Customer Reviews

Defy Gravity 4CD: Healing Beyond the Bounds of Reason

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First of all, Don 'alchemist' doesn't know what he's talking about! This is one of the most profound and powerful CD sets ever produced!
It's not for sissies or people who want their ego's coddled. It is for real seekers of Truth and those that are willing to face their most limiting interior, invisible boundaries and do the real inner work of healing and transformation! For Caroline, the conventional, superficial ways of the land that are categorized as 'healing' don't cut it. Her work requires that you bring more of yourself to the table and dare to look at the delicate lie of the ego and acknowledge how it rules you. On the other side of this vigorous pursuit is the ineffable clarity and upliftment of the soul--the ultimate of human experiences. You'll learn how to go beyond the mind and open yourself to Grace. "Complete healing," she says, "is a mystical experience, not a rational one." THIS is a program like no other...Caroline is a teacher like no other! Wake up, listen and be transformed from living out the pain of the ego to living in the freedom and bliss of the Spirit.

I have been a long time listener of Caroline's work, as well as many in the mystical traditions. I have always known Caroline to be one of the best teachers of our time. She is blatant and direct in the truth(s) she delivers. Those that want gentle handling or coddling won't get that with Caroline. This is also one of the main reasons she is so brilliant in our day and age. If you have the capacity to listen closely and look deep within yourself with an honest fierceness and humility you will benefit tremendously from her work. It is my belief that we are at a place now in our humanity that could use this direct talk in order to assist a clearing of our shadows so as to balance all within ourselves and strip away anything that doesn't serve our Divine Soul and the greatest good. "The Graces" are one of the many blessings one experiences when having the courage to take an honest personal inventory such as how Caroline outlines in this work. Caroline is a powerhouse and someone who can shake you up and out of complacency as long as you don't take her comments personally at the reactionary ego level. Instead, I suggest using her words as a sword to cut through illusion and penetrate your soul.

I've been an armchair student of Carolyn Myss for about 3 or 4 years. When I got my first CD of her material I was taken by her at first because I could hear her--I am hard of hearing. I didn't have to rewind her CDs to catch something I could not hear, but I do replay her CDs a lot for the material. Some reviewers indicate she is egocentric. To me, the soft-spoken people living out in the ethers to promote materials are the ones who are egocentric. They float along as if they are uplifted by a cloud and they want everyone to see that--it's just not real.

This CD, as well as a lot of her other words, upsets the occasional overly-sensitive customer. To those people I say you are fighting the wrong battles. You don't have to listen to Carolyn, and I like that she never prostitutes who she really is to please overly-sensitive people. Hint: Over-sensitivity is egocentric. I understand this--I used to be overly-sensitive. I overcame mine. Try it sometime.

Where Carolyn comes across as "harsh" to some people is actually her respect and belief that people really can handle the Truth; that they really can make the mystic's journey. She believes in people and refuses to allow you to continue with not believing in yourself. She takes a bucket of water and tosses it on that bad witch sitting on your shoulder to help you get rid of false beliefs about yourself. Her style is to wake people up to their own strengths, not hold people's hand with a soft voice, validating your intention of remaining a victim--or a prostitute. She doesn't believe in your being entitled, either.

Defy Gravity is one of her best pieces. I say that reluctantly because I think all of her work is excellent, and I say excellent because what I have learned from her has actually helped me in my life. I know the dark night of the soul as so many people do. She helped me make sense out of mine; and once I made sense out of mine, I could help others in similar situations. You can be yourself, live fearlessly, and feel profoundly connected to all the universe.

I suggest for those listening to this one also get her program on "Spiritual Madness". That pairs nicely with this one, makes a good introduction to the discussion of the Dark Night of the Soul in Defy Gravity, but DG stands alone well.

Carolyn takes us through the meaning of spiritual crises and some situations that can take us there. No, we are not crazy, nor is it some "ordinary" depression (although most depression is really based in the spiritual crisis). She gives those crises deeper meaning. I love how she also weaves history into her work to show how connected we human beings are across time. Sometimes I feel as if through Carolyn I am receiving spiritual direction from Teresa of Avila or John of the Cross. I feel a kinship with Newton. Whenever she brings in history I feel as if they are my people, my spiritual kin--human beings as imperfect as I am who have found their ways. Her approach through history makes me realize that my life matters, too on this caravan of time.

Carolyn takes us once again back through the chakra system (for more understanding of this for newcomers, I suggest "Spiritual Alchemy" or "Sacred Contracts"), but this time through the seven shadow passions (also known as the seven deadly sins) and the seven graces that heal them. These are rooted in Christian/Catholic theology, however she doesn't approach them through religion but through the mystical journey accessible to all human beings. Sometimes her approach through the eyes of her Catholic background offends the occasional anti-Christian bigot, and I am so glad to hear her say she doesn't by into so-called "political correctness" (which is really another form of lying, by the way). I am not Christian; I'm agnostic, and I've never, ever found her quips or use of Christian ideas offensive, but very helpful. I respect Carolyn for respecting herself enough to stay true to herself in spite of the occasional infantilized criticism.

