“The Eye of the I” (David R. Hawkins)
A Provocative, but Flawed Text
[My 3-star review of “The Eye Of the Eye: From Which Nothing Is Hidden” by David R. Hawkins.]
David R. Hawkins (1927-2012), the late psychiatrist-guru, was a controversial and interesting fellow. I first learned of him about ten years ago, when two ex-Adi Da follower friends of mine became students of his. After my friends told me about Dr. Hawkins, I immediately bought three of his books, including the "The Eye of the I," generally considered one of Hawkins' best texts; and my reaction to it is the same now as it was then--mixed.
First, the negative. In "The Eye of the I," Dr. Hawkins, like many mystics, impugns the efficacy of the human mind. He asserts that "the human mind is incapable of discerning truth from falsehood." In other words, your mind is incapable of determining if two plus two really equals four; and if someone claims a disabled midget is actually a better basketball player than Lebron James, your mind cannot ascertain if that statement is true or false. The human mind is hardly omniscient and makes mistakes, but to assert that it is incapable of discerning truth from falsehood is ridiculous.
The Preface of the "The Eye of the I" states: "By `transcending the opposites,' the author resolves the ages-old, seemingly irresolvable conflict and impasse between science and religion..." This is hardly the case, and instead of resolving this conflict, Dr Hawkins proffers pseudo-science, in the form of applied kinesiology, as the definitive tool for measuring, or calibrating, reality. And, unsurprisingly, according to Dr Hawkins' calibrations, his own teachings calibrate at a level far exceeding those of any other twentieth-century spiritual guru.
I am a spiritual teacher-writer and expert in mysticism, and in my opinion, Dr. Hawkins' unique brand of Advaita Vedanta, though worth reading, hardly qualifies as the foremost spiritual Dharma. Other spiritual teachings, such as those of Ramana Maharshi and Adi Da, are more profound than Dr. Hawkins. And my own Electrical Spiritual Paradigm, unveiled in my forthcoming text, "Electrical Spirituality" (available Spring 2013), is more integral than his.
Now for the positive. Dr. Hawkins' iconoclastic viewpoints, disregard for political correctness, and innovative Advaita teachings, which encourage the practices of devotion and reception of the Holy Spirit, make for a stimulating read. And, as one would expect from a psychiatrist-guru, Dr. Hawkins is chockfull of insights into personal and social psychology.
I have written a couple of books that deconstruct Eckhart Tolle's teachings, and Dr. Hawkins' calibration of the New Age pop guru (though not presented in "The Eye of the I") supports my assessment of Tolle. According to Dr. Hawkins, Tolle calibrates at about the same vibrational level as George W. Bush. I thank Dr. Hawkins for his kinesiological confirmation. When I add up the plusses and subtract the minuses of Dr. Hawkins' teachings in "The Eye of the I", I end up with three stars. And when I apply kinesiology to validate my rating, I get a perfect score of 1000. Who says this stuff doesn't work?
[My 3-star review of “The Eye Of the Eye: From Which Nothing Is Hidden” by David R. Hawkins.]
David R. Hawkins (1927-2012), the late psychiatrist-guru, was a controversial and interesting fellow. I first learned of him about ten years ago, when two ex-Adi Da follower friends of mine became students of his. After my friends told me about Dr. Hawkins, I immediately bought three of his books, including the "The Eye of the I," generally considered one of Hawkins' best texts; and my reaction to it is the same now as it was then--mixed.
First, the negative. In "The Eye of the I," Dr. Hawkins, like many mystics, impugns the efficacy of the human mind. He asserts that "the human mind is incapable of discerning truth from falsehood." In other words, your mind is incapable of determining if two plus two really equals four; and if someone claims a disabled midget is actually a better basketball player than Lebron James, your mind cannot ascertain if that statement is true or false. The human mind is hardly omniscient and makes mistakes, but to assert that it is incapable of discerning truth from falsehood is ridiculous.
The Preface of the "The Eye of the I" states: "By `transcending the opposites,' the author resolves the ages-old, seemingly irresolvable conflict and impasse between science and religion..." This is hardly the case, and instead of resolving this conflict, Dr Hawkins proffers pseudo-science, in the form of applied kinesiology, as the definitive tool for measuring, or calibrating, reality. And, unsurprisingly, according to Dr Hawkins' calibrations, his own teachings calibrate at a level far exceeding those of any other twentieth-century spiritual guru.
I am a spiritual teacher-writer and expert in mysticism, and in my opinion, Dr. Hawkins' unique brand of Advaita Vedanta, though worth reading, hardly qualifies as the foremost spiritual Dharma. Other spiritual teachings, such as those of Ramana Maharshi and Adi Da, are more profound than Dr. Hawkins. And my own Electrical Spiritual Paradigm, unveiled in my forthcoming text, "Electrical Spirituality" (available Spring 2013), is more integral than his.
Now for the positive. Dr. Hawkins' iconoclastic viewpoints, disregard for political correctness, and innovative Advaita teachings, which encourage the practices of devotion and reception of the Holy Spirit, make for a stimulating read. And, as one would expect from a psychiatrist-guru, Dr. Hawkins is chockfull of insights into personal and social psychology.
I have written a couple of books that deconstruct Eckhart Tolle's teachings, and Dr. Hawkins' calibration of the New Age pop guru (though not presented in "The Eye of the I") supports my assessment of Tolle. According to Dr. Hawkins, Tolle calibrates at about the same vibrational level as George W. Bush. I thank Dr. Hawkins for his kinesiological confirmation. When I add up the plusses and subtract the minuses of Dr. Hawkins' teachings in "The Eye of the I", I end up with three stars. And when I apply kinesiology to validate my rating, I get a perfect score of 1000. Who says this stuff doesn't work?
