Customer Reviews

Journey Beyond Words (Miracles Studies Book)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Subtitled "A Companion to The Workbook of The Course," JBW distills the lessons of the Course's Workbook section down to their purest essences and presents them in a series of chapters that parallel the "daily" format of the Workbook.

Combining about 6 to 8 lessons of the Workbook into sections with such headings as: "Holiness," "Happiness," "Oneness," "The Kingdom of God," and "The Ego," etc., Journey Beyond Words condenses the somewhat discursive approach of A Course In Miracles into sharp, focused sentences that does away with, what many students of the Course consider to be the, at times, opaque, almost baroque, language of the original, dictated work.

As stated in the Introduction, the purpose of JBW is to get the sincere students of the Course past the idea that they are are to "learn" anything, especially in the analytical, academic sense, but rather to experience for themselves the Truth and Reality that the words of the Course can only hint at, or at best, point to. "Lived," not "learned," is the rallying cry and the leitmotif of the entire work.

As a text, this is Advaita (non-duality) at its top-notch, comparable to the "best" of Ramana, Nisargadatta, the Yoga Vashistha, etc. Pure, non-dual Reality (God) comes through every chapter and page. An exhilarating, liberating experience awaits those who seek to move beyond mere arid and intellectual categories and concepts and plunge into the "living water" of Jesus' revelation.

Speaking of Jesus, the one potential stumbling block here for Course students may be the fact that the "voice" of Journey Beyond Words identifies himself as Jeshua and the implication, of course, is that this is the very same personality (i.e., Jesus) who dictated the original Course to Helen Schucman, beginning in 1965.

Whether or not this is actually the case is left, of course, to the reader to decide for herself. But since, ! in fact, the whole purpose of both ACIM as well as JBW, is to get beyond all dualities and distinctions, particularly "specialness" ( a very key concept in both sets of material) of any kind, then I think it will only be the quibblers, the fundamentalists, and the Course In Miracles gurus and "big names" who may take issue with Jesus/Jeshua since JBW will probably threaten their own "specialness" as "official" interpreters of the Course to their often struggling, "dualistic" students.

I submit that if and when the Journey Beyond Words is actually completed (i.e., experientially, of course, and not merely conceptually), then any and all questions as to who "really wrote" either or both of these two completely enlivening and enlightening books, will be dissolved in the pure Oneness of That which (alone!) is.

One final note: I don't think the Journey Beyond Words should be approached before the reader is confident in his understanding of what the Course In Miracles is all about, i.e., Sonship with God. I may be off here, but I feel that to do otherwise might short-circuit the impact that the Journey Beyond Words can have on the sincere student of the Course and also may cause the reader to miss out on the richness of the original work (ACIM), as contrasted with the razor-sharp penetration of the Journey's "beyond" words.

Yes, 5 stars indeed!

Since this book was initially intended to be a study guide for "A Course In Miracles", there is a tendency think that to buy this book would require an involvment with the Course. On the cover it is clearly labled as "A Companion to The Workbook of The Course" and is also designated as "A Miracles Studies Book". As a result I feel that this book has not yet reached a wide enough audience. This book and one that came after "The Other Voice" are more than just adjuncts to the Course.
The speaker of these teachings, Jeshua (Jesus), uses the word "extension" to denote the difference between the true Creation of God and the world that we experience, which he says comes from projection, an activity of the ego, and therefore not true creation. Extension is God's expression of His Love. The word informs us of the profoundly important fact that True Creation can in no way be anything that is outside of God. All creation must be simply God extending Him/Herself. That means that if all True Creation is simply God, and God is omnipotent and omnipresent, then all True Creation must be the extension of That. And God's Will, by definition, must be perfect, so there can be NO will in Creation that is separate or opposed to That Will. Think about the implications of that. Then get this book.
My life and intention has been irreversibly changed by this material. It is more than just a clarification of previous material. I believe that it can be thought of as an "extension" of the Course, in the larger meaning of that word. It is the profound Love of the Course extended in Love. The words are very clear and straightforward and easy to understand from the point of view of language, but these lessons live up to the title, "Journey Beyond Words". It may be 1,000 years or more before we can really begin to understand everything that is trying to come through here, but I strongly suggest that if you live with these words, rather than just read them, your journey to perfect joy and peace, where death is merely a transition, will be much more direct. There are many paths to that, but I feel that this is perhaps the most profound. The importance of this book and all of the words of Jeshua cannot, in my estimation, be overstated.

My friend Fifi and I have been students of ACIM for several years. She stumbled across JBW and let me borrow it. She is usually very generous with her books but would NOT allow me to highlight this one. So I ordered my own through Amazon.com. After being "in my head" for so long with ACIM, JBW is like a breath of fresh air. Brent Haskell has brought a down to earthness to the Course and everything now seems so refreshingly simple with examples of practical application that bring about instant..."Ahas" and lots and lots of laughter. This is a brilliant work on ACIM and I heartily recommend it.

