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The Seat of the Soul
by
Gary Zukav
3.99 · Rating details · 34,871 Ratings · 618 Reviews
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This hardcover edition of The Seat of the Soul celebrates its tenth anniversary. The Seat of the Soulbecame a national bestseller when it was first published, but more people are buying it now than ever before. Why is this?
It is because a new species is being born. The Seat of the Soul is about this birth. This new species longs for harmony, coo...more
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Hardcover, 256 pages
Published 2012 by Simon & Schuster (first published March 1st 1989)
ISBN
0684865181 (ISBN13: 9780684865188)
Edition Language
English
LISTS WITH THIS BOOK
Best Spiritual Books888 books — 949 voters
Best Self-Help, Spiritual, Motivational, Law of Attraction Books673 books — 838 voters
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Jun 14, 2007Ryan rated it it was ok · review of another edition
This book is new-agey and written for an Oprah audience with no background in philosophy, religion (east or west), or science. The parts of the book that are good are the parts stolen (without citation or even a nod) from either Plato's Republic or Buddhism. Zukav makes many grandiose metaphysical claims but doesn't feel the need to once offer an argument as to how he has come about this knowledge he has about; for instance, Angels, Teachers, how dolphin souls become human souls, or why souls need to heal even though they have no beginning and no end (yet some souls are older than others). I'm not asking for empirical EVIDENCE for a metaphysical argument, I'm asking for an ARGUMENT of any kind. "My gosh," I thought "what did the good Lord do to these poor, incredibly powerful souls outside of time that they'd need to come down to earth and inhabit a physical body/personality and heal?" Some of his practical advice is alright, but there is especially nothing new about those parts: one should release his or her anger, one should forgive, etc, etc. I'm tempted to write Zukav a one sentence letter that says, "How, exactly, do you know all this stuff?" (less)
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Aug 17, 2012Marty Ritz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I gave this book 5 stars not for what I found in the book, but for what I found within myself when reading it. I found the book to be a spark which ignited a realization within me of who I really was and the experience of being who I really was, within my body and within this reality. For those who already experience life as Neo did within the Matrix or as the programers did within the video game(as in the movie Tron), you'll appreciate his eye opening analogies and affirm your own self navigating intuitions as to how life really works. (less)
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Jan 15, 2013Anya rated it it was amazing
Living a conscious life is the main thrust of this book -- be "awake" as you live your life to live a more meaningful life. As you become conscious of your actions you begin to become whole. One aspect of becoming whole is letting go of the mental baggage that keeps you chained to old bad habits, to fears and doubts that keep you from growing and realizing your own great potential.
I found this book to be very thought provoking. Several times throughout the book I found myself saying "YES" to the ...more
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Aug 18, 2011Sheherazahde rated it did not like it
Shelves: nonfiction
The sole purpose of this book seems to be to set him up as a guru to sell his workshops. He constantly makes broad unsupported universal statements and asserts things without evidence. I felt quite manipulated and just wanted him to stop including me in his royal "we".
He got off on the wrong foot with me on the first chapter "Evolution". Everything he says about scientific evolution is wrong. His point is that "our" beliefs about evolution are wrong. Well, *his* beliefs about evolution certainl ...more
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Sep 11, 2013Alejandro Teruel rated it did not like it
I found The Dancing Wu Li Masters interesting when I read it way back when, so I picked this book up expecting to find Gary Zukav moving, like Fritjof Capra from Physics (The Tao of Physics) to a wider ecological and psychological world view exploration (The Turning Point).
The Seat of the Soul was very disappointing and I abandoned it after a couple of chapters and some fast skimming. As expected, Zukav starts by talking about biological evolution, but, unexpectedly, he completely misunderstands it, to the point that what he does is resurrect the idea of the chain of being, an idea which was old and hoary even by Elizabethan times (see E. M. W. Tillyard´s marvellous chapter in The Elizabethan World Picture) and which has nothing to do with evolution as expounded by Darwin. As far as I could tell, Zukav only goes downhill from them on.
If you have any feel or respect for science, steer well clear of this book. If you want to dip into an interesting perspective on scientific knowledge and the teachings of Eastern and Western religion and philosophy, you´d be much better off reading Alan W. Watts.
