Customer Reviews

The ART OF LIVING CONSCIOUSLY: The Power of Awareness to Transform Everyday Life

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In the early seventies just after the publication of The Psychology of Self-Esteem, I went to the library looking for other books on the subject. I found only one other book with self-esteem in its title. Over the years, I've watched closely as the word self-esteem has exploded into American culture, and has become as American as the proverbial apple pie, often with undercurrents of confusion and ignorance. Yet, with Nathaniel Branden, the innovator of the whole movement, the definition has always been the same; what has changed is his ever-increasing knowledge and awareness of the subject, much of which he shares In The Art Of Living Consciously. For those interested in the role of consciousness in improving one's life and one's self esteem -- that one is competent to know one's world, and worthy of happiness -- this will be the book for you. Once again, Nathaniel offers up a treasure chest of personal examples, as well as the examples of his clients. Also, offered is a facinating look into the world of ¨spirituality¨ as seen through the eyes of Mr. Rationality. Here, again, is another powerful and entertaining book from the man who launched the term into public discussion.

If you have a pulse, can read, and understand this book can cause you to reflect more consciously about the everyday things that you do in your life than you may have in a long time. If you can withstand that, then doing Nathaniel Branden's exercises which he presents throughout the book will push the envelope even further. He doesn't settle for feel-good platitudes, but the medicines he offers can open us up to possibilities that we have previously not seen through the haze of unconscious behavior and thinking.

I have become extremely jaded by a lot of the feel-good new-agey speak that has become closely identified in my mind with "self-esteem" and these days. Initially that association caused me to hesitate in buying this book. To the contrary, and to my relief I found Branden's message free from that kind of shallowness. If you merely seek self-flattery Branden offers none. On a personal note, in this book Branden even succeeded in rehabilitating the word "spirituality" for this once self-identified "atheist" who still occasionally refers to himself as a "secular humanist." On the whole his message proved very accessible, and I even found myself eager to reread it after getting through it the first time.

I thought I knew how to live consciously after meditating (in the Buddhist tradition) for many years, doing all kinds of psycho-spiritual self-help work, two years of psychotherapy, you name it, I have at least tried it. Mr. Brandon's book opened me up to a whole new level of awareness about myself and the world around me. I would consider this required reading for almost anyone who wants to grow in any way, in any direction. It starts out kind of abstract, but hang in there. There are big payoffs all throughout this book. I cannot imagine you will be disappointd.

What a fantastic book! I've been staying up late reading it the past two nights, and am so excited about what it has to say that I can't sleep.

Here's a quote: "Too often, when we suffer the consequences of our unconsciousness, we do not ask, 'How can I learn to be more conscious?' Instead we ask, 'Why is life so difficult? Why do unhappy things always happen to me?"

And another one: "Many people have an affair with or marry not a person but a fantasy - then resent the person for not being like their fantasy and then withdraw in bitterness, telling themselves, 'So much for romantic love.' They do not examine the mental processes that led to their selection of a partner; instead, they are angry at a universe in which the road of unconsciousness does not lead to fulfillment."

Mr. Branden encourages us to bring full awareness to what we're doing, offering many stories, exercises and much encouragement for doing so. I especially like the chapter on consciousness and spirituality.

To the reader below who deplores her new state of awareness: Now you know what you want to do. Buck up your courage, girl, and do it! Have faith in your own abilities, however latent they may be. You can do it!

Starting from the solid base of objectivist rationality, Mr Branden explains the meaning of our most fundamental moral responsibility, which is to live consciously. It also is the only way to develop a consistent , free-of-contradictions view of ourselves and the context in which we seek to live. For a broader treatment you need to dig deep into the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, for sharper focus he has given us two: one on accepting responsibility and his latest on sustaining an active consciousness. A necessary conversation with yourself is what ensues in deciding the meaning to you. I doubt you can have anything better to do.

This is a great read for those of us pondering the field of consciousness! Many people in the "New Age" need to read this book! It offers clear, concise, and REAL information about the dynamics of living a conscious life. A big part of this book (and much of Nathaniel Branden's work) is identifying the aspects of ourselves that we deny. I also highly recommend "Honoring the Self" also written by Branden. Fabulous read !

