the power of now a guide to spiritual enlightenment

Tolle argues that pain-bodies can be very destructive and ruin one’s mental and physical health if left unchallenged. The mind fuels these pain-bodies with negative thinking: regret or resentment from the past fears about the future or hatred toward other people.

In Chapter 2, Tolle builds on these ideas by introducing the concept of the “pain-body,” which he says can manifest as physical or emotional pain. Tolle then contrasts the mind with people’s “true natures” or “Being,” which he says anyone can access by living in the “Now,” or the present moment. He connects the mind to the ego and claims that its compulsive thinking can become a kind of “addiction” that causes harm to oneself and others. Tolle’s first chapter, “You Are Not Your Mind,” introduces readers to his argument that negative feelings and actions are the result of over-identifying with one’s mind. He then explains that the book will explore the difference between the ego and the “true nature” and show readers how to change their mindsets and experience inner peace. Tolle argues that his extreme emotional pain and psychological distress “must have forced my consciousness to withdraw from its identification with the unhappy and deeply fearful self,” leaving him with only his “true nature” and his inherent contentedness (5). The next day, he woke up with a new appreciation for everything around him, which felt “fresh and pristine” (4). Tolle felt himself drawn into a “void” within him and felt his fear dissolve. He remembers being severely anxious and depressed in his 20s, which culminated in a transformative experience at the age of 29. In the Introduction, Tolle shares the personal backstory of his revelation about the ego and the true self.

While he feels that his book was generally positively received, he also responds to criticisms of his work, commenting that it will naturally prompt “egoic reaction, resistance, and attack” (169). In the Preface, written six years after the book’s original publication date, Tolle reflects on his book’s rise to fame and shares that many readers reached out to him with messages about how his work changed their lives. Content Warning: This guide mentions suicidal ideation.

The power of now a guide to spiritual enlightenment