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Jul 24, 2011Ange rated it it was amazing
If you know me at all, you'll see that spirituality is extremely important to me. I've never been one for religion or labels, but I have been extremely intrigued by sources of truth and wisdom for as long as I can remember. This book was in my Nook library for years before I got around to reading it. It came at the precise time in my life when I needed it most and offered up its words as a sweet benediction.
Have you ever experienced a dark night of the soul? Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people? Why are we all faced with various addictions? Why do we have the experiences and relationships with others that we do? What is a soul? What happens when we die? Where did we all come from? If any of these questions have ever wandered through your mind, this is a great non-denominational resource.
What I like best about this book is that I can envision just about any person reading it, from any walk of life, from any religion, faith or indifference, in any given situation and finding something of value. Maybe it's just a key phrase that resonates or a concept, a chapter or the entire book, but the wisdom contained in this book is universal and inspiring.
Like fresh trade winds blowing into my sagging sails, I am refreshed and ready to resume my soul journey. This book was not just a great read; it was an answer to a prayer, a turning point and a challenge to ferry on. For me, it's a favorite, but I can't really recommend this book to anyone in particular. I feel that everyone who is meant to read it will find her/his way to this book on her/his own, when the time is right. And so it is! (less)
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Sep 04, 2012Holly Dietor rated it it was amazing
This book, along with Emotional Alchemy, is worth every moment I have spent reading it, studying and pondering it. It really stretches one past the Judeo-Christian ethic of good and evil, light and dark, reward and punishment.
It helps to solidify the niggling wonders you have about where we come from and where we will return. More importantly, it helps you to consider why you are here, why you wished to be here now, and what your mission could be.
While it's gotten a bad wrap as one of the myriad 'navel gazing' books that have cropped up, it's so not that at all.
If you've ever wondered about the energy that makes you, uniquely you, and if you are more than you are lead to believe based on your five senses, this book will delight you, occasionally make you angry, but mostly it will give you confirmation that you are truly remarkable and worthy. (less)
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Jun 07, 2010Stephen Gallup rated it did not like it
I remembered having read this book when rereading Alan Watts' The Wisdom of Insecurity , not that the two are comparable. Watts is carefully reasoning his way through the most profound questions of life, and Zukav simply makes bold claims without any indication of how he arrived at them. I got about two-thirds of the way through The Seat of the Soul before the accumulating weight of these claims (e.g., animals can be reincarnated as humans, but only in primitive settings where the transition isn't too big a shock for them) brought me to a stop. (less)
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Feb 04, 2009hellaD rated it it was amazing
This book has been really helpful. I had some trouble getting into it because some of the writing is a bit cyclical and hard to read. But I think this is mostly because the subject being dealt with doesn't really have a good language to express the ideas. Therefore reading it from this perspective it is a really well written book that deals with concepts that don't fit into the English language so well.
He gave a really good explanation of how humanity is evolving and goes in depth into what is going on in the world at present. It is a very exciting book and very necessary in this age of change when we can no longer rely on the maps that our father's have followed. We can no longer rely on external power and hording and greed, and it is time to develop our own inner authentic power so that we can heal ourselves and our world.
It has made me see parts of myself much more clearly and honestly. It also explains some things that I had experienced in a really understandable way.
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Feb 06, 2008Lora rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Recommended to Lora by: Oprah. Yeah-I know.
To review the titles of the chapters-there is Evolution, Karma, Reverence, Heart, Intuition, Light, Intention, Choice, Addiction, Relationships, Souls, Psychology, Illusion, Power, and Trust. I found Reverence and Intention to be the most enlightening. Most self-help/self-awareness books do not approach the subject of respect, honor, and reverence within the karmic framework of actions and reactions. I think a great deal of this book could be supported with biblical scripture and I would love for a strong Christian author to write a supporting text for this book. If anyone knows of a scripture study based on this book out there, let me know! (less)
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Jan 09, 2013Steward rated it liked it
Let me explain my rating of 3 stars first. I am required to put a rating on, but do not want to do so on this book. So the 3 stars are my attempt not to rate the book, rather than a rating so disregard it totally. Since the book argues that judging is harmful to the soul and I agree with that, I will try to avoid being judgmental as much as I am able, in order to be fair to the spirit of this book.
Let me share with you my reactions to the book. The author has written a series of 16 interrelated essays that take you as a starting point from the perspective of the potential for humans to evolve from being limited by their five senses and personalities to a more authentic existence using more senses and soul-based decisions. The ending is well captured by the concept of becoming a body in a soul, rather than just the opposite.
