The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer is a self-improvement and spiritual book that helps you understand who you are and really free yourself. The book is a New York no.1 best seller having sold over a million copies, and all for good reasons. It offers simple but very profound advice on how you can discover yourself and connect with the spiritual realm. If you are looking for the one self-improvement book to read, this might be it. This The Untethered Soul summary will provide you with the essentials of the book to help you understand what it is all about. The book is divided into five parts which are as follows;
Part 1: Awakening Consciousness – This part is all about separating yourself from your thoughts. Your mind is always in a constant state of rambling. You cannot really discover who you are if you are in a constant state of monologue with yourself. Michael states it clearly in the book, “In case you haven’t noticed, you have a mental dialogue going on inside your head that never stops. It just keeps going and going. Have you ever wondered why it talks in there? How does it decide what to say and when to say it? How much of what it says turns out to be true? How much of what it says is even important? And if right now you are hearing, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any voice inside my head!”–that’s the voice we’re talking about. If you’re smart, you’ll take the time to step back, examine this voice, and get to know it better. The problem is, you’re too close to be objective. You have to step way back and watch it converse.” You need to discover how you can shut off the mind so you can awaken your deep consciousness. It is only after you are able to look at your life like a spectator that you will be able to discover yourself. It is in this part of the book also that the author tries to decipher the biggest mystery of all “who are you?” The three chapters in part one are;
- The Voice Inside Your Head
- Your Inner Roommate
- Who Are You?
- The Lucid Self
Part 2: Experiencing Energy – There is energy within us and more often than not this inner energy is assumed. Many people do not pay attention to the energy within, and it’s only through experiencing this energy that you can fully experience life. In his book, Michael states that it is important to learn to stay “open” so that energy can flow through you. The more you stay open and allow energy to flow the better. Closing yourself up will only cause you pain and resentment. Opening up your heart for the energy to flow through brings you joy and enthusiasm. The chapters in this part are;
- Infinite Energy
- The Secrets of The Spiritual Heart
- Transcending the Tendency to Close
Part 3: Freeing Yourself – for many readers, this is the part of the book where they start experiencing the power that Michael has placed in their hands. To free yourself you must be ready to embrace change. Change comes with many fears, and you have to overcome them to free yourself. When you allow the energy you have experienced in part 2 above to really move through your heart, then you are able to free your inner self. To show how change is essential, Michael uses the analogy of having a thorn in your arm. The sooner you can get rid of the thorn the better it will be for you. Fearing the pain to be experienced in removing the thorn only causes you more pain later on. You have to face that little pain now for immense happiness later. The chapters in this part are;
- Let Go Now or Fall
- Removing Your Inner Thorn
- Stealing Freedom For Your Soul
- Pain, The Price of Freedom
Part 4: Going Beyond – This part of the book talks about how you can break the walls that you have built to protect yourself. These walls are built from the experiences of pain. They are built behind fake personas that are not truly who you are. To find yourself and free yourself so you can achieve unconditional happiness then you have to break all these walls. The chapters in going beyond are;
- Taking Down The Walls
- Far Far Beyond
- Letting Go of False Solidarity
Part 5: Living Life – “Do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy?” Michael states that this is the underlying question that you need to ask yourself. When you have answered this question, then everything else is under your control. You will be able to make choices that ultimately lead you to the path that you have chosen. Further, Michael indicates that you should contemplate death more often because death gives life meaning. The chapters in part 5 are;
- The Path of Unconditional Happiness
- The Spiritual Path of Non – Resistance
- Contemplating Death
- The Secret of The Middle Way
- The Loving Eyes of God
What I Like About The Book
I like that this book illustrates how to free yourself from your thoughts. The author has stripped the philosophy down to the core allowing you to see clearly what you have been missing in other books. The book is not tied to one doctrine. Instead, the author borrows from different doctrines and ties them together in unison to bring you an unimaginable understanding of who you are. Through the book, you will also be able to identify with your spiritual self which answers who your true self is.
Why You Should Read The Book
This book has the ability to change the way you approach life entirely. If you are unable to define who you are beyond just stating your physique or your achievements, then you should read this book. It will help you to truly discover yourself beyond the surface of things. You will become one with your spiritual being and be able to harness the other realm that genuinely defines you and gives you freedom for a happy life. In essence, your life will be changed.
