Alchemy of the Heart [Paperback]

Michael Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2008

The causal point of the things that occur in our everyday experience
isn t in the actions of others, but within each of us. During our early years, we are imprinted by the emotional condition of those responsible for us. Their emotional state overlays the essence of who we are, so that we learn to behave like them instead of growing up to be ourselves.

In Alchemy of the Heart, we are asked to become conscious of the ways we were imprinted and how these imprints drive our behavior. Our guide in achieving this is the heart and the language of felt-perception. Through this language, the heart enables us to re-parent ourselves and frees us to love unconditionally.

This journey is about allowing ourselves to feel life--to be present and awake in each moment, so that we really experience everything. It is the chance to participate actively, responsibly, and creatively in our lives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

South African-born Michael Brown lived a blissfully unconscious life as a music journalist until impacted by an acutely painful neurological condition. His only choice was either to alter the quality of his experience, or live in continual suffering. Through a nine-year odyssey which led to the integration of his painful condition, Michael rediscovered how to become responsible for the quality of his personal experience. This journey birthed The Presence Process - A Journey Into Present Moment Awareness. Since then he has also written Alchemy of the Heart and created The Presence Portal [thepresenceportal.com] as a recourse center for this work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Namaste Pub Inc (May 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897238371
• ISBN-13: 978-1897238370
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Until 1989 South African-born Michael Brown was living what he called 'a blissfully unconscious life' as a music journalist. During this period of his life he developed an acutely painful neurological condition called Horton's Syndrome. After four years of suffering through conventional medical approaches, he embarked on a quest to integrate his experience through personal inquiry.

As Michael's quest for resolution unfolded, he began entering an state of being he calls 'present moment awareness' - a paradigm of heightened consciousness running parallel to our conventional and mundane world experience. He discovered that his repeated entry into this enlivened state of being, which he accomplished through ceremonial practice, plant medicines, and consciously connected breathing, resulted in a decrease of his own painful condition to the point that it subsided completely.

In the late 90s Michael charted a methodical pathway into present moment awareness by developing a practical procedure that anyone, anywhere, could follow to initiate this experience for themselves. This procedure is now internationally known as THE PRESENCE PROCESS. In 2002 Michael returned to South Africa and invited others to experience this inner journey. He discovered that as others embraced present moment awareness, they too automatically experienced the integration of physical, mental, and emotional discomfort, including psychological disorders and addictions. To make this journey accessible to everyone, Michael wrote THE PRESENCE PROCESS: A Healing Journey into Present Moment Awareness. Since then he has toured the US and Canada sharing these insights, compiled THE PRESENCE PORTAL website as a resource center for this work, and also written ALCHEMY OF THE HEART: Transforming Turmoil into Peace through Emotional Integration, which focuses on realizing the resonance of peace through emotional integration.

Michael Brown currently lives in Aberdeen, Eastern Cape, South Africa, where he watches cactus grow and continues to support this work through THE PRESENCE PORTAL.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Thing, April 20, 2008

By 

Eric Gross "www.liberationfromthelie.com" (Philadelphia Suburbs) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alchemy of the Heart (Paperback)

I loved this book and I have read, quite literally, hundreds of book focusing on the philosophy of the self, Buddhism, Taoism, and Advaita. This one, finally, lays to rest the myth of enlightenment and brings the restless soul to peace. Life is not a matter of searching for an ever-ellusive happiness. Rather, as Brown says, it is about ending this search through integration - that true peace is a consequence of living the life of our unchanging self, what he calls the vibrational self. This is a MUST read for anyone "entranced" with such a search.
Alas, I do have just one complaint....sometimes the writing becomes a little dense and convoluted and its potential for clarity suffers as a result. The positive side of this problem is that it forces the reader to concentrate that much harder to find the gems of insight embedded deeply within the test.
Very, very strongly recommended. Liberation from the Lie: Cutting the Roots of Fear Once and for All

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Book That Should Have Come FIrst:), September 1, 2008

By 

Michael A. Liaudaitis "(inner)spaceman" (Goldsboro, NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alchemy of the Heart (Paperback)

I am like many of you that will be attracted to books such as these, a searcher for that unknown answer to that unknown question. I was moved 2 months ago to pick up Michael Brown's "Presence Process", and I did so without even reading a single word of the book. I took it home and fell in love with it, seeing myself on each page, knowing that my life would be forever changed from that moment forward. Of course, it would stand to reason that I would search out any and all material by Mr. Brown to ensure that I left no stone unturned regarding the deep and insightful teachings he was imparting, and subsequently I came upon "Alchemy of the Heart".

"Alchemy of the Heart" is a wonderful books as a stand alone, however, it does not offer much to someone who has read his previous material. I believe this book should be read FIRST, as it would assist the reader in his/her transition into the experience that Mr. Brown is so poignantly atttempting to engage us in. This book gives the reader insight into the terminology and verbal twists Mr. Brown enjoys utilizing to illustrate his points. I could go on forever, however, I am not the author, and you really need to read what this man has to say on your own. If you are struggling with which of his books to buy, I would say purchase this one first, then IMMEDIATELY purchase the "Presence Process", and get to work on it. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. You are being afforded the opportunity to meet/remeber your authentic self, and for most of us it will be the first time you have ever done it. I hope this review helps:) Mike

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Jewel Box, May 2, 2008

By 

Katie Jane Wennechuk (Calion, AR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alchemy of the Heart (Paperback)

As a stand alone or a companion to Michael Brown's "The Presence Process," this book is a jewel box of precious gems. "The Presence Process" is as important a discovery as Genpo Roshi's Big Mind, and if Ken Wilber is the Einstein of consciousness, Michael Brown is the Einstein of emotional body awareness. "Alchemy of the Heart" provides substantial inner nutrition for anyone undertaking the destinationless journey of Self discovery.