The Silent Pulse: A Search for the Perfect Rhythm that Exists in Each of Us (Paperback)

~ George Leonard (Author) "There are human societies so simple and unadorned as to possess no clothing other than the loincloth, no tool other than the stick or stone,..." (more)
Key Phrases: essentic form, inner pulse, silent pulse, New York, Pat Price, The Silent Pulse (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Back in print with exciting new content from one of the leading spiritual theorists in the world, The Silent Pulse uses quantum physics to explore how the human body and mind are made up of rhythmic waves and how measurable vibrations touch us emotionally and creatively. George Leonard takes readers on a search of self-discovery and a journey into the limitless possibilities of human potential.

From the Back Cover

"At the heart of each of us there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm, made up of wave forms and resonances, which is absolutely individual and yet connects us to the universe." - George Leonard
From how the rich vibrations of music touch us emotionally to how the body and mind are made up of rhythmic waves, The Silent Pulse takes readers on a journey of self-discovery into the limitless possibilities of individual potential.
"George Leonard's writings on human potential have an ecstatic quality that turns the body toward its deepest intuition; an artful balance between the integrity of the individual and the mystery of the physical universe. Leonard captures that delicate dance-the silent pulse-between the mystical as literally cosmic and the ethical as truly personal." - Jeffrey J. Kripal, Chair of Religious Studies at Rice University and author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion
"Leonard's synthesis on leading-edge research about consciousness, rhythms, light, perception, and alternative realities has the accuracy you'd expect from a long-time magazine editor and journalist. But he transcends all categories in this book: it is poetry, science writing, and adventure. It is hard to imagine that anyone could read it without being changed by it." - Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy
Drawn from scientific theory, particularly modern quantum physics, The Silent Pulse details the experiences of ordinary and extraordinary people who have uncovered remarkable truths about human capabilities. The exercises in this book, based on Leonard's workshops, will lead you to experience your own silent pulse of perfect rhythm.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith; Revise & Updated edition (August 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142360122X
• ISBN-13: 978-1423601227
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #285,019 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Harder then the Others, May 13, 2007

By	B. Darnell "IT Specialist" (Southern California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Silent Pulse was a good book. It added a scientific perspective to theories I previously could only describe as being metaphysical or mystical and added some very interesting ideas to the perspective of life. I enjoyed the read. I do have to say that the book was much harder to read then Leonard's other offerings.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More Air Than A Carvel Sundae, June 13, 2009

By	frankp93 "frankp93" (Danbury, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

Amazon Verified Purchase

The original edition of The Silent Pulse appeared around the time of Capra's "The Tao of Physics", Zukav's "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" and a host of similar groovy titles under the "Bantam New Age" moniker. As a music major at the time with a lifelong interest in science, books such as these made quantum physics accessible and interesting for me - someone who had never set foot in a calculus or college-level physics class.

Years later, the connection between musical rhythm, pitch frequency and other vibrating systems remains an interest of mine and I picked up a used copy of The Silent Pulse on a recommendation hoping for some fresh insights.

Unfortunately, the book has very little to do with music, except for Leonard's allusions to being a composer of show tunes and a jazz pianist. Nothing wrong with either, mind you, but he's so focused on making universal, cosmological connections that he fails to adequately illustrate or enforce his positions in practical ways the reader can latch onto. Towards the end it all begins to blur into some 70's Marin County mush about being one, holographically, with the universe.

Leonard's "Tao angle" is his advanced experience with marital arts that provides some interesting context on human potential and overcoming perceived limits. The most captivating parts of the book for me occurred early on where Leonard describes research on the micro-movements that occur during human interaction and then wanders into paranormal studies of remote sensing, telekinesis, and the ability to predict future events.

Depending on your personal view of such phenomenon and Leonard's attempts at explanation, you'll either keep reading or press the bus buzzer to let yourself off at the next stop.

Leonard's biggest sin, utimately, is his writing style which, surprisingly for a former Look magazine editor (as he describes in a far too long afterword chapter), is anything but crisp and attention-grabbing. The prose is airy, filled with colorless phrasing and, I have to say it, just plain boring.






The most interesting part of the book however, has very little to