You forget what solid earth is like when you are floating in a sea of New Age confusion. If that is so, then this book is an island. Although it is full of inspiring advice and exercises, the chapter on mysticism could be a book by itself. Branden provides a penetrating analysis of Eastern and New Age belief without the moralizing and rhetorical tirades that charactize the Objectivist movement. Branden understands how intelligent people go astray in their quest for spiritual fulfillment and provides a rationally based and highly effective alternative.

The Art of Living Consciously was Nathaniel Branden's sixteenth book and, in many respects, remains his most valuable offering.

Though Branden favors the phrase "living consciously," with its lack of philosophical baggage, the book is clearly an inspired discussion of what it means to practice the virtue of rationality -- a theme of great value and significance to anyone who understands the tremendous power of the human mind.

Dr. Branden's earlier writings on the subject of living consciously, most notably the chapter by that title in The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, were always from the perspective of its role in building self-esteem. Here, his analysis is considerably deeper and includes, for the first time since his writings from the Sixties, many sojourns into metaphysics and epistemology.

Though written for the lay reader, the book's subject matter is to the field of psychology what epistemology is to the field of philosophy, addressing many of its most fundamental questions, such as the interplay among mental health, awareness, and reality.

* * *

Chapters One and Two present the "first principles" of living consciously and lay the groundwork for Branden's theory by exploring the nature of human consciousness and its proper relationship to reality. Branden's facility in explaining these subjects is inspirational.

His discussion is centered around the requirements of developing an appropriate "sense of reality." His analysis includes an explanation of the laws of identity, causality, and non-contradiction, and the role each plays in facilitating consciousness and mental health. From there, he analyzes the various meanings of consciousness, defines and explains the significance of the faculty of reason, and explains why there is no need for conflict between reason and emotion, properly understood.

It is unusual to discover such a lucid defense of reason in a book on personal development. "Reason (or rationality) is the faculty that grasps relationships," Branden writes. "It is the faculty that makes distinctions and connections, that abstracts and unites, that differentiates and integrates. Reason generates general principles from concrete facts (induction), applies general principles to concrete facts (deduction), and relates new knowledge and information to our existing context of knowledge. Its guide is the law of noncontradiction" (36). [All page numbers are from the hardcover first edition.]

Branden characterizes reason as the highest manifestation of the integrative function inherent in life itself. Reason is the principle of integration made conscious. "The quest of reason -- this can hardly be stated often enough -- is for the noncontradictory integration of experience" (38).

Branden finishes laying his theoretical groundwork by discussing the role and importance of free will, including the responsibility each of us bears for maintaining an appropriate level of focus. In such matters, he explains, context determines what mental state is necessary.

"Generally speaking, it is our actions, values and goals that determine what is the appropriate mind-state in any particular situation" (50). Of course, there may be many reasons for avoiding such mind-states -- fear of responsibility, fear of failure, fear of the truth -- and Branden shows us several of the relevant "avoidance strategies" we use from time to time to pull off such heists.

* * *

With this theoretical foundation in place, Branden spends the next four chapters elaborating upon what he means by living consciously. Its essence, he explains, is "knowing what we are doing while we are doing it" without losing the wider context. In several key areas -- the realms of work, of relationships, of private experience -- he invites us to ask of ourselves, "What would it mean to live more consciously in this context?"

One of Branden's key assumptions in the book is that the reality-orientation he advocates is not inborn. It must be acquired through practice, and the way to do this is not always obvious, even when we accept the desirability of being more conscious.

One of the great assets of The Art of Living Consciously is that it walks us through many situations we each encounter in life, each time asking us, "How could we be more conscious in this area? What would it look like? How can we tell when we are doing it right?" We vicariously experience what it means to live more consciously, and we bring that awareness back to our own actions.

Many of the topics Branden addresses in his book -- the importance of reason, the commitment to awareness, the problems with evading -- have been discussed before. What makes this discussion unique, however, is Branden's developmental approach. His primary concern here is not defending the validity of his principles per se, but examining the experiences and habits, from childhood on, which affect one's ability to practice the principles. Through stories about himself and his clients, he engages us in a world where the practices leading to consciousness stand in stark relief against those which bury us in unconsciousness.

One advantage of this developmental approach is its accessibility to the uninitiated. Presented in this fashion, the theory is more readily understood, because it speaks to people's experience, as well as to their intellect.

