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csp
I do agree with you about the "dangers" of television. Read "Culture Jam" or "Four Arguments Against the Use of Television" which are both classics on this subject.

However, I couldn't disagree more about your assessment regarding Tolle. As a matter of fact, I think he would firmly support your position regarding television. I've seen him speak on the subject and warn people of its negative effect on the mind and freedom.

Also, his "non-resistance" is in no way related to relinquishing freedom or not making choices or decisions. He has given many examples of how "non-conflict" does mean accepting mistreatment, dictatorship, etc. but only means that you do not "identify" yourself with your thoughts or mind. He would say that identifying yourself with your thoughts or mind is exactly the reason why you could become susceptible to an outer authority, brainwashing, acceptance of vulgarity as the norm, etc. I think Tolle is on your side. :-)

he's "on my side"? that's interesting. how can a side be picked amidst the exquisite perfection of the present moment?
the vulgarity? all part of the "divine suchness" (NOT my philosophy)

"one thing we do know: Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment."
Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth; p.47

well, that idea can help you feel good when a bus splashes water on you from a dirty street. It might help induce non-reactivity. It might help as well if you're cruising around in your new BMW and maybe feeling a little guilty for the extravagance of it all. "you know, I really DO deserve the BMW...I mean, I was contemplating a Ferrari...so...yeah."

let me rephrase the Tolle quote above with a stereotypical "Hollywood nazi" accent:

vun zing ve do know: Life vill give you vhatever experience iz moszt helpful for ze evolution of your consziouznezz. How do you know ziz iz ze experience you need?!?!? SLAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BECAUSZE ZIS IZ ZE EXPERIENCZE YOU ARE HAVING AT ZIS MOMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

If you can't see how Tolle's "philosophy" lends itself SO readily to perversion and apathy...feel free.

Personally, I have a hard time seeing the torturer and the victim as both supplying the other with the experience that is most helpful for the "evolution" of each other's respective consciousness.

"Consciousness itself is timeless and therefore does not evolve."
-ET, A New Earth; p.291

please don't give some "Matrix" interpretation ala Neo and Mr. Smith are essentially one.

the children starving in Darfur? right, they too are receiving (by NOT receiving) what is most beneficial for the evolution of their consciousness?

Tolle feels that Oprah is the most suitable vehicle for the transmission of his message? Well, in one sense it MOST DEFINITELY IS!! It probably has a lucrative contract.

"No content will satisfy you, as long as the egoic structure remains in place. No matter what you have or get, you won't be happy. You will always be looking for something else that promises greater fulfillment, that promises to make your incomplete sense of self complete and fill that sense of lack you feel within."
-ET, A New Earth; p.48

so the millions he made from The Power of Now hasn't sufficed? Then Oprah promotes A New Earth and generates more millions. coupled with the high cost of his retreats and his take from those, as well as CD and DVD sales......

Nice try Eckhart!!

He's using a vehicle that IS TOTALLY dependent on FORM, CONTENT, STRUCTURE, DEADLINES, CONTRACTS and MORE! MORE!! MORE!!!!!

And HE wants to remove the "egoic structures" of other people? well, of course, it makes it harder to see through his absolute bullshit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2008 08:27PM by Hugh Manatee.

Or what about the recent capture of a man an Austria who held his daughter captive for 24 years and fathered children through her.
In what way is pedophilia and confinement conducive to the "evolution of ones consciousness"? IT'S NOT...or is that perhaps...NOT YET! :(

The 30 million victims of forced famine the Ukraine? No, Tolle's philosophy is catering to stressed out yuppies and such who feel the need for "enlightenment". It's a distraction, especially within the United States, that keeps people blind to the creeping fascism that IS indeed happening NOW!

Everyone seems to be very confused about Tolle's phrase "evolution of consciousness". Also, about how this relates to the current and historical world evils.

Tolle states that consciousness "wants" to evolve ... not that it necessarily "is" evolving. Our current problems in the world (war, environment, and all the others described in the above posts) are fully recognized and described by Tolle in detail in his books. He doesn't deny them at all. As a matter of fact he says they are getting worse and threaten our very existence. What he says though is that it is the evolution of our ego, or more specifically our stronger identification with ego, which is behind our current and historical world problems. He feels (as did Buddha) that being more mindful of the structure and content of our ego will help both our consciousness evolve and the survival of our planet.

There are other threads here criticizing Eckhart Tolle as well.
To someone who has looked at these types of things for a very long time, its clear that Eckhart Tolle is a fraud.
An intellectual fraud who does not recognize his sources.
A spiritual fraud pretending he is something he is not.
A psychological fraud as his ideas in that area are damaging.
A scientific fraud as his comments about Evolution are simply wrong.
An ethical fraud as he is out to make a ton of cash and hides his past history, and makes false claims.

What more does the guy have to do?