As you read each section, you are encouraged to feel whether the assertion works for you or not. I found that some did and some did not. You would probably have a different experience. I also found that I have had some spiritual experiences that the book did not seem to describe. That left me a little unsettled. You may find that also.
On the whole, I found more truth in my own experiences than disconnection in reading the book. Also, it was a peaceful experience, which is always a good sign for me when I read a book.
If you are interested in having another perspective on the meaning of existence than the one that your religion, your spiritual advisor, or your family may have taught you or helped you understand, you will probably like this book. If you are not seeking out another perspective, you may find it hard to relate some of the book to what you know and believe. That could be a helpful experience for you.
You should decide if you want to read this book or not. I have no recommendation for you. It is an individual thing. If you are unsure, please write me and I will answer any questions you have about the book. (less)
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Jul 07, 2011Frederick Jackson rated it did not like it
I heard his "Dancing Wu Li Masters" was an interesting read so I picked up this one as the title seemed interesting to me. I thought I might get into something deep in the way of the relation of matter to energy and information. Nope. This guy has gone off the deep end (as a sufi friend of mine so generously put it). This gem of a book contains not only (really stupid) unsupported speculation without so much as a reference or footnote, but to add to the reader's frustration, the book does not even address the subject matter contained in the title. Nothing is said about the "seat" of the soul. So, unless I missed something, this book is a con job from the start. The book, which I suppose is meant to be be "spiritual" is, to me, anything but. It is that same old anthropocentric world view now wrapped up in New Age* clothes. Like, animals do not have souls. Really, who told you that Gary? OK, pardon me, PETS do. OK , like I do not want to be (or I should say I CAN'T be) an eagle or a tiger. But in the world view of Mr. Zukav I AM permitted to be (for example) Mrs. Lasonga's pet dog Fifi (which in at least one real world scenario she fries in the microwave). Give your miind and your spirit a break and trash this one. It is neither scientific nor spiritual. You will be better off going to church and getting some of that good Old Time Religion. At least, if you are lucky, you will get some fire and brimstone for your money.
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*I should have judged this book by its cover. The choice of colors is a dead give-away (as to its being New Age). Funny, I usually do judge a book by its cover. Pity the Kindle generation. (less)
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Jan 15, 2013Jenny rated it it was amazing
I couldn't put this book down. I even read some chapters over and over, again, before moving on to the next. I'm a Christain who loves being a Christain; who loves God, the Light; and who loves Jesus, my Savior. Reading this book not only enlightened me, but gave me clarity to things that I could not quite understand. This book gave me a more in-depth understanding to the Word. During my reading I laughed, cried and rejoiced. I can related so much to Mr. Zukav's concepts. Passages and scriptures...more
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Jun 20, 2012Doug Dillon rated it it was amazing
Gary Zukov's easy to understand book goes right to the essence of who we are under the surface of our exterior selves. In simple terms, he explores the nonphysical aspects of our beings and shows how we can perceive existence using more than just our usual bodily sense mechanisms.
Our soul is there to be understood and explored, Zukov maintains. The more we recognize it and how it functions, he says, the better able we will be to make effective course corrections in our lives. The following quote from the book sums it up perfectly:
"Rather than a soul in a body, become a body in the soul. Reach for your soul."
To help readers effectively align themselves with their souls, the author uses simplicity of expression to drive his point home. Even in his chapter titles he use only one of two words such as “Reverence”, “Addiction”, and “Illusion”.
