The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer | Goodreads
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The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
by
Michael A. Singer (Goodreads Author)
4.27 · Rating details · 25,318 Ratings · 2,283 Reviews
What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity? The Untethered Soul—now a #1 New York Times bestseller—offers simple yet profound answers to these questions.
Whether this is your first exploration of inner space, or you’ve devoted your life to the inward journey, this book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.
Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) TheUntethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. It then delves into what you can do to free yourself from the habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit your consciousness. Finally, with perfect clarity, this book opens the door to a life lived in the freedom of your innermost being.
The Untethered Soul has already touched the lives of countless readers, and is now available in a special hardcover gift edition with ribbon bookmark—the perfect gift for yourself, a loved one, or anyone who wants a keepsake edition of this remarkable book.
Visit www.untetheredsoul.com for more information. (less)
Paperback, 200 pages
Published October 3rd 2007 by New Harbinger Publications (first published January 1st 2007)
Original Title
The Untethered Soul
ISBN
1572245379 (ISBN13: 9781572245372)
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Jan 29, 2013John Woltjer rated it it was amazing
I know that there are some people who go to religious texts on a regular basis to glean wisdom about their lives. I have never been that person, raised in a decidedly secular home that was deeply suspicious of organized religion. I consider myself lucky to have been raised in a way that left me unshackled from religious dogma or tethered to a religious institution. But an inquisitive mind also puts one on what, for better or worse we call a spiritual path. Avoiding religion does not make the ultimate questions go away, it just allows the mind to wander more freely in search of truth. In my 57 years I have searched widely, sometimes earnestly to understand just what my niche is in the majestic mystery called life. i have read many books, sought out many gurus, talked to many people about what the meaning of life really is. And in that search, I think I have never read a wiser, more intuitively grounded book than The Untethered Soul, by Michael Singer.
Perhaps it is true that there is nothing new under the sun; that the same truths just get said in myriad ways that appeal to people at different places on the spiritual journey. If that is true, then what Singer does in this book is to synthesize those truths in a way that are direct, crystal clear, and uniquely graspable. In some regards, his book is a much shorter version of Eckhart Tolle's books; more concise, more accessible. Singer deals with the "two of us" that are within us--the experiencer of things, the monkey mind, the consciousness that is constantly feeding us information through our senses, our intellect--and the observer, buried deep behind the monkey mind that has the capacity to watch the parade in our heads--to step back behind and just watch, dispassionately all that is being projected onto the screen of our minds.
That is the great wisdom that underlies much of the new thought about consciousness--that there are, in fact two of us in there-one, out of control, spinning its daily dramas-and one, timeless and immortal, the true river of consciousness from which each our lives flows as tributaries. The brilliance of Singer is that he makes the awareness of that very clear--he quite literally walks us through the question of, "who are we" in a step-by-step process.
He calls the monkey mind our "inner roommate" that quite often borders on pure insanity. He invites us to imagine the monkey mind as a roommate, sitting next to us on the couch, and asking us to consider how long this roommate would be allowed to live with us when considering just how obnoxious and pestilent it can be. what becomes quite obvious is that we live with a crazy person in our head that torments us with persistent, meaningless, repetitive dialogues that ultimately blind us to what is truly real--the world behind all the stimulus in our heads.
This is a brilliant book--just reading the praises written by many prominent people at the beginning of the book gives the reader a sense of just how profound the truths within are. One comment dares to suggest that this book can give the reader a glimpse of eternity. I have found this to be true. All of life is, of course process. It is my belief that our capacity for the development of consciousness is just like our capacity for physical development. Some people are uniquely suited for developing Olympic quality physiques, others of us capable of attaining transcendent awareness through spiritual development. Most of us are posted somewhere in the middle of those kinds of capacities--we can be physically healthy, and we can be spiritually aware. The concept of the archetype is helpful--the archetype of the spiritual teacher is represented by Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, etc.
