Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 1:01am
The Oprah and Eckhart show
Column: wavelength
I am an enthusiastic type. If we were watching "Peter Pan" together, I would be clapping my hands for Tinkerbell to live. If something touches my heart, I am on board 100 percent.
So when Oprah announced that she and contemporary spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle were joining forces to offer a free, 10-week interactive, online course based on Tolle's latest book, "A New Earth," I was interested.
I have to admit that my primary interest was in experiencing the Zeitgeist of this phenomenon.
This event is a first of its kind — as Oprah is quick to tell us. Never before has something like this been offered at no charge to virtually everyone on the planet. To me, this feels like a seminal moment; a threshold has been crossed. Once, again, Oprah Winfrey has opened new doors and called us all to the table for a huge conversation.
These webcasts have been named the world's largest classroom. At last count, with two out of the 10 webcasts presented, there have been 2 million people worldwide who have accessed these classes. And I suspect that the numbers will continue to grow, as Oprah carries a formidable power of influence. This whole event is an amazing amalgam of vision, generosity, technology and daring.
Now before I go further, let me be clear: I am a believer in the "and and" philosophy (see my column "The case for wiggle room") and, as such, believe there is room at the table for everyone. My intent today is to add my two cents to the conversation. I applaud the pioneering genius, enthusiasm and drive of Oprah Winfrey to share her passion with the world.
That said, I have found myself having great debates from my couch with Oprah and Eckhart. I feel a need to defend the ego.
I have found Tolle's works to be steeped in the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of the East with an emphasis on the annihilation of the ego so that one's true essence (what I might call soul) can emerge. I have also found Tolle to be very mental in his constructs. I have recommended his books to my students; there is certainly value in his work. What I have not found or felt is the wisdom of the heart.
From my perspective, the ego is not all bad. I understand Tolle to define it otherwise; he sees the ego as the workings of the mind (vs. the brain), the place of story, drama and attachment. I understand, and agree - in part - with his definition, but I believe that the ego also serves us.
Tolle allowed that his ego died when he was on the brink of suicide; upon the ego's death, he became more conscious and aware. Clearly, I have a long way to go on my path; my ego is alive and well and struggling to find balance. Perhaps it's my ego rattling around in my being screaming, "What about me?"
I find Tolle's view of the ego to be somewhat negative, limited and mind-bound. In his works, I do not see compassion for the process of growth, the acceptance of our humanness or the phenomenological gift of what is experienced by each of us - be it depression, illness, pain or anxiety — as potential doorways of insight along the way.
Tolle says that depression is attachment to our respective story. OK, I understand what he says, but his thinking seems simplistic to me. Depression can have biochemical and genetic components. Further, depression often serves as a time of darkness and incubation that leads to growth and unfolding. From my perspective, there is no misstep. Everything serves us. Yes, of course, we can get stuck in the story, but that very stuckness is also a clue along the path.
Wasn't it Carl Jung who told us that we could only change that which we accept first? I concur.
To the woman in pain on this week's webcast, Tolle suggested the following: She surrenders to the pain. (I get that. It makes more sense than fighting your pain; that's exhausting.) She spends more time in nature. (I get that, too. That can be relaxing, soothing and aid and abet the surrendering process.) She is not to talk about her pain to anyone save to her physician. She is to think positively. All of these suggestions are designed to help the person move away from the psychological pain of her physical pain as well as any over-identification with her illness. And I get it all.
And I might suggest that this woman dialogue with her pain and listen to what her body has to tell her. Our bodies hold much wisdom. I might also suggest that she talk with friends or join a support group; research has proven the benefits of this kind of communion. Not to mention, there is prayer (aka conversation with the divine) and imagery work, which is communication with the mind-body-spirit parts of ourselves. There are also mind-body techniques, like hypnosis, that decrease pain. There are so many possibilities. If you accept that we are all holographic beings of energy, there are many wells to be plumbed.
The word "ego" is from the Latin and means "I myself." Our ego works hard to be known or to stay safe. Our ego looks for feedback, security and reassurance. Isn't it our egos that that push us to do more, try harder?
I feel that our ego is the very center of our humanness. We learn through our experiences the good, the bad and the ugly. Isn't our ego that wonderfully human part that teaches us how to make a connection with the divine, allows us to stand in courage and creates opportunities for change? Is it not our very humanness that opens the door for compassion and generosity?
Yes, with a mangled ego we can shrink and shirk our greatness. We can get hung up with attachments, stories and labels. Tolle is quite right about those aspects of ego.
However, I believe that to walk a spiritual path requires a well-formed, healthy, strong ego. It takes guts to be true to yourself and others, to be authentic in your actions and stand with an open heart.
Eckhart Tolle would say death to your ego. I say, let your ego talk and be its wonderfully wiggly self and grow in consciousness.
— — —
Dr. Adele Ryan McDowell, Ph.D., is a psychologist, empath and shaman who likes looking at life with the big viewfinder. Her email address is {email ARMCDOWELL@aol.com}ARMCDOWELL@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Adele Ryan McDowell.
