Bookshelf
Waking up is not a one-track path. It is more like a university in which many different subjects are taught. For the true disciple of enlightenment, learning is never over. We simply jump to the next subject our heart is interested in exploring and bringing to light.
To practice listening to your heart, read a book with a journal or some other means of writing down your thoughts. Then read only until your heart starts talking – that is until your curiosity grabs you, or you have thoughts stirred up by what you just read.
Don’t judge the thoughts that come – write them. Even if it is just a thread of an idea, writing it will start the flow of other ideas. Write what is generated, even if it contradicts what you are reading or has nothing at all to do with it. Opening your heart through this journaling exercise will teach you more than any book ever will, no matter how inspired the book.
If you’re looking for a few book ideas for your heart to expand, try a few of our favorites. Remember, the point here is to find books that call to you as a means of getting in touch with your heart. If none on this list do that for you, then please find something else that does!
Books by enOne
Bringing Heaven Home
Have you ever noticed that people who experience the divine during near-death experiences frequently see symbols from their own culture? How can we make sense of those differing experiences? What if a single person experienced heaven multiple times, each time from the perspective of a different culture? What could we learn about the nature of the divine and our time here on this earth? Bringing Heaven Home is the true story of a DNA scientist in multiple encounters with the divine starting with Jesus.
Faith to Produce Miracles
Faith to Produce Miracles bridges Eastern understanding with Biblical teachings. Dr. Brent Satterfield looks at the Christian concept of faith in context of the hidden subconscious beliefs that prevent awakening. The book is structured as a workbook to help the reader become more aware of these subconscious blocks to faith and the working of miracles.
Fundamentals of the “New” Spiritual Practice
No matter which religious or cultural background you come from, collectively we are trying to create something new. None of our religious paths ever produced in broader society the global awakening our hearts are attempting to create now. Here are a couple of authors who touch on what I believe are fundamental understandings for our evolving world:
The Gifts of Imperfection
Although Brené Brown is probably not considered a “spiritual” teacher by most (she is more in the domain of psychology and self-help), her raw discussion of vulnerability, accountability, and authenticity forms what I believe are the foundational truths needed by the world’s religious paths to rise together. This book is delicious to read in that it helps the heart feel like it has a way to start opening and healing.
Whatever Arises, Love That
Matt Kahn is one of the foremost spiritual teachers about evolving through self-love. Every word is imbued with loving energy to help the reader wake up to their own divine worth. He rightly (as far as I am concerned) teaches that self-love is the path to awakening to heaven on earth.
You Are the Placebo
Dr. Joe Dispenza gathered numerous scientific articles on the placebo effect and asked the pertinent question – how can our bodies heal from a sugar pill? He delves into the process of the mind and how our reality manifests from the deep beliefs of the heart. His teachings are insightful, and his meditation retreats are some of the most useful I have seen. I highly recommend his work.
Broad Understandings to Break Free of Unconscious Spiritual Paradigms
Most religions and cultures are built on the spiritual inspiration of a single person’s or a small group of people’s visions. One of the best ways to break free from religious and cultural dogma is to take a larger look at the data. For instance, take an uncensored review of hundreds of near-death experiences or of hundreds of hypnotic regressions to the time period before this life. Here are a couple of excellent recommendations:
God and the Afterlife
God and the Afterlife is the first scientific look at the data from hundreds of near-death experiences where individuals from multiple cultures described heaven. Dr. Jeffrey Long dispels a number of lingering religious myths of the divine through statistical analysis of these accounts. He also includes numerous detailed first-hand experiences that deeply move the reader with the unconditional love of the divine.
Journey of Souls
Dr. Michael Newton conducted thousands of hypnotic regression during the seventies in which patients recounted details of heaven prior to entering this life. While hypnotic regression is not accepted in all scientific arenas, the consistency of the data is worth deep consideration. What his subjects reveal is a comprehensive description of heaven that adds color to the interpretation of the world’s religious stories.
Discovering that Awakening is the Falling Apart of Everything You Thought You Knew
One of the least discussed aspects of awakening is that your entire world tends to fall apart. For those who are experiencing this, the most overwhelming part tends to be the sense of utter isolation – that you are alone and have absolutely no one who can understand what you are experiencing. Reading about this process can help transform the experience from one of isolation into one of expansion.
The End of Your World
Adyashanti, with a Buddhist-flavored perspective on individual identity, brilliantly discusses the falling apart of every construct of ego from religious to social patterns. His words help the reader know that they are not alone and understand that the sense of isolation is merely part of the process of awakening.
Falling Upward
Richard Rohr, a Catholic Priest, provides insights into the two phases of life. In the first phase an individual cultivates their personality. In the second, all of the programs used to develop the personality fall away. His easy way of speaking provides comfort and hope for those who are experiencing deep spiritual and societal transitions.
Bridging Cultures
To keep our heart opening and learning, it helps to be exposed to new ideas. We need to break free from our comfort zone so that our inner beings can speak with us. Here a couple of books that look at the life of Jesus in unconventional ways:
Living Buddha, Living Christ
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, describes what his life was like having two teachers: Jesus and Buddha. This book bridges the cultural understanding of Christianity and Buddhism.
The Yoga of Jesus
Swami Yogananda is perhaps my favorite of the Hindu teachers due to his down-to-earth and humble style of teaching. A student of both the East and the West, he comprehensively reviews the words of Jesus. This book is a bridge between the understandings of Christianity and Hinduism.