They are the exemplars of the ability to stand closest to the spiritual fire. Most of us will never attain their ability to feel the deepest levels of spiritual transcendence, but we can, though a lifetime of development, develop the capacity to have moments of transcendence that give us the wisdom to carry on in a life that, at times, can be maddeningly inscrutable. Singer is one of those people who can open the crack just a little wider to accessing that wisdom. I have returned to this book many times--it was a re-reading this morning that inspired me to write this review. This little, wise book has helped me incalculably on my own spiritual journey, and has helped me to glean just enough wisdom about this life I have been given to prevail through some very difficult transitions in my life. I am sorry that i can only give it 5 stars--it deserves multiples of that... (less)
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Mar 01, 2013Lauri rated it it was ok
Shelves: own_it_kindle
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Mar 01, 2013Lauri rated it it was ok
Shelves: own_it_kindle
Meh. The first couple of chapters were good. It's a super useful concept to see yourself as simply an observer of your thoughts rather than believing that they make you; not having to be jerked around by that nagging voice in your head sounds pretty good to me. The part about how people trap themselves by self-limiting thoughts and rigid views / perceptions of life, the world, people, success, etc. resonated. And the part where we build realities based upon those perceptions and struggle to preserve them, even though they are false attempts at control and security. Yeah, that part was interesting, too. While this book helps to peel some layers off the bullshit-self onion, the book doesn't deliver on its promise of helping you to find your true self (shocking). It's based on Buddhism, which I mostly respect, but my idea of "self" will never be based upon freeing myself from desires, needs, wants, goals, accomplishment, expansion. I can totally buy into eliminating negative thoughts, being compassionate toward everyone, limiting knee-jerk emotional responses, and so on, but this book makes like the goal in life is becoming the world's best amoeba - float around for a while, see some shit, view it all neutrally, don't steer,. Um, no thanks. After a few chapters the book became completely redundant and tedious. The last few chapters lost me when bible verses started appearing and "God" was dropped every other paragraph. (less)
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Sep 23, 2012Barbara Campanelli rated it it was amazing
This may be the last and only book you need to read to truly understand who you really are and how to be truly free. The author makes it all very simple. That doesn't mean it's easy. The basic idea is that you are not your mind. Your mind has made up its own arbitrary list of likes and dislikes and preferences. The reason you suffer and are unhappy is because the outside world is not conforming to your idea of how you think it should be. The more time you (soul, spirit, observer you) can spend watching what your "monkey mind" is doing and saying, the more you can be free to enjoy life as it unfolds. The less you judge, the happier you are. Amazing! I am causing my own unhappiness and I can change it! This book is short and very easy to read. It's message is DEEP and requires some contemplation, experimentation and awareness to put into practice. But it works, folks, it WORKS! This practice of watching my mind do its thing is now my main spiritual practice (along with daily meditation). I have experienced a reduction of stress and a lessening of the overwhelmed state I can still sometimes get myself into. The less seriously I take my mind's likes, dislikes, must haves and mustn't allows, the happier and more relaxed I am. Michael Singer has done us all an incredible service by writing this book. I'm worrying less and less and enjoying myself more and more. What a tremendous gift this book has given me—the path to real freedom and happiness, a way to be in this world and experience all of life's ups and downs without letting the downs destroy me emotionally. That is the best gift anyone can receive. Want to be happier and freer? Then read this book!(less)
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Jul 10, 2014Lisa rated it did not like it
I wanted to like this book! It is clearly one that has resonated with so many people and changed lives, but sadly it fell completely flat with me. I kept hoping that at one point it would start to resonate, but it did not. I believe these are some of the reasons why -
1. I'm suspicious of authors who claim it is possible to live life free of worries, problems, and unhappiness. This author makes such claims throughout the book and many times indicates that freedom from suffering should be the goal of the spiritual journey. I see life and the spiritual journey differently, and though I do believe we all should strive for a happier life and a more peaceful spirit, I don't believe it is desirable to live without some unhappiness, some worries, some fears. We need to experience and honor both the dark and the light in order to live in balance. That is my view at any rate, and this book did not make a strong enough case for me to change it.
2. Contradictions. The author contradicts himself many times, but more importantly doesn't indicate any awareness that he has contradicted himself. In one chapter he is claiming that God only likes to be around happy people, but in a later chapter he points out that God does not judge, that the sun shines equally on us all, etc. Confusing, right? Thus, while the author makes many statements throughout that I agree with, he also constantly is making other statements that contradict previous ones, giving me the impression that he is just writing a stream of consciousness of statements cherry-picked to resonate with a broad range of spiritual-enlightenment-seekers, without much regard to whether those statements gel together to form a cohesive whole. Which brings me to. . .
3. Structure. To me the book reads like a long-winded, disorganized, repetitive lecture on how the reader should be living his life. While there may be many helpful suggestions and kernels of wisdom sprinkled throughout, the lack of structure, evidence, and strategies for how to go about actually doing what the author is suggesting really rubbed me the wrong way. For me, these types of commands - "just open" or "just do it" or "let go of fear" - are never helpful. These types of life-suggestions happen on every single page, as if it just takes reading the words enough times to know how to actually go about doing things that take enormous amounts of courage and practice. I need help with the how, and I found this book was like a list of ingredients with no recipe, assuming that the reader was already an experienced chef.
Perhaps the book is simply not written in a way that speaks to me. As I said at the beginning, it has clearly resonated with many, and so I feel badly giving it such a poor review. If the book has helped you to find happiness and live a more peaceful life, then wonderful! I would not want to take that away from anyone, but sadly, it is not the book for me.
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Aug 21, 2012Rsoeffker rated it it was ok
Just finished reading this book. While much of what the book says is true, much of it is soft soap and pleasantries that offer no real insight. Skip the book and read the following sentence that says the exact same thing in roughly 1/282,293,389 th of the time "Let go of things that are past and look forward to the future in a positive light".
Seriously... That's all the book says. If offers very little in "how". If you like the Buddhist/Hindu style of thinking, skip this book and go read Lao Tzu. At least he is a poet. (less)
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Jan 09, 2013Jason , etc. rated it really liked it
Usually books whose cover shows a horse (or unicorn) galloping through the surf of a random shore are not my cup of tea. However, whenever I find myself in a bookstore coffee shop with a day to kill, I grab something from the self-help section for old-time's sake just to remind myself either 1) How I ever gained so much comfort from books like these or 2) Why I tend to no longer read them. Occasionally you find a diamond in the rough that strikes all the right chords despite the cover. This is one of those books.
