As you probably already know if you’ve ever met me, or read my blog long enough (see here and here), reading The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer had a profound impact on me – and Repurpose Your Purpose would probably not exist without it.
So finally, after a few years of getting deeper and deeper into Mickey’s work and my own practice, I took the leap and went to Florida to hear him speak at The