Roots of Religion
Eckhart Tolle’s first book, The Power of Now, was published some years ago and has become a ‘spiritual classic’ and bestseller in a number of countries worldwide. In this new book, Tolle continues to bring across his understanding of the very fundamental issues that form the basis of all religion.

With much detail and clarity the author deals with most aspects of ‘Human Consciousness’. He explains the Ego, or the Illusory Self, which is closely linked with the ‘Voice in the Head’. In great detail we learn about the content and structure of the Ego.

Tolle then moves on to explaining the core of Ego. Just reading the subtitles in this chapter gives a clear indication of Tolle’s views; Complaining and Resentment, Reactivity and Grievances, Being Right, Making Wrong, In Defence of an Illusion, Truth: Relative and Absolute, The Ego is not Personal, War is a Mind-set, Do You Want Peace or Drama, Beyond Ego: Your True Identity, etc.

In the following chapter Tolle deals with what he calls ‘the Many Faces of the Ego’ that are displayed in the constant role-playing we all are involved in throughout life. Here he deals with issues such as ‘Happiness as a Role versus True Happiness’, The Pathological Ego, The Ego and Illness and the Collective Ego.

In the introduction to the book Tolle states that nothing he says is really new or unique to him, and up till this point in the book this is really true. Still, the clarity and logic with which he presents his thoughts make them appear really fresh and original.

In the next chapter, however, Tolle discusses ideas that are much more his own. Here he introduces the ‘Pain-Body’, which he describes as a ‘psychic parasite’ that ‘feeds on drama’. The Pain-Body can be said to be the sum of negative events and thoughts – a kind of personal karma – that has a negative effect on us. The Pain-Body, Tolle says, needs to be ‘fed’ on a regular basis. This means that it takes over our mind, gives us negative thoughts and makes us behave in negative ways.

As a metaphor, Tolle’s description of the Pain-Body is quite accurate. Still, it seems a bit dangerous to argue that we can blame our bad behaviour on some kind of ‘psychic parasite’ that takes over and runs our life whenever it needs to ‘feed itself’. On the contrary, people with psychological problems (however described or defined) may instead need to learn to take responsibility for all their actions, good and bad.

Personally, I prefer to see ‘negative’ thoughts and actions more in terms of our tendency to react to ‘the wrong event’. That is to say that our thoughts and behaviour may be based on memories of old experiences and events, triggered by something in our current situation. This means that there is a kind of positive logic in all we do, even when we are expressing ‘negative behaviour’. The problem is rather that the logic somehow has got twisted due to confusion in our reaction that may be triggered by associations to one or several events at the same time, or in other words, our inability to understand our own reactions. To seek the positive logic in what we do, seems to me more fruitful in the understanding of our selves, than to use words such as Pain-Body and ‘psychic parasite’, and to make this into some kind of alien invasion of our body and mind.

The final chapters of the book give advice of how we can break free of the influence of our Ego and Pain-Body and find who we truly are. By discovering our inner space and purpose we will move to a spiritual awakening that eventually will take us all to a New Earth. Here too Tolle explains his thoughts with great clarity and accessibility, even if his level of certainly of such a positive outcome can be questioned, given the many problems we can identify in the world we live in today.

As a whole the book is both a good introduction for those who are new to this subject, and those who have already reached a certain level of awareness. I question, however, Tolle’s repeated assurances throughout the book, that anyone who reads the book, is automatically on the right path and as a consequence able to fully understand his message. Instead I would say that this book is ideal for study circles. Not necessarily because of any risk of misinterpretation, but more because it is very thought-provoking and well worth studying in depth together with a group of like-minded people.

Gunnel Minett is author of ‘Breath and Spirit’.