I won't get into specifics about the book's themes since the synopsis does a better and more succinct job than I could. I'll simply say that the overall message resonated with me, reminded me in many ways of what is and isn't essential to our inner and outer well being, and, possibly most important of all, how full of shit our inner voice is most of the time. An excellent example and a handy exercise: Given some of the outlandish scenarios that your inner monologue/critic/confidant/crack dealer can come up with regarding your past, present, and/or future, if you anthropomorphized this voice into a dude, would this be someone whose advice you'd actually take seriously if they were sitting on your couch and telling you how you were going to fail at everything? I've learned over the years that the perpetual answer to this question, with or without having given the voice a body, is 'No', but there's something to be said for being reminded occasionally of how absurd our mental narrator can be in relating observations and expectations to reality.
Having become well-versed in how astonishingly self-defeating one's thoughts can be, I flew through the book in a couple of hours because it's quite well-written. And yes, there's a great deal of spirituality involved, but no proselytizing or any sort of do-this-or-burn style of dogmatic head slapping. It's relatively neutral in its treatment of the 'soul', placing the book squarely in the 'Switzerland' category of self-help tracts (IMHO). (less)
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Mar 06, 2013Ann rated it it was ok
Shelves: religion, religion-spirituality
I may have been a little stingy here with just two stars. I read this book because a friend wanted to use it in a book discussion group and asked if I'd give him my opinion of it.
I had not read it, so I took it on vacation. My bad. This is not a beach read and, fortunate or not, my soul untethers automatically when it nears salt water. (Actually everything I have sort of unravels around brine. I even have to use caution around big jars of dill pickles.)
When I read the table of contents and saw Chapter 15 "The Path of Unconditional Happiness," I eagerly shook the book expecting at least a handful of cannabis to fall from between the pages. Call me naive.
The first section topics: The Voice Inside Your Head, Your Inner Roommate and Who Are You, made the room spin for a moment and I heard my mother nagging me to cut my hair, but once I got past that, the book did contain some questions and viewpoints that I thought could quite nicely spur discussion in a group with varying viewpoints. I even thought about sending a copy to my congressman and would have if the vocabulary were less extensive. "Untethered," after all, has 10 letters.
"Just letting go" seems to be author Michael Singer's solution for handling life's problems. One can block his or her flow of energy by not letting go.
I can just let go if someone cuts me off in traffic, (deep breath, ooohhmmmm,) or when the kids forget I'm picking them up after the game and catch a ride home with a friend. High school can be a very peaceful place when you are the only one there at midnight.
But when my husband eyes my plate and says, "I thought you already had dessert," letting go ceases to be a deep cleansing breath, and instead looks more like a plate flying through the air.
When Tiffany down at the post office said she didn't think this color was flattering for my hair (I don't dye it), letting go gave our small town newspaper editor a new story for the front page. The feature on bunions had to be moved to page two.
I gave the Untethered Soul two stars because it has truly been an inspiration to me in finding creative ways to "let go." I have toned and strengthened my upper arms. I am able to throw my voice like a ventriloquist so that a soccer ref cannot determine from which side of the field the obscenities are coming and I feel more confident hearing the baseball bat rolling around in the back of the van.
I think everyone should read this book. You can never have too much untethered soul.
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Aug 29, 2013Emily Alp rated it it was amazing
This book is absolutely incredible. I'm a Yoga teacher and have read a lot of philosophical texts and spiritual books and have been working on this self-help stuff for a while. When my friend left this book on my table a couple weeks ago, and she was raving about it, I couldn't figure out how such a small book could be so life-changing. Well, it is.
It's kind of the foundation upon which all other self-help and philosophy rests, actually--in my opinion. If I read this book twice a year, I'll have a better life experience, no doubt, already do. And if the house burns down my cat will be under one arm and this book in the other hand.
It is so simple, and Michael Singer is saying the same things over and over again. You have to choose happiness and choose a larger perspective on reality than the narrow focus on problems ... you have to allow everything in life to take place and be a part of life but not get hung up on things and let them clog your heart center.
I'm particularly stunned at the descriptive eloquence around the concept of Chakras. It's absolutely genius what he is saying--that stuff can get gummed up around the heart and we build a protective reality to add to this state of congestion ... we start becoming more and more rigid in our minds in order to protect ourselves ... and it's absolutely draining and sucking our lives away!!!
Since I started reading the book, I have had trouble sleeping but have NOT been upset about it. It's strange. I mean, I feel as if a ton of energy is starting to release into my body from the place it was locked around my thought patterns--so many of which have been useless!!
I feel that sensation of back diving into an ocean of bliss and true reality. It's really edgy to get to this point and so I'm adapting all of this into daily life carefully. Nonetheless, I am sure I'll look back on this read as one that was pivotal in changing my life for the better.
Read this. You have nothing to lose--it's so short, just like life!!! (less)
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Jan 27, 2010Brittney rated it did not like it
This book actually changed me for what I once thought was the better. Recently I have realized that it wasn't for the better at all. It made me believe that emotions were optional, and that we can actually be happy all the time. Not true. I thought it possible for awhile, until I eventually realized that I was just suppressing all of the "unhappy" feelings and was building up negative feelings inside me. I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants to be happily in touch with their emotions, because this book will manipulate your mind and make you believe you are "free" when really, you're confined. (less)
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Oct 25, 2012Jennifer Campaniolo rated it really liked it
On the back cover of this New York Times Bestseller is the question "who are you really?" Before I read this book, I would have answered, "I am my thoughts, opinions, actions, experiences, and memories" or "I am a 39-year old wife, daughter, aunt, and friend."
