Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Penny Keyes. Filled with three months of worksheets for the busy person, this is a powerful tool for applying effective techniques and practical methods for experiencing a more enjoyable life.
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More filters. Sort order. Sep 15, Becky rated it it was amazing. I've always loved psychology books--this was the first one I bought with my own money and it helped define my character and my happiness in high school; teaches how to identify and work through feelings, develop confidence, and a positive attitude Apr 19, Graig Yarbrough rated it really liked it.
Excellent companion to the Handbook. Zuckzor rated it liked it Sep 11, Samadhi rated it really liked it Nov 22, Creative Choices rated it really liked it Jan 30, Steve Burke rated it it was amazing May 28, Patty rated it it was amazing May 17, More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Handbook to Higher Consciousness.
Aug 25, Polly Trout rated it did not like it. Written in , 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 happines Written in , this is a New Age classic and a truly awful book. 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.
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.
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!
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.
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. View all 22 comments. Feb 23, Lauri rated it it was amazing Shelves: self-improvement , psychology , favorites. Everyone should read this book. Defining the "obvious. Great stuff. Life changing in an internal way View 1 comment. Nov 01, Stu Webbb rated it it was amazing.
This is the most profoundly practical book to clean up your unhappiness act and choose a happy way of life. It's neuroscience reprogramming before its time. It sold a million copies in the 's. I just reread it and am amazed how much working with it had bettered my life. Oct 11, Bal rated it it was amazing. This little gem of a book brings some of Taoism and Buddhism into a western framework.
Ken Keyes views suffering being the result of "emotionally backed demands" which he labels "addictions. The book was written at a time when the word "addiction" wasn't used unthinkingly by pop culture. I don't know that he was the first to use the word as he did, but I don't remember anyone earlier in my readings.
It is easy to skim the book and misunderstand his view. But here it is in a nutshell. Life happens. You win some and you lose some. If you have a problem and there is something you can do about it, you probably ought to go do that. Nowhere does he recommend you put up with abuse or the ill manners of others or bullying, etc. If there is something you can do about your problem, he's a pragmatist and recommends you be one as well. But sometimes, you can't do anything about your problem.
Sometimes, you are not in control. It is here that Keyes begins talking about his methodology. He suggests that if you can let go of your emotionally backed demands - your addictions - you will be able to relax more and be happier.
He provides 12 explorations of "letting go," and also explores 7 ways that we orient ourselves in the world. The 12 ways begin with aphorisms and the 7 orientations he calls "centers of consciousness. It is a book that can help, even if you do nothing with the information. You will at least have something to think about and this can help you let go more easily. But if you start working with it, you can begin experiencing some real changes that will please you.
I highly recommend this book, and my one wish about it right now is that it be available on Kindle. Jul 12, Geva rated it it was amazing. I read this book at age I can still say that it is one of the most influential books I ever read. Sep 07, Gayle Ferguson rated it it was amazing. This book helped me to recognise how to change things that I did not know how to change about myself. For someone who did not possess the skills needed to begin making changes in my life, this guided me in a gentle,practical way.
I still use some of it daily. It helps you to begin the internal dialog needed to begin healing a cycle of wrong thinking. If you know someone who is struggling with trying to do better but they honestly do not know how, suggest this book to them or make sure they get a cop This book helped me to recognise how to change things that I did not know how to change about myself.
If you know someone who is struggling with trying to do better but they honestly do not know how, suggest this book to them or make sure they get a copy. It helped me so much to begin the long journey to my true self. Jun 14, Joe rated it it was amazing. I would recommend this book to everyone. It brings home how most of the suffering in our lives comes from the meaning we attach to things and not the events themselves. Is it sensible to be upset if it rains? It does also use the exmple of spilt milk Unless we are starving and that is the only sustenance we have perhaps these things aren't worth upsetting ourselves about and wouldn't we be happier without those upsets?
