Infinite Self: 33 Steps to Reclaiming Your Inner Power

Rating:
Summary: Demystifying mysticism
Review: I am a sincere, believing Roman Catholic, but a very frustrated one. A deep, important, and powerful mystery, namely the person and message of Jesus Christ, lies at the heart not just of my religious experience, but at the heart of the religious experience of Christians with many names (Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc.) The core mystery itself seems to me quite unrestricted and open for the growth, fulfillment, and even enjoyment of all. Still, too often our practice becomes mechanical (tick tock) and we may find that our experiential entry into the true mystery is at best not helped and perhaps, at worst, a bit hindered by the religious organization or ceremonial forms of our churches. That is a great shame.

If nothing whatever that Stewart Wilde wrote had any meaning or validity at all, his book would still be a great delight to read. It has a wonderful, light, conversational form that is as engaging as a conversation with a lively friend. So, the act of reading it is very pleasant. Much more importantly, the content of the book is extremely well balanced, much better than any other "religion and spirituality" book that I have ever read. On the one hand, it makes no promise at all of any quick fixes or "magic bullets". On the other hand, it avoids the sort of purely poetic expressions that seem to please many readers even though they offer no clear, concrete path to a better life or a better religious experience. It replaces that with extremely practical suggestions that can be implemented directly.

I have the very highest reverence for scripture. I study it as best I can and with some seriousness of purpose. I regard it as the inspired Word of God. Still, mostly I fall very short of an actual understanding of it. If I were to be stranded on a desert island and allowed only one "religion and spirituality" book, I would recognize the overwhelming inspiration and perfection of the Bible, but I'd take this book with me instead, simply because I can understand it and hope to grind out some real progress by its use.

Stuart Wilde, if you're out there somewhere, I say Boogaloo, I thank you.

Rating:
Summary: Hidden depths but not enough shadow
Review: I bought this book in 1996, and I've lost count of the number of times I've read it. It spoke to me at once and has become a great friend over the years. For me it is the most profound of his books, from which I get something new each year. There are hidden depths that appear only when you have experienced enough and reflected enough on that experience.

Wilde's style, as ever, is populist and jokey, but the message is uncompromising: you have to take complete responsibility for your life if you want to avoid repeating old patterns that cause suffering, if you want to put ego in its rightful place. He is very good at exposing the ego-gratifying and change-inhibiting nature of (most) organized religion. Wilde uses ancient Daoist teachings and insights as his starting point, but gives them a contemporary flavor. His idea of the God Force may sound New Agey but, in spite of first appearances, this is no milk-and-water spirituality.

And yet, even as I continue to cherish Wilde's work, I come increasingly to the view that he is one-sided in discussing what he calls the God Force: the Dao, the Divine Essence, God, etc. Although he is not a conventional New Ager, he strikes me as naive in assuming the universe to be necessarily benign. Single-mindedness and purity of heart (difficult as they are to achieve) are not enough; we often do not get what we bargain for. One should approach the living God with fear and trembling and limitless humility. The tone of this book is a too light, too bright, too self-regarding; there is not enough of the otherness of God (even the God-within-us), of the shadow we do not see and most certainly do not want. Perhaps Wilde knows more from his spiritual explorations than he tells the reader here, and maybe this book already serves a valuable purpose. I am certainly grateful for it.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed and not impressed.
Review: I have read a couple of other Wilde books and found them useful. However this rendition I found increasingly irritating. He talks about what HE has done so much and how committed HE is and HE knows all these secrets like walking through walls etc you are left wondering how exactly to apply this "wisdom" to your own life in a practical way. I agree with some of the ideas he mentions like letting go of the ego and dedicating your life to sacredness and align with nature - these are age-old concepts that Mr Wilde is supposedly explaining to us afresh so that we can "get it". However most of the book is taken up with self-congratulating stories about his spiritual life or just babbling about his ideas about the universe that don't seem to have much basis in truth - where's the evidence? the last three chapters of the book I found really poor - I found it hard to grasp what I was supposed to get out it - when he is talking about seeing 3-d shapes moving in front of him. It left me with a big SO WHAT feeling. I also took exception to his ideas about illness - he says if you have a genetic illness then just learn to accept it but if your illness is not genetic then just "fix it". Try telling that to a 9 year old girl whose first sexual experience is to be raped by a man with aids and is now dying. It aint so easy and simple as Mr Wilde makes out. It seems like he lacks compassion for the human condition in some places of the book. In summary there are one or two useful gems in the book that are not of Mr Wilde's conception i.e. they are taken from the Tao Te Ching and the rest is crud. (...)

Rating:
Summary: A Non-Guru, Guru
Review: I love all of Stuart Wilde's books, and this one is no exception. It's probably one of my favorites. This is a spiritual "how-to" guide in the most subtle sense...because it doesn't TELL you how to do it. It gives you ideas and thoughts to ponder that can hit you like a rush, or trickle in and make sense years later. It's all about perspective! The trick is to understand that perspective is unique to everyone. What is true for me, isn't true for anyone else....but does that make me wrong and everyone right? Definitely not! That's the whole point.....there is no right, and there is no wrong. There is only 'being'. The universe could be viewed as a big game where there are no winners and no losers, only participants.

This book is the philosophy of the Tao De Ching not just translated to english, but rewritten to be understood by us 'westerners' or what Stuart calls himself, "Urban Taoist". You could read this book a hundred times, and each time find something new that you didn't get before....., just like the Tao!

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Summary: Set Yourself FREE!!!
Review: If You have felt that there's got to be more to life than the daily grind, taxes and death, then this is the book for You. Stuart Wilde writes only as he can direct, clear, concise and humorous. Stuart is known as the teachers teacher for good reason, in Infinite Self he provides you a time-tested(ancient), proven step by step plan to reclaim your lost inner power. We've all forgotten who we really are...Other books just talk about the great masters, Infinte Self is really a workbook that shows you step by step how to become powerful and master life. This book helped me change my life and if you use these steps, it can help change yours too. Let your light shine for all to see, claim your love it will set you free. Camelot is coming back now they call it TOLEMAC.

Rating:
Summary: Good basis for creating your own philosphy.
Review: If you like Stuart Wilde, this is a must have. I have read this book twice and discove new ideas each time....it will change your life!

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Summary: One of the most impactful books of my life!
Review: This book found me by accident four years ago. I have read it countless times and it has GREATLY influenced how I approach life. I have adopted many of the principles as my own. Stuart's style is enthusiastic, irreverant, honest, straighforward, unique and not bogged down with gobbledygook and the ego centered language of a lot of other spiritual self-help books. It leaves other books of this genre in the dust. I recommend it to anyone who is open minded and sincerely wants to make progress on her or his spiritual path!!

Rating:
Summary: Courage to read it again.......and again
Review: This was the last Wilde book I read. Before reading this book,and Whispering Winds of Change, I was on a quest. For several years I read a variety of books ranging from hard physics to very soft, barely digestable, new age fluff. I read on all of the world's most prevalent religions and philosophies and a number of works, both ancient and new, that were born of those beliefs. When I read Infinite Self, I found those bits of truth that have been scattered throughout the great writtings of the world. Stuart Wilde's works have resonated with me like very few others,especially Infinite Self. The Bhagavad-Gita has greater understanding to me now. The Tao Te Ching rings much clearer. The Bible has even become more palatable. Mr. Wilde, I mean no disrespect, but I hope you never write again, you have said what needed to be said. Thank you for not allowing your ego to control your work, like Walsch, Gawain, Redfield and so many others who were once on the path. I look now for the courage to read it again.