Book Review

By Leo Kominek, Ph.D.

Review of "The Power Of Now" by Eckhart Tolle

With this book "The Power of Now", Eckhart Tolle explains to his readers the benefits of keeping one's self centered in the present since this is our only reality.  In addition he offers specific guidance on how to accomplish this goal.  I found this book to be very stimulating and interesting from different perspectives.  Looking at it from a psychological perspective its' philosophy has firm roots in the tenets of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  The idea that our only reality is in the present is a very simple concept, but so many of us have difficulty staying in the present for even short periods of time.  Depression is often the result of living in the past with observations about past failings combined with unrealistic, negative views of our future expectations.  Furthermore, persons with anxiety problems can be trapped by catastrophic evaluations about future situations that have a low probability of happening.  Tolle's answer to this is to bring us back to the present and he tells us exactly how to go about it in a clear and concise manner.

Mr. Tolle's book is aimed at a spiritual goal of reaching "enlightenment" which he defines as freeing oneself from the identification with one's mind and recognizing the connectedness of our existence with the universe and its creator.  The methods he suggests to attain this goal are very psychologically useful, even if one falls short of attaining the spiritual goals.

Some quotes from this book that are useful to remember include:

  1. "Many people live with a tormentor in their head that continuously attacks and punishes them and drains them of vital energy.  It is the cause of untold misery and unhappiness, as well as of disease.  The good news is that you can free yourself from your mind.  Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can.  Pay particular attention to any repetitive thought patterns, those old gramophone records that have been playing in your head perhaps for many years.  This is what I mean by Watching the thinker which is another way of saying: listen to the voice in your head, be there as a witnessing presence."
  2. "If you really want to know your mind the body will always give you a truthful reflection, so look at the emotion or rather feel it in your body.  If there is an apparent conflict, between them, the thought will be the lie; the emotion will be the truth.  Not the ultimate truth of who you are, but the relative truth of your state of mind at the time."
  3. "Whatever the present moment contains - accept it as if you had chosen it.  Always work with it not against it.  Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy.  This will miraculously transform your whole life."
Tolle's message entails that one become a good observer of one's mind or the thought processes that are continuously going on in one's head.  This is especially important to anyone practicing CBT and is another way of thinking about the CBT process.  Tolle persistently makes one focus on the fact that our ego (mind) is constantly pulling us away from the present and in many cases forces us by means of our habit patterns of thinking into painful areas of past or future.  His message is condensed, but contains various levels of meaning in both the psychological and spiritual realms.

I found the book to be easy reading, but Eckhart Tolle condenses a lot of meaning into a few simple sentences.  Therefore, I found it enjoyable to read this book a second time to grasp the entire meaning of what the author was saying.  The compassion and gentleness of this man is very apparent as one traverses this book, and I felt compelled to both like and be comforted by this author.

The concept of living in the now or the present is something that will take a lot of practice and persistence to accomplish, but the effort can bring great rewards.  This is particularly true for anyone suffering with an anxiety disorder or depression.  I would recommend this book to all who are striving to cope with anxiety and/or depression as another means to develop healthy patterns of thought.  This book can be a very useful adjunct to psychotherapy and one's quest for the meaning of life.

Tolle, E (1999). The power of now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment.  Novato, CA: New World Library.