I first read this book just over a year ago, it put into words a kind of awakening I had experienced five years ago when my mother died, but had not been able to articulate until reading A New Earth.

This initial awakening had since dissipated as I had fallen back into old egoic mind patterns in the five years since she’d passed away. As a result I was really shaken by the book, Eckhart has described with such clarity exactly the things that I had and have experienced since, but did not have words for – especially his words on enthusiasm – I can’t tell you how on point that was with experiences in my career.

The thing that seems to be ‘bothering’ me now though is, that after I had read it, I suddenly began to attract so much negativity from others in my life – I couldn’t decide if there was suddenly a greater sensitivity to it on my part, or if something had changed or a phenomena was happening that I couldn’t describe.

That was over a year ago now, the phenomena had since faded and people were back to their usual state around me – then recently I picked up the book again to reconnect, and lo and behold I’m finding it’s happening again! but this time even more so since I’ve shared the value I found in the book with some friends and family, who, rather than embracing my suggestions about good reads or good albums like they usually do, have shown a strange and vigorous skepticism even when they have never heard of the book, Eckhart Tolle, or its description.

my sister has even outright refused to read the book with no explanation, and my other sister has responded with verbal aggression after saying she had read a few chapters. (by the way, our family is not religious in any way, we were raised in a decidedly agnostic household)

This is very confusing, especially since we’re not able to see each other very often due to a demanding schedule on my part, there is nothing outside of recommending this book that could have made them so angry.

It’s really not clear where this aggression and negativity is coming from, It seems the more I share this book with the rare person, the more I am pushed away in general.

is it that people aren’t ready? or is it that they see it as me trying to ‘prescribe’ something to them and are offended? I really wonder what Tolle feels about this, has anyone else experienced the same thing?

thanks Damien for sharing your experiences – perhaps I really need to incorporate more “is that so” into my life :)

Thanks for commenting on my blog post about Eckhart Tolle. I love that ‘Is that so’ comment as well. I have Kabbalah on one side and Eckhart’s teachings on the other side-both very similar. Different writers and wise men translate from the sages in their own way but basically saying the same good words.

You might want to get Elizabeth Lesser’s book, Broken Open. Elizabeth will be on Oprah’s webcast and her XM radio show this coming week. She is a jewel not to be missed.

Love & light,
Myrna

Thank you for “Is that so?”

I have to work on a daily basis with someone who constantly keeps up a barrage of negatives regarding work colleagues, and it had begun to make me a nervous wreck. I have to admit that I have also sadly caught myself playing into it.
I found your website whilst surfing for commentary on “A New Earth” which I find intriguing and so enlightening.
Now instead of dreading going back into work tomorrow after a week’s leave I shall go in armed with the right thing to say.
This will, I hope and trust, protect me from becoming part of the negative energy that has bringing me down and causing terrible depression.

Sincerely
Judith

Dr Taylor was a Harvard brain scientist when she had a stroke at age 37. What was amazing was that her left brain was shut down by the stroke – where language and thinking occur – but her right brain was fully functioning. She experienced bliss and nirvana and the way she writes about it (or talks about it in her now famous TED talk) is incredible.

What I took away from Dr. Taylor’s book above all, and why I recommend it so highly, is that you don’t have to have a stroke or take drugs to find the deep inner peace that she talks about. Her book explains how. “”I want what she’s having”", and thanks to this wonderful book, I can! Thank you Dr. Taylor, and thank you Eckhart and Oprah.