Imagine my delighted shock upon reading Dr. Brian Weiss as Oprah's guest last week. You might remember him from the landmark book Many Lives Many Masters . The 1980s book that made past life regression oh so chic, and redemptive. The story goes that Weiss, a practicing psychiatrist used hypnosis with a female patient called Catherine. (The man has none of the dramatic flair of Jung and didn't use a name as primal as say... Eve or Electra). During the hypnotherapy Catherine regressed so far back, she transcended this lifetime and revisted another one, a long time ago, in a country far, far away.So began Weiss's landmark work in past life regression healing. Not sure how Oprah connected with him. Perhaps Gayle sought his counseling, or perhaps a close celebrity friend made the gushing recommendation. I'm not knocking it, I'm just jealous that I haven't had a session with the guy. He's incredibly nurturing from what I've read in his books, and even more so in person from the regression segments played on Oprah. Yes, Oprah actually ran a tape of a regression.
Now, I'm an enthusiast of Ms. Winfrey's grab-life-by-the-cajones philosophy. I love her one woman at a time motto. And I particularly applaud her brilliance at making what used to be considered esoteric accessible to the masses. What used to be mulled over in dark living rooms filled with smoking incense by people sipping jasmine tea is now being presented to housewives in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. I mean, look what she did for Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. Gilbert's bordering on chick lit book did well for the female segment but ripped apart the NYT's bestseller list after her appearance on Oprah. And the book is essentially one long 300 page soliloquy of self discovery.
And the list goes on. Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Marianne Williamson's venerable yet invaluable A Course in Miracles, turning a new generation on to the power of the self (and sporting a slamming new hairdo to boot!) Oprah's not limiting herself to television alone. Each week on her XM radio show - Soul Series - she interacts with the leading spiritual leaders and thinkers, capturing her share of the radio audience.
So can Oprah sell spirituality? Time will tell. And to those folks in Sheboygan Falls, listen up.
4 comments:
Oprah could sell us the moon if she wanted to and we would not hesitate to pay the price. What Oprah does is infuse anything she is interested in with passion, motivation, and enthusiasm. That is a hard act to put down and many have heard her call and have benefitted from it. I really do think she is a wake call for many.
Name: Brian
Oprah's 4 interviews with Jill Bolte Taylor were the first that Oprah did after Eckhart Tolle and they take everything Tolle talks about to another level. Oprah's copy of Jill's book, MY STROKE OF INSIGHT, was dog-eared and all marked up and kept reading from it the way she read from A New Earth and recommended it highly.
Oprah's recommendation was enough for me. I read My Stroke of Insight and I loved it too. This story is as inspiring as The Last Lecture or Tuesdays with Morrie - and even better, it has a Happy Ending!
I bought the book on Amazon because they have it for 40% off retail and they also had an amazing interview with Dr Taylor that I haven't seen anywhere else - Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/My-Stroke-Insight-Scientists-Personal/dp/0670020745/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211471755&sr=1-2
I read "My Stroke of Insight" in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it's a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I've ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.
I just found these podcasts and I am so impressed with the quality and that they are FREE. Oprah interviews such wonderful people and we all can learn from everyone. Jann
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