Customer Reviews

Eckankar: The Key to Secret Worlds

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Glad to discover that amazon.com carries this book! I enjoyed it immensely when I first read it 26 years ago. I last read it 12 years ago, so take that into account, but I really think it's content is timeless. Twitchell writes about various spiritual principles (most of which are addressed by all religions in one way or another) that can be applied in daily life. He looks at these in a fresh way and offers some concrete possible answers for what I believe are common nagging questions of spiritual seekers. For example: What are dreams, really? Just how do I contact Divine Spirit, or the force for which all religions have a name? (Names like the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the Bani, the Light, the Sound, and the Shabda -- the list goes on. It even pops up in the "Star Wars" movies as the Force. Eckankar -- a relatively new outer-world religion but an ancient teaching many thousands of years old -- calls the Spirit "the Eck," a word evolved from the Greek or Sanskrit Ek meaning the One Oneness or, simply, One.)

Twitchell and Eckankar consider Spirit to be tangible to us as both light (the burning bush of the Christian scriptures, for example) and as sound (the celestial symphony referred to in the scriptures of nearly all religions). They teach ways to experience it and benefit from contact with it.

Twitchell offers thought-provoking information, some of which some readers may find fantastical or unbelievable. He writes about inner spiritual masters, whom he encountered sometimes outwardly, and inwardly during contemplations and dreams. I tried his first contemplative technique and quickly got results, meaning I experienced concrete help in my outer life by calling upon these "spiritual travelers." He also provides easy "spiritual exercises (contemplations you can use from five to 20 minutes) to gently open the third eye in the lower-to-middle forehead. This is to gradually connect more clearly with Spirit and with our own inner guidance and knowingness (my words). I practiced the techniques and found them effective in increasing my decision-making ability and sense of sureness about directions and choices and values. There are too few books our there for those of us who have wondered all our lives about God, about the truth of our human and spiritual nature, and about the greater universes and our dreams. I thought this book opened up access to these other worlds and levels of consciousness.

The book is not always technically well written. At some point, Twitchell was apparently writing several books at once on various typewriters, and his writing style may have suffered for it. However, that didn't detract from the enjoyment of reading or the value of the book for me. If a little rough writing doesn't offend you, it's worth the time of any serious spiritual seeker. At the very least, it will add some valuable new concepts to your biocomputer reference files, and fill in a few holes!

A personal footnote: before I was given this book, my friend mentioned the names of some of the masters written about in the book. Strangely to me at the time, I knew how to pronounce and spell their names. Strange because they were names such as Yaubl Sacabi, Fubbi Quantz, and Rebezar Tarz! I later realized I studied with these masters in the dream state or a past life. For some of you, this may start to touch on the "fantastical" I mentioned.

I first read this book almost thirty years ago, and have read and studied it many times since. Yet this book still gives me fresh insights whenever I pick it up.

It is about ECKANKAR, but provides many universal truths that can be of benefit to anyone seeking a greater understanding of Soul and of God. Beyond this it gives actual techniques of how to Soul Travel in the spiritual worlds.

This book was one of the pioneers in bringing out what had mostly been secret spiritual exercises. Today out-of-body travel has become common knowledge and widely accepted. Paul Twitchell's focus was on teaching these abilities as an aid to self discovery of our true spiritual nature.

It's a fascinating look at, and ways to access realms of consciousness beyond this world.

This is one of the most astounding books I have ever read! Within one week of reading this book my life was inextricably changed.

It offers many keys into the very nature of spiritual reality itself. Far and away the most important being that you do not have to take Paul Twitchell's word about these, but can prove them to yourself thru Soul Travel. What a concept! Everyone can have access to these spiritual worlds and the Light and Sound of God.

I was a seeker. And then I found a book by Brad Steiger that mentioned Paul Twitchell. I then read several books by Paul Twitchell which included the book ECKANKAR: KEY TO SECRET WORLDS. I thought that this book was one of the most amazing, incredible, beautiful books I ever read! This book is a textbook on the teachings of Eckankar! It contains amazing information, that includes how to soul travel and has a number of spiritual exercises to help one reach higher levels of consciousness! I tried several of the exercises mentioned and I had some beautiful experiences. I love this book!

I first read 'Eckankar: The key to secret worlds' as a student. I remember that I almost virtually finished the volume on the spot.
Was it possible that this depth of knowledge existed? Where was his curious hierarchy of Eck Masters all this time when I was searching for answers to questions on God, Heaven, Death and dying? Could I meet them on my own volition? Paul Twitchell also speaks authoritatively of Heaven, a concept so familiar to the majority of us yet so distant. In this book, Paul provides the proof to his claims- in simple, easy to follow Spiritual Exercises.
Like all other great writings on God and the spiritual, the proof lies in the experience, since there are no scientific instruments to universally reproduce a spiritual experience.
It's therefore noteworthy that this book and others by Twitchell remain Spiritual compasses in these times where the pace of life makes for little or no time for things spiritual. No matter your religious persuasion, this book has something to offer you.

I was only 13, when I first came apon this book in my public library in New Jersey and this is now 15 years later and I have to say that no other book has had such an impact on me like this one small book did. I would give this book more then 5stars if I could I would give it 100.

Until Pauls book, like many, I had hungered for truth. My life was spent searching for answers. I wasn't looking for the big brush stroke of everything. In my previous religion no one would answer the questions I had, and no could. I really wanted to know the every little detail of the inner worlds and only a true Soul Traveler could have done that for me. In Pauls book he will give you the Keys to the Secret Worlds.

Anyone who puts this book down is obviously not on a spiritual path or ignorant to spiritual teaching. I would say this is a bit heavy for beginners, although this was one of my first spiritual books that I read for the first time when I was 15 years old. If you would like to learn about soul travel, astral projection and how the levels of heaven work then you won't be disappointed with Eckankar. After reading it I had the most incredible out of body experience. It teaches you how to have no fear and have a guide to assist you. If you don't want to participate in soul travel there is still plenty of mastery to learn here. Paul Twitchell was way before his time and a being of pure love.

Unforgettable book. Paul Twitchell opens up the whole area of even talking about spirituality, clarifies the limitations of language, and starts those who may be interested on a new life of directly experiencing inner light and inner sound. God's love. I'd read this and any book by Harold Klemp that attracts your attention. Then see if you resonate with this spiritual path to God, to realizing God for yourself. In your own way. If this way of life is right for you now, you won't have any doubts. For my part, I have never found such loving, bold, comprehensive, and high viewpoints on God and Soul anywhere else.

After reading "Confessions of a God Seeker" by Ford Johnson I now view all of Twitchell's writings with a pound of salt. Although, Twitchell has made the thoughts, words, and experiences of others his own, there is still useful information here.

Normally, I would have given this book a higher rating, but the difficulty in determining where the origional source of this information left off and Twitchell's "creative imagination" began makes much of the information in the book suspect. Still, there is information contained within this book that is helpful to any Soul consciously beginning or continuing their Inner journey. Just pay attention, and beware of the dogma.