While I do not think that Tolle is "wrong", I DO agree that something is missing.

I believe the CONTENT of his writings and his CONCLUSIONS are true, but I also think he presents these ideas in a simplified manner and that he is either unaware of, or ignorant of, the fact that MANY other people developed these concepts before him. While I am encouraged by the fact that the concepts he presents in his book are reaching the masses, I am disappointed by the fact that he seemed to do minimal research to back his points and that he COMPLETELY NEGLECTS to reference or discuss the conclusions of those that came before him that had THE SAME IDEAS, worked their whole lives to advance these ideas, and actually TESTED, RESEARCHED, and GROUNDED their theories in science.

Because he neglects to reference his sources or discuss how these concepts relate to current advances in psychology, physics, sociology, and the like, the credibility of the book declines.

Also, as a psychologist, I have to point out that his definition of the "ego" is actually WRONG!!!!

What he seems to be talking about when he says "the ego" is really something more like the "persona" - the "false self", the identity the ego creates initially to relate to the world and protect it's True Self. If you read Jung, Joseph Campbell, or Robert Johnson when they write about the "hero's journey", i.e. the stages of development that the psyche goes through to become enlightened, and thereby become "individuated", or centered within the "authentic Self", you will find that it is the "false self" that is unaware and reactive, while the ego just tries to mediate everything. This false self is called the "persona".

The Persona must be recognized and overcome to progress to the second step on the archetypal path to enlightenment defined in the hero's journey. Casting a light of awareness on the Shadow (all the parts of ourselves we deny and reject, and, in doing so become defensive and reactive to) is typically seen as the next step. Both the Persona and the Shadow are just different aspects of the ego. Because the ego developes to protect the emerging spiritual soul, it divides off certain aspects of the total psyche until we are ready to acknowledge them and accept them.

The ego, in a psychological sense, is not only NOT bad, but NECESSARY! Without a healthy ego, we could not function in reality. Without the ego functions we would be overcome by our own desires, be frozen by our own doubt and guilt, be crushed by our failures, and be unable to relate to others. The ego mediates other levels of consciousness. It strikes a deal between the internalized rules of our society (the Superego) and our impulses (the Id) in order to help us function in the REAL world. It defends your psyche against some of the hard facts of reality, of being a fully aware being, until you are ready to deal with them. The ego creates a persona to interact with the outside world and creates boundaries that help us function in society. Individuals that do not develop a healthy ego have a hard time functioning in the REAL world.

The problems come when we over-identify with the PERSONA aspect of the ego - the false self - the one we pretend to be to get jobs, lovers, friends, and respect. This is the unaware, reactive, inflated self that Tolle referes to as the "ego", when, psycholgically, the "ego" actually serves a USEFUL function. It's not that you should strive to eliminate your ego (you NEED ego defenses to get through daily life), it's that you should strive to be MORE AWARE of the difference between the persona (the face you show the world), the inauthentic Self, and the True Self. Once you can separate these aspects of your identity, you need to become more aware of the SHADOW aspect of your ego - the part of yourself that you hide, that you deny, that you react and defend against. Once you SEE, and then embrace, these different aspects of the ego, you then transcend the needs and defenses of the ego, pass through "the doors of perception", "the looking glass", and enter a more advanced stage of spiritual development - one based on risk (the leap of faith), and finding your true purpose in this lifetime.

As always, while many can describe the landmarks, "that path is for your steps alone", nobody else can guide you or inform you at that point. You must rely on your inner vision, the seed of life within, and faith.

This book seems to miss these points, and, in doing so, feels "off" in some way. Not "wrong", but that something VERY important is missing. The next step. The grounding of these ideas in the studies of those that came before. The placing of these concepts in the map already being drawn.

Actually it's not love that is lacking, it's truth.

Eckhart refers to Jesus' teachings throughout the book. how is that ignoring the teachings of others? i think that the "peace" and "Being" is "Love."
P

***The ego, in a psychological sense, is not only NOT bad, but NECESSARY! Without a healthy ego, we could not function in reality.*

I think you summed up his book perfectly. I knew something was missing and I esp took note of your sentence above. Because he openly admits that he was severely depressed and contemplated suicide could his teachings be coming from someone that should not necessarily be teaching in the masses? Just a thought..

Thank you for making me think that I was not the only one that cannot totally agree with everything he has written in his now very popular book.

