Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender Paperback – January 15, 2014

Excellent book so far. Explains in vivid detail all the complex elements of emotions and how to understand and release them. Most spiritual books, like the Power of Now, have always felt shallow and confusing to me. But this book feels very practical and he makes a clear effort to make complex spiritual principles easy to understand for the layman.

This book is pure gold! Hawkins’ surrender technique totally shifted my mindset—less stress, more peace. It’s deep yet simple, and the 5-star hype is real. A must-read for anyone seeking freedom!

I went through lots of drama recently, and this book really helped to let me get over my problems. This advice is like no other and I’m sure this can help anyone no matter what situation they are in!

For some context, I'm in my late 40's and gave up drinking 3.5 years ago. It was my crutch for a toxic job, which I still have, and for clinical depression. In its place, I exchanged the alcohol for more positive coping mechanisms like yoga, meditation and voracious reading.Over the last couple years, I've grown tremendously, in part to self-help books like these. Right before I began reading this book, I had an incredible breakthrough and awakening, acknowledging the power of Acceptance which then led me seamlessly into Letting Go.This book took me much longer than usual to read through, because I couldn't stop myself from highlighting and making margin notes. So many parts spoke directly to me and intertwined with this recent journey of spiritual and personal awakening.I can only describe what this book has meant to me and the impact it's had on my life. The practicality of its messages is what makes it indispensable. You can begin practicing letting go every day, starting with the small stuff and working your way up to life's biggest challenges.An example from my own life: I would always get so angry if I happened to get stuck in and be delayed by traffic. I live in the Dallas area, which is notorious for it. With the help of this book, I've completely changed. Even my wife is surprised and impressed. Now when I'm stuck in traffic, instead of being on the verge of a hysterical breakdown, I'm completely at peace with it. My initial response may be anger, but I'm acknowledging it, sitting in it for just a moment, and then letting it wash through me. It no longer has the effect it once had. My wife doesn't even realize I'm processing the emotion in the moment itself. And this is just one example of a hundred, across the full spectrum of emotions.After finishing this book, it instantly became my favorite read ever. It provides such an inspiring blueprint for how to accept that the only thing in our lives that we control is how we choose to respond. Reaching that point of letting go lightened my life and elevated my consciousness. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Reality. We may think that we know what it is, yet it has been a subject of debate by the great philosophers both east and west. Is it based on individual perception? Consensus? Or is there an ultimate reality that is beyond human cognition? A related question is how to deal with suffering? Seeking an answer to these questions leads us on a quest for freedom; a quest that initiated many of the world’s major religions.The problem is that simple answers are often mystified. Why? Is it because someone gains power? Do we cherish complexity? In ‘Letting Go,’ David Hawkins wants to simplify transformation. He seeks to de-mystify the process of at-one-ment. Much of this language ‘of awakening’ is not new, the themes he emphasizes have been in vogue in popular culture for over a century, including the idea that we are programmed. Our egos are a set of programs that have been implanted in us through a lifetime of sitcoms, news, advertisements, books, music, education, family and community upbringing. The question is how to de-program, and free ourselves? Mr. Hawkins says we don’t have to hire a personal guru, join an ashram, or fire-walk. All we need to do is ‘Let Go.’Mr. Hawkins promises to show us readers how to let go. First, however, he introduces us to his concept of ‘the scale of emotions.’ He also shares how discoveries from chaos theory and quantum physics backs up his insights. He describes each particular emotional state on his scale of emotions along with a corresponding degree of separation that is felt at that particular emotional state. In lower emotional states people experience more separation. In higher emotional states they experience higher degrees of unity with the ‘all,’ ‘ultimate reality,’ etc. He then demonstrates that by ‘letting go’ we can transform our consciousness, ‘evolve’ on the ‘scale of emotions,’ and transfigure our state of shame to the state of bliss in atonement or enlightenment.He continues his case by illustrating the health benefits that could accrue from the use of this simple technique. Utilizing case studies he demonstrates how people could recover from illnesses simply by ‘letting go.’ I found some of what he had to say on this particular subject hard to believe. For instance, he insinuated that people who ‘let go’ could even recover their eyesight. Even though I found these statements distracting, they served to emphasize his point, that letting go provided health benefits.I kept reading, waiting for Mr. Hawkins to enlighten me on this process of ‘letting go.’ Unfortunately, I never did find a specific method. Maybe one had to read between the lines, or maybe I had read past the technique, or maybe it was so simplistic and that is why I missed it. However, I basically had to digest another review to discover what the method actually was.We have five responses for dealing with our emotions, these include escape, expression, repression, projection, and surrender. Of course it depends on the circumstances of each situation, yet out of all these responses ‘the way of surrender’ is the best. The ‘letting go’ response is the way of surrender and it includes:1) becoming aware of a feeling2) letting the feeling come up, staying with it, and letting it run its course without doing anything about it, just letting the energy out of it.3) Don’t judge the feeling or try to resist it in any way. If it is not resisted it will disappear and the energy of it will burn out.This technique sounds easy enough, yet as Mr. Hawkins warns us, it is much more difficult than it sounds; especially since we have been conditioned to repress or project our feelings. Even though it may be more difficult than what it sounds, we should keep attempting the letting go technique until we feel like we have had success with it.For the most part I liked what Mr. Hawkins had to say. Yet, I am not sure if I am in full agreement with all of his points. For instance, I think he is oversimplifying the ‘scale of emotions,’ and their corresponding levels of consciousness. Can we actually quantify the ‘state of shame’ versus ‘the state of bliss?’ Another question I had was, ‘does someone who is feeling the state of love ever have any shame or guilt? My intuition tells me that maybe someone higher up on the scale would feel higher emotional frequencies more often. However, if they are human, they would still feel the lower emotions of guilt, fear, or anger. The same has to be true for someone lower on the scale too. Maybe their blissful states are less in frequency or degree but to deny them the experience of bliss based on their supposed rating on ‘a scale of emotions,’ sounds too much like some kind of tracking system. We have already devised enough ways to demonstrate our supposed superiority toward our fellow man. Are we now shallow enough to say that we are emotionally superior too because of some rating on a ‘scale of emotions?’ I don’t think this was Mr. Hawkins intent with his ‘scale of emotions.’ Yet, someone could use it to show superiority. This is why I hesitate to put much stock in this ‘scale’ besides using it as a tool for growth.Despite these reservations, ‘Letting Go’ has many redeeming qualities. Mr. Hawkins provides many insights into the human condition. He also held my attention. I felt it definitely was worth the energy put into reading and contemplating it.

Wow!!!!! This book is something! Buy if you wanma get rid of your obsessive thoughts..

I never do reviews however I feel that this book deserves one. This book has completely transformed my life. As someone who had been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD. A lot of my symptoms have either diminished or lessened greatly. I see the world differently now. I feel lighter and happier. I never thought I could feel like this if there’s any book in the entire world that anyone should read it is this one. I have shared this book with so many people in my life because of how much it’s impacted me.

A Must read for anyone seeking thespiritual path or the letting go method to achieve freedom in every aspect of life.This book is life-changing.