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Thinkwise23
People get into this kind of spirituality because they think it's all fluffy and blissful, and there are no real rules, it's all about feeling better. However Tolle's books are not all light and fluffy. They are cruel, insensitive and brutal in their content to the point that you have to wonder how the hell it gets authorised in the first place.
There are too many examples in his books to list, but the main one which is the basis of all his 'teachings' is that you have to give up all identity of self. He eloquently disgards our wonderful personalities by calling them 'a voice in the head' that we must disidentify from, whilst using his own voice to state that. He claims that the 'real' you is not the thinker, and your true identity is just 'space', however he does not provide any evidence to back this up. He just says it in that quiet, slow, spiritual manner which is proof enough that he knows 'truth' and you don't.
The idea of the larger soul being something distinct from the every day or usual personality, is a fairly major element of Hinduism, AFAIK. This isn't necessarily brutal at all; Ramana Maharshi would probably say that although it might sound brutal, as far as being disturbing goes, the intent is exactly the opposite.
The point of disengaging from unproductive elements of the ego, isn't to lose all discernment, and start buying up whatever books and tapes you get told to. If someone tells you to do that, then irrespective of what they might be saying to you about experiencing the calm of the Void within, they are a hypocrite and a fraud. It's fairly simple.
In my own opinion, part of experiencing real spiritual development, actually involves becoming
less suggestible, and susceptible to the influence of frauds. When you develop experience of what real peace looks and feels like, you can also then begin to discern more clearly, what peace does NOT look like, and you can use that information, to discern whether or not an individual who you are looking at, is in a state of peace themselves.
Cult leaders and peddlers of fake spirituality are not happy, healthy, internally peaceful people. The entire reason why they're trying to make millions of dollars, and gain attention from people, is because they are narcissists. They are trying to fill a hole that cannot be filled; you have to actually
go into said hole, and confront it and deal with it, rather than continually running away from it, and thinking that being a millionaire and getting on daytime talk TV shows will heal you. It won't.
I'm a narcissist myself; I know what the craving for narcissistic supply feels like. If I didn't care about hurting people, I'd probably be tempted to become someone like Tolle or some of the others myself. Then again, however, perhaps I wouldn't; because I like to at least hope that I've already seen, that money and external success are not the real cure for the problem. I need to be willing to really confront my demons and look them in the eye; and I don't want to do that, because it's scary.