Review by Blindjew -- The Unbound Soul
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Blindjew
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- Latest Review: The Unbound Soul by Richard L. Haight
Review by Blindjew -- The Unbound Soul
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Unbound Soul" by Richard L. Haight.]
Through listening to Richard L. Haight's The Unbound Soul: A Visionary Guide to Spiritual Transformation and Enlightenment, I was confronted with several conundrums. The book contained a plethora of sage philosophies and methodologies, but there were some issues with the delivery that may have garbled the intended message.
The book was split into four parts, and the first was an explanatory autobiographical section to shed light on the author's experiences leading up to his ideals and conclusions. It started with an early-life experience that led to a course-setting vision. The story continued on through the author's life and spiritual experiences, from his time in the Amazon to his dedicated learning in Japan. It detailed how the experiences landed him in his role and purpose fully.
In Part 2, The Path, the author worked at explaining the differences between Mind and Consciousness and how the Mind and Identity shackled us down from perceiving true spiritual awareness. This part helped lay much of the foundation for the spiritual ideology.
In Part 3, Daily Unfoldment, methods are given such as the Warrior's Meditation that should be used regularly to strip away the mind and unshackle spiritual awareness. Descriptive visualizations and instructions are given in order to aid meditation and shrugging of Mind and Identity.
In Part 4, Soul and Spirit, the author elaborated on the cycle of the Soul and the distinction between Soul and Spirit. It referred to the multiversal Soul or Isness as the true form of us once stripped of identity. It detailed how our life experiences are reacted to upon release from life and how our Soul was either lifted or fallen depending on the weight and burdens of our life. The long moment of an illusory higher or lower state would temper the Soul before its continuation in the cycle of reincarnation.
Though I ended with more questions than answers, I did enjoy the book and its intent. I gave it 3 out of 4 stars and would certainly suggest it to those interested in enlightenment. I enjoyed the concepts of unburdening Consciousness and the desire for true, unconditional love. I could see where some of the concepts were derived. I have some limited experience in Japanese sword arts, and from that minute experience, the idea of engraining the body to move naturally without the burden of the mind was key. The idea of a centralized Isness is a reflection of the ideas of Buddha and of Brahma. It felt very sound.
My primary hitch was in part at the presentation and in part the relatability. I was not born nor raised as a Christian, and the focused usage of Jesus references was lost and even detrimental to my understanding. I understood that it was a visionary bridge that made sense to the author, but I could not relate. The meditation methods often started with visual focus, and I am legally blind and lack effective usage of that sense. That was no fault of the author, but it did limit me from the full experience of the meditation exercises.
In the presentation, unique words such as Isness and Unfoldment were created to describe specific concepts even though similar words already existed to be used, but sometimes the same word was used with different meanings. This was an inconsistency that garbled understanding for me. The supplemental PDF was useful in clearing some of the confusion, especially with regards to the Emotional Spectrum, but it seemed unnecessarily convoluted especially when trying to lessen the hindrance of Mind. It seemed counter-productive.
All in all, I received the overall message well, and I would certainly recommend it with a note to be mindful of the wording. It was an excellent book and guide towards better spiritual awareness.
******
The Unbound Soul
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Through listening to Richard L. Haight's The Unbound Soul: A Visionary Guide to Spiritual Transformation and Enlightenment, I was confronted with several conundrums. The book contained a plethora of sage philosophies and methodologies, but there were some issues with the delivery that may have garbled the intended message.
The book was split into four parts, and the first was an explanatory autobiographical section to shed light on the author's experiences leading up to his ideals and conclusions. It started with an early-life experience that led to a course-setting vision. The story continued on through the author's life and spiritual experiences, from his time in the Amazon to his dedicated learning in Japan. It detailed how the experiences landed him in his role and purpose fully.
In Part 2, The Path, the author worked at explaining the differences between Mind and Consciousness and how the Mind and Identity shackled us down from perceiving true spiritual awareness. This part helped lay much of the foundation for the spiritual ideology.
In Part 3, Daily Unfoldment, methods are given such as the Warrior's Meditation that should be used regularly to strip away the mind and unshackle spiritual awareness. Descriptive visualizations and instructions are given in order to aid meditation and shrugging of Mind and Identity.
In Part 4, Soul and Spirit, the author elaborated on the cycle of the Soul and the distinction between Soul and Spirit. It referred to the multiversal Soul or Isness as the true form of us once stripped of identity. It detailed how our life experiences are reacted to upon release from life and how our Soul was either lifted or fallen depending on the weight and burdens of our life. The long moment of an illusory higher or lower state would temper the Soul before its continuation in the cycle of reincarnation.
Though I ended with more questions than answers, I did enjoy the book and its intent. I gave it 3 out of 4 stars and would certainly suggest it to those interested in enlightenment. I enjoyed the concepts of unburdening Consciousness and the desire for true, unconditional love. I could see where some of the concepts were derived. I have some limited experience in Japanese sword arts, and from that minute experience, the idea of engraining the body to move naturally without the burden of the mind was key. The idea of a centralized Isness is a reflection of the ideas of Buddha and of Brahma. It felt very sound.
My primary hitch was in part at the presentation and in part the relatability. I was not born nor raised as a Christian, and the focused usage of Jesus references was lost and even detrimental to my understanding. I understood that it was a visionary bridge that made sense to the author, but I could not relate. The meditation methods often started with visual focus, and I am legally blind and lack effective usage of that sense. That was no fault of the author, but it did limit me from the full experience of the meditation exercises.
In the presentation, unique words such as Isness and Unfoldment were created to describe specific concepts even though similar words already existed to be used, but sometimes the same word was used with different meanings. This was an inconsistency that garbled understanding for me. The supplemental PDF was useful in clearing some of the confusion, especially with regards to the Emotional Spectrum, but it seemed unnecessarily convoluted especially when trying to lessen the hindrance of Mind. It seemed counter-productive.
All in all, I received the overall message well, and I would certainly recommend it with a note to be mindful of the wording. It was an excellent book and guide towards better spiritual awareness.
******
The Unbound Soul
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Unbound Soul by Richard L. Haight