Maybe the love part is between the lines because without love we are lost. There is just so much that makes up an individual and only so much that can fit between the pages of one book. We do have to think maybe we are just being shown a way to think more effectively, a way to focus on the good in ourselves and not get stuck on the false tape that is running inside our heads. Whether that be ego, persona or any other label, that doesn't seem to be the most important factor here. Listening to the voices in our heads and then being able to move beyond the voices to a higher place of love and peace seems to be the message.
Thank you for your welcomed insight.
Peace ^j

The lessons of "A New Earth" complete my life-long quest for peace. I remember clearly being a child of eight and endlessly seeking the reasons for conflict, hate, discrimination, divorce, love, attraction, materialism, depression etc. The contradictions of religion simpy would not allow me to subscribe to just one. The observation of an individuals need to entrench themselves deeply in one set of religious dogma or the need for scientific proof of eternal truth has always fascinated me. Almost everyone can read, however, all will interpret the teachings of "A New Earth" through their own prism of self and a highly personal world-view. After reading "A New Earth", I can relinquish the need to have anyone agree or disagree with the insights I have captured from the book. How can they be the same as mine? We are all in a different place on this great journey. Will we all get there? Where is "there"? It does not matter. We simply "are" where we "are" and I am right "here".

Best wishes to all!
Leslie B

Hi, I was distubed in the beginng about a few things, one being the lack of love. There are 3 kinds of love, Agape...God's love, phileo..friendship love, and eros...erotic love. I believe in order to reach that pure agape type love one must first break the shackles of self. I personally found freedom or at least awareness of past thinking of defining myself, and future thinking of a means to the end. I found that knowledge quite liberating. I of course can not stop thinking either, however, just appreciating the "nowness" made it all worth while. There's a book I read prior to this one called the Master Key System by Charles F. Haanal. I highly recommend it. He goes into depth about the power of thinking and excercises to controll the thought process. Hope this helps...God Bless!!

What is missing in this book is ego

Bravo!
Peace,

Yeah, I noticed he was 'wrong' about a lot of things...(usually pertaining to animals), but that's beside the point for me. What I want to know is if he is Right about the transcendence of the Now state. Does he really live this moment to moment and has put away all suffering and cares like a buddha? Does he really have something I want and need? ..or just selling snake oil?

The rest is just meaningless dogma and psychobabble.

At one point in this book Tolle clearly states and without hesitation that God's Truth is Love. God is Love. Considering that is the cornerstone of my faith, I needed Tolle's ideas to support that simple truth as I know it to continue to absorb the rest of Tolle's ideas. I also thought the book didn't feel as warm or fuzzy as a book that contains this important realization should be. It has since been explained that Tolle's intellectual detachment is intentional because so much has been written and misunderstood about God and Love that he doesn't want any of that conditioning to distract from the Truth. Basically, it seems his intention is to allow each reader to develop their own personal connection to God and this Truth.

I still think there is room for more discussion of God's Truth as Love, but agree there are so many life filters distracting us from the reality of this it's hard for us as the collective to agree to exactly what that means. Hell, many of the fundamentalists Christians can't even agree God is good, nevertheless loving, it's no suprise the simplicity of this important message gets lost. This message board has been an overwhelming wake-up call of how far we, as a collective soul, still have to journey and why we, as humanity, are obviously suffering so much. I knew there was pain in the world, but I literally couldn't imagine faith not being based on Love, but fear. It makes my heat ache and that egoic reaction to the pain shows me how much I still have to awaken myself.

We must learn to love unconditionally...that is our mission here in the third dimension...love unconditionally...easy for some, harder for others..this way we break all tapes that play in our heads...and we see the truth..love is the answer..

Thanks for your sparkle!
My thought is that we need to experience what it is we need, on our own. No one can do that for us. People seem to get hung up on labels and groups when what seems more important is to come together collectively with the understanding of whatever our belief system is, we are here to help each other on this journey through life. Our world has become so segregated and cruel. It does not have to be this way. Power, greed, and control seem to be winning out. Hopefully the force will be strong enough to turn this life around
Keep on sparkling!

This book is not about religion, and it's unfortunate that everyone seems to want to make it so. Religious choice is personal and this book is universal. There are so many more interesting facets to the book that could be discussed.

After several years of reading about Buddhism (which is a philosophy not a religion) and learning to meditate as well as be in the present moment, I immediately understood A New Earth. It's actually very simple, and Tolle explains the concept in many ways so everyone can 'get it'.

My only issue with the book is in the last chapter when he discusses Stephen Hawking and the implosion or contraction of the universe in relation to our own lives. Even this made sense until I discovered that Hawking's theory has been proven wrong. The universe is still expanding and is actually accelerating in that expansion! So now how does that impact on our return to the 'formless'?

Has anyone else questioned this?

I know message boards are for people to blast their opinions out there for discussion, which is wonderful. But instead of blasting him of being wrong, take what you think he is right about and add it to your belief. If it doesn't feel right to you, doesn't mean that he is wrong, it just means it isn't right for you. I was brought up VERY new age (just to lable it) and the belief my Grandmother raised me with didn't all feel right to me. Alot of it felt very over my head, and alot of it made sense to me. Later in life I read a couple of books that put it all in human terms and it made more sense to me. We all learn differently.

Your Being is Love! You can feel it. Being love is different from Human Love. Being Love isn't selective. Being Love is One with ALL that is.

Holley