Lucia Canovi

Eckhart Tolle and Idiocracy Lucia Canovi

Publisher's note Does Eckhart Tolle, well-known author of The Power of Now and personal development writer, present us with some kind of liberating spirituality, free from any ideology? Lucia Canovi shows us that the reality is not quite so simple. In the maze of 'Tollian' concepts (ego, Being, mind...) points of convergence are exposed, along with distortions, contradictions and a hidden coherence, which lead Tolle's disciples unwittingly towards a dumbed down state of inertia: the happiness of a contented fool. This salutary book, refreshing and humorous, will be enjoyed by those who are trying to make logical sense of the doctrines of enlightened spiritual gurus, Tolle being one of them, and will interest anyone looking for inner peace... a peace that Tolle is trying to sell at too high a price. Extract. "It is as a former devout follower of Eckhart Tolle that I am warning you: his spiritual teachings are not a well of infinite wisdom. Or at least, if they are a well, they are not the sort of well which will quench your thirst, but merely the kind of well you drown in. Moreover, neither are they the road to enlightenment. At least, if they are the road to enlightenment, this enlightenment does not in any way resemble the rosy view we have of it. As far as I am concerned, I would rather not go there. On reading this book, you will not only get to see Tolle's work, but also what you might more generally refer to as his "spirituality", in a new light - a rational and discursive light. Instead of letting yourself be led along by undefined emotions and confused feelings, as Tolle encourages you to do, you will start to listen to your own inner voice of reason. After that, you are welcome to choose whichever view you find more convincing: either one where Tolle is a "spiritual master" of the highest level, or one where Tolle is the very crafty author of a rather toxic best-seller. What is crucial is that you get to see both sides of the coin; that you hold enough cards to make up your own mind; in short, that you can get to see the positives and negatives. I use the word "crucial", because becoming a disciple of Eckhart Tolle is a decision which will bring in its wake a whole host of consequences, as we are just about to discover..."