness. Which leads to no-thoughts which leads to higher and higher lvls of consciousness where EQ grows and grows and u tap a higher intellect as a function of your mind. And u get revelations and answers and solutions to your blockages and problems. E tolles no-thought/no-mind is a state that, again, experienced meditators always get to when meditating. It is full blown focus on AWARENESS. Just like when u meditate closed eyed you reach a point where no thoughts come in anymore! And u just sit with the breath in no-thought and in complete AWARENESS
All these debunkers and E TOLLE haters have no idea. Focusing on awareness leads to more awareness which leads to no thought and just pure awareness after a while. And from there u rise and keep rising to higher levels of awaeness….by focusing on awaeness..it expends more and more….your brain wave activity gets higher and higher
Look, youre mind has different brain waves and different levels of INTELLIGENCE
Most people are engaged in the LOWER mind – the animalistic mind
But, your MIND isnt just the lower mind (the ego or the animalistic mind)….it is also your higher intellect if you CHOOSE or FOCUS on it. ALL depends where youre FOCUS is at
If your focus is on your AWARENESS, you are at a higher level oif intellect or intelligence as a function of your mind. U r at a higher brain wave level
Tolle is telling you to entrain the higher intellect to your every day life….so that after many years (subjective of course , it could take some ppl more or less)….the higher intellect becomes ingrained in you subconsciously.
Its all in science – theres different levels of the mind….and it all depends where your focus is at
U r not necessarily your lower miind (although most ppl think they are)….you can rise to a higher intellect as a function of your mind by observing it ie being in AWARENESS. U can reach the higher intellect by meditating closed eye and focusing on breath etc which takes you to full awareness after a while….or by using tolles technique that leads to full awareness too after a while. SAME FRIGGIN THING. Its when youre in full blown awareness that the brain wave activity rises and rises and your intelligence rises from the animalistic mind ie ego, to the higher mind .
Science is all over it now….read EVOLVE YOUR BRAIN…its got all the science on brain waves and the lower reptilian animalistic mind and higher mind
Tolle just teaches you another way to reach the higher intellect as a function of your mind….no diff to meditation….AWARENESS and keeping ur focus on pure AWARENESS gets you there…..ask any experienced mediitator. I can do it. The electricity in ur body (electromagnetism) rises and rises till i can pop the static electrivity all over my body….u get funny feelings of tickling….ur chakras are alll open and being cleansed….ive even had my entire body shakei in pure bliss….all the chakras were open and in unison…..u even get KUNDALINI rising symptoms which can be dangerous if one is not ready for this awakening…Beyond the mind (the animalistic reptilian mind)….all experienced meditators discover all that ive written….and more….much more,,,
**** Tolles really just telling you not to get caught up in CONTENT, and rather, just FEEL the FEELING, and as you feel the feelings in awareness, you transmute the feeling to AWARENESS.
You can ANTICIPATE the PAIN BODY coming on when u start being aware that u have negative thoughts – – – so be AWARE and dont get caught up in CONTENT. That way u save urself the full blown explosion of negative content (ie the voice) that leads to explosion of feelins (pain body).
In other words, by being 'aware' that ure starting to get negative thoughts….ure making a CHOICE not to get involved in CONTENT……the SAME content that uve felt many times before with a fullblown pain body….the same CONTENT that uve analysed over and over…..
His AWARENESS (the watcher of the mind and the 'voice') gives u a CHOICE not to get 'too involved' in content…ie YOU KNOW BETTER!….And from this space of 'knowing better' you can entrain POSITIVE thoughts and AFFIRMATIONS if you want to take it to the next level (although he doesnt tell you to do that)….he simply tells you that OVER TIME youre subconscious reactions will contain more PRESENCE and so the pain body slowly dissipates subconsciously by introducing PRESENCE and ACCEPTANCE thru BEING PRESENT into ones thinking…. ie over time youre negativity will transmute to presence…..in ur subconscious. He dsnt tell you to entrain new thoughts and BELIEFS….just to keep transmuting the negativity thru presence over time…
OK i see some ppls point….that CAN engage in the mind in a POSITIVE way thru entraining POSTIVE self empowering beliefs ….rather than just transmuting negativity into acceptance thru presence…..
