The Untethered Soul

The Journey Beyond Yourself

By: Michael A. Singer

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer explores the question of human identity and shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and achieve happiness and self-realization.

©2007 Shanti Publications, Inc. (P)2011 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Read this book carefully and you will get more than a glimpse of eternity." (Deepak Chopra)

Best book ever !

Please keep an open mind as you listen. Don’t try to over analyze the message.
If this is your first book on this kind of topic, there’s a slight chance the message might not be received in its entirety. Understand how the human mind works, how it interacts, and how it affects you throughout your day first, and then you’ll be able to get the most out of this book

First World Problems

This book made me sad. I was a bit embarrassed listening to it. It completely discounts anyone with real problems in this world. Anyone who is struggling to pay the bills, or is grieving a lost loved one, or has a child with severe disabilities...will be offended by this book. It just too casually discounts any problems and instructs the reader to notice them but then move on.

Fabulous!

Okay, I love Tolle, Dyer, Chodron, Chopra, Ruiz, Byron Katie, and many others, and that won't change. But for the clearest explanation of how to disregard that 'nut' running commentary in my head, this book wins hands down. It is funny, I mean oh so, 'oh my goodness of course' belly laugh funny, and sensible and simple. I love simple. If you really want to understand who 'you' are...the real you behind the insanity, this is a great book. I found the narrator to be fine, not perfect but I had no problem listening to him. Listened all the way through first day and started over.

Amazing Content, Awful Sound

What did you love best about The Untethered Soul?

Amazing content. The book really ties together a lot of spiritual concepts and just says it how it is. I've read a lot in this genre and am hearing things elucidated like never before. I LOVE the description of the energy waves and the Dao as well as the description of the stuck energy in the heart. I've experienced this phenomenon in Vipassana meditation but it was never explained as plainly/nicely as this.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Peter Berkrot?

Peter's voice is fine, but he starts each sentence with a burst and then trails off at the end of each sentence. I'm listening on quality Beats speakers so it's not my system. The result is that the volume has to be turned up louder to hear the end of the sentence, and it makes the beginning part way too loud. To the mixing/mastering engineer: please USE A COMPRESSOR! It's maddening.

Quiet Insight

What did you like best about The Untethered Soul? What did you like least?

The single greatest element of this book was the "Allegory of the House." Essentially, one will gain greater insight into the concepts shared after having progressed through the book up to the Allegory itself. However, I feel the Allegory itself could serve as a stand-alone. I kept waiting for the book to give more credit to divine intervention. While this is not for everyone, many people relate to this concept. The author does bring this point around in its own chapter near the final points of the book. If the God themes aren't for you, you'll be ok. If the God themes are your thing, you'll also be just fine.

What did you like best about this story?

The story did nothing, if not to help you find that other people are experiencing the same inner nuance you are. For instance, the author, at the very beginning, relates to the reader by admitting that he has tried to tell the voice in his head to 'Shut Up.' This relatively regular theme of intermittent candor is refreshing.

Did Peter Berkrot do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I think Peter did a respectable job. My concern with his reading of this work lies solely in his volume level. Sporadic is the best word for it. At times, his volume is normal, and easily received, While other times, when he seems to be attempting to do the author justice, he lowers his voice for dramatic effect. More than a few times I struggled to comprehend what he had said, forcing me to rewind the audio and re-listen. I'm not sure what this does for my stats on the mobile app but I was concerned. ;^)

Was The Untethered Soul worth the listening time?

Yes.

Changed my Life!

I have listened to this book about 8 times. Everytime I re-listen I hear something new.
It has chaged my life and given me freedom. Thank you Michael Singer for sharing this wonderful way of living.

Strong center concept, weak conclusion.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The conclusion was disappointing. I would have it rely less on theology.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending was a let down. The central message was about knowing your self. The author offered great guidance about training thoughts, up until the last chapter. Suddenly, armed with my toolbox, anticipating a wild conclusion, I was left slightly disappointed, about the message...just have faith.

What three words best describe Peter Berkrot’s performance?

fatherly, confident, assertive

Did The Untethered Soul inspire you to do anything?

Yes. I was left inspired to practice taking experiences in and letting them go.

Any additional comments?

There ware many helpful lessons about understanding internal energy. Michael Singer explains that if you hold on to experiences, wether good or bad, they create blockage.I am currently going to practice taking things in and then letting them go so that I could always be ready for the next experience.

A straightforward solid spiritual guide

Listen to the narrator for yourself. I found the narration good and the reader had appropriate deference and sensitivity to the content. I did not agree with the harsh judgements regarding the narrator, it was fine for me.

This book feels like a good distillation of the many books I have read on Buddhism, positive psychology and just good ways to live fully. I recommend this for anyone who feels blocked in life.

Billy Mays School of Drama

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The reader and the tone. Repeated words like "You must not" and "You can not" carry a tone of dogma. I prefer a spirit of inquiry as opposed to dogma. Inquiry feels more inviting and authentic which better facilitates learning for me.

If you’ve listened to books by Michael A. Singer before, how does this one compare?

NA

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Reads like a graduate of the Billy Mays School of Drama.

Did The Untethered Soul inspire you to do anything?

Not yet but I'm still open to that possibility.

Any additional comments?

I imagine the book contains some good basic concepts as an introduction for people new to personal growth work but underwhelming for people who are years in.

An Unworthy Addition to the Self Help Genre

The amount of pseudoscience in this book is impossible to ignore. It's formulaic. Grand claim about universe followed by a loose connection with spiritual teaching then ending it off with vague, impractical advice. This book doesn't seem to be designed to help people, but instead it just tries to please ears.

