Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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126 of 131 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Universal wisdom, Amazing stories, Practical advice, April 20, 2003
The "Masters" are highly evolved souls not in physical form who pass along messages of love, wisdom and universal truth. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss, famous for his books on reincarnation, received these messages through various means including his own meditations and the past-life regressions of his patients. Whether someone is a long-time spiritual seeker or just beginning their spiritual journey, there is so much of value in this book! In each chapter, I'm impressed by 3 things: (1) the quote from the masters that opens the chapter, (2) the amazing stories Weiss shares, and (3) the plethora of practical advice. (1) Each chapter begins with a quote from the masters about 1 to 2 paragraphs long-a lot of wisdom packed into a few words. These messages include the importance of love, forgiveness, patience, meditation and visualization; and information about reincarnation and life in spiritual form. Although these messages corroborate other spiritual and metaphysical books I've read, it's great to have messages on so many topics succinctly boiled down to their essence in one book. (2) Each chapter contains fascinating stories that reinforce the masters' quote which begins the chapter. The stories come from many sources including Brian Weiss' life, his regression patients and workshop participants, and experiences with talented mediums such as James Van Praagh. The stories are truly amazing, and if the reader believes the author is telling the truth, provide incontrovertible evidence the existence of the soul outside the human body via out of the body-, between life-, and reincarnation experiences. I recognized several stories from Weiss' previous books, but most were new. There were numerous cases of hypnotic regression patients, mediums, and workshop participants accessing information that no one would know except an individual and his or her deceased loved one, plus some spine-tingling "coincidences". (3) "Messages from the Masters" is far more than wise quotes and cool stories. I'm impressed by the depth and wisdom of the advice. For example, in his chapter on psychics and mediums, Weiss devotes 4 pages discussing 10 rules of thumb for separating real ones from the fakes. Likewise, his chapter on teachers discusses discerning real teachers and gurus from pretenders. I'm impressed that the book doesn't just preach "peace and love" but provides so much practical advice one can use on a day-to-day basis. In addition, Weiss' commentary on the fallacies of modern psychiatry is quite interesting. (4) Bonuses - Appendix A provides 7 spiritual teachings, each followed by passages from the sacred writings of major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Appendix B provides 2 meditations one can read into a tape recorder: a past life meditation and a healing meditation with dolphins. Bottom line: this book is full of wisdom, fascinating stories, and practical advice. I highly recommend it to beginning spiritual seekers, long-term spiritual seekers, and skeptics alike.
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212 of 228 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the most important books you will ever read, May 22, 2000
Reincarnation. Many people believe we are on this planet to learn lessons, a spiritual school of sorts, and we keep returning until we get it right. While others still hold true to the tenets of their religions: We go to Heaven if we're good and to Hell if we're bad. While the belief in reincarnation has been part of the teachings in the eastern countries for centuries, it is a relatively new concept for many in the west. Have you ever visited a place for the first time and known where to find everything without the use of a guidebook or map? You just knew as though you had lived there before. Well, maybe you did live there in a previous life. Psychiatrist Brian Weiss has spent the past twenty years learning more and more about reincarnation and past life regression. His fourth book, "Messages From the Masters: Tapping Into the Power of Love," promotes what Weiss feels is the most important lesson we can learn - Love. Weiss hasn't always believed in reincarnation. In fact, as a respected Yale University trained psychiatrist, he dealt in scientific fact. But, twenty years ago, when a patient visited his office for treatment to rid herself of numerous phobias, his beliefs slowly began to change. Weiss calls this patient Catherine in his first book, "Many Lives, Many Masters." In the book he tells the story of how when he used traditional regression therapy, sending Catherine back into her memory to her childhood to find the root of her fears, he was astonished to find her describing a life 4,000 years ago in a place like Babylon where she died in a flood. Weiss at first thought Catherine was experiencing a fantasy, or maybe remembering a movie. In any case, her fear of drowning disappeared. Over the next few months, Catherine regressed to many more lifetimes and with each one, another fear disappeared. Through