After reading The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself I realize that the answer is more philosophical and complex than all that. Basically who I am and who you are exists in the seat of our consciousness. We are the person who observes our thoughts, emotions, actions.
Why is this distinction of self important? Because, according to author Michael A. Singer, "you not only have the ability to find yourself, you have the ability to free yourself."
I'm attracted to books on mindfulness because in the last few years I've realized that, like so many people, I'm in danger of losing myself in my thoughts. It occurred to me that I was missing most of my life because my inner thoughts were loud and ceaseless, like some annoying passenger on a five-hour train ride who decides to pass the time by calling everyone she has ever known on her cell phone (which is why I try to get a seat in the Quiet Car as often as possible). I want to put these inner thoughts on mute so I don't miss the experience of being alive.
The Untethered Soul struck a chord in me because it encourages detachment from this never-ending feedback inside our brains. "The best way to free yourself from this incessant chatter is to step back and view it objectively," Singer writes. "There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind--you are the one who hears it."
Singer goes on to say,
If you watch it objectively, you will come to see that much of what the voice says is meaningless. The truth is that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it. In fact, your thoughts have far less impact on this world than you would like to think. Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It's the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes problems.
The idea that we are not our thoughts is sometimes a difficult concept to get one's head around. But if you can understand this you are poised to enjoy your life much more than you ever could when you were viewing life through the filter of your inner thoughts and perceptions.
I did take issue with some of the sweeping proclamations in the book, such as "Once you reach this state [of letting go] you will never have to worry about anything ever again." That may be true, but if it is human to suffer, then are we really meant to transcend all our worries all the time? Wouldn't that make us more like automatons than real people?
Singer goes on to write, "No matter what happens, you can choose to enjoy the experience. If they starve you and put you in solitary confinement, just have fun being like Gandhi." This seems oversimplified and, frankly, kind of ridiculous. There are certain situations where having fun with adversity would be a baffling response (Can you imagine the Staten Island woman who lost her two sons in Hurricane Sandy "having fun with it?")
But then even the concept of Death is given a positive spin in the book. If it were not for Death, Singer reasons, we would not appreciate our life and the lives of others. If you thought that this week was your last week on Earth (or the last time you would talk to your mother or best friend), wouldn't you want to enjoy it (and reach out to that loved one?) If Death did not exist we would squander our time because there would be no end of it. So in this regard Death -- or our knowledge of it coming at any time -- becomes a gift.
Overall I responded to Singer's words and how he is able to boil life down to one choice: do you want to be happy or do you not want to be happy? I don't think he's asking readers to wholly discard our difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Instead he encourages us to transcend them, to see that who we are is in fact larger than all that. Depending on your religious beliefs, we are all existing on this constantly-changing, spinning Earth for a short time. Do you want to give up your one chance to fully appreciate the ride?
The Untethered Soul was not a quick read for me because there were many ideas I wanted to digest slowly. Like with life I wanted to pay close attention to this book.
Recommended for anyone interested in books on happiness and/or personal/spiritual growth.
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Aug 03, 2015Chris rated it did not like it
Shelves: didn-t-finish
Wasn't doing it for me. I remain tethered.
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Feb 06, 2018Lisa rated it it was amazing
This gem of a book was transformational for me. It offers insights for developing an awareness of negative, limiting thoughts and energy, for realizing that we don’t have to absorb or cling to them. We can let them go; they are not who we are. This is the book I most often give to others.
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Mar 07, 2013Bette rated it it was amazing
I still milk on this book. I read this book and a second highlighted reading last year, shortly after its release. I didn't really need to highlight anything, because it is not full of cliches, or complexities. Actually, I would be more inclined to highlight every sentence. Singer succinctly states what all the other New Thought and Spiritual leaders/writers have written volumes on. He's very economical in his style, but he does a very straightforward job (for me) of progressing his thoughts in a textured, conversational way. Singer totally simplified age-old profound ideas, some of which had come to make me believe a little that, gosh, I, my ego and spirit, were just too profound to understand. This book taught me differently. I am a great fan of Tolle, Jean Houston, Chopra, Butterworth, Dyer, Zukav, et al, but Singer delivered the normal big thoughts with such brevity and determined direction, and simplicity and lightness. He doesn't presuppose that we don't know what he's talking about, or that his thinking is unique. The doors that he opened for me didn't creak with philosophy or dogma behind it, or slam shut with frustration of "getting it".
I saw his interview on the Super Soul Sunday series, after my first reading (2012) and that reinforced what I had thought about him - he is the human we all are. He doesn't pretend to know more than what the rest of us know about spirit and soul and beingness. He just seemed to me to be walking the walk -- blue collar zeitgeist. A mind catcher thought of his was:: Just lean back and let whatever it is flow by. (less)
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Dec 09, 2012Jennifer rated it really liked it
This book is psychological bootcamp. Its purpose is quite literally to eradicate you. If the principles of this piece are bought and practiced for a person's lifetime, then this book does have the power to change who you think you are and even where you are. To go into great detail on anything spiritual would be difficult for any review. Instead I'll bring up the parts of this work that I found relevant in hopes of you reading further into it beyond this review.
