A spiritual-but-practical manual for quieting the mind: widely praised as life-changing for anxiety and rumination, but criticized as repetitive and too “woo” for skeptics.
Why It's Popular Right Now
Its breakout comes from a simple promise—relief from mental noise—delivered in a spiritual-but-practical style. People share it like a “reset” for rumination, and the audiobook/talk format helps it spread beyond typical book audiences.
Contents
Core Concepts
Crowd takeaway: this is a practice book for shifting from being owned by thought to being the awareness that notices it. It argues that much suffering is amplified by time-traveling thoughts (regret/anticipation), and that peace becomes accessible when you anchor attention in the present moment. Readers treat it as notice → return → repeat.
Return to the Now
Use the present moment as the anchor: notice thinking, feel the body, come back to what’s here.
The Watcher / Awareness
You are not your thoughts—awareness can observe the mind without being fused to it.
Ego as identity story
The ego sustains itself through narratives, comparison, and resistance; seeing the pattern reduces its grip.
Pain-Body
Stored emotional reactivity that flares under stress; naming it helps you stop feeding it with thought.
Body as a doorway
Sensations, breath, and “inner body” attention act as shortcuts back to presence.
The Reading Experience
Many readers say hearing it (often in Tolle’s voice) makes it feel like guided practice and helps it click.
The Honest Take
Curated from 36.5K+ community discussions
Read If
- •You want relief from rumination/anxiety loops more than a productivity system
- •You’re open to spiritual language if it leads to a practical shift
- •You like books that feel like a guided practice you can repeat daily
- •You’ve tried “think positive” advice and want something deeper than motivation
Skip If
- •You want evidence-heavy neuroscience and citations on every claim
- •You dislike spiritual framing or terms like “ego” and “pain-body”
- •You’re looking for a tight, non-repetitive book—this can feel drawn out
- •You want tactical habit plans, trackers, or step-by-step programs
What Works
Presence as a practical reset button
r/Meditation 183“I'm reading this now! So beautifully simple. I've been using 2 quotes as a dead simple process to find my Now: Ask myself, "Am I at ease in this moment?" If no, "Remove [my]self from the situation; change it; or accept it totally." It's been helpful during quarantine 🙏”
Vocabulary for the “inner narrator”
r/Meditation 82“The Power Of Now and Eckhart Tolle in general completely changed my life. I get sooo happy hearing other people moved by his words. You can watch tons of his talks on YouTube as well. Enjoy!”
Audiobook lands better than print
r/Meditation 37“The Power of Now is really good in the audio book version. I've listened to it a few times over the last couple of months and it really can change your thinking.. Read by the author”
Re-read value: it deepens over time
r/NevilleGoddard 74“i read the power of now may be 4 times or more, read its practical guide twice, it takes deep understanding to really connect the two teachings (Eckhart's and Neville's) and put your thumb onto one theory that can include both (which i still couldn't in many occasions) . i think when Eckhart talked about not wanting anything he meant to say that you are everything you could be ”
What Falls Flat
Repetitive / could be much shorter
r/NevilleGoddard 74“i read the power of now may be 4 times or more, read its practical guide twice, it takes deep understanding to really connect the two teachings (Eckhart's and Neville's) and put your thumb onto one theory that can include both (which i still couldn't in many occasions) . i think when Eckhart talked about not wanting anything he meant to say that you are everything you could be ”
Too “woo” or vague for skeptics
r/Meditation 7“Honestly I thought it was junk. Some basic mindfulness buried in a whole pile of new age woo”
Real-Life Impact
“I read this for the first time last year, and the book changed my life at a time where I really needed a change- a healthy one. As I was reading it, it was like a bright light was suddenly being shown on all the dark places in my mind, but I quickly saw that these spaces held nothing. There was nothing for me to truly be afraid of, no reason to keep myself in a constant state o”
“Today was actually the first day I meditated in probably 18 months. My mom left home saying that she’d be back in 30 minutes. I had no intentions of meditating really. I was battling some strong urges to go watch porn because I’m on nofap since the year started (been an addict all my life and 3 days today makes my longest streak since I started watching porn) and since I decide”
“And this is why reddit sucks. Someone posts a good solution for people struggling and the top comments here are how it doesn't work and people giving examples of why not to do it. This is exactly why reddit is a terrible place to come to if you're on a self-improvement journey; you'll see posts like this with recommendations but then read the comments and immediately decide not”
“I loved it deeply, and thought that it changed my life. Then I read his "A new earth" and realized what a life-changing experience really was! How nice of you btw to choose to share your impressions with the will to help others, the world needs more people like you! 👍😀❤”
“Wherever you are, be there totally.”
— Eckhart Tolle
The Quotes
From the Book
“Wherever you are, be there totally.”
