Choices and Illusions – Review

Choices and Illusions-How Did I Get Where I am, and How Do I Get Where I Want to Be? By Eldon Taylor

 

Genre: Currently #1367 in Best Sellers Ranking for Books, Religion & Spirituality, New Age & Spirituality, New Thought (#5004 in Books, Self-Help, Motivational, and #7925 in Books, Self-Help, Personal Transformation)

Publisher: Hay House, Inc.

Publication Date: Revised Edition: September 2014

Submitted by author’s publicist for review

Choices and Illusions-How Did I Get Where I am, and How Do I Get Where I Want to Be? 

From the hype promoted for “Choices and Illusions-How Did I Get Where I Am, and How Do I Get Where I Want to Be?” I guess I expected some innovative breakthrough, or influential psychological studies that would drive home a solution, albeit not without real conscious or subconscious work on the behalf of the reader.

This entire book, however, could basically be summed up in two words: “Own it.” Taking responsibility for yourself is a strong mantra repeated throughout, and probably learned by most who delved into self-help books beginning 20 years ago. It’s a close companion to “forgive and forget”, and ergo always more difficult that those simple words would divine. It begins with the basic tenet–we have all been imprinted–and I’ll buy that. Whether or not by accident or design, that imprint creates the composite of who we are.

 

Tons of research are presented devoted to proving the case–including the chicken story (I’m only a chicken–so I’ll never be able to soar like an eagle) and author’s studies of inmates in a Utah prison. “I didn’t do it,” “It wasn’t my fault,” and “poor me” permeates the stories. Most of the stories are sad, but not like we haven’t heard them before. It’s how the individual dealt with the circumstance that landed him/her where he/she was.

There were a number of interesting studies, some of which actually bordered on cruelty (i.e., a dog on an electric grid) and in a shocking separate study that of a plant reacting to cruelty within the room. Those were no illusions. But illusions are common to everyone; most, easily explained away. Still, we swear we see them and they are real. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

Enjoyed were a number of quotes or stories of well-known authors, philosophers or theologians to introduce or illustrate a point; one from the author Mark Twain in his Letters to Earth where he tells the story of how the archangels decided where to hide God (within every human being), for “the last place mankind will look is within.” (That Mark Twain wrote some powerful stuff, didn’t he?!) And another by Mahatma Gandhi, “A ‘no’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” I hear yah.

• That self-talk is powerful has never been denied.
• That the subconscious directs our conscious probably can’t be denied either.
• That we can receive suggestions that will penetrate the subconscious to the level of diverting lifelong mind matrixes was again proven some time ago.

This study may be the equivalent of beating a dead horse–or in the case of the chicken yard–a crippled eagle. I get it–I get it–subliminal suggestions. We began talking about subliminal suggestions long years ago during the controversial, however deserved, of the (buried) prompt to go buy a coke, or popcorn during the opening or intermission of a movie (when they still had those), lyrics embedded in popular songs, and secreted pictures within advertisements or commercials aimed at the subconscious; they didn’t go unnoticed.

While many wonderful salient and intelligent points are made here (and I did appreciate those, though many were made by other learned philosophical thinkers through the ages, or other researchers, I did not appreciate the last portion of the book devoted to letters expounding the benefits of all his CD’s, tapes, books, and other promotional subliminal materials and his InnerTalk Technology.

By the way, be on notice that to this date, Dr. Taylor admonishes that “no legislation protects the consumer from subliminal manipulation.” I noticed several edit or format errors. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I expected to enjoy. It was good–but I finally skipped all those promo letters.

Rosepoint rating: Three of Five Stars

 Author description: Eldon Taylor is an award winning, New York Times best selling author of over 300 books, audio, and video programs, which have been translated into more than a dozen languages and sold worldwide. He patented his InnerTalk technology and has appeared as an expert witness in both hypnosis and subliminal investigations. He has appeared as an expert witness on both hypnosis and subliminal investigations. He was a criminalist and conducted lie detection examinations. He is listed in Who’s Who publications and is a sought after speaker. ©2016 Virginia Williams