Singer's main premise is what our Self is not. Our self, who we are, is not our thoughts or feelings. These are merely reactions to external events. If you ask most people to explain who they are, you'll get a slew of facts like "asl" in a chat conversation. This is not who that person is. Instead, the definition of Self is just the "one who is aware that it is aware." It doesn't have a body, it's neither sex. It's just aware. Everything that happens externally or internally is energy. It's the Self's job to watch the energy flow in and out of us and not try to focus specifically on any of it. If your Self focuses too closely on anything, even a positive experience, you become blocked and your ability to experience the smooth flow of other energies in and out of you won't be as smooth.
Next Singer presents the idea that because of our Self focusing in on specifics, those specifics become something important to the Self. Because the Self is so busy focusing on the specifics of that thing, it loses out on the chance it has every single minute to live in the minute. This is not good. Further, the more focused our Self becomes on specifics, the less quiet the mind and heart are. The mind and heart lead one to confusion as suddenly their job becomes protecting that specific from other energy flows that may pass through us and bump up against it. We create walls and in doing so, our Self becomes lost behind them and all the noise of the heart and mind. People will create elaborate definitions of who they are from how they have crafted together the workings of confused minds and hearts.
According to Singer, the best way to eliminate all problems in this world is simply to not view anything as a problem. We're here on the planet just to experience life, that's it. Where we get into problems is when we try to change the external world to protect the walls we've put up inside ourselves. In the end we're all scared shitless and just about everything we say or feel comes directly from fear. He asks us to Stop. Acknowledge the constant inner voice that plays, acknowledge emotions but don't engage with them other than to relax through them as you're having them and let them go. Sounds simple, right? Some stranger just called you fat on the street. Never mind that the stranger was drunk, you immediately remember being harassed as a child for being fat. That stranger has ruined your day. Or did he? You're the one who allowed your thoughts of being called in fat in childhood to remain with you all those years. In fact, you didn't even allow them to stay, your mind and heart (which is not you) did. All the guy said was the word fat. If you'd just let that childhood disturbance go then, you would have had a normal day.
It gets a little tricky beyond this point. To be constantly reminding yourself that nothing you think or feel is you, and you are just the one who watches what's thought and felt, can be a little Out There to most. I know for me my first thought upon reading this was panic. Wait. You mean that everything I say is not me? So why talk?! What's the purpose in communication if everyone is just protecting his inner fears? If all you're talking to is walls, how can you ever know anybody? That's where my mind went with it. It only got harder the more I read.
Eventually Singer introduces the idea that to be truly free of all disturbance your Self must stop being aware that it is aware. We know that our thoughts and heart aren't us, but now we must face the possibility of our Self's not even being us. Once we let go of that we're sucked up into the Divine Force and can experience God. Through all this Singer claims that by letting go you will be peaceful and full of joy, but he also said something I'm still struggling with and that's that God is only interested in being hang out buddies with those people who are already happy and find everything in his creation beautiful. Um..Huh? The next chapter Singer states that God has no judgment and is just in Ecstasy, but you might want to read that God is for the Happys chapter on your own to figure that out.
Look, I'm not a religious person. I don't know if I believe in God or If I believe that other people believe in God either. What I do believe in is the fact that thoughts and emotions are pretty treacherous waters to navigate at times, and for that reason I recommend anyone of any beliefs to take this book for a test drive. I'm sure I won't become enlightened tomorrow morning, but at least it's given me a place to start should I ever want to start on that path.
I gave this only four stars for I felt at times it was written too simply. Where I wanted to see metaphors there were none, where I didn't need one, there were. That and he kept repeating "It really is that simple" which if heard enough can be patronizing over reassuring.
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Aug 07, 2012Laurie rated it it was amazing
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and will be added to my stack of all time favorites. Michael Singer reminds us that the voice inside that is always chattering away is not us. He encourages us to get to the place where we can be the "observer" and watch that voice.
It sounds easy, but it is not. It is very easy to as my friend Maryann Pomegranate said "to get caught up in our own movie". Singer says:
"When a problem is disturbing you, don't ask "What should I do about it?" Ask, "What part of me is bring disturbed by this?"
When I let go and observe the situation, rather than losing myself in it,my life changes.
"The only real solution is to take the seat of witness consciousness and completely change your frame of reference...Stand firm in the seat of the witness and release the hold the habitual mind has on you. This is your life--reclaim it."
I love the part about keeping your heart open and not closing down.
"Remember if you love life, nothing is worth closing over. Nothing, ever, is worth closing your heart over."
I have to be willing to feel the pain of whatever is happening and not close down. That takes courage. I need to let it pass through me and not hang on to it.
"You just make a game out of relaxing in the face of melodrama...and no matter how many times you're pulled, that's how many times you relax and release."
It is challenging to change my own patterns, but I have tried his strategies and it is a completely different way to live. I love it.
