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julievluvs2read's review against another edition
3.0
Not a particularly well written book, but it brought me back to A Course in Miracles. It is somewhat narrative, with quotes from the Course and banter in between. Interesting that there are 365 quotes from the Course- one for each day.
christinaoh's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes entertaining, looping and prolix book of transcribed interviews with two Ascended Masters. In a book about leaving one's slavehood to the Ego for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and recognizing the separation from God, remnants of the authorial ego still exist within his paragraphs about his then-wife Karen, and his inexact grasp and suspicion of feminism: seeing souls as souls, recognizing the other as one self and therefore equal to should be within the capability of anyone writing a Course in Miracles companion text.
Without the framework of the word-for-word transcription of the Ascended Masters' wisdom over nine years, this companion to the A Course in Miracles texts would be tidier. Some points are made but not fully explained, some points are made that are completely irrelevant, like crop circles creation.
The Disappearance of the Universe is well-meaning, and I did receive some value from it, but it didn't impart much to me other than reinforcing welcome shifts of perception. I believe other ACIM writers (e.g. Alan Cohen) could do that for me too, without gimmickry and so much ego and snark.
Without the framework of the word-for-word transcription of the Ascended Masters' wisdom over nine years, this companion to the A Course in Miracles texts would be tidier. Some points are made but not fully explained, some points are made that are completely irrelevant, like crop circles creation.
The Disappearance of the Universe is well-meaning, and I did receive some value from it, but it didn't impart much to me other than reinforcing welcome shifts of perception. I believe other ACIM writers (e.g. Alan Cohen) could do that for me too, without gimmickry and so much ego and snark.
thatkellylynnegirl's review against another edition
4.0
Gary's story of understanding A Course in Miracles and how higher thinking can transform us.
mrs_wheatfall's review against another edition
5.0
This book is just phenomenal. It's LONG. It's not an easy read. But I read it in a book study setting at my church and we got so much out of it. If you are spiritually minded, a seeker of any type, you may very well love this book.
thing2thing's review against another edition
3.0
Revisit this book after reading Your Immortal Reality.
hangmansson's review against another edition
4.0
Disappearance of the Universe follows Gary Renard's numerous encounters with Arten and Pursah over a number of years in which they give their musings on a number of topics from an ACIM philosophy. This book is considered to be a great introduction to ACIM which is why I read it and I began that book before even finishing this one. Some of what is written in this book can be truly upsetting to virgin ears. Despite the initial shock, I find a lot of peace in what is written in this book because I believe it is the truth. As someone who believes that man has a spiritual side, but feels an aversion to the stranglehold of traditional religion, this introduction to ACIM seems to give me the answers I've been aching for for a long time.
This book has made me aware of an unconscious guilt innate in all humans that lead them to become uncomfortable with themselves. I'm still trying to grasp it but when you take a step back from the seeming form of our problems, the monstrous "reality" of future dragons and hurricanes, there is an inner fear that our anxieties don't want us to face.
The book doesn't teach of a heaven after death but a heaven within. This message is one that can't manipulated by religious institutions. It instead preaches an internal relationship as the way to awakening to truth. There are no rules or boundaries set on trivial matters like sexuality --encouraging people to love themselves and not get caught up in trying to control their behavior.
The book holds a belief that everyone is innocent and the events of our life are a curriculum that can return us to this state of innocence. That concept has stuck with me deeply and has created a deep change within me. Every response to a situation -- big or small -- is a response to the ego. This is because all experiences we have are ultimately just mental states. A small upset isn't very different from a mild grievance except that we attach ourselves to some things more than others. Internalizing these beliefs help someone keep a light heart and soul in the face of the awful images one might have to face in their life. Grudges, anger, guilt, shame only exist until one reinterprets and accepts these images for what they truly are. The idea of choosing again is brought up a lot. Choosing to let go and accept these images helps us forgive and be free from the weight of fear. It is always our tendency to cling on, but in every moment we have the freedom to choose again.
One concept that blew my mind was the concept of a true prayer. Many christians think they are special because they can ask for things to go their way. This places an importance on a certain form or forms that one can internalize as an idol in their mind. When these idols are taken away like all things of this world eventually are, their faith weakens when they aren't given what they taught they were entitled to keep. Instead, true prayer consists of temporarily retreating from whatever problems you believe you have and instead remembering the love and gratefulness innate in all of us, forever. It is from this state of mind that we get true solutions to our problems, not from a mind of separation and fear.
These ideas may seem heartless or inhuman but the truth is we are all forced to give up whatever we believe we have when we die. Maybe by accepting what we don't have, we can realize we aren't giving anything up. Then we can learn to love things for what they really are, not for what we want them to be.
This book has made me aware of an unconscious guilt innate in all humans that lead them to become uncomfortable with themselves. I'm still trying to grasp it but when you take a step back from the seeming form of our problems, the monstrous "reality" of future dragons and hurricanes, there is an inner fear that our anxieties don't want us to face.
The book doesn't teach of a heaven after death but a heaven within. This message is one that can't manipulated by religious institutions. It instead preaches an internal relationship as the way to awakening to truth. There are no rules or boundaries set on trivial matters like sexuality --encouraging people to love themselves and not get caught up in trying to control their behavior.
The book holds a belief that everyone is innocent and the events of our life are a curriculum that can return us to this state of innocence. That concept has stuck with me deeply and has created a deep change within me. Every response to a situation -- big or small -- is a response to the ego. This is because all experiences we have are ultimately just mental states. A small upset isn't very different from a mild grievance except that we attach ourselves to some things more than others. Internalizing these beliefs help someone keep a light heart and soul in the face of the awful images one might have to face in their life. Grudges, anger, guilt, shame only exist until one reinterprets and accepts these images for what they truly are. The idea of choosing again is brought up a lot. Choosing to let go and accept these images helps us forgive and be free from the weight of fear. It is always our tendency to cling on, but in every moment we have the freedom to choose again.
One concept that blew my mind was the concept of a true prayer. Many christians think they are special because they can ask for things to go their way. This places an importance on a certain form or forms that one can internalize as an idol in their mind. When these idols are taken away like all things of this world eventually are, their faith weakens when they aren't given what they taught they were entitled to keep. Instead, true prayer consists of temporarily retreating from whatever problems you believe you have and instead remembering the love and gratefulness innate in all of us, forever. It is from this state of mind that we get true solutions to our problems, not from a mind of separation and fear.
These ideas may seem heartless or inhuman but the truth is we are all forced to give up whatever we believe we have when we die. Maybe by accepting what we don't have, we can realize we aren't giving anything up. Then we can learn to love things for what they really are, not for what we want them to be.
tawnygeorge's review against another edition
4.0
I'll probably be thinking about the ideas in this book for the rest of my life.