Define Out Of Books Handbook to Higher Consciousness

Title	:	Handbook to Higher Consciousness
Author	:	Ken Keyes Jr.
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	First Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 215 pages
Published	:	January 1st 1993 by Love Line Books (first published 1973)
Categories	:	Self Help. Psychology. Spirituality. Nonfiction. Philosophy

Handbook to Higher Consciousness Paperback | Pages: 215 pages

Explanation To Books Handbook to Higher Consciousness

Written in 1975, this is a New Age classic and a truly awful book. Normally I just ignore awful books, but I have some things to say about exactly why the worldview presented by Keyes is toxic. The post-colon half of this book's title is "The Science of Happiness," which points to two ways this book is false: first, it teaches that spirituality is a science (it is not, it is an art). Second, it teaches that the goal of spiritual development is personal happiness (and it's not -- personal happiness is an accidental byproduct of spiritual development, but paradoxically, spiritual progress can only be made by cultivating selflessness). Keyes mixes a watered down version of Asian spiritual philosophy with self help and humanist philosophy, producing a program that is part Forum and part Scientology. You are a biocomputer, which is capable of producing absolute bliss at all times, but has been improperly programmed to produce pain, and by reprogramming yourself, you can fix all of your problems. The first step is getting rid of all addictive behaviour, defined here as "emotion-backed desires." ALL desires based on "need" are considered unhealthy. The enlightened person learns to let go of all need, and learn to think of desires as preferences instead. We must learn to love everyone unconditionally, including ourselves. Keyes' "Living Love" system for self realization includes affirmations like "I always remember that I have everything I ned to enjoy my here and now -- unless I am letting my consciousness be dominated by demands and expectations based on the dead past and the imagined future." There is some good advice in here, especially about how to break addictive thought patterns. The problem is that the overall worldview is narrow, shallow, rigid, and narcissistic. Keyes writes, "A practical rule of thumb for one starting on the road to higher consciousness is to grant oneself emotion-backed demands for physical necessities such as air, food if starving, or shelter if about to freeze -- and all other addictions are sickness!" If taken literally -- and make no mistake, Keyes means you to take him literally -- here are some "sick" thoughts that need to be "corrected" by the Living Love plan: -- my child needs good schools -- I need the factory across the road to stop spewing out air pollution -- I deserve to be safe from physical violence If a woman trapped in an abusive relationship were to read this book, she would be taught by Keyes that her problem was with her own perception of her situation -- there is nothing wrong with being raped and beaten, it is only your addiction to safety that is creating your emotional discomfort. And if the abusive husband read this book, here's Keyes' advice: "You can do anything you prefer as long as you are not addicted. For when you are free of addictions, your actions will be characterized by wisdom and oneness." So as long as you don't NEED to rape, but merely prefer it, go right ahead. There is no moral compass in this book at all, only infantile narcissism. That is why this worldview has such a deep and lasting appeal for the American middle and upper classes -- it IS useful advice if your biggest problem is where to shop this weekend, and it WILL help you stop obsessing about your neuroses. Furthermore, this book will help bolster the delusion that the world of the privileged, white, educated American is the only reality that exists, and nothing matters but furthering their comfort. If, on the other hand, you are a Haitian peasant trying to get health care for your child, this is a cheap and ludicrous book. This book is to Buddhism as strawberry pop tarts are to strawberries.

Mention Books Concering Handbook to Higher Consciousness

Original Title:	Handbook to Higher Consciousness
ISBN:	0960068880 (ISBN13: 9780960068883)
Edition Language:

Rating Out Of Books Handbook to Higher Consciousness

Ratings: 4.17 From 495 Users | 48 Reviews

Column Out Of Books Handbook to Higher Consciousness

This book is revolutionary. It helped me to recognize a lot of the ego-based behaviors and reactions that were creating unnecessary stress in my life--and to reframe them in what amounted to a paradigm shift. After reading the book and applying a few techniques, I felt a MUCH closer oneness with ALL the people around me--family, strangers, and friends. It seemed to help me return to an easy countenance that I could only remember harboring DECADES ago. Beyond that, one of the appendixes answered

The book has some really good ideas - nothing really new as far as standard enlightment goes but it does a nice job of connecting concepts with basic psychology. The one gripe I have with this book is that it is very repetitive - it could be a third shorter but still be able to convey its splendid ideas.

A lot of good advices and a good reflection about happinness.

I choose to read this book, because it was mentioned in 'the Conversations with God' books and so it didn't really provide me with any new information about the benefits of sprituality. But what I liked about this book is the "how to" explanations, the steps to grow towards a higher conciousness. I'm looking forward to using them! They are simple and easy to understand even though the discriptions of the different paths are quite lenghty and therefore a little difficult to learn by heart.

I read this book at a time when staying in the "now" was my only chance to keep from projecting a horrible future. It helped me so much.

This is the best book Ive read. It give you all new perspective of life, joy, happiness. Ive a long time answer seeker for one question: How can I handle fear, unhappiness, frustration and all those bad emotions. If youre struggling with those same problems I used to have, this is the book your looking for. I have a new task now, I most every book Ive read in the past, because I now have a different perspective. Men, what an awesome book!!!

Written in 1975, this is a New Age classic and a truly awful book. Normally I just ignore awful books, but I have some things to say about exactly why the worldview presented by Keyes is toxic.The post-colon half of this book's title is "The Science of Happiness," which points to two ways this book is false: first, it teaches that spirituality is a science (it is not, it is an art). Second, it teaches that the goal of spiritual development is personal happiness (and it's not -- personal