But what hes saying is DANGEROUS – – – youre not getting involved in CONTENT, rather your FEELING the FEELINGS withiout engagement in CONTENT…..thats not dangerous! Thats facing feelings till they release. And doing so over many years will eventually ANCHOR 'presence' to all the triggers and memories. Hes ANCHORING presence to certain situations and triggers…..not trying to change the minds CONTENT….rahter anchoring acceptance to all situations and memories over years and years….that finally one day youll be enlightened in acceptance and full presence to all sitautions, triggers and memories.
should say "what hes saying ISNT DANGEROUS….your not getting involved in content, rather your feeling the feelings…..and achoring presence to triggers, events, memories and situations over and over …."
Its not dangerous…just a way to get enlightened thru no content and transmutation of negativity in blockages to presence _ anchoring presence.
How is that dangerous??? haha…
Tolle's books are reawakening millions people to their true essence, which can generate a deeply valuable transformation in the way we are living on this planet. All the rest doesn't really matter.I find your article very judgmental.I believe I would be better to experience the truth in the book, independently of what you think of the the writer.
With love,
Paolo x x x
So funny.
Tolle is talking about "going above the mind and mind chatter", and you chatterbox's go on and on and on about crap. Tolle saw his "crap" and saw he was not that.
So funny the writer is son of hoax mother, so he projects his crap onto Tolle.
Stop the mind for a day or week and see.
You guys realize every freaking person on this planet who ever lived, including God, Jesus, Buddha, had many enemies who thought they were crap. What is new. :)
There is the EYE of the BULL (bulls-eye), the Bull , and Bullsh*t, the crap that comes out of the bull. Why are you studing Bullsh*t, at least look at the bull in silence, or look into the soul (the eye is the window of the soul). :)
The most important part of Tolle's lectures is the few minutes of silence at the beginning of them. He says that, but the ego mind need chatter, and he says, well, at least listen to the silence between the words. Get it. NO! Until you do.
Look at Nature and science. We are simply animals, primates or great Apes (Hominidae). No past or future life exist for anyone, (Vedic religions were imported to India by sanskrit speaking Aryan) only right here and right now is the actuality of one's own existence. The spiritual B.S of tolle is about the false notion that consciousness survives death. The simple fact is that consciousness is a materialistic emergent phenomena of the brain. Once life cease, consciousness stops to exist. That is why the natural mechanism of evolution is through reproduction and eventually death of an organism (necessary for mutation). Egotism is the delusional self-centered concept that humans are so important and so special and the Universe exist to serve humans desires, psychological states and wishes. So enjoy your precious life right now, because this is it. Right Now is all you've got to call absolute reality. Don't try to escape it with some new age/ancient Aryan Rig-Veda adveita retarded bullshit. Spiritualism is just some man made crap used for self-denial and therapy.
The purpose of meditation is to control your own mind. Go ahead, try not thinking for 30 seconds.
Not easy, is it? When you try not to think, you suddenly notice your mind chattering away and you realize that you are not in control of your thoughts. If you can learn to stop your thoughts for 30 seconds, you realize that you are still conscious. Without thought. It's peaceful. You no longer identify with the automatic chatter in your brain. You are not your thoughts. You are that which the thoughts happen to.
Only after you have learned consciously stop your thoughts can you be in control of them. Then you can think whatever you want, do whatever you want, and be in control. Think your thoughts instead of your thoughts thinking themselves. That's really all Tolle is about. Your cynicism is just your automatic thoughts chattering away, suspicious that something else might control them. If you were in control of your thoughts, you wouldn't worry about things like this.
Take it from an old atheist philosopher, you are not in control of your mind. Be still and be at peace.
You cant just ignore your thoughts and have them magically go away. I can stop my mind for roughly ten minutes when I'm meditating, but the thoughts are still in the subconscious waiting to resurface. You have to analyze your thoughts critically, when you can identify and expose irrational thoughts that's when you take away its power, the opposite of what Tolle teaches. Its foolish if you actually think you can have full control of your mind by simply ignoring surface thoughts. You don't get to call yourself a philosopher if you think something as complex and deep as the human mind can be so laughably simplified. You are your thoughts, you are your actions, all of your parts plus your experience makes up the whole of you. If your thinking is dysfunctional that's something many have to work on. Our consciousness is the only thing that may might exist metaphysically, but beyond that there is no magic "being".