This book is highly useful for anyone wanting to explore themselves and their place in a multidimensional universe. (less)
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Oct 26, 2013David Lentz rated it it was amazing
I read this book with a group of friends and it was chosen by another member of the group as we wanted to gain a better sense of the nature of our souls in a common faith journey. The amorphous concept of a soul is one that we hear much about over the course of one's spiritual life. But what is it, really? How can it be shaped by our own conduct for better or worse while we live? And what happens when life ends? How could the concept of sculpting a soul over a lifetime and beyond improve the way in which someone behaves? Quickly Zukav takes us far beyond traditional and more simplistic conceptions of the soul and how it operates. Many of the concepts offered by Zukav are Eastern in tradition and the spiritual impact of positive and negative karma are explored intelligently. I was impressed by his description of the real nature of authentic power, which embeds love deeply within it. Power which does not manifest love is simply shallow manipulation and is inauthentic insofar as it creates negative karma and leaves a soul ultimately less powerful. Political power which is so obviously grounded in self-interest in Congress is clearly inauthentic despite its trappings of wealth, fame and position. It's no wonder that Congress is so widely viewed with disdain as a governing body despite many exceptional, individual souls who actually seem to have the best interests of the nation at heart. So if you want to explore the nature of your soul -- which does strike me as a worthwhile venture -- then this book can walk you through the nether regions of the soul and take you on a guided tour that helps you better understand yourself. I'm glad I undertook this exploratory journey and give Zukav high praise for his insight and wisdom as a tour guide. (less)
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Apr 01, 2012HRM Maire rated it it was ok
Shelves: stopped-reading-it
I have to admit that I only read half of it. My friend and I were reading it together and finding a lot of things that we didn't like and didn't agree with. That being said, there were things we *did* like, but we were already far along enough on our own spiritual journeys that we knew them already. This book left us questions like, "Where did this information come from?" and "Why do you believe this?" etc. This book felt like a person who had come to some interesting conclusions at the beginning of his own spiritual journey, felt he had the answers so he thought he'd write a book (but still had some maturing to do). If I had read this when it first came out, I probably would have had a better rating. So perhaps if you're at the beginning of your own spiritual journey, this *would* be a good book for you. (less)
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Jan 15, 2013John rated it it was amazing
I don't know how Gary Zukav does it, but this book speaks to me like very few books ever have. I just read this book for the third time and I am reminded why so many people love this author so much. Every time I read it I find new meanings, new inspiration and new ways of looking at myself and my circumstances that help me grow as a person and be happier. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life" by Taro Gold which makes a great companion book to all of Zukav's writing. Excellent!
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Mar 21, 2017Farnoosh Brock rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I had heard about this book for years. I started it at a dentist's office while waiting and read the first few pages. Didn't care for it at the time and forgot all about it. After reading The Untethered Soul, which I ABSOLUTELY ADORED!, I wanted another book that talked about 'the seat of the soul' and well, this book has the NAME on the cover so it was a no-brainer. I listened to the audio version, narrated by none other than Gary Zukav.
Struggled between giving it a 3- and 4- star. It's a great ...more
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Sep 30, 2015Claudine K rated it it was ok
Disappointing. I usually really enjoy books by authors featured on Super Soul Sunday. This book started with promise. I loved the idea of soul variety and unfinished karma. However, he lost me at animals don't have individual souls. Here we go again with an author that features humans as the top soul host. Really? How is the conclusion reached? He gives not one shred of thought to back up any of his claims.
It's a book that is pulled straight out of a body part. I wasn't looking for science law, but at least a theory as to how the conclusions were reached. Any reasoning as to how his theories are supported would have been nice. I don't see how anyone can read it without wondering how he figured his ideas and that's my issue. The content is unsupported. Again, I'm not asking for scientific fact (as in the law of gravity) just a simple reason as to how he reached is viewpoint. Just one reason...
I give it two stars for the edition with a study guide. They are helpful exercises. If you're looking for a deeper path for life enrichment The 4 Agreements and the Power of Now are two excellent books. This book is more suited for those that don't need a how or why and can just accept a persons word (not bad or good, just a type of person). I need some kind of supportive statement to back up thoughts, and this book didn't have any....(less)
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May 28, 2014Carol rated it did not like it · review of another edition
Shelves: hated-with-a-passion
I read this book years ago after Oprah had the author on her show. I've never forgotten how much I detested this book. God help us there is now a 25th anniversary edition! This book is a complete load of horse puckies. I remember reading in disbelief the complete doo-doo that Gary Zukav had to say about dolphins beaching themselves (like he personally knows what dolphins are thinking). I did a search on the internet and was able to find the excerpt. Here it is:
"The dolphin soul is leaving the Earth, that is, the dolphin species is becoming extinct. The dolphins are beaching themselves. They are creating diseases within themselves. This is their way of refusing to continue to live upon the Earth. They feel that they cannot fulfill the purpose for which they are born. Therefore, they are leaving. Their deaths are not suicides because they are not frightened. They are exhausted.”
Um, okay. Whatever you say Gary. This book is rambling, repetitive, and just plain weird. I think Gary Zukav may be off his rocker.
I do not get all the great reviews for this book. I threw it in the trash can when I was done because I didn't want anyone else to waste their life reading this book. (less)
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