Key Takeaways
1. Transformation Springs from a Shift in Perspective
Transforming your consciousness may be the most important thing you can do for yourself and the world.
Consciousness Defined. Consciousness, in this context, refers to the quality of mind encompassing self-awareness, relationships, and worldview. It's the lens through which we experience reality, shaped by the interplay of our inner subjective world and the external objective world. This perspective contrasts with the dominant scientific view that consciousness is merely a byproduct of brain activity.
Worldview Determines Perception. Our worldview acts as a filter, determining what we're capable of seeing and understanding. Like Darwin's geological discoveries, new possibilities emerge when our worldview expands. This shift in perspective, a consciousness transformation, is the core of living deeply.
Transformation Defined. Consciousness transformation is a profound shift in your experience of consciousness, resulting in long-lasting changes in the way you understand and relate to yourself, others, and the world. It's not about changing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors directly, but rather about shifting your perception of consciousness itself.
2. Suffering and Awe: Catalysts for Change
Crisis, suffering, loss, the unexpected encounter with the unknown—all of this has the potential to initiate a shift in perspective.
Pain as a Portal. Difficult life events often create new levels of openness or vulnerability, setting the stage for a shift in worldview. This can include:
- Loss of a loved one
- Mental or emotional breakdown
- Injury or job loss
Noetic Experiences. Moments of profound awe, wonder, or transcendent bliss can provide a glimpse of something so compelling that they instill a strong intention to find out more. These noetic experiences, or moments of direct knowing, can serve as triggers for transformation.
Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary. Transformation isn't just about having classically mystical experiences. The possibilities inherent in each day will become clear when your worldview allows you to see them.
3. Cultivate Curiosity, Creativity, and Introspection
One of the most essential aspects of this path…is curiosity, just wondering what things are really like.
Curiosity and Inquiry. Approaching new experiences with a sense of adventure and exploration, rather than suspicion, is key. This includes cultivating an "I-don't-know mind," tolerating uncertainty, and resisting the urge to rush to judgment.
Creativity as a Catalyst. Making time for creative expression can be a challenge, but it's a crucial part of preparing the soil for transformation. The creative process is a breeding ground for new ideas and new connections between previously unrelated aspects of your self.
Introspection and Inner Authority. Making time for silence and solitude allows you to cultivate inner knowing and listen to your life in a new way. This includes paying attention to your dreams, natural rhythms, and the messages of the earth.
4. Intention, Attention, Repetition, and Guidance: Cornerstones of Transformative Practice
A practice is any nontrivial activity that you engage in in a long-term, patient, diligent way primarily for its own sake.
Intention. The determination to act in a certain way, the will to change, emotional volition and desire, or, put more simply: intention. It is a choice you make about where to place your awareness.
Attention. Transformative practices involve bringing your attention to activities in a particular way. It is closely related to awareness.
Repetition. Just as physical exercise helps form your musculoskeletal system and improve your cardiovascular health, transformative practice helps you live into a new way of being.
Guidance. Instruction is essential to creating a transformative practice. You need instruction. Learning to practice good things—being a more loving person, for example—that’s worth practicing.
5. Practice: A Path to Insight, Not Just a Goal
The question is, what do you do with the epiphany?
Beyond Goal Orientation. Transformative practices aren't just about achieving specific goals. They're about cultivating a way of being that allows you to live more fully and deeply.
The Importance of Integration. The transformative experience itself is less important than what comes next. The technique of the spiritual life is to cultivate the subtle imprint that is left after the great opening.
The Dangers of Attachment. Getting too attached to peak experiences can be a problem. Trying to re-create peak moments over and over again, rather than settling into the more subtle work of integrating the realizations from these experiences into your daily life, can be a problem.
6. From "I" to "We": Expanding Your Circle of Compassion
When I see that I’m everything, that’s love.
Transpersonal Connection. One of the most common elements of consciousness transformation is an experience of the transpersonal: an experience in which consciousness or self-awareness extends beyond the boundaries of the individual personality.
The Paradox of Self and Other. As you let go of self-interest and begin to feel a greater sense of belonging and interdependence, you simultaneously experience a stronger and deeper sense of your own authentic self.
Compassionate Love. The movement from "I" to "we" leads to a different kind of love—one that extends out from yourself to your larger community and beyond. And it is in this love that we can rest with deep contentment and clear purpose.
7. Everything is Sacred: Seeing the Divine in the Ordinary
The familiar is seen in a completely new way. Nothing changes, yet everything changes. The person is different.
The Sacred in the Mundane. Transformations also happen in the everyday places we inhabit in the course of everyday experiences. For some, transformation was found in fatherhood; for others, in tending a garden.
Interconnectedness. When you know how everything is connected to everything, out of this comes the seven sacred principles connected to our tradition.
The Full Catastrophe. Transformation entails the whole enchilada, or what Zorba the Greek called “the full catastrophe.”
8. Living Deeply: A Synthesis of Science and Wisdom
A transformation in consciousness affects a kind of double vision in people. They see more than one reality at the same time, which gives a depth to both their experience and to their response to the experience.
A Time of Convergence. Never before have so many worldviews, belief systems, and ways of understanding reality come into contact. Buddhist monks are sitting down with Harvard scientists to talk about the neuroscience of mindfulness.
The Art and Science of Transformation. This book weaves together the rigors of the scientific perspective with the deep wisdom of the world’s traditions to create a nondenominational, multicultural map to help guide you on your way through the transformations—whether large or small—that impact your life, your relationships, and your community.
Become the Scientist of Your Own Experience. Ultimately, this book encourages you to become the scientist of your own experience and the cartographer of your own transformative journey. The opportunity is yours. Welcome to the adventure.
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Review Summary
Living Deeply receives mostly positive reviews, with readers appreciating its insights on personal transformation and spiritual growth. Many found it inspiring and thought-provoking, particularly for those new to spirituality. The book's diverse perspectives and practical exercises were praised. Some readers noted repetition and a reliance on quotes, while others felt it lacked originality. Overall, it's seen as a valuable resource for understanding transformation, though its impact may vary depending on the reader's prior knowledge and spiritual experience.