While there is a lot of truth in Tolle's books, it's hard buy that 'enlightenment' visited him while he was deep in the darkness, and in ignorance of spiritual teachings. Wasn't he a college professor? I've watched him on stage as well; he appears to be hunched over, sometimes obsequious, and even unsure of himself. Contrast that to the persona of J. Krishnamurti, or Guy Finley. I know about being hoaxed, as well. Was a true believer of Carlos Castaneda at one time. Osho was also a very eloquent writer, and conveyed many truths, but his personal life ended in disaster. Be cautious where Tolle is concerned, lest you become disillusioned (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
I was given Tolle's book "Power of now" by a 52 year old New Ager who has a borderline personality disorder. She told me that it would explain her fully. She has been cutting herself for 40 years, is sexually traumatized because of childhood abuse, believes that she's going to die during her 68th year because some guru told her so when she was in her 20s, feels no compassion or empathy for anyone or anything, has chronic feelings of emptiness and suicidal thoughts, and avoids confronting the causes of all of the above. The chapters on Pain-Body she avoided. Tolle is worthless against the sever mental illness of such a person. Just pure spiritual nonsense. Incredible people actually follow this nonsense. Great critique and I absolutely agree with it.
Everybody was waiting for U to give the good example… but U failed.
WHAT DA FUCK U JUST DID IF NOT BASHING SOMEONE'S WRITINGS. LOL
The experience Tolle says he had looks like one Ramana Maharshi had when he was sixteen. Soon after that experience he left home, ended in Tiruvannamalai, and wandered from temple basement to mango grove to a cave in the hill nearby. People who saw him provided food for him, beleieving that he was a young swami. He did not preach or advice for many years. Eventually in answer to questions asked of him by a persistent visitor he wrote anwers (in Tamil) to questions; they were subsequently published (as 14 questions and answers) as "Who am I?" He advocated a process of self-inquiry for those who came to see him, but those who visited him were impressed by his presence. He died in 1948. He wrote a few devotional hymns (in Tamil), he translated some Hindu religious classics, and his collected works (prose, hymns, translations) add up to about 200 pages.
Now I have stumbled upon this page after listening to some tube supposed alien cacaphony. I searched this character on wiki and then to his website. As soon as I saw the brand namish logo,cliche “buy me” introduction and the selling of material, I knew this to be another scamster. The free trial button finally concluded my thoughts. These type of writings are not to be done for cash, usually for higher meanigful gain to wake and uplift humanity to create and sustain life in cosmic order. Now this appears as a ” help me, ok here is the secret, for only ? . 99″ Secondly, his work is praised by the NY times, humanity’s dose of daily nonsense. The fact that the media accepts, makes me not really want to read it as we all know the state of garbage flying out of the screen these days. His work sounds very Zionisty to me as the here and now is atypical selfish disregard to heritage and future generations. And he appeared on Oparah, I rest my case. So I searched Eckhart lies and found your lovely page.
The breathing exercises he's giving on his youtube channel seemed to make logical sense. But then, I saw a vid of him with Deepak Chopra, which brought me to this website. It take a charlatan to recognise one lol
I studied Buddhism for 38 years and have read hundreds of books on consciousness. For my taste, Eckart is the best. He makes consciousness simple and accessible. What is all this hoopla on here? This little man is simply teaching a new group of people to get out of their distorted senses of future and past in favor of being in the now.He's telling us to breath consciously and to detach from all the drama. He's saying that the peace that arises from these simple practices can make all the difference in a life…and he's right. i find myself happier, more alive, kinder as a result.
As for his credentials, who cares? I'm quite amazed that someone who didn't even go to high school, as Sean asserts, manages to graduate from a great university and go on to do master's work. Bill Gates never graduated from Harvard…these are pointless criticisms.
take what you can use and leave the rest…..
You are right! I tried many times to read it but so far only read half of it I want to give it up. Thank you for your comment.
To the author of post:
You have no idea how SILLY you sound with your strange, disconnected, narcissitic like, non-sensical comments and arguments trying to trash this book. These are all such typical reactions of a jealous, unable to feel, emotion lacking, jerk. (That everyone is now referring to as The MALIGNANT NARCISSIST.) Why don’t you find a topic that you can at least pretend you know something about. How could anybody be so up in arms about a philosophy that preaches the power of SELf healing. Eckhart Tolle is not a GURU. He is a GENIUS. The idea is so wonderfully simple and so easy to use. But I suppose, if you are the type,unable to feel emotion or compassion. And likes to cloud everything up with writings and opinions, trying to somehow prove to yourself and others some higher level of intelligence. YOU WILL NEVER GET THIS. As it takes a person with a soul and a little self awareness to even begin to understand the basics. At least pick a subject to rip apart that doesn’t make you look like a total FOOL.
