Dr. Joe Dispenza - Becoming Supernatural

[usmaak]

I am exactly 50% of the way through this book.  When reading books like this, that's the point at which I stop and consider whether I would like to continue reading, or whether I am just wasting my time and that I should just move along.  With this book, however, I have been having a difficult time deciding.  I feel like there is some good material here and some of it just feels right.  One of my main complaints about the beginning of the book is that the author keeps throwing new concepts out without any kind of supporting evidence.  We are then expected to take the author at his word that what he's saying is true.  Eventually, he starts discussing things like the Heart Math Institute.  I've heard of that because I read pretty much the same stuff in a book by Dawson Church.

There were some concepts that I really liked.  For instance, he talked about how we can get addicted to negativity (paraphrasing).  I know this to be true, as I've experienced it over the course of my life.  It's one of the aspects of me that I most dislike.  There was other stuff that didn't feel right, but he just sounded so confident of himself that I found myself wanting to at least entertain the idea that what he says might have some validity.  The jury is still out about whether I'll get to the point of actually believing.

The one thing that is steering me in the direction of putting this book down unfinished is that a lot of it feels like a big infomercial.  Just about every chapter that I've read so far is trying to sell me something else.  In the first few chapters, it was meditation downloads.  Now it is some software for mind movies and a $40 kaleidoscope video on DVD. 

I don't have a problem with people making money off of what they do.  I write apps for iPhones and I try to make money off of it (not really successful thus far), but I don't try and nickel and dime people half to death.  It really feels like the entire reason for this book is to sell his readers a bunch of seminars, meditation downloads, videos, and computer software.  Literally, nothing comes with this book, except for the book itself.  Everything else is a pricey add-on.

I know it sounds like I've convinced myself not to finish it, but I haven't.  It always bothers me to not finish a book that I started.

[Deb]

That book has been on my Wish List ever since it came out, but I'd hesitate to buy it.

My favorite Dr Joe book is You Are the Placebo. I've been a "fan" of his for ages, attended my first workshop at Shambhala Mountain Resort in Red Feather Lakes, CO many many years ago. There were 20 of us attendees and Dr Joe was very humble and a wonderful teacher. I've also attended his progressive workshops and gave up a couple of years ago because, like a lot of people in his position, he became too big and too commercial. How much money does one person need?

I'm not saying he doesn't sincerely believe in what he teaches. But it turned me off. He also doubled the cost of his workshops and I have a problem with only certain people being able to "afford" to progress spiritually.

One of my main complaints about the beginning of the book is that the author keeps throwing new concepts out without any kind of supporting evidence.

That's always a fine line with several books from the same author. Half the time they repeat everything from their older books and I feel like only part of the new book is actually new. But they have to do that because not everyone reads all of their books in sequence. So maybe Dr Joe assumed people reading this new book already read his others, that have the background information... I'm pretty sure the Placebo book had references, certainly charts and visuals, but I don't think even there he was citing references for every study. So I looked up some of the studies, and found them.

I understand your hesitation to just put the book down, but I've gotten over that myself over the years and can usually tell after a couple of chapters whether I'm going to get anything out of the book or not. I'll be taking the book off my Wish List. I think I've learned as much as I can from Dr Joe and will stick with the Seth books. No gimmicks with them!

If you're still interested in what he has to say, maybe try the Placebo book. You can probably get it at the library, both written and audio.

[Deb]

Sorry for the late update, but I'd also be happy to send the Placebo book to you in either format. I've read it twice, already have the audio stored in iTunes, so don't feel I need to hang onto either version. As they say, you can't take it with you.