Diamonds that fundamentally altered how/what I think — of life, meaning, and Reality itself

Yes, the headline is quite a bold claim.

I don’t have before-after fMRI scans to “prove” it. But these books have rewired my self/life/world-view so much —that they cannot not have rewired my brain.

As Orson Scott said, “We question all our beliefs, except the ones we really believe in” — it’s such beliefs that these books cha(lle)nged.

This might sound scary — but its positive ripples are enormous:

1 changed core belief → 10 altered outer beliefs → 100 modified behaviors → 1000 transformed actions → 10,000 different reactions → Uncountable other effects.

That’s the power these books pack — nukes of explosive inner shifts.

While I can’t promise they will “rewire” your brain, they will cha(lle)nge your deepest beliefs — for the better…

Transforming your thoughts, actions, and by extension — life itself.

Power vs. Force by Prof. David Hawkins

What if I told you everything we think of as “Power” is actually Force? And everything we think of as “Sensitive” or “Soft” is actually Power?

Would you believe me if I told you…

• Courage is 10²⁵ times more Powerful than Pride?
• Trust is 10⁵⁰ times more Powerful than Courage even?
• Forgiveness is 10¹⁰⁰ times more Powerful than Trust itself?

It’s laughable that we’re told Pride is “stronger” than Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is incomprehensibly more Powerful than Pride — trillions of trillions of trillions of trillions…….of trillions times more Powerful.

No wonder Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.”

I’m not pulling these numbers out of the Ether — they’re proven Energetic calibrations by Prof. David Hawkins.

Power begins at the 200-Log of Courage. Below it is “Force” — that we mistake as Power. While Power is positive and Life-giving — Force is negative and Life-stealing. As Prof. Hawkins explains:

“It (Force) must always succumb to Power…because Force automatically creates counter-Force.

Force always moves against something. Power doesn’t move at all. Because Force has an insatiable appetite, it constantly consumes. Power, in contrast, energizes…and supports. Power gives life and energy — Force takes these away.”

I was as skeptic as you might now be — but Prof Hawkins’ insights blew my mind and cynicism.

Being a spiritual master and a clinical psychologist, Prof Hawkins grasps Science and Spirituality. And over 20+ years of Consciousness research, he’s bridged the gap.

The result is Power Vs. Force, its 8 sequels, and mind-awing live demonstrations:

https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FsvJpAUQ2c-I%3Ffeature%3Doembed&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsvJpAUQ2c-I&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FsvJpAUQ2c-I%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube

The Manual-Muscle-Test (MMT) shown above is a wonder tool that can test/reveal any Truth! Think of it as an in-built lie detector. Surprise yourself by trying it out (you’ll need another person).

Still raging with skepticism?

Read the book fully and then try muscle-testing — we’ll see how (much) skepticism survives. Excerpts won’t do justice to Sir Hawkins’ profound wisdom — but here are 3:

“Love is more powerful than hatred; truth sets us free; forgiveness liberates both sides; unconditional love heals; courage empowers; and the essence of Divinity/Reality is peace.”

“The skillful are not obvious
They appear to be simple-minded
Those who know this know the patterns
of the Absolute
To know the patterns is the Subtle Power
The Subtle Power moves all things and
has no name.”

“Force can bring satisfaction, but only power brings joy. Victory over others brings us satisfaction, but victory over ourselves brings us joy.”

At 400+ dense pages of terse text, Power vs. Force isn’t an easy read — but boy is it worth it!

Blessed is the one who can and does read it. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

“Forgiveness is incomprehensibly more Powerful than Pride.”

Siddhartha By Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha irrevocably altered my view of the “optimal” life trajectory.

It went from a linear + predictable ladder to a non-linear + unpredictable spiral.

Returns to “Square One.” 360° life rehauls if/when necessary. Quitting “established” paths for newer ones. Prioritizing Inner Truth above everything else. To quote Hermann Hesse,

“We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.”

Siddhartha himself best exemplifies this.

Starting as a dutiful Brahmin son, he joins the Sramanas and wanders the woods. Tired of mortifying his flesh, he turns to gratifying it — with sex, wealth, wine, and food.

Epiphanies then make him a ferryman, a loving father — and finally, a liberated riverman.

Shedding one layer of bondages after another, Siddhartha becomes free(er). On this journey, he unearths gems of mind-blowing wisdom:

“Your soul is the whole world.”

“Gentleness is stronger than severity, water is stronger than rock, love is stronger than force.”

“He has robbed me, yet he has given me something of greater value . . . he has given to me myself.”

“Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish… Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”

As spiritual as Siddhartha is, its lessons are (also) hyper-practical. Take Siddhartha’s 2 core mantras for example:

• “I can think. I can wait. I can fast” → aka patience, critical thinking, and delayed gratification — the 3 traits (all kinds of) success burn down to!
• “His [Siddhartha’s] goal attracts him because he doesn’t let anything enter his soul which might oppose the goal” → This is a one-line foolproof blueprint to achieve any goal. I’ve written a whole article on how to apply it.

Crucial of all, Siddhartha is an ode to life itself…

To the currents that rock our boats and tear our sails — but eventually, see us safe ashore…

To the enigmatic path crafted by the universe for us — which spins us in giddying circles to the top…

To the illusion that we’re ever regressing— it’s all progress. We just don’t see it (yet).

“We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.”

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The first time I read The Alchemist, I hated it with a passion.

The 2nd time? I fell head over heels for it. As Lao Tzu said, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” — this book re-found me when I was “ready”.

At face value, The Alchemist seems like the polar opposite of Siddhartha…

While Siddhartha seeks Truth through repeated life rehauls, The Alchemist is an unrelenting pursuit of a singular Dream — but they’re two faces of the same coin.

Substitute “Personal Treasure” for “Truth” — and the difference vanishes.

Both emphasize listening to and following your Heart. Both talk about Omens. Both involve leaping into the Unknown — with faith, love, and courage…

Both reveal the utter simplicity in all of wisdom. So, what new “rewiring” did The Alchemist bring in?

It completed the bidirectional link — that Siddhartha had set up in only one direction. It injected Love, Inspiration, Faith, and Joy into an otherwise arduous journey…

Also, unlike Siddhartha, the wisdom of The Alchemist is far simpler. Here are a few such exemplary gems:

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

“Don’t think about what you’ve left behind. If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.”

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”

Breezy and soul-stirring, The Alchemist always pulls me back to the right path — whenever life pulls me away and apart…

In a world of shiny trinkets, it lets me re-focus on my Personal Treasure.

“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

These Books Aren’t Just One-Time “Mind-Rewirers”…

They’re timely “mind-recenterers”.

Today’s world is bent on hijacking our brains with cheap dopamine — and rewiring it for addiction…

Be it to social media, shiny objects, or success badges.

It’s never been easier to lose our Selves and True Paths. And that’s exactly where these 3 books come in — every re-read recenters me — in/for what matters.

They “Self-Center” us — not in the “ego-centering” way we often misuse the term — but in an authentic + mindful way.

As Lao Tzu said, “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

What books have rewired your mind? Fundamentally altered your thinking and worldview?

Any you’d suggest for me and the other readers?

I’d love to know.