Thank you I haven’t laughed like this in ages
You really should t take yourself so seriously
It’s not good for your EMOTIONAL OR PHYSCIAL Health
LOL
I haven't laughed so much in ages either, the author is serious, what's more he speaks the truth. LOL, and that feels very good, I feel emotionally and physically uplifted from reading this gem. They say, the truth will set you free.
Oh no! Some other guys has an opinion that doesnt match my own and i have to find any way to put him down!
Wow, you so smart man, you know ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING and all i have to do is read YOU AND NOBODY else! Bet your eyes are brown you are so full of yourself!
I stopped reading after the following statement: "Not a single reputable scientist today would accept that there is any identity absent the neural correlates of consciousness." Are you joking? or just desperate to make your point? How many Nobel laureates in physics have concluded (correctly or not) that consciousness is the precursor creator of matter? Ever heard of the Quantum Enigma? Or is it just so contrary to your rigid reductionist beliefs and religion that you conveniently forget it?
Echart has made millions of dollars off of his book. If his approach is working for anyone the most, its probably him. I doubt the poster made a dime off of this rant. Who cares if he doesn't have a psychology or philosophy degree. He's more wildly successful than most PHD's could possibly dream, some of which are in a mental hospital right now because they can't get a job to pay back their student loans.There is power in now, and it can be most utilized in not writing angry posts or spending hours consuming Echart Tolles literature. Its just a waste of time. Focus on your most immediate reality, the moment right in front of you, not abstractions that distract from this.
"If he hasn’t had a complete change of attitude or undergone a deep course of Jungian therapy, that suicidal and terrified self he repressed 30 years ago is still lurking deep within him, waiting for some opportunity to emerge and wreak havoc." Yes, according to Jungian psychology, he is repressing the shadow. But! Jung wrote from a particular paradigm that attempted to address an obsession with good and evil at the turn of the century. You see, at the time in which Jung lived, the philosophers were busily pulling apart our collective response to the nihilism of which religious belief is so dependent: and, in order to do so, they needed to emphasize the dualistic nature of existence. This has in turn impacted everything we think we know about life (good and evil, on and off, up and down). Tolle recognizes that this particular system of thought (paradigm) is simply a tool rather than an absolute truth. It works until it stops working. Now, he is suggesting that such paradigms are limiting us. He's asking the question, "How has our belief in dualism framed our experience of living?" He has recognized that the shadow is a part of the unconscious collective mind, and at the same time has suggested that thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) are only a small part of consciousness. Tolle is not repressing the shadow. He is depersonalizing it. He is suggesting that "thoughts" are yet another archetypal system and nothing to take personally.
I’d like to see how Eckhart functioned while be tortured… Water boarded maybe, or having his nails pulled off. When he was screaming and crying in agony, his torturers could just say, “Eckhart, just BE with what is! Just accept!” Maybe then they bring his family in and torture them in front of him and say the same things as they beg him to stop… Sorry to use such an extreme example, but the BS this guys slings, if its true, it should apply to any situation.
While you're at it drop off the rest of the self-help gurus in the middle of the African Congo. Make them tell all the starving children, you need to attract abundance! Think about food and it will be yours! The Universe knows all, you must be doing something wrong! Then leave them and as the chopper is taking off tell them they have to attract another helicopter by wanting it enough, TAKE THIS DVD!!!!!
Black Sun, your criticism of Eckhart Tolle is an oxymoron, just like your name. A stupid critique, with nothing to offer, except logical fallacy and stupid arguments.
Your entire comment is a logical fallacy, ad hominem plus you don't back up any of your assertions. You've been so busy not thinking that your mind is out of shape, you can't even tell when you're the embodiment of your criticisms. Very pathetic, I hope you don't embarrass yourself like this in real life.
