Reddit reviews The Power of Now: a Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment

I meditate a few days a week. For about 15 - 20 minutes.

I read up on mindfulness, but I'm not sure how close my current method of meditation matches up with mindfulness.

I read a book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (which I highly recommend), and my meditation routine involves getting into that totally present mindset described in the book.

Not to get all meta, but it's as simple as being present and not living in your thoughts.

I lie down flat and listen to soothing ambient music and drift away but at the same time stay in tune with my bodily sensation.

I've read up a little bit on Transcendental Meditation and tried out the method I'd read about but using a mantra is a little constraining to me.

These are some great books I've read recently:

Influence: Psychology of Persuasion. How salespeople use psychology tricks on you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/006124189X?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00


Power of now. The present moment is the only thing that exists. Very deep book and not too hard to get through.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0340733500?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00


Psycho-cybernetics. A book about psychology, more about improving your self-image and confidence.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0671700758?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00


Think and grow rich. A good book that will motivate you to work harder.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1906465592?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00


Way of the superior man. Great book on relationships with women and what it means to be a man.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1591792576?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00


Mediations by Marcus Aurelius, nearly 2000 year old book! Great wisdom in here but I'd read some of these other books first. Make sure you get this version (Gregory hays translation) if you do buy the book, as apparently it has the best translation.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0753820161/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425294467&sr=1-3&keywords=meditations

I know it sounds almost impossible and for different people maybe different things work. For me, sometimes I hate myself and don't know how anyone could love me or how I could love myself.

These sad moments for me can always be dispelled by stopping thinking. May sound like a cliché but I read this book Power of Now at a time of real depression - I was starting the process of recognising how destructive my drug-taking was and how many people I had hurt because of it. Either way this revolutionised things for me.

I have met wonderful people over the past few years, and little snippets of conversation have remained with me and further help me to become less judgmental with myself and less severe. But always it comes back to the premise - stop thinking. Whenever I do so, especially coupling a good walk with no thinking, I can stop the process of negative self-talk which is the root of suicidal thoughts.

One of the people I loved died earlier this year after a suicidal overdose. A few times a week she'll come into my mind's eye and I'll have shivers thinking of her. Find silence and you'll find gentleness. Find gentleness and you'll find a love for yourself which will spill into the world around you.