So when Oprah announced that she and contemporary spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle were joining forces to offer a free, 10-week interactive, online course based on Tolle's latest book, "A New Earth," I was interested.
I have to admit that my primary interest was in experiencing the Zeitgeist of this phenomenon.
This event is a first of its kind — as Oprah is quick to tell us. Never before has something like this been offered at no charge to virtually everyone on the planet. To me, this feels like a seminal moment; a threshold has been crossed. Once, again, Oprah Winfrey has opened new doors and called us all to the table for a huge conversation.
These webcasts have been named the world's largest classroom. At last count, with two out of the 10 webcasts presented, there have been 2 million people worldwide who have accessed these classes. And I suspect that the numbers will continue to grow, as Oprah carries a formidable power of influence. This whole event is an amazing amalgam of vision, generosity, technology and daring.
Now before I go further, let me be clear: I am a believer in the "and and" philosophy (see my column "The case for wiggle room") and, as such, believe there is room at the table for everyone. My intent today is to add my two cents to the conversation. I applaud the pioneering genius, enthusiasm and drive of Oprah Winfrey to share her passion with the world.
That said, I have found myself having great debates from my couch with Oprah and Eckhart. I feel a need to defend the ego.
I have found Tolle's works to be steeped in the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of the East with an emphasis on the annihilation of the ego so that one's true essence (what I might call soul) can emerge. I have also found Tolle to be very mental in his constructs. I have recommended his books to my students; there is certainly value in his work. What I have not found or felt is the wisdom of the heart.
From my perspective, the ego is not all bad. I understand Tolle to define it otherwise; he sees the ego as the workings of the mind (vs. the brain), the place of story, drama and attachment. I understand, and agree - in part - with his definition, but I believe that the ego also serves us.
Tolle allowed that his ego died when he was on the brink of suicide; upon the ego's death, he became more conscious and aware. Clearly, I have a long way to go on my path; my ego is alive and well and struggling to find balance. Perhaps it's my ego rattling around in my being screaming, "What about me?"
I find Tolle's view of the ego to be somewhat negative, limited and mind-bound. In his works, I do not see compassion for the process of growth, the acceptance of our humanness or the phenomenological gift of what is experienced by each of us - be it depression, illness, pain or anxiety — as potential doorways of insight along the way.
Tolle says that depression is attachment to our respective story. OK, I understand what he says, but his thinking seems simplistic to me. Depression can have biochemical and genetic components. Further, depression often serves as a time of darkness and incubation that leads to growth and unfolding. From my perspective, there is no misstep. Everything serves us. Yes, of course, we can get stuck in the story, but that very stuckness is also a clue along the path.
Wasn't it Carl Jung who told us that we could only change that which we accept first? I concur.
To the woman in pain on this week's webcast, Tolle suggested the following: She surrenders to the pain. (I get that. It makes more sense than fighting your pain; that's exhausting.) She spends more time in nature. (I get that, too. That can be relaxing, soothing and aid and abet the surrendering process.) She is not to talk about her pain to anyone save to her physician. She is to think positively. All of these suggestions are designed to help the person move away from the psychological pain of her physical pain as well as any over-identification with her illness. And I get it all.
And I might suggest that this woman dialogue with her pain and listen to what her body has to tell her. Our bodies hold much wisdom. I might also suggest that she talk with friends or join a support group; research has proven the benefits of this kind of communion. Not to mention, there is prayer (aka conversation with the divine) and imagery work, which is communication with the mind-body-spirit parts of ourselves. There are also mind-body techniques, like hypnosis, that decrease pain. There are so many possibilities. If you accept that we are all holographic beings of energy, there are many wells to be plumbed.
The word "ego" is from the Latin and means "I myself." Our ego works hard to be known or to stay safe. Our ego looks for feedback, security and reassurance. Isn't it our egos that that push us to do more, try harder?
I feel that our ego is the very center of our humanness. We learn through our experiences the good, the bad and the ugly. Isn't our ego that wonderfully human part that teaches us how to make a connection with the divine, allows us to stand in courage and creates opportunities for change? Is it not our very humanness that opens the door for compassion and generosity?
Yes, with a mangled ego we can shrink and shirk our greatness. We can get hung up with attachments, stories and labels. Tolle is quite right about those aspects of ego.
However, I believe that to walk a spiritual path requires a well-formed, healthy, strong ego. It takes guts to be true to yourself and others, to be authentic in your actions and stand with an open heart.
Eckhart Tolle would say death to your ego. I say, let your ego talk and be its wonderfully wiggly self and grow in consciousness.
— — —
Dr. Adele Ryan McDowell, Ph.D., is a psychologist, empath and shaman who likes looking at life with the big viewfinder. Her email address is {email ARMCDOWELL@aol.com}ARMCDOWELL@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Adele Ryan McDowell.