There are many spiritual books in the market today, most of which contain contradictory information about the nature of the universe, the nature of man, and the nature of God. However, this book is perhaps the most hopeful and truthful message I have come across in my spiritual journey so far. The language is clear, simple, and easy to understand -- enough to get a layperson such as myself started on the inner journey very quickly. The message itself is one of hope and promise -- that we are all one and that the universe, including ourselves, is a single undivided whole that we can experience with the help of God. This book is refreshingly free of the cultural and gender bias that is present in many "new age" books today.

This book is highly recommended for those looking for a positive path to daily living.

Many people find A Course in Miracles hard to understand. As a follow on to the course Jesus channeled thru the "author" a very loving explanation of what is included in the course lessons. You will never regret buying this book.

If you are "A Course In Miracles" student, this is the clearest (and most profound) book I've found on this material. And if you're not familiar with the Course but wish to be introduced to the Course's basic principles in an elegant way, look no further. My most cherished book (next to the Course) in my rather extensive spiritual collection.

If you are familiar with A Course In Miracles (ACIM) it is quite likely you'll find this book to be a very eloquent, accessible, and beautiful reminder of the message within ACIM. In my experience it addresses the underlying theme of ACIM in ways that differ from ACIM (which may mean they will touch you in new ways) whilst doing the topics at hand just as much service and perhaps more as ACIM did.

If you tried to read ACIM and essentially liked it (i.e. you didn't put it down in total disfavour) but found it inaccessible or hard to get through then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. I am quite certain it will bring a deeper experience of joy, understanding and love into your world.

Now, I trust that many reading these reviews will NOT have read ACIM. Is that you?

If it is, I would say that the value of this book will depend very much on what you are looking for (which is the case with most books, right?). So, if you are looking for a book that will provide you with: a gentle, clear, and easy to read reminder of what's True; a wake up call; a loving yet potentially transformative journey into releasing that which is holding you back within your view of the world/life/creation; something you can pick up at any time and read a few pages of to bring yourself back to a place of centred peace and Truth; a spiritual cosmology that is free of much of the "fluff" present in many "New Age" teachings, and free of the dogma of most religious paths... (the list goes on) then again, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

If, however, your world view is firmly rooted into a particular organised spiritual dogma / concept that relies heavily on spiritual rules, regulations, doctrines, hierarchies, etc., then this book may simply annoy you, rub you up the wrong way, and leave you feeling dissatisfied. In which case I do not recommend it. I do not think this book would suit most people into the traditional church based approach to Christianity and Christ Consciousness. Of course, being annoyed and frustrated by this book may not be such a bad thing... I suspect it would require a relatively closed mind to react in such a way, so perhaps this book will be just the thing to jolt the mind open, allow new possibilities to emerge.

Whatever the case may be... may Love extend into your world in this moment... and if you buy this book may you enjoy the ride.

If you read this book and enjoy it, you will certainly want to read and enjoy the other book by Brent Haskell, The Other Voice: A Companion to the Text of "the Course" Chapters 1-15 (Miracles Studies Book). As far as I know, however, Haskell has not yet written the follow-up to that book which would cover the remaining subjects of ACIM. If you already feel you're going to enjoy Journey Beyond Words I recommend buying both these books together. You'll be happy you can dip into both together and/or one right after the other.

I wish you all the best,

Jonathan Evatt
International teacher, lecturer, and author of multi-award winning book Peace, Power, and Presence: A guide to Self Empowerment, Inner Peace, and Spiritual Enlightenment, the first title in the Wisdom for a Life of Freedom series.

I found this book very enlightning. Having been a student of A Course in Miracles (Combined Edition) for several years, It was a very easy way to understand the outline and principles of what can be a difficult book to grasp. I would highly recommend this book together with the companion book The Other Voice: A Companion to the Text of "the Course" Chapters 1-15 (Miracles Studies Book) to anyone searching for a meaning to life as we think we know it. It is based on the "Workbook" contained in "ACIM" and gives very clear instructions on how to work towards to a recognition of true understanding.

I first reviewed this book 3 years ago and have decided it is time for an edit. I gave it 5 stars and said it was a cut above other Course-related books. The truth is I now believe that these type of books may be a ploy by the ego to keep one away from A Course in Miracles. This book and others like it are not the Course. The content has been diluted and its message easy to ignore. Just what your ego wants. Course students are attracted to these kind of books because the Couse is not easy. It takes attention and dedication. Cliff Notes on the Course. The Course Lite. Whatever you want to call it, it is not the Course. Will it help you? It might. Want to read it? Go ahead. Just keep in mind that doing so is keeping you away from the Course. If you need help with ACIM then go to the works of Kenneth Wapnick, who was a close associate and friend of the two people responsible for the Course. His works are invaluable for the student of the Course.

This book records teachings received by the author, much as the Course in Miracles was received. It is of similar inspiration and not all that much easier to read than the Course, actually, although it does complement Course teachings by developing some of them. It is appropriate for those who love the Course and who are thrilled by this type of communication.