ENLIGHTENMENT: It's Not What You Think

Enlightenment: It's Not What You Think reveals how you can replace the perspective of the ego the habit of identifying with the body, emotions, and thoughts with a new perspective: the Witness, that of your soul ... pure consciousness. With compelling logic, practices for everyday life, and guided meditations, the book explains how you can free yourself from suffering, enjoy inner peace, and find intuitive guidance.
Enlightenment is the goal of many spiritual traditions. Today, a large and growing number of people identify themselves as spiritual but not religious. What does that mean? Is it more than the rejection of adherence to organized religion? Can science confirm the existence of higher states of consciousness associated with spiritual enlightenment?
From the book:
Those who identify themselves as spiritual are seeking to be present in this world in a higher, lasting state of consciousness.... Spiritual seekers strive to be in the Eternal Now; they emphasize the power of being present in this very moment. But they are not seeking merely passing spiritual experiences. They are searching for a lasting state of higher consciousness, variously described as enlightenment, the awakening, satori, illumination, samadhi, Self-realization, and Christ Consciousness. Although these expressions vary among spiritual and cultural traditions, they refer to the permanent attainment of a higher state of consciousness in which the seeker realizes Oneness with all.
The essays in this book explore the descriptions of enlightenment in various spiritual and wisdom traditions, the process of becoming enlightened, and how to overcome the inner obstacles to the achievement of that goal.
What others are saying about this book:
Immensely enjoyable reading! This eminently practical guide to spiritual life draws deeply from many wells of wisdom, including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Kriya Yoga of Babaji, the writings of the Tamil Siddhas, the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, and the insights of contemporary studies of the brain. Written in an accessible style, this book will help its readers understand the quest for higher meaning, and provides a toolbox to inspire wayfarers on this most important of journeys.
- Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology and Director, Master of Arts in Yoga Studies, Loyola Marymount University

True enlightenment is not simply an elevated state of mind but a complete change of consciousness from the limited ego to the supreme Self-realization in which we are one with all existence extending to all time and space and beyond.
Marshall Govindan reveals the secrets of the Yoga Siddhas and their transformative practices to help you approach that supreme enlightenment as the ultimate goal of all that you do. ...reveals the secrets of the Yoga Siddhas and their transformative practices to help you approach that supreme enlightenment as the ultimate goal of all that you do.
Dr. David Frawley D. Litt. Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies, Yoga, Ayurveda and Jyotish Teacher, Padma Bhushan awardee from President of India, author, Shiva, the Lord of Yoga and over thirty books

With this work, Enlightenment: Its Not What You Think, Marshall Govindan delivers the gifts of Siddha masters to our doorsteps.
Here, he delineates succinctly and clearly the time-tested techniques of these masters for eliminating obstacles our deepest afflictions of fear, doubt, and all forms of grief and sorrow which obstruct the incessant flow of our intrinsic luminosity and happiness. En-lightenment: Its Not What You Think is a must-read, for it is practical, simple, and meaningful... It is a decisive tool we can use for finding life s purpose.
- Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Ph D, Spiritual Head, Himalayan Institute