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Jul 30, 2013Kaylee Sakellar rated it it was amazing
I love this book, it is easily one of my favorite self-help books. It is so different than any book I've ever read, and even though I'm picky in expanding the types of books I read, I'm so glad I decided to go with something different and choose this book. I love reading it in the morning or afternoon because it actually gives me energy and puts me in a good mood. This is not a religious book, although it might look like it would be from the cover, it's not what so ever. It's not exactly a "how to" meditation book, which is what I like about it. It tells you how to find your center and how to keep the energy flowing throughout your body. If your like me, your probably thinking that this book sounds cheesy by what I said in the last sentence, but the way it is written makes it not cheesy what so ever. It's a book that's hard to put down, and you fly through the pages. But sometimes I like to go back and re-read some pages because you really need to absorb what you're reading in order to get the most out of it. Long story short, LOVE this book and recommend it to EVERYONE. (less)
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Nov 28, 2012Charla Brummel rated it it was amazing
Shelves: fave-reads
I couldn't put this book down. And it couldn't have come to me at a better time & I will often refer back to it for guidance. This books has helped me realize how much destruction I am creating for myself by the walls I have built around me and the resistance I have for obstacles in life. In addition to learning about the barriers I have created for myself, I feel so equipped to deal with all future road blocks. The author helps you work through pain, both past, present, & future. Ultima ...more
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Mar 16, 2009Mary rated it it was amazing
Excellent book. I read it at about the same time as I read The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and I found to have very similar themes - so if you enjoyed The New Earth you will enjoy this one too. Very deeply spirtual book with very heavy Buddhist leanings but I think that they are principles that could be applied within any religion. I think it's one of those books you would want to keep on hand and it could have different meanings for you each time you read and depending on where you are in your life. (less)
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Jul 01, 2013Esterina Ganija rated it it was amazing
I didn't expect to find such a compelling and illuminating read when I first picked up this book. The whole mindfulness and awareness thing seems to have been flogged almost to death in recent years with everyone pontificating their views and their tales of enlightenment. So it was with a degree of trepidation and reserved cynicism that I began to read, needless to say my negativity was dissolved in the first chapter and this book has had a profound impact on my psyche.
Would you like to be free of the incessant self talk inside your head, criticising every waking thought and action ? Who are you ? No, not your name or your job or even your ambition, who are YOU ? Singer is the guide as we explore these questions. We rediscover the heart and see it as much more than a muscle for pumping blood around the body, it's a sponge soaking up the pain of past transgressions but it's also an endless well of love. We are introduced to the spiritual path of non resistance and unconditional happiness, paths which should be walked regularly by everyone.
Every page of this book is a joy to read, Singer's compassion and peacefullness abounds. There is an accessability to these words that I have not found in other books of the same nature, in fact I felt drawn to it time and time again. I have read this book twice and each time gained a different insight into both my own true nature and the absolute inanity of the world we live in. To me this has been a gift gratefully received. (less)
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Mar 03, 2018Rita rated it did not like it
I'm going to start by saying that I agree with the philosophy of this book. He's all about living the theme song to Frozen, whereas I've always been more about the imagery of being made of chain link -- instead of letting the issues be a gust that topples me as I try to fight it, I let it blow through me. Same idea, different metaphors. So, of course I think the concept is good, but it's not new and it's not his. He didn't invent or discover it. He's only trying to explain it. And, that's where I have the issues.
First off, this book is presented with such an overwhelming privileged white, cis, hetero male perspective. Every example (but one, which I'll elaborate on later) is from a man's perspective. And nothing even relatable to my experience, either. He's super hung up on girlfriends dumping the reader or girlfriends cheating on the reader or being jealous because the reader suspects his girlfriend is cheating: Think about that time after your girlfriend dumped you and you were so depressed that you couldn't get out of bed for days and the only evidence that you had eaten was the empty pizza boxes littering your room. Seriously? SERIOUSLY??? Nope. Cannot relate. I've never had the personal luxury of being Bella from Twilight and crumpling into a ball of "depression" (pssst, that's not depression) because someone dumped me. I have, however, had the experience of initiating a divorce to leave an abusive marriage after 20 years, supporting my three kids and myself emotionally and financially through it, which presented some very real hardships, and is the second issue I have with this book...
He never addresses any real trauma or legitimate hardships in the book. His examples, being from such a place of privilege, are trivial and superficial. He doesn't talk about the Muslim woman who endures hate slurs as she walks her daughter to school every day, or the man who works three minimum wage jobs to pay for his disabled son's medical care and is functioning on 3 hours of sleep every night, or the girl with the chemical imbalance in her brain that causes debilitating depression. The lack of even pitting these philosophies against serious problems comes off as offensive.
And, his solutions are shallow. Let it go. Let it go. Let it go. But, he never explains exactly how to let it go, and he proceeds with the assumption that once you choose to let it go, the one time will fix everything, always. That it doesn't take way more practice and coming at it from many different angles to try to find the visualization and the inner mind-space that works for you. He ties it into how easy it is to quit smoking. Quitting smoking is harder than quitting heroin. It's so much more involved that just not putting a cigarette in your mouth. But, the fact that he devoted two paragraphs to how to quit smoking and then tied it to this philosophy was telling. He perceives them both as easy. If you just take ONE STEP, it'll solve it forever. Anyone who has quit smoking (I have, using mindfulness!) or has tried to achieve this kind of consciousness knows that it requires real effort. It's not a switch you flip on and off and then it's all fixed.
Which brings me to my last issue -- he completely left out any sort of introspection. His presentation of this idea seemed to actually oppose introspection, which is very flawed. Here's a scenario to ponder from two perspectives:
Perspective one-- Michael is driving a car and pulls up to a stop sign. On the sidewalk next to the stop sign, a cyclist shakes her fist at him and shouts at him, then rides away on her bike. Michael's heart chakra is momentarily clogged by the repressed memory of a bike-riding girl in third grade who he had a crush on, but she didn't like him back and yelled at him to stop following her home every day, so he has to practice his let it go mantra and it works immediately. He's free forever now.