The difficulty is in overcoming our habitiual programming Despite our cor I would recommend this book to everyone. Despite our cortex and ability of higher conscious thought we can still be beaten by lesser beings who adapt and don't hold on to addictions of how we want things to be. A rat following a tunnel that no longer produces cheese will soon give up and look elsewhere. An adult will stand on a podium and give speeches about how cheese should still be there, they will finance expeditions to look for it and pass laws that we must act as though cheese exists.
When we were 2 years old, crying and tantrums often got us what we wanted. Some adults continue to act in these ways, despite them not getting results or getting the wrong kind of results. Jun 21, Kevin E rated it it was amazing. 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.
Beyond that, one of the appendixes answered This book is revolutionary. Beyond that, one of the appendixes answered my question as to how to recommend the book without being pushy. It's a fairly easy read, and I completed it in about a week. I've read easily over a hundred books on self development, psychology and consciousness I would say this is easily in the top 3 of those books, if not the best book I've ever read. Feb 06, Praveen rated it it was amazing.
You can end your search here. Feb 01, Natasha Holme rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Everyone. Shelves: inspirational , advice , non-fiction , spiritual. Self-published in and selling a million copies, this is one of the best books I have ever read on spirituality challenging my all-time favourites Byron Katie, Neale Donald Walsch, Anthony de Mello.
This handbook is potentially life-transforming. Ken Keyes clearly and persuasively lays out twelve pathways, seven centres of consciousness, and five methods to overcome the addictive emotion-based demands models of how we believe the world should be and should treat us that cause all of our Self-published in and selling a million copies, this is one of the best books I have ever read on spirituality challenging my all-time favourites Byron Katie, Neale Donald Walsch, Anthony de Mello.
Ken Keyes clearly and persuasively lays out twelve pathways, seven centres of consciousness, and five methods to overcome the addictive emotion-based demands models of how we believe the world should be and should treat us that cause all of our suffering.
According to Wikipedia, Keyes was also an utter dude, who lived on a yacht and on a bus, giving over his personal fortune and book royalties to his non-profit spiritual organisations. Dec 12, Thea Kelley rated it it was amazing.
The language may seem dated this was written in , but it is a wonderfully practical self-help book. The "Higher Consciousness" referred to isn't necessarily anything mystical; it's about changing your mental "addictions" to "preferences," so that if you don't get what you want, you can be happy anyway. Keyes invented very effective tools for doing that. I've read many self-help books and most don't really "stick," they don't make much difference.
This book has made a noticeable, positive d The language may seem dated this was written in , but it is a wonderfully practical self-help book. This book has made a noticeable, positive difference in my life. May 24, E.
Wynn rated it really liked it. This book is a great primer if you haven't read too deeply or widely into eastern philosophy or new age self-help books.
Explore the suffering. Pinpoint the addictive demand. Reprogram the addictive demand. Experience the freedom. The whole notion of addictions and preferences was a fresh concept to me. A lot of Ken Keyes's info hit me as old hat and overdone, but the language This book is a great primer if you haven't read too deeply or widely into eastern philosophy or new age self-help books.
A lot of Ken Keyes's info hit me as old hat and overdone, but the language he uses is pretty clear and concise. The only problem I had with it was the depth of love required to follow his "Living Love Way. Sure, he makes allowances for removing oneself from damaging situations, but I can see how his "love everyone always" approach could very easily backfire.
May 17, Mark Braithwaite rated it it was amazing. I think that the only way to appreciate this book is to be at a point in your life, as the author says, where you want your inner peace and happiness increase more than you want to change the world around you in order to generate feelings of peace and happiness. The Living Love Way to Higher Consciousness explored by the author can easily be seen as simply "turning the other cheek", but with careful thought and meditation, always asking "What's the essence of what this is saying?
I saw BIG, little transformations in the relatively small period of time I spent reading and reflecting on this book. I absolutely plan to re-read it a few times. 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.
Jun 25, Liuyang Li rated it really liked it. I am surprised by how relevant the book is given that it was published over 40 years ago. Compared to other books dealing with the same issue, the book offers more practical advice that is actionable.
I also liked the summary in the appendixes, which you can keep as a reminder to refresh your mind once in a while.
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