The Power of Now - Review

Most people who have been delving into the world of spirituality - especially in the West - would have heard of “The Power of Now” written by Eckhart Tolle. It is a classic text, giving the reader simple yet profound teachings. It is suitable for anyone, including those who follow a particular religion or tradition as well as those who don’t since the pointers in the book are quite neutral in nature. Tolle wrote the book several years after his initial spiritual awakening, allowing a beautifully integrated flow of information to be transmitted through it.

The book is divided into ten chapters, each with fresh perspectives on the importance of “presence” and how to incorporate it into your life. The concept of “presence” may be a little difficult to understand for beginners – but it is essentially guiding you toward the practice of witness consciousness. If you are not able to get it initially, let it be and consider coming back to it in a few months. This is not a principle that you can force yourself to practice or understand – it has to flower organically. It’s also important to remember that for most, results may not be experienced overnight. The impact can be slow and subtle yet very profound, leaving you with an increasing sense of peace.

Furthermore, this is not one of those books that you should rush through, since that would not provide much value to you. The point of this book is to teach you to slow down and not rush through life at 100 mph. Therefore, I strongly suggest that it be read slowly with pauses to reflect on the teachings. In fact, the book has specific points where pauses are suggested that can be used as a guideline.

Tolle’s definition of the pain body as the stored unprocessed emotional energy within you is excellent. It is similar to Carl Jung’s shadow, and the means to dissolve it is through sustained presence. It is refreshing to see that this has been covered, and spirituality has not been portrayed as only light without darkness. He mentions how it is important to cease creating pain in the present as well as work on dissolving past pain. He also goes into depth about how the inner body can be used as an effective portal to presence, which may be a helpful anchor for some seekers.

One of the most interesting chapters that I would like to highlight is called “Enlightened Relationships”, where Tolle very accurately describes the nature of most modern-day codependent relationships. Troubles in matters of the heart are common catalysts for a spiritual quest, especially when common distraction modalities don’t seem to be working. That’s why this chapter can help aid people out of these deep entanglements since it also shines light on the energetics of such a rut.

This book is gaining a lot of popularity in mainstream media, with the increasing mindfulness trends. I would assume that those who are not deeply inclined towards this path may not understand the message in the book and may not find any value in it. However in my opinion, what you actually gain from the book will be highly dependent on your current state of consciousness. It’s one of those books that I reread almost every year and I seem to learn something new almost every time. In fact, it doesn’t feel like I’m reading something I have read before at all. The words seem to have an inherent wisdom that resonates deeply with something within – and it hits a different frequency every time.