Next day, he drives his car to the stop sign. The same cyclist is on the sidewalk and she shakes her fist and shouts at him. He doesn't react because he is fixed and he has let it go. The same thing happens day after day until one day, the cyclist stops yelling at him for no apparent reason.
Perspective two -- Rita is driving a car and pulls up to a stop sign. On the sidewalk next to the stop sign, a cyclist shakes her fist at her and shouts at her, then rides away on her bike. Rita's heart chakra is momentarily clogged by a repressed memory of someone else yelling at her at another time, but she also engages in some introspection and asks, "I wonder why THIS cyclist yelled at me," and then notices that the front of her car is over the line for the crosswalk and the cyclist was about to cross the street but became afraid when the car didn't stop where it was supposed to.
The next day, Rita approaches the stop-sign in her car and is careful to stop before the lines for the crosswalk. The cyclist rides her bike across the street and smiles and waves at Rita.
Granted, in the Rita situation, she doesn't get to unclog her chakra by practicing letting it go when she's yelled at, however, she also stops endangering a cyclist with her bad driving, because she considered the cyclist's perspective, matched it to the situation and corrected her behavior. Maybe Michael's psyche is a little bit better in his way of doing things, but he also continues to be a jerk. Introspection is imperative. I know that this philosophy does not oppose introspection, however THIS presentation of the philosophy completely left it out.
Oh, I forgot to bring up the one example he used that wasn't from a male perspective -- once at the beginning and once at the end, he asked the reader to describe who they are, and both times he said, "You might tell me you're a 45 year-old woman..." and I completely believe that he had something else written at first but his editor told him to change it to being a 45-year-old woman because that's the demographic most likely to read this kind of book. Nothing else he says ever matches up to anything a middle-aged woman would have experienced.
I'd have really liked this more if it had been delivered by someone else, in a different way. But, it was this book I read, so it's this book I have to review.(less)
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Nov 12, 2012Bev Siddons rated it it was amazing
Shelves: spirtuality
Singer's Untethered Soul carries with it an insight into our spirituality and relationship with God. I found it a greatly inspirational read. While Singer does not spout Bible verses, he draws from the words of Christ as well as other great religious leaders from all cultures. The similarities of our world's religions have always intrigued me, and I believe Singer put his finger on the largest one: love. "You can't offend the Divine One; its very nature is light, love, compassion, protection, and giving. You can't make it stop loving you. It's just like the sun. You can't make the sun stop shining on you; you can only chooses not to look at it. The moment you look, you'll see it's there." (p. 180)
To know God, to be in a relationship with Him, we need to "let go." I always wondered what that meant exactly, and Singer not only helped clarify it but describes how to actually do it. God is love, we are part of God. Let us all live in love and peace.
Great lessons and good read. (less)
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Feb 07, 2017Una Tiers rated it really liked it
This book had a strong start and then fell off. It discusses how the voices in your head can criticize you due to excess energy. All this time I thought my mother lived in my head posthumously to continue to criticize me.
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Jan 11, 2013Stephanie Roth rated it liked it
After a friend told me Singer's book is based on a series of lectures, the overlapping nature of the chapters made sense.
Untethered Soul is a bit repetitive and the language is not very imaginative, but I appreciated its message: that we are not our thoughts or emotions, but rather who/what is observing them. That we can be happier (I don't know about the ecstasy Singer promises) if we stay conscious of our relationship to our thoughts/emotions, let them happen and pass through us, and move on to the next moment.
I find myself hypercritical of my thoughts now: why does my mind have to narrate/comment on everything I see? Why won't my thoughts shut up? Can "I" tell them to shut up? Can't I even take a shower without my mind churning through a billion stupid, yet stress-producing things?
Boy, is my work ever cut out for me ... (less)
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Apr 12, 2013Rebekah rated it did not like it · review of another edition
A whole lot of dumbed-down, Eastern-themed chatter that can be summarized thusly: 1) you are not your thoughts, and 2) cultivate a mindfulness practice.
Maybe I should renew my license and start charging people for terse, grumpy talk therapy. "Yep, that constant narration in your head is a real bummer. Why don't you concentrate on existing solely as a being constantly perceiving rather than narrating the present? Doesn't that make you feel better? Don't answer that; it's narrative."
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Feb 23, 2013Marcus rated it really liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, self-development, eastern
The idea that I like the most from Eastern style thought is that resisting the way things are is crazy. There's a voice in my, and probably everyone else's, head that never shuts up. I'm fine with that and don't feel a huge need to silence it, but a lot of the time what it's saying (what I'm saying to myself?) is pretty dumb.
The voice constantly explains and reframes what I experience to make it feel safer or more comprehensible. It resists what it doesn't understand and tries to explain it away or come up with elaborate justifications for why stuff doesn't fit in with The Way Things Should Be. It demands resolution to anything that doesn't fit my mental model and it creates areas in my mind that are forbidden or painful to visit then tries to push those areas away so they'll be uncovered as seldom as possible.
All these elaborate thought tricks work sometimes, but the idea of The Untethered Soul (and similar books) is that the tricks are unnecessary and detrimental to finding peace. Maybe if I let the voice inside my head keep up its constant chatter, but choose to just recognize what it's saying without either rejecting it or mentally canonizing it, I can be okay with what's happening even without understanding and categorizing every bit of it.