These very characteristics may cause some readers to have a difficult time with the book. A friend once told me in regard to a Branden book, "I really didn't "get it" until about half way through, when I stopped reading it like an essay or a novel and started reading it as a life-manual."

Like his other books, The Art of Living Consciously contains a strong element of material designed to bring the reader nearer to the type of experience Branden is advocating. Through stories, suggested exercises, and discussions, he invites us not just to understand his position, but to enter a state of mind where his principles make a difference in our own life. He does not just describe the good life, he invites us to discover it ourselves.

Like many manuals, the impatient will be tempted to skip ahead to the parts they find most immediately relevant. But as Branden says in his afterword, "This book contains doors that sometimes open only at the second or third touch of the handle."

* * *

Branden's discussion in the first six chapters suggests a certain view of the self, a sort of spirituality of reason. In the seventh, last, chapter he takes up the subject explicitly by raising the questions, "What is the relationship, if any, between living consciously and pursuing a spiritual path? If there is a connection between living consciously and spirituality, where and how does a belief in God fit into the picture -- or does it? What is the relation, if any, between living consciously, spirituality, and the teachings of mysticism?" (178).

To avoid the shifting sands that take place in many discussions of spirituality, he begins by addressing the significance of definitions in this context and offers his own definition of spirituality: "pertaining to consciousness and to the needs and development of consciousness." He explains, "Whoever continually strives to achieve a clearer and clearer vision of reality and his or her place in it -- whoever is pulled forward by a passion for clarity -- is, to that extent, leading a spiritual life" (180-1).

Seen from this perspective, it is clear that simply attending church every Sunday, accepting uncritically one's parents" values, renouncing the self in favor of some higher authority -- the trappings of conventional "spirituality" -- may actually subvert spiritual growth.

All people need a sense of pursuing an important spiritual path, of continually striving for their own development. Obviously, this conception of spirituality does not require, as many people would otherwise assume, a belief in God. Nor does it entail any belief in mysticism, although, Branden notes, it may well entail some of the practices traditionally associated with mystics, such as meditation -- which, he observes, many Westerners are pursuing as a path to "self-understanding, enhanced creativity, a deeper appreciation of what is important in life, a clearer grasp of one's own mental processes, a more profound perception of reality, and the experience of greater serenity" (184).

Granting the strong traditional association between spirituality and mysticism, Branden then strongly distinguishes his view of spirituality from that of mysticism -- which he defines as "the claim that there are aspects of existence that can be known by means of a unique cognitive faculty whose judgments are above the authority of sensory observation or reason" (200).

After refuting several beliefs advanced today by Eastern mystics, including the ideal of self-transcendence and an argument similar to David Hume's famous argument that self is an illusion, Branden concludes his discussion of the spirituality of reason by examining what happens when we apply the principle of living consciously to the realm of personal values. "What is this book," he asks, "but an attempt to demonstrate that living consciously -- clearly a moral as well as psychological ideal -- is to one's selfish interest?" (213).

By providing his readers with both the insight and the inspiration to do the job, Dr. Branden has provided us with an invaluable tool for applying philosophy to life -- and then reaping the rewards.

Nathaniel Branden has finally written the One Book I Would Take With Me to a Desert Island If I Could Have Only One Book. I must consider this book his absolute masterpiece. It was only on my second reading that the power of the book really hit home. I wasn't prepared for the truth and beauty of it the first time I read it. I just wasn't prepared. I'd so clouded up my own intellectual history with spirituality and escapist self-help (a true contradiction in intentions). I dip into any page now and come out cleaned and bright and ready to use the power of my mind. I do the sentence completions and feel my center grow stronger every day. This one book may be the greatest single gift psychology has ever given to humanity.

Okay,so I have a bit of hero worship and father figure identification with Dr. Branden so maybe my review is not the most objective but I want to express a great deal of gratitude to him.This is a fine book and I am in my first rereading of it.I think it is one of those kind of books where there is more to reflect on with each reading and more to learn.I still think "The Six Pillars of Self Esteem" is his masterwork but well maybe it's "The Disowned Self", no wait maybe it's "The Psychology of Self Esteem". The point is, buy this book and all the others if you would like to illuminate your path.(and do the sentence stems, they make a difference)