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
[forum.culteducation.com]

I've been involved in spiritual pursuits for decades (both eastern and western) and have read all of Mr. Tolle's books and watched many hours of his videos looking for any sign of insincerity or fraud. I've found none whatsoever. Believe me I've been witness to many, many frauds over the years, but Mr. Tolle is not one of them. I'm also a researcher in the field of brain injury and there is nothing in his techniques, methods or writings that is harmful to a person's mental health. To be honest with you I find all the aggressive attacks on Mr. Tolle quite amazing.

csp:

Are you a licensed mental health professional?

Are you currently engaged in a research paper regarding Tolle that will be submitted for peer review and publication?

Please avoid making misleading claims if the answers to the previous two questions was not yes.

Yes and no to your questions, but how/why are you setting the criteria? How are my statements misleading? Give us one example of Tolle's teachings leading to ANY form of mental illness with ANY person. Are there any documented cases? The burden is on you to prove that there is ANY evidence whatsoever that Tolle's teachings are harmful to people. Scientology? Maybe. Handling snakes? Yes. Tolle? Absolutely no documented cases or proof, but only a lot of labeling and hollow accusations.

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csp
I've been involved in spiritual pursuits for decades (both eastern and western) and have read all of Mr. Tolle's books and watched many hours of his videos looking for any sign of insincerity or fraud. I've found none whatsoever. Believe me I've been witness to many, many frauds over the years, but Mr. Tolle is not one of them. I'm also a researcher in the field of brain injury and there is nothing in his techniques, methods or writings that is harmful to a person's mental health. To be honest with you I find all the aggressive attacks on Mr. Tolle quite amazing.

I don't consider anything that I have said about Tolle to be an "attack". I too have read all of Tolle's books as well as having listened to numerous CD's. His BROAD and sweeping generalizations about "life will give you whatever is necessary for the evolution of your consciousness", is JUST that...a BROAD and SWEEPING generalization designed to make the average reader "feel good". Again, the current, and most influential vehicle for spreading his "message" has GOT to be Oprah Winfrey. Yet, neither of them, if I use Tolle's "philosophy" as a criterion for "judging" the teacher or the taught, is "walking the walk." Just HOW MUCH content, form, structure, identification with "form", and CA$H will eventually satisfy these two? The current issue of O deals with everything from "Show Some Leg - Learn how to glam up your gams" , or "The Sisterhood of Well-Fitting Pants", to "A Saner Way To Argue", enough, I'm getting off topic as I don't expect Oprah to "enlighten" anyone or anything....aside from their wallets.

Tolle will quote from the New Testament to support his thesis just as he liberally quotes from "A Course In Miracles". For those of that don't know, A Course In Miracles is essentially "Jesus" re-writing the Bible to suit a new age market (I'm NO fundamentalist!). Yeah, "Jesus" channeled his NEW and IMPROVED teachings through an atheist psychologist back in the 50's, and ya' gotta' love 'em for that. Despite that it contradicts almost everything the New Testament says doesn't matter to Tolle or Oprah. Yes, she loves it too, propably because the psychologist he "channeled" his new "Bible" through, was a woman. I could be wrong.

There's really no point in Tolle contradicting himself by saying that communism and the holocaust represent the two greatest tragedies of 20th century. As they too appeared in the non-dual and divine suchness of the now. No point in discrediting the past, which of course "was" now, as something that was impeding the spiritual development of victim and perpetrator as they were both receiving and giving each other the exquisite experience required for their respective spiritual evolutions.

csp:

Yes and no to which questions?

Are you a licensed mental health professional?

Please explain what qualifies you to make an assessment and/or evaluation of the potential for harm from a psychological perspective inherent within Tolle's teachings.

Are you a clinical psychologist or what?

Are you a recognized expert researching this subject for some peer reviewed paper to be published.

Clear up any possibility of misleading people on this thread by answering these questions specifically.

Please don't be evasive.

I'm curious. What motivated you to read all his books and watch numerous CDs?

I can't say much about Oprah, but I've seen, read and listened to enough of Tolle and others that have been around him that he does "walk the walk." Should he be a full-time hermit? I'm really not sure what people expect him to do or not do in terms of writing and/or public appearances. He did not initiate contact with Oprah. She called him and he accepted the 10-part internet series format. He has some insight into human nature, the ego and how it can tie into our spiritual pursuits that he wants to share. Seems quite reasonable to me. I have much more of a problem with being pounded into submission by pharmaceutical ads on television 24/7.

As for the Course in Miracles ... Tolle makes very little mention of it in his writings. His two main reference points are Buddhism (mindfulness) and Jesus. The reason for the latter is that he is speaking primarily to Westerners and their reference point is Christianity. That and any other spiritual or religious references he makes are to help explain Universal Truths which cut across many religious traditions and spiritual pursuits.

His comments regarding communism, holocaust, etc. do not contradict the reality of "now." They occurred in the now. His point is that these were both examples of large scale manifestations of the ego.