Self Unfoldment By Disciplines of Realization [Paperback]

Manly P. Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996 | ISBN-10: 0893145246 | ISBN-13: 978-0893145248

Recommended as a basic text for those seeking inner growth, practical instructions in the philosophy of disciplined thinking and feeling are provided with the goal of releasing and developing the inward perceptions. This safe and sensible approach to esoteric disciplines is based on Oriental metaphysical doctrine supplemented with Platonic and Pythagorean philosophy. Illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Philosophical Research Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1934 for the purpose of assisting thoughtful persons to live more graciously and constructively in a confused and troubled world. The Society is entirely free from educational, political, or ecclesiastical control. Dedicated to an idealistic approach to the solution of human problems, the Society's program stresses the need for the integration of religion, philosophy, and the science of psychology into one system of instruction. The goal of this instruction is to enable the individual to develop a mature philosophy of life, to recognize his proper responsibilities and opportunities, and to understand and appreciate his place in the unfolding universal pattern.

From the Back Cover

Illumination is as natural as life itself, but enlightened living is only possible when we perceive the reason for living. This reason cannot be supplied by the mind or the senses. It can be discovered only through communication with the inner Self. The purpose of this book is to develop awareness and thoughtfulness as a part of the student. Those disciplines are not to be practiced as rituals, but as inherent qualities until they become as natural as eating and digestion. The doctrines of this work are drawn primarily from Oriental sources and augmented with teachings from Pythagoras and Plato. All of the techniques have been adapted to modern Western life, excluding things only appropriate to a more contemplative and less pressured existence. The practice of metaphysical discipline will not remove life'' problems but will help to face and solve them honestly.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Philosophical Research Society (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893145246
• ISBN-13: 978-0893145248
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,847,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Learning discrimination in mysticism, September 12, 2006

By 

H. Gilbert "Jonathan Spilhaus" (London) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Self Unfoldment By Disciplines of Realization (Paperback)

This book is not a technical approach to self realisation. It more describes the psychological and mental approach that is needed. Today is the day of the 'Self Help' books, where hundreds of techniques are dished out in great detail. However, these techniques rarely meet their promises. This book shows why such 'Self Help' books do not usually work. If you read this book carefully, you will be better able to discriminate on what is likely to work.

Manly Hall writes very clearly and in some passages very beautifully. There are some lovely parables, which illustrate the various facets of mysticism.

Some of the ideas are dated: the book was written in the '40s.

e.g criticism of hatha yoga is valid, but very few teachers actually teach the kundalini yoga that he warns against.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help for the Do-It-Yourselfer, April 9, 2007

By 

A. M. Wa (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Self Unfoldment By Disciplines of Realization (Paperback)

I was impressed by the book. I felt that Mr. Hall was writing from actual experience of the mystical state, rather than just re-hashing old information. It's usually pretty easy to tell if an author has actually "been there", and I'd say Hall has. This is a self-help book for people who really are trying to help themselves. Those who hope to avoid the work and let the guru take over will not be pleased with this volume.

In this book Mr. Hall favors a psychological approach, discussing what actually happens inside a person who is experiencing awakening. I found it to be accurate and insightful. He (happily) eschews all the endless details that we've come to expect in western occultism: planetary this and that, magical incantations, vibratory colors, etc.

Could someone actually experience enlightenment from reading this book? OK, maybe not. Then again, no one really knows how and when awakening comes; no one can predict who is "ripe" for this experience and who is not.

For those who are expecting a list of things to do and things not to do, this book will be a disappointment. But, hey, let's be honest. If you're looking for these lists in lieu of walking your own path, you're not a serious candidate for awakening in any case.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Manly P Hall should have stayed far away from efforts at writing a "practical guide", February 10, 2006

By 

Michael Herman (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Self Unfoldment By Disciplines of Realization (Paperback)

The book purports to be a practical guide for students seeking self-realization... not so! Manly Hall is an interesting writer and some of his work is a valuable resource of historical information on the occult, but my impression is that he sorely lacks the practical experience needed to write a "practical guide". He loved to wax on and on about philosophers and their ideas, and likes to tie together diverse and obscure tidbits of information, which makes him a decent historian. My impression is that this book was Manly P. Hall's effort at recognizing a link between Western and Eastern spiritual disciplines, which apparently was very popular around the time this was published (the work of Gurdjieff and Blavatsky come to mind in particular, while Tibetan, Egyptian and Indian culture was apparently being introduced to the West through many translations of religious texts). This book pales in comparison to others that forge this link, and to top it off... in our day and age various cultures have been assimilated so much more heavily than in the early-mid 1900's, that readers probably won't benefit much from this books very loose attempt at identifying the relationship between Eastern and Western mysticism.

The book screams "outdated", and "emotionless". The authour seems to have been a great scholar and academic, which unfortunately seems to hamper his efforts at teaching practical methods towards self-development. I would highly recommend people to avoid this book. Not only was it particularly boring, but any minute detail of minute value can be found from countless other sources (if you are willing to go through a dense read that is absolutely worth the effort, I would recommend "The Fourth Way" by Ouspesnky... also amazing is "Kundalini Yoga" by Swami Rhada, which is much more practical).

I sold the book immediately after reading it. The bookseller, who is very familiar with Manly Hall, said he had never even heard of it before. He then turned to another guy in the store who is even more familiar with the authour, and he had also never heard of it before (note- I'm not so surprised to be the first person to review this item, and I'm doing so to save people's time and money). My guess is the book is not highly regarded, and not in high demand... perhaps because Manly Hall's efforts at teaching practical methods failed. I would, however, recommend the books "Man: Occult Anatomy" (excellent illustrations!) and "Secret Teachings of All Ages", which both put the authours scholarly approach better use.