I approached Tolle with a jaundiced eye, yet through two of his books failed to debunk his message or to detect the charlatan in him. Even now, with the benefits I've enjoyed from his teachings, I sought reviews on his work that were objective or even critical as I may have even been deluding myself about these benefits. This has been the most revealing, insightful take on Tolle I have encountered thus far, and it may have resolved my nagging suspicion that this has been too good to be true..
The vileness, the anger, the inaccuracies, the contempt, the professional chauvinism, the dogma and just the plane, intended unpleasantness experienced from reading this bash job leaves me asking only, "Is that all you got?" – And concluding, "I don't think I want what you got, at least not in this moment."
You did a very good job!
I feel the same way as you..
It's good that you did this since so many people think he's "enlightened"
but actually he's just a fake who even decieves himself..
Just sad people just blindly believe everyone who's "famous"..
They don't get it that being Real is the best cure,
not trying to escape youself…
He who knows, has no need to speak. He who does not know, has need to speak. So I guess that I don't know. But I can attest to this: I have lived much of my life in my head, in the realm of thought, and it has brought me much unhappiness. I'm finally finding some peace by getting out of my head, and into the moment. So is Tolle a charlatan or an enlightened being? I couldn't give a toss. But I have to say that, idiot or savant, his teachings/musings resonate with me.
Hi, great article man! What do you think about Alan W. Watts (not to be mistaken for Alan Watt)?
some are not ready to wake up
A few years ago i read eckhartsbook power of now and so became focused on the now and within about a month i became relaxed peacefull and atotally calm person obsessed with stilling my mind.it worked great for a while then something happened and i lost my temper worst than i have ever before ,all my self control was gone and i become like an uncontrollable animal and so i gave up on this stuff can anyone explain to me why this happened coz it didnt make sense to me.
tofu with jello bat…haha!!! good stuff…nah, i dont know if tolle is authentic, but ramana maharshi is, and tolle operates in a similar vein. fact is, maharshi was so frighteningly authentic that jung, for whatever reason, did not want to meet him, even when he had the chance and was in india! inner explorer jung might have been intimidated by the potential depth there.
Devils in spiteful conference. Satan's galore!!!
to quote tolle, "don't just accept or reject it. put it to the test." most critics have preconceived notions and biases even before reading the book. they read to find things to criticize. not to understand. and most of the time, we find what we're looking for.
I am a 100% mentally disabled Vietnam Vet who has dealt with PTSD and Manic Depression for close to fifty years. While in VN it was very hard to handle my daily life and knowing how much time I had left to go in country was a heavy burden I carried with me every day. That was up until some friends helped me see the power of being in the now. Once I had that truth revealed to me all my sense of time began to fade away. I realized there is no time. There is just Now. The past and the present are only what we imagine them to be.
When we all see something happen even if we are together we only see our interpretation of it. Think of all the song lyrics from the sixties. Listen to John Lennon. This all happened long before I ever heard of Eckhart Tolle. You are the one who is a egotistic fraud who needs to find the now. You think what your mind is saying is you. A label not a being. Your lost. I hope you some day find your way to being. Instead of imagining life.
Wow what judgment-
the most liberal use of the word "debunking" i have ever seen
You yourself have tried to validate your argument and pre-empt criticism by giving your background, saying that you are particularly qualified to pick a fraud. Excuse me, you aren't anymore qualified than anyone else. You have used the same manipulation that you criticise ET for. I guess it's flattering that ET has so many critics and debunkers who probably wouldn't sneer at having some of his millions and as good a story to tell? I loved TPON but I'm not going to take ET on as my guru, he's just a man and ultimately money and power corrupts so he'll be overtaken. The fact he's a damaged human who has managed to survive and be effective is really more of a confirmation that he has some kind of wisdom to share than a sign you should avoid him like the plague. Basically steer clear of gurus but learn what you can from people's stories. Just sayin……
Tolle seems to be a promoter and has been successful at it. Most of his books only have a few tidbits of helpful psychology, all of us battle our moods on a daily basis— the book (Life 101) is time better spent than a Tolle book. If you want to go a little deeper (sanity, insanity, and common sense) is IMO the best ever written cognitive psychology book that I know of
You need to go back and read The Power of Now again, very carefully. What you've pulled out of it, presumably meant to be a distillation of what Eckhart Tolle was saying, is entirely out of context and the opposite of what he actually said. It looks like you are the charlatan, with an agenda.
