Emergence: The Shift from Ego to Essence

This book gives every human being hope that our ability to reinvent ourselves and become fully alive is possible. Barbara Marx Hubbard is courageous and insightful leading the reader through the phases of development as a Universal Human. Through her own experience the reader is encouraged to try it for themselves. I am still reading it and have had many encounters with my Essential Self. A great read for those on a journey toward wholeness.

This is a wonderful book that explains how we can all view the world we live in from a higher perspective. Barbara Marx Hubbard shows how we can transcend our personal motives and find joy through serving humanity's higher values. She does this by teaching us to appreciate the creative interconnectedness of all things. This book is recommended reading for those who dream of a world in which humanity someday consciously and collectively chooses the direction in which it wishes to head.

In her latest book, Emergence, visionary author Barbara Marx Hubbard describes the birth of a new being that she calls the ?Universal Human.? She describes a Universal Human as ?one who is connected through the heart to the whole of life, attuned to the deeper intelligence of nature, and called forth irresistibly by spirit to creatively express his or her gifts in the evolution of self and the world.? She believes that humans today are undergoing the process of ?emerging? from what we?ve been to beings capable of co-creating ?a new world that is sustainable, compassionate, and life-enhancing.? Our present generation has the technological ability to destroy the world, or to consciously evolve in ways that are ?magnificent beyond imaginings.? She has divided her book into two parts. The first section compares the process of emerging to physical birth?gestation, infancy, childhood, youth, and mature adult. She also discusses why this particular generation is the ?cross-over? generation between human development to date and the Universal Human, and outlines the challenges we face in making the transition. The longer second section is a guidebook to emergence. In it, Hubbard interweaves the story of her own emergence with meditations, spiritual practices, and encouragement. She describes ten key steps, beginning with creating an inner sanctuary. All the steps depend on knowing and listening to the ?Essential Self.? Hubbard emphasizes that change is necessary if we are to survive, because ?the very behaviors that kept us alive in prior times are the behaviors that are threatening to end our lives today.? She says we have the ability to change and develop the consciousness we need to meet the challenges ahead. Emergence is essential reading for all those desiring to consciously evolve and develop their full potential as extraordinary beings.

This is one of the best books I've read for those having consciously chosen the path of awakening to one's Divine Potential; especially so, for those who are just beginning this process or feel they have plateaued along the way. The author offers a step-by-step snapshot of each turn along the spiral as it continues ever upward and I believe both new and seasoned seekers alike will find her words not only affirming, but comforting as well. Ms. Hubbard writes as a visonary; her words at times both poetic and brimming with wisdom. For me, the paragraph I found most meaningful is on page 85: "Once we have shifted our identity from ego to essence, we are no longer a witness of the phenomenal world but a co-creator of the phenomenal world. In this new perspective, we actually experience that our larger "mind" or consciousness is causing our reality. The experience of personal freedom shifts from a sense of individual, separated will to a sense of surrender into a larger design which feels like it is our own". It is quite affirming to see this statement in print because eventually one arrives at the place where this is understood to be a universal truth. What is truly awesome is that humanity is poised on the brink of actually realizing this collectively -- enabling the monumental shift we are about to birth -- that of becoming the "Universal Human".Bravo, Ms. Hubbard...your courage, perserverance, and vision are most inspiring!