research, Weiss found obscure records to document that Catherine had indeed remembered past lives. But, the one incident that truly convinced him that reincarnation is real is a message from the masters. During a regression session Catherine found herself between lives, in a spiritual state in which she met many masters, or higher enlightened beings with wisdom of the ages. In this state Catherine delivered a message to Weiss from his father, who Catherine addressed by his Hebrew name, a name she could not have known. Then another extraordinary thing happened. Catherine delivered a message to Weiss from his first-born son who died at just a few days old from a very rare heart condition. He was convinced. And his life will never be the same. After twenty years, four books and countless lectures around the world, Dr. Brian Weiss remains soft-spoken, humble, friendly, caring and loving. Quick with a smile, he is always amazed at the throng of people who flock to hear him speak. He says he is only the messenger. A messenger he may be, but to be in the same room with him you feel the presence of greatness. "I don't feel special," he said. "I'm a psychiatrist." Since Catherine, Weiss has regressed thousands of patients, successfully treating phobias as well as disorders such as asthma. He and his wife, Carole, also a therapist, have trained numerous others in the technique that has proven beneficial to so many people. And he has received many messages from the master spirits which some call angels or guides. Their one universal message is the power of love. "`Messages From the Masters' goes past regressions and reincarnation and really gets into the deeper levels and how to feel happier now," Weiss said during an interview at Liberties Books in Boca Raton. "This field which I call psychospiritual psychotherapy includes all elements: regression therapy, understanding at a deeper level, spiritual roots and a lot about love. Love is the basic energy, binding force and how it can help to dissolve fear and anxieties. There is really twenty years of my work in this book. Not just with regressions, but with relationships." The masters speak to Weiss through meditation, his patients, dreams, through mediums. He doesn't know why he was chosen but he feels that his ivy league education lends more credibility to his work in this field. "My motivating factor was grief," he said. "That's why I wrote the first book. Losing the baby, going through a grieving process. That was in 1971. Catherine didn't start until 1980. I was finding out it helped people with grief and grieving. That's why I took the risk of publishing the book. I had a job with tenure, a career, the whole thing. But knowing how terrible I felt during the grieving process, I wanted to help others through it." As it was, it took Weiss about four years to write "Many Lives, Many Masters" and he felt he was risking his career by doing so. Instead, other psychiatrists contacted him, saying they had similar experiences with patients. It opened up a whole new world for many. He has regressed patients thousands of years to cave dwellings, ancient Egypt and Greece. "They offer detailed descriptions of time, dress, culture in historical periods of which they have no familiarity or knowledge," he said. "A small percentage can speak a foreign language they had never known. I haven't met anyone famous yet. The overwhelming majority of past lives have been everyday people." His second book, "Through Time Into Healing," explores the healing potential of regression therapy. His third book, "Only Love is Real," is the spellbinding true story of two of his patients, two souls bound eternally by love. Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, "Messages From the Masters" is one of the most important books you will ever read. It will give you hope, and show you the power of love.
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life Changing, May 14, 2000
By A Customer
Once I started this book, it was hard to put down. I find it very encouraging and reassuring to hear that life truly does make sense instead of the nonsense one gets from religion. How wonderful to feel reassured that life truly does go on and that everything happens for a reason. The knowledge that we are never alone, and are truly being watched over is so beautiful. And how reassuring and healing to know no one ever dies, not even our pets. I find Dr. Weiss' style of writing poetic and beautiful and would be easy for anyone to read and understand. The actual quoted words from the Masters seem to have a life of their own -- as if the rhyme and rhythm are imbued with a power capable of lifting consciousness to a higher level. From page one, I was on a real high and hated to have it end. I especially loved the story his wife told about her personal communication with her dead father. Since first becoming acquainted with this author's work in "Many Lives, Many Masters," I feel certain that if the Masters had to choose someone to get this information out to mankind, they could not have chosen anyone better to deliver it than Dr. Weiss. The messages of light and love in this book are very powerful and have the ability to heal and to change lives.
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