Richard L. Haight

Originally published in 2016. I’m not so sure I’d call this a “memoir”. It seems to be more of a “how-to” to get to spiritual consciousness. You know you are living life in the mind when you have disharmony in the soul. This author renamed God when he encountered His bliss because the name God didn’t seem to fit. He named him “Isness” because He is in everything…your soul, your spirit, the trees, the plants, the sky, the universe, etc… I’m okay with that; Isness can be the God, Jehovah, the “I am”. God goes by many names.

In his early start, the author lived in Japan for a while and was trained under a martial arts instructor, and received spiritual therapy. Here, he claims to have seen the unbelievable. His instructor took his arm and swung him flip-flop like a ragdoll with no exertion on the instructor’s part. The instructor then held out his index finger and told him to grab it. When he did, the instructor, apparently, flip-flopped him again like in a cartoon. Here’s where I’m having a hard time believing. I can’t believe this until I actually see it, sorry!

The author also claimed to have seen in a martial arts class one time, a student try to kick the teacher, but there was a barrier, an invisible wall, preventing the kick and the student fell down. He claimed the teacher was in complete harmony, living in unconditioned love, and when anyone is in that state, they cannot be harmed by anyone. I don’t believe this! What about innocent little babies who have no biases and no hate in their hearts. Bad things do happen to babies!

The point of this book was to learn to live in the present, not live with your mind, which has limitations and is living in the future (hopeful) or the past, but to live in unconditioned love and being one with the Isness, or God. He attempts to show you how to get there, but I just couldn’t understand what he was saying at all. It sounded like highfalutin gibberish.

Of all the millions of people in this current world, and past, this author knows exactly what happens to the human soul after death as it gets ready for reincarnation to continue our journey? Even the Dalai Lama wrote that he was at least “hopeful” that what he was doing in this life would help him in his next life.

When the author took a spiritual journey to the Amazons, he claimed he was told he would start a new kind of spiritual therapy, combining martial arts and therapy. So, he created the “Observation Meditation” where you focus on the 5 senses (visual, sound, feel, smell & taste) to get to a meditative state. And then created the “Dance of the Self” meditation where you reflect on your day anywhere in private for 10-15 minutes. If you notice any disharmony within yourself, or against any one else, find it in your body and discard it.

Now, it seems to me that this author is really lust looking to start a whole new ‘following’?… (plus d'informations)

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, at first I thought this might just be another book by someone who wants to jump on the band wagon of enlightenment but by the 3rd chapter (they are very short chapters) of this book I was sucked in by Haight's journey. Through conversations, with parents and teachers, meditation, martial arts and vision quests Haight found himself with some very real yet primal understanding.

I find his method of meditation very interesting and inspiring. Haight's teachings are not to be applied only in a special setting but more as a way to live in the world.

I found this book extremely inspiring and filled with a unique take on many spiritual paths. If you have any interest in expanding your mind and or have an interest in martial arts this would be a good book for you.… (plus d'informations)