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”
“Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.”
From the Crowd
“I loved it deeply, and thought that it changed my life. Then I read his "A new earth" and realized what a life-changing experience really was! How nice of you btw to choose to share your impressions with the will to help others, the world needs more people like you! 👍😀❤”
r/Meditation 137“I read it about a decade ago, and now after re-reading it I must say I am disappointed. The book could be 1/3 of the length and Tolle comes of as patronizing know-it-all. Sure, there are some nuggets of wisdom, but it feels like you have to go through pages of new-age word salad and it just isn't worth the effort.”
r/Meditation 42“I'm reading this now! So beautifully simple. I've been using 2 quotes as a dead simple process to find my Now: Ask myself, "Am I at ease in this moment?" If no, "Remove [my]self from the situation; change it; or accept it totally." It's been helpful during quarantine 🙏”
r/Meditation 183“The Power Of Now and Eckhart Tolle in general completely changed my life. I get sooo happy hearing other people moved by his words. You can watch tons of his talks on YouTube as well. Enjoy!”
r/Meditation 82The Crowd Splits: The Debate
While generally beloved, the community is divided on the book's depth and originality.
Is it profound and life-changing, or spiritual platitudes?
Is the repetition helpful, or does it drag?
The Bookshelf
Read Instead
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on Amazon10% Happier
Dan Harris
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonThe Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonRead Next
A New Earth
Eckhart Tolle
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonThe Untethered Soul
Michael A. Singer
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonThe Miracle of Mindfulness
Thich Nhat Hanh
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonGo Deeper
Waking Up
Sam Harris
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonFull Catastrophe Living
Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonZen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Shunryu Suzuki
“Commonly recommended alongside The Power of Now for mindfulness/presence (or a more evidence-driven alternative, depending on what you want).”
Buy on AmazonWhat Readers Ask
It’s a present-moment awareness guide aimed at reducing suffering caused by compulsive thinking. Readers use it as a practice manual: notice the mind, return attention to the body/now, repeat.
The core message is that peace is available when you stop living in the mind’s past/future loops and meet the present moment without resistance. The “work” is repeatedly returning to awareness in everyday situations.
The Culture
In the Wild
Critics & Podcasts
- What is your opinion on the book 'The Power of Now' by ... — A popular review/summary/discussion of the book; useful for perspective beyond Reddit reactions.
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Book Summary and ... — A popular review/summary/discussion of the book; useful for perspective beyond Reddit reactions.
- What is your opinion on the book 'The Power of Now' by ... — A popular review/summary/discussion of the book; useful for perspective beyond Reddit reactions.
- A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment with Gilda and Barbara — A popular review/summary/discussion of the book; useful for perspective beyond Reddit reactions.
- Book Review: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle — A popular review/summary/discussion of the book; useful for perspective beyond Reddit reactions.
What Kind of Book Is This?
Community Tags
Eckhart Tolle
Author Credibility
Eckhart Tolle is a German spiritual teacher and self-help author best known for The Power of Now and A New Earth. His work focuses on present-moment awareness and reducing suffering caused by identification with thought.
Community Trust: Mixed. Readers trust the book when they approach it as a practice and report felt results; distrust shows up when people want rigorous evidence or dislike the spiritual framing. Overall sentiment skews positive but not universal.
How to Read This
Best as: Audiobook
Many readers say hearing it (often in Tolle’s voice) makes it feel like guided practice and helps it click.
Shelf Life
Re-readable (seasonal)
Fans report it lands differently on re-read during stressful periods or major transitions.
Homework Level
Light but continuous
No worksheets—more a daily micro-practice: notice mind, return to body/presence, repeat.
Best Life Stage
High-stress / anxious seasons
Most recommended when you feel stuck in rumination, anxiety loops, or identity stories.
Has it aged well?
Even though it’s decades old, the core theme—attention hijack and mental noise—feels more relevant in the phone era. Some find the style dated, but the problem it targets hasn’t gone away.
editorial
What genre is it really?
It reads less like “self-help” and more like a modern spiritual classic / mindfulness primer—closer to meditation teaching than life-hack advice.
editorial
What does reading this say about me?
You’re signaling you care more about attention and inner peace than grinding harder—mindfulness over hustle. In many circles it reads as “spiritual-but-pragmatic” rather than religious.
editorial
Science-backed or wishful thinking?
It isn’t written as a scientific argument; it’s more lived experience + spiritual framing. Readers who want citations call it vague, while practitioners report real benefits regardless of evidence debates.
crowd consensus
What do people get wrong?
Fans stress it’s not a one-time epiphany book: it’s a practice (notice → return → repeat). Skeptics also assume it’s anti-thinking; supporters frame it as not being owned by thought.
crowd consensus