Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from the Power of Now

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Description

A collection of simple meditations and exercises helps readers highten their consciousness of the present and live in the moment more completely.

  • Author: Eckhart Tolle
  • Publisher: New World Library
  • Published: 2001
  • Pages: 145
  • ISBN-13: 9781577311959

Additional information

Author

Eckhart Tolle

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Summary

What the internet says

Aggregated insights from reviews and discussions across the web.

Overall reception: Mixed reception

Practicing the Power of Now receives polarized reception online, with readers sharply divided between those who find it transformative and those who dismiss it as repetitive New Age philosophy. On Goodreads, the book has accumulated over 419,000 ratings with a substantial following praising its accessibility compared to the original Power of Now. Supporters describe experiencing 'transformative power' and 'deep peace' through Tolle's teachings on present-moment awareness and ego recognition. One reader reported that by 'catching my mind's activities and just disassociating from passing thoughts,' they improved their emotional health and relationships with family and friends.

However, critics are equally vocal, with multiple reviewers characterizing the work as 'a fruit-salad of New Age and pseudo-buddhist clichés' and 'a hodgepodge' lacking rational build-up. Common complaints include the book's circular reasoning, repetitive content, and what some perceive as condescending Q&A sections where Tolle responds to reader questions with phrases like 'you don't understand what I am saying.' Several reviewers note logical contradictions, particularly around Tolle's instruction to 'dis-identify from your mind' while simultaneously using the mind to achieve this separation. The book's commercial success, bolstered by Oprah's endorsement, has made it internationally popular despite these criticisms.

The consensus among those who appreciate the book is that it works best as a more accessible, condensed version of The Power of Now, with practical meditations and exercises. Critics argue that the core message—living in the present moment, not dwelling on past or future, and separating from ego—could be found in any basic meditation book without the 'mumbo-jumbo' and 'made up buzz words' like 'pain body' and 'psychological time' that Tolle employs.

What readers loved

  • More accessible and easier to read than the original Power of Now, making spiritual concepts approachable for newcomers
  • Provides practical meditations, techniques, and exercises rather than just theory
  • Helps readers develop awareness of negative thought patterns and ego identification in daily life
  • Core teaching about living in the present moment resonates with many readers seeking peace and reduced anxiety
  • Readers report tangible improvements in emotional health, relationships, and ability to accept rather than judge
  • Condensed format extracts essential teachings without the full length of the original book
  • Encourages mindfulness and conscious living rather than unconscious reactive patterns

Common critiques

  • Highly repetitive content that restates the same concepts in multiple ways throughout the book
  • Q&A format features questions readers didn't ask and sometimes condescending responses from Tolle
  • Contains logical contradictions, particularly the paradox of using your mind to separate from your mind
  • Relies on vague, made-up terminology like 'pain body,' 'psychological time,' and 'unmanifested' without clear definitions
  • Lacks rational philosophical build-up, making unexplained leaps between abstract concepts that require faith rather than understanding
  • Core concepts are not original and can be found in basic meditation or Buddhist texts without the New Age packaging

Based on reviews from

  • Goodreads - Book Page
  • Goodreads - Reader Q&A
  • Goodreads - Reviews
  • Goodreads - Discussion Topics
Last updated May 18, 2026 Summary based on publicly available reviews. May not reflect every reader's experience.