The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Paperback – August 19, 2004

I love Eckhart Tolle, thus below my comments reflect my passion for his teachings. As you know everything is relative, in this case, my review is relative to my personal experience.The most profound book I have ever read. Finally I have touched the depth of consciousness. When you are ready, you may understand it. Otherwise, it may be a heavy book. It's like giving a computer book to a technology savvy versus someone that is not familiar with computers. I have also read every other book of this author. I find this book to be the starting book into the author philosophy. This book will help you understand other books that may be more difficult without this base knowledge such as The New Earth. There are several other spiritual teachers, but this Author is the only one that is truly effective that contains substance making a difference in my life. Other authors always leave me with nothing, lot's of words that don't lead anywhere.This book was given to me from a friend and it was the best experience ever that changed my life. I am glad she pushed me to start reading it, because I kept it on my bookshelf for weeks. Once I started reading it I was astonished and since then my life changed, my eyes were opened. However, not everyone is ready to understand. I have tried sharing it with some other people, but not everyone was able to read it. Since my background of meditation, spirituality, and introspection, this book came easy to read and understand. For me this book was the missing block from my spiritual path.Thanks Eckhart Tolle for helping humans make it to the next stage of consciousness.Good luck and I hope that anyone coming across this book is ready to discover the realm of non-thinking, non-judging, non-labeling. I would say, this is a non-mystical, clear understanding of what's behind religions. This can help any person to understand more their religious/spiritual path. The book is neutral, it doesn't favor any religion over another. It brings everything together into one as it should be.My message to everyone:Gaining more knowledge doesn't make people wise. Wisdom should be developed in pair with knowledge. Too much thinking stresses you out. Practice meditation. Discover the ego in you (we all have it), but you don't have to listen to it. The mind wants to think taking you away from what you are currently doing. Be aware of compulsive-recurring thoughts that are draining your energy. You should be able to stop the flow of thoughts, regain energy, feel at peace, in between daily tasks. This will bring wisdom in your actions. Otherwise, stress can only led you to poor results, poor performance, poor outcome. Empower yourself with gaps of non-thinking, which will make you experience FREEDOM. That's were you can find freedom, in your head only. It's nice to stop the mind flow of thoughts. You'll feel light, free, happy, and worry-free. Otherwise, your mind keeps generating thoughts causing you to be slave of recurring/compulsive thinking. That's why people drinks or get drugs (legal and illegal), to experience freedom from your mind that never stop stressing you out. Alcohol causes more issues than benefits, same as some drugs. Learn how to become free from your mind and from addictions. Then you can start enjoy life and express yourself at your full potential. This book is a pointer to freedom. Here is the door, can you open it and discover what's in it?

This book has helped me immensely. It has made an impact on my depression and anxiety but also just regaining skills needed to better understand things.

Amazing revelation of who we can becomeI recommend this book to everyone who is seeking peace and prosperity in life.

I’m 29 and I just have to say this is the best book I’ve ever read. I just happened to start reading this book just weeks before my 29th birthday actually. Ironically enough, on the first page Eckhart starts off with “one night not long after my twenty-ninth birthday...”I’ve been through depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, dealt with undiagnosed adhd all the way up through my 20s and only diagnosed after college, I’ve been through abusive relationships, have become toxic myself in following relationships, have been through ptsd because abuse, have never met my own dad and have dealt with an unstable family life my whole life... basically I felt absolutely lost nearing my 30s and most of the time hopeless. My main emotions were anger and fear. I felt them constantly for as long as I can remember. They overcame me quite often and was exhausting and detrimental to everything in my life. It was holding me back from my true potential and I wallowed in self pity and being a victim. I’ve tried an antidepressant and it only works to an extent, but it doesn’t help change your outlook and detach from your pain. This book has changed my life and has helped me through my own awakening and detaching from my own pain body. It’s truly helped bring me to enlightenment. So, to address the people who are giving this book a one star... all I can say is that these people are still asleep or they have not gone through what they need to go through to understand Tolle’s words. They are in simple terms just not awake.I can’t tell you how many times I read parts of this book and just thought holy crap, I GET it. It’s amazing. I never open this book and put it down without having new revelations. Not only has it brought enlightenment, but it’s also brought me closer to God and understanding of the universal as a whole (I guess that’s what enlightenment is though lol). I think it’s awesome as a Christian that Tolle has implemented God in such a delicate and tactful way. It’s not in an idolizing way and never once undermining Him either. Much respect there.It touches on so many things that we never have answers to or even think of asking these questions and brings about an explanation that just gives so much peace to your mind. It shuts it up and lets you really live in the now and to stop worrying.Just an example, but this week I’ve been dealing with pms and I was struggling a bit with being irritable and snappy. It always happens exactly a week before my period starts and I picked my book up today to read before bed and coincidentally I had been reading through chapter 8 and Tolle just happened to touch on the pain-body and when women deal with pms. It gives tips on how to stay on top of these reactions and to be aware of them, so that you can remain in your consciousness. He also mentioned how a partner can help you stay conscious when this pain body tries take over. I know I’ve dealt with this and my recent ex noticed it as well and always tried to help me through it when he picked up on my cycle, as I’m sure most men have recognized their girlfriend/wife go through. I think it’s awesome that Tolle explained how a partner can help their love through that week.Overall, just get this book if you’re on your spiritual journey. Well.. we all are, but if you’re awakening and looking for some guidance it’s well worth the read! I’m actually tapering off my antidepressant this week, that I’ve been on for a year and a half, and I can say I feel strong enough now and this book is a nice comfort to have during this time.