According to the expert on spirituality Eckhart Tolle, "You are never upset for the reason you think."
So If someone's in your face, and their ignorant, and without any regard to you, you're not upset for the reason you think? Am I missing something? Are you supposed to be elated with joy, at being abused and mistreated? If so, that's not being spiritual, it's being numb in the head!
This is not spirituality, it is dumbed-down psycho dribbel, by a guy who used to be poor, had a life changing event, now is rich, and doesn't make any sense whatsoever. There are others' just like him. Don't be fooled.
Come on huh.
Did sean or seth write this article?
Yes, if you dont like spiritual teachers, then leave them alone. in this case eckhart is emphasizing the importance of living and being in the now, because most people are always locked in the past or worrying about the future. finally someone had to state the importance of that! all those teachings are about practicing them, not just reading them. try it by yourself and see if it makes any difference in your life. put your mind and being in the now, and after that come here and say what happened to you. and if it does not work for you, then don't come and say that he is a scam, has worked for me! i feel more at peace by just putting my mind in the here and now.
One section of Eckhart' s 'Practising the Power of Now' shifted my life v profoundly. It got me off 11 years on antidepressants & terrible insomnia, after losing my job, having a head-on car crash, my mother dying & losing a 10 yr relationship that all happened over one year. The shift has been profound.
black sun .. you are obvioulsy in some kind of bid to breakaway from your mother ors omething by writing this rubbish !!! THe truth of anytthing can be measuerd by its effects … and thousands of peoples lives have been positively transformed by Tolles work … so why not just get a life and do something of your OWN that has a positive effect and helps people than bicker about people who are living it and helpgin others through their own hard own wisdim? YDont spend your life trying to disprove otehr peoples work do something worthwhile yourself !!!!!
in ther words, just grow up and do your own thing ! If you dont like something walk away and leave it .. but dont waste your adulthood trying to put down others, its very petty and samll minded and ugly…. You dont HAVE to bash others wisdom to find your own … so go do something that makes you happy and leave others be. Just because you dont like someones work doesnt make them a charlatan …find what works for you and have some respect for others choices and paths.
i think tolle is full of so much sh*t. the writings do speak truths about the power of now and enlightenment, but it's evident he takes this from other sources and weaves them into his own way of writing about it. witnessing him speak- he sounds like a complete idiot, has a lack of understanding, and is definitely not any form of a teacher at all. His concept of enlightenment- going from depression to an overnight awakening, then wandering the streets. Then off to 'teach others' – i mean total bullsh*t. I know of someone who claims to be enlightened and awakened like tolle- using him as a reference. He too is trying to be a 'guru teacher'..evident for ego reasons.
It's evident his bullsh*ttery appeals to those moronic masses who are not awake at all, and at an elementary level of spirituality, so they look to this charlatan for answers. Going to him for answers must make you dumber than a sack of rocks. he is not a guru by any means. Egotistical false person coming across as someone who isn't, and also out to make money. Also many of his followers or other fake people use him as a pinpoint to display their own fake enlightenment. Also much of what he speaks about is so much BS and only appeals to idiots who are not awakened.
hes not even charismatic in his speaking abilities- he's not a hypnotist. His words and writing style could be hypnotic. hearing him speak- he sounds like a total moron. He sounds like an uneducated type idiot who really doesn't know anything.
omg..whatever. Again tolle appeals to the masses of unawakened idiots out there. Those of us who are enlightened, don't need this bullsh*t. If you're at some elementary level of spirituality you'll find this garbage entertaining b/c it pertains to your fucked up inner issues. Lack of being able to 'quiet' the mind, ego issues, lack of understanding of the concepts of being in bliss, awakening. Yes, those people look to those who they feel have 'awakened' or are enlightened. all the sleeping people do. So yes he is a teacher for those who are at the entry levels of spirituality. For those who are enlightened, most of it is nonsense. This is for people who haven't even begun awakening.
If you have awakened and have been through something similar, then all of this is just nonsense because you're at a higher level, and definitely beyond him. He is a dumb sheep leading the other dumb sheep. His level of understanding of awakening and consciousness is there but evident it's taken from other sources as well as he lacks the ability to even relay it in spoken word. but other than that, he is a charletan regardless- out to make money. Its not about there being a lack of genuineness- it's that he is not a teacher or guru or even enlightened. He's a fake and fraud