You will find in this CD set real practical applications. She helps you identify the seven passion and how they can work in your life, how they stand against you. She takes each passion and goes much deeper and further than we usually think of them. For example, she takes greed way past money--you can be intellectually greedy, greedy about acquiring stuff, greedy for attention (sometimes we call those "attention whores", but I think a lot of people suffering from personality disorders will see themselves in this one--and they would greatly benefit from this particular work). In fact, money is a very small part of greed. She makes each passion so profound that I certainly understood myself a lot better--and understand others as well.

Gluttony was presented as not really being about eating or drinking too much but things like being a glutton for punishment, or in my case, I am a book glutton (any of you, too?) At any rate, we all experience the seven passions and she helps us identify just how they show up in our individual lives, how they make us ill, how they stand in the way of our lives. This actually gets to be pretty fun.

We all have the seven graces in our lives, It is a relief to me to know that wherever there is a struggle with one of the passions, there is a grace immediately offered. Carolyn says the graces don't show up as answers, but as questions--always taking us back to our power of choice (hear Spiritual Alchemy for more on the power of Choice).

The bottom line is that no matter what is going on in your life, you can access who you truly are and live it. You don't have to be anyone but you. You can live fearlessly--something we all want.

Carolyn does this for herself, I can tell. While most reviewers are wildly appreciative of her works, there are a few who are extreme in their negative reactions to her. Carolyn is not a codependent hand-holder, helping seekers to remain stuck in the past, or entitled to their pain. I agree with her--this is nonsense. You don't need to blame the past or the people in it. You really can forgive the past and choose to move forward. You really can learn to feel your own profound nature. There are dysfunctional behaviors we've been hanging onto that we really can release.

I take back what I said in the beginning--if you are childish and get upset at a certain tone of voice or an approach that seems harsh, Carolyn is exactly the right teacher for you, for you've got some stuff you don't need to carry forward anymore; you will learn the courage in being true to yourself and take ownership of yourself, ride out serious changes in your life, become fearless, and you will release the need to be overly-sensitive. You will have the chance to take yourself on the real mystic's journey you have always yearned for.

As always, Myss helps us to uncover a better way to live and be a part of the healing of our lives and our world. I was tired of living angry. "Defying gravity" reawakened joy. Thank you, Caroline.

I have listened to Caroline Myss for years and the first book I listened to was Self-Esteem. This book saved my life, literally...from the stand point that I could not figure out what was bothering me and I truly think that this particular book is so helpful that I suggest it to many women that I have met who need to pick themselves up. I hear that it has helped them greatly. I have listened to many of her other works and have also met her in person. I truly believe that Caroline Myss is gifted with the art of getting to the root of the issues of the soul. This particular CD set, Defy Gravity, actually left me most surprised as I realized that the thing that I had not been able to figure out FOR YEARS was in this cd. Sloth you would think is laziness...but she explains "Spiritual Sloth"...bingo...I got to a place understanding myself that I never thought I could. I had never thought of the "sins" and "graces" the way that she explained them. I am also a big Eckhart Tolle fan and his approach is very different than Caroline Myss. I feel that both of their materials are imperative as neither pushes a particular religion and gives one freedom to look at the whole situation without a bias. What I am trying to say is that this is a very very important book that should be listened to by someone who is really ready to deal with the deeper issues of their soul. Otherwise, it will go over your head or perhaps it will confront you with things that you are not ready to see about yourself and it might actually upset you because you don't want to deal with it. IF YOUR ARE READY, I most highly recommend this program. Defy Gravity and Self-Esteem in my opinion are her best works. Caroline is rough sometimes but she is genuine and that is the way she communicates and actually I find her very effective. She actually exposes quite a bit of herself in this book...very interesting. I like the audiobooks by her instead of the actual books because her voice and manner of speaking add a great deal to the work.

Caroline Myss is one of my favorite teachers and she once again hits the mark with this audio program. A recommended program for anyone who is looking to change their personal paradigm. I have listened to it several times and keep finding gems tucked away in the teaching. Thank you Caroline!

Great information. Love Carolyn Myss, she tells a story with great authority and leads you to a no nonsense approach of really living your life for the better. Tough stuff to do, but is really the basis of all bibles if you know how to interpret correctly.

bought the book and the audio. They are based on the same, but, the audio is not word for word. I like having the audio in my car and study the book when I'm not driving. lol The book is a little hard for me to read so am taking my time with it so that it soaks in. It really has been very helpful to shed some past issues. Thanks, Caroline!

I always treasure anything that C Myss has done. I find her very inspiring & this series of lectures is right there on top. I haven't finished them yet but will soon. I'll be listening to them several times as it takes a long time for me to really process it all. Thank You Caroline!

Ms Myss has made simple,what most folks misunderstood, with books like the Power of Positive Thinking. She is an intuitive, who now states exactly where all healing comes from. Never the mind of man, but rather the mystical understanding, we call the Soul