One of the best I've purchased.

I've listened to more than 50 audio books on spirituality, Buddhism, enlightenment, awakening etc., and this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review.
The author offers many great metaphors and stories to help the listener really understand the concepts discussed. I can already see how easy it 'could be' to change my behaviour, my perception and my experience of the life that flows through and around me - concepts I'm looking forward to playing with from this moment on.
In summary then, this audiobook offers many of the concepts and ideas that others do, but in a way that helps the listener to think about how he / she can apply them in a practical way to day-to-day life situations, and in turn step that much closer towards awakening.

Life-changing...

This audiobook has changed my life. No words can describe. It's a must read/listen for anyone seeking peace, clarity and spiritual enlightenment, from the depths and heat of anxiety. The narrator is suited perfectly - he speaks to you warmly and lovingly, like a good friend. All I can say is just thank you...!

This is the first time I decided to write a book review

I love personal development books but this one is really a waste of trees if you buy a hard copy in my opinion.
To be fair I should’ve given 2 stars instead of 1 star but after seeing so many 5 star reviews I felt I needed to balance it.

I understand why people praise this book- there is such an appealing idea described in this book, kind of an explanation that we have “an enemy” in our head and we need to ignore that inner voice.”It is as simple as that” - words from the book.
Another example - To stop smoking all you need to do is not put the first cigarette in your mouth in the morning- as simple as that.

Really?! Is it that simple?


That inner voice is there for a reason, like our heart, brain or teeth. Everything is needed. It’s not an enemy. It does talk bollocks sometimes but it also helps us. It’s like writing a book - “Fire is bad “, it can burn you and your house. Eliminate the fire from your life and all will be fine... But what about the fact that if properly used and managed - the fire can keep us warm, cook our food and create lots of beautiful and useful things? The author forgot that life is super intelligent and there is a balance in everything. By buying into the idea that all the sh..t that happened to you is because of that inner useless voice - we disempower ourselves and can blame that inner voice. It’s an illusion but a very nice one - hence people are so excited and think they finally got an answer to their problems. The ideas in the book are one sided so after a while of ignoring the voice in your head I suspect a phycological diseases may start showing up. I would like to see people following the advice from the book for 3-5 years and how healthy they are in their head.

My inner voice often helps me. It’s important to learn how to manage it because it (the monkey mind) can indeed overtake our life and our life will become like a ship driven by a monkey - you never know where it will end up. My inner voice often supports me and protects me. It comes up with brilliant ideas. It can get overprotective and can indeed come up with rubbish ideas too. Like I said - it is like a fire - the fire itself isn’t a problem, the management of it can be.

But the teachings of this book give a false illusion that ignoring your inner voice - is a solution to all our problems.

It’s a first time I really struggled to listen to the end and I listened and read hundreds of books.

There are golden nuggets in it but you have to look for them carefully - hence I give 2 star to the story.
The silver lining - purchasing this book based on so many positive reviews thought me that I have to do a bit more research before I invest my money into any knowledge and education.
It also made me write this review and I genuinely prefer to please people and writing such a negative review is a step for me being more authentic.

Not for me

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they were new to the spiritual journey then perhaps they would find it more engaging, there wasn't much I haven't read elsewhere, but then I guess it's all the same kind of information just repackaged, it's about finding what resonates for you. This didn't for me.

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael A. Singer again?

Possibly. I do find that he goes into explanations to the nth degree when I understood what he meant from his first explanation.

What aspect of Peter Berkrot’s performance might you have changed?

I did not find the narrative voice engaging, I found myself drifting off.

Was The Untethered Soul worth the listening time?

I gave up after about 4 chapters as I couldn't keep engaged. Which is a shame because the subject matter is excellent. Just that it didnt engage me.

Any additional comments?

Worth a try at listening to it, many people have found this an inspiring book, but it wasn't for me

Life Changing

This is the first book I have read that made a distinction between the voices in your head (internal dialogue) versus the impartial observer.

Through many examples the book explains how to separate your thought processes from yourself. The challenge is to see and separate while understanding your transient role in this universe.

I chuckled quite a bit in some parts and scratched my head in other parts.

Definitely a book to listen to over and over again. Like its guidance to seek happiness in everything I shall be returning to this book to try to gain more of the knowledge it seeks to impart.

Soul Food

What made the experience of listening to The Untethered Soul the most enjoyable?

The concept of ones self.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Myself

Have you listened to any of Peter Berkrot’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No but I will

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did!

Any additional comments?

I feel I understand myself much more and I have a new out look in life. This book is truly life changing. I have shared this book with my friends and family and everyone loves it and cant wait to share it as well.

Getting rid of that voice!

Would you listen to The Untethered Soul again? Why?

I have listened twice and keep going back for reinforcement.

What did you like best about this story?

It really helped me to shut up that constant chatter, as an over thinker? I now understand that it wasn't over thinkimg but the voice/chatter in my mind overtaking.

Which character – as performed by Peter Berkrot – was your favourite?

Easy to listen to and follow - good sense of humour helped

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You couldn't

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to be able to shut up that chatter and really think!

The most beautiful and inspirational book I have read in my entire life

I am beyond words after listening to this book, tears of happiness and gratitude are pouring from my eyes as I write this review for Michael books. Life changing and soul awakening, it’s the most beautiful book I have read in my life, every chapter feeds your spirit to help you find your true self.

Great wisdom in this book

Very inspirational, heartfelt experience whilst listening to these teachings. What a wonderful world we live in. If only we could let all its wonder be part of who we are.

Good but not revelatory

Good read and with some new perspectives. At times I was expecting more but perhaps I was expecting too much.