I recently posted a link to a news article that suggested back pain may “be in your head”. If you’re interested in exploring the mind body connection and how pain, your identification with pain or an injury/illness, and the development of your ego as it relates to your experiences affects you, this book may be of interest.

Though it’s not a self help book for coping with physical pain, Tolle provides a new way to look at situations and experiences with awareness and spends a great deal of time explaining the ego and how it contributes to such feelings as anger, frustration, and fear. His writing delves into how situations of pain or illness may in some way serve the individual or their ego. Now that may seems ridiculous, because as anyone who suffers with pain knows, it’s not enjoyable. However, the pain may serve a different purpose, such as excusing you from other life roles or stressors, or perhaps providing validation in some way to boost the ego.

A lot of his suggestions seem similar to concepts within mindfulness meditation, of bringing awareness to each moment. To really feel and live each moment, and that with that awareness, the ego will start to dissolve and the individual can enjoy the experience of being.

This book takes the reader on a philosophical journey towards self discovery and healing from both physical and emotional pain.