I feel like that way of looking at my thoughts lets me experience both negative emotions like anger and hate as well as positive emotions in a way that doesn't have side effects like anxiety or attachment. It keeps me focused on what I'm doing which results in me doing things better. It helps me deal with situations that I don't like by freeing up mental energy that would normally be spent resisting the problem and letting me instead use that energy to resolve it.
Even though I like the idea, I still mostly don't think this way. I tell and re-tell myself the story of how things are and why they're that way and how I'm going to fix them later and forget where I am and what I'm doing. That's why I read books like this, to remind me that there is a better way.(less)
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Sep 17, 2012Deone rated it it was amazing
The most enlightening book on spirituality I've EVER read in MY LIFE! It completely opened me up to a new way of looking at EVERYTHING... Including, myself. It gave me a new outlook on purpose and assisted me in beginning to understand this on-growing hunger I have to learn more about who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose and how will I achieve that life mission?
Michael A. Singer made this a incredibly simple read, on what seems to be a very complex and opinionated topic. He teaches us how to stay open to life and to God, but more importantly how to RELEASE what isn't serving our lives purposefully.
If you're on a self-discovery journey, yourself; I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read this book. (less)
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Feb 28, 2011Sarah rated it liked it
The Untethered Soul is a spiritual journey that explains how you can transform your thoughts into more positive thinking while conquering and overcoming your fears and negativity.
The book touches on such a wide variety of topics that will truly help readers that need some direction on how to handle inner thoughts and just life overall in a more positive light. One of the more important messages Singer teaches is how to live in the present moment instead of constantly focusing on what to avoid and what to plan in the future. Singer also goes into explicit detail regarding how to let go of painful memories that prevent us from achieving ultimate happiness.
The book is divided into five main sections: Awaking Consciousness, Experiencing Energy, Freeing Yourself, Going Beyond, and Living Life. In "Awaking Consciousness", we learn how to manage the inner dialogue that constantly runs through our minds; especially when it keeps us from being unproductive. "Experiencing Energy" teaches us how to open our minds to our internal energy, while sections three and four touch base on how to positively separate ourselves from the rest of the world. Lastly, in section five "Living Life", we are taught how to understand and appreciate happiness in its truest form.
The Untethered Soul is not at all religious and not completely spiritual, but rather explores subjects that will make perfect sense to those more in touch with science and health. Of course, to those healthier readers, much of this book may seem like common sense, but either way is a great guide to getting back in touch with the more important things in life.
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com. (less)
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Nov 08, 2010Judith Symonds rated it it was amazing
I had several of my biggest breakthroughs ever while I was studying this book. I found the true meaning of meditation and self and I learnt the significance of opening the heart and living life as a wonderful experience. If you seek true freedom and happiness, then this book is worth the read. I borrowed my copy, and I am putting this book on my list of purchases for my bookshelf.
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Feb 20, 2018Emily rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This book made me reflect on all the things I do that are not in my best interests. I especially appreciated the concept of letting go of worries that don't serve you but take your life energy. The chapter on death -- and why it is actually a gift -- was also eye-opening and a good reminder to try to live each day, each week as if it were our last, since it always could be. I also appreciated the reminders to approach everyone with love and openness. Harder in practice than in theory, though!
I did knock off a star for the fact that I would have liked more concrete examples of how to put these practices into action. The second half of the book got a bit bogged down in abstract philosophy and idealistic "guru" spirituality that is unattainable for most of us mere mortals. If people "let go" of everything that caused their minds to race and hearts to beat fast, nothing would get done! As humans, we have to have fires in our bellies to fight for our beliefs and ideals, to affect needed changes in our societies and communities, to right wrongs, and to make new inventions and scientific breakthroughs. If I just "let it go" instead of opposing many of our current government policies, I wouldn't even bother voting or writing my representatives about issues I feel strongly about. I wish Singer had addressed more practical issues such as these and how they fit into his philosophies.
That said, I still enjoyed the book and think it offered good guidelines for avoiding getting stressed out over small stuff and living in the past or the future rather than in the now. This is a book that would be good to own and re-read from time to time. (less)
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Sep 21, 2013Ellen rated it really liked it
Singer's book is a sort of how-to exhortation: How to let go of the voice in your head ...How to fall back behind the fear and negativity...How to rise up to the God within.
How, you ask? Well, it seems Singer has been influenced by the Nike slogan: Just Do It! Serioulsly, that's his advice: Just Do It! First, of course, we must become aware of when and how we get triggered. Then, we always have, and always have had, the choice to let go, to choose not to engage the lower vibrations of anger, resentment, sadness, fear. We absolutely can choose to be happy... no matter what. We just have to relax and release, relax and release, relax and release until it becomes our default setting, if you will. He asks: Do you want to be happy or not?!
If we have been sold the tragically false idea that God is a judgmental force, we can accept that God is love...period... and joy and bliss... and best of all... God is within us...and... in the present moment. We can touch God and pure love and peace and joy and bliss. We just have to decide to do that. Singer reminds us that this idea exists in the mystical texts of every major religion and is seen most prominently the Tao de Ching.
This all takes practice, practice, practice; and we have to get up and start again every time we fall. Keep on keep'n on? And meditation helps to make us aware of our inner voices and our trigger points
Well, even if the voices in my head spoke back to this text from time to time, ("It's not that easy, Man!")nevertheless, I have to admit I want to believe every uplifting, hopeful word of it, and I will be working on letting go and falling back and rising up... just in case =) (less)
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