A short, inspiring spiritual work that takes a hopeful view of humankind’s potential.
In this spiritual self-help title, the author offers an exploration of the effects of multidimensional energy on human lives.
Keating (Quantum Consciousness, 2018, etc.) presents a hopeful, positive work that encourages readers to expand their awareness of energy that exists in other dimensions. Our DNA, she asserts, is conscious that we exist “multi-dimensional 4D vibration,” so we should practice mindfulness to allow ourselves to manifest that quantum energy’s capabilities, such as visions of the past or future. Keating begins the book by stating that all that readers need to do in order to tap into quantum energy is to “pay attention and stay aware.” Perhaps one of the most engaging portions of the book is the author’s discussion of love, in which she encourages readers to embrace the positive quantum energy that love brings (“the lightheartedness, the feeling of being able to do anything, to transcend barriers that before seemed impossible”); the body’s DNA, she says, understands such higher-level vibrations and can elevate one’s self by allowing positive changes to occur, rather than resisting them. The author also discusses “talking with the innate,” describing an intimate conversation with one’s DNA, “a smart body that protects, heals, guides and cares for us.” Throughout, the author discusses the state of the planet, which she says is on the cusp of “ascension”; only if people facilitate their own personal, access to higher vibrations, she says, can the planet follow suit. Readers who may be less familiar with the spiritual self-help concepts of quantum energy and vibrations may find that they may need to look elsewhere for a more elementary explanation of these concepts. However, those who are already intrigued by the topics at hand and versed in at least some of the vocabulary will find this title to be a stimulating and inspiring one. The author also suggests meditative and breathing practices to help one get in touch with the innate, some of which involve the familiar New Age concept of opening one’s “third eye” or pineal gland as a portal to facilitate communication with the higher self.
A short, inspiring spiritual work that takes a hopeful view of humankind’s potential.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-982211-26-4
Page Count: 82
Publisher: BalboaPress
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A very welcome instance of philosophy that can help readers live a good life.
A teacher and scholar of Buddhism offers a formally varied account of the available rewards of solitude.
“As Mother Ayahuasca takes me in her arms, I realize that last night I vomited up my attachment to Buddhism. In passing out, I died. In coming to, I was, so to speak, reborn. I no longer have to fight these battles, I repeat to myself. I am no longer a combatant in the dharma wars. It feels as if the course of my life has shifted onto another vector, like a train shunted off its familiar track onto a new trajectory.” Readers of Batchelor’s previous books (Secular Buddhism: Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World, 2017, etc.) will recognize in this passage the culmination of his decadeslong shift away from the religious commitments of Buddhism toward an ecumenical and homegrown philosophy of life. Writing in a variety of modes—memoir, history, collage, essay, biography, and meditation instruction—the author doesn’t argue for his approach to solitude as much as offer it for contemplation. Essentially, Batchelor implies that if you read what Buddha said here and what Montaigne said there, and if you consider something the author has noticed, and if you reflect on your own experience, you have the possibility to improve the quality of your life. For introspective readers, it’s easy to hear in this approach a direct response to Pascal’s claim that “all of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Batchelor wants to relieve us of this inability by offering his example of how to do just that. “Solitude is an art. Mental training is needed to refine and stabilize it,” he writes. “When you practice solitude, you dedicate yourself to the care of the soul.” Whatever a soul is, the author goes a long way toward soothing it.
A very welcome instance of philosophy that can help readers live a good life.Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-300-25093-0
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Yale Univ.
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A moving, heartfelt account of a hospice veteran.
Lessons about life from those preparing to die.
A longtime hospice chaplain, Egan (Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago, 2004) shares what she has learned through the stories of those nearing death. She notices that for every life, there are shared stories of heartbreak, pain, guilt, fear, and regret. “Every one of us will go through things that destroy our inner compass and pull meaning out from under us,” she writes. “Everyone who does not die young will go through some sort of spiritual crisis.” The author is also straightforward in noting that through her experiences with the brokenness of others, and in trying to assist in that brokenness, she has found healing for herself. Several years ago, during a C-section, Egan suffered a bad reaction to the anesthesia, leading to months of psychotic disorders and years of recovery. The experience left her with tremendous emotional pain and latent feelings of shame, regret, and anger. However, with each patient she helped, the author found herself better understanding her own past. Despite her role as a chaplain, Egan notes that she rarely discussed God or religious subjects with her patients. Mainly, when people could talk at all, they discussed their families, “because that is how we talk about God. That is how we talk about the meaning of our lives.” It is through families, Egan began to realize, that “we find meaning, and this is where our purpose becomes clear.” The author’s anecdotes are often thought-provoking combinations of sublime humor and tragic pathos. She is not afraid to point out times where she made mistakes, even downright failures, in the course of her work. However, the nature of her work means “living in the gray,” where right and wrong answers are often hard to identify.
A moving, heartfelt account of a hospice veteran.Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59463-481-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf