Review by Letora -- The Unbound Soul by Richard L. Haight

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Letora
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Review by Letora -- The Unbound Soul by Richard L. Haight

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[Following is a volunteer review of "The Unbound Soul" by Richard L. Haight.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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The Unbound Soul is both Richard L. Haight's personal spiritual journey and a guide to unlocking your own journey to Isness and attaining a Pure Soul. Robert's journey began when he was only eight years old. Introduced to the beliefs of Born Again Christians, he began questioning these teachings. These questions became the building blocks of his spiritual path, as he sought out teachers from various parts of the world. One of his main guidelines became embracing change and the ability to question the known world and its beliefs. Witnessing his martial arts practices in Japan, and vision questing in the Amazon prove that Richard embraced his teachings. Richard will guide the reader down his or her own path to Isness. People are in a constant state of learning, and one should not limit their capacity to attain new information. He highlights important moments in his life to shows examples of his own experience discovering Isness. In this way, he will lay the foundation for his teachings later on in the book. The reader will learn how to attain a meditative state with the Warrior's Meditation and how to cleanse their bodies and mind of negative influences through the Dance of Self. A wealth of information not only on spiritual well being but also physical and mental health is included. By the end of the written journey, readers will walk away with a higher perception of how to love, forgive and live in harmony with the world.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While I found Richard's personal journey fascinating, there were gaps in the story that did not translate well into the teaching section. I do believe people who are seeking spiritual enlightenment can benefit from this novel.

I did find many of Richard's teachings to be relatable. He used terminology from many religions to help connect with the reader. He also made sure to include a wealth of experiences that various people could relate to. He admitted to suffering from depression and allowed the reader to see his most vulnerable moments. And as I reached the end of the book, I was able to connect many of Richard's teachings with his previous experiences. In this way, he highlighted almost everything necessary for the end and created a basis for learning. However, when I began reading about his views of the afterlife, I found there was nothing in the journey to back up his statements. While it is understandable to not have a near death, or death experience, to personally relate to, I would still like to know where these ideologies came from.

While I enjoyed Richard's journey, I also found that he became vague about certain topics. While this may have been to keep the focus of his ideas on Isness, it also jarred me out of the narrative with questions. For example, the author mentions Sotai-Ho therapy and how it helped him relieve pain. My mind immediately wanted an explanation as to what it was and how it worked. He also incorporated it into his training, yet there was no context surrounding what it was outside of physical therapy. Learning how it flowed into his martial arts and beliefs would have been a benefit to the reader.

I did appreciate the format used throughout the book. Not only were both Richard's experiences and teachings divided into easy to read chapters, but there were what I assumed to be student questions spread throughout the book as well. They always seemed to pop up when I myself was beginning to question what I was reading. In response to the questions, Richard would return with one of his own and make you think about the answer presented before you, embracing his belief of questioning everything.

I would recommend this book to adults who are either starting to question their own beliefs, or not finding the answers they want out of life. Even if you don't fully embrace what Richard's teachings have, and you do not feel a desire to reach Isness, you will take away a wealth of information on how to live a healthy life and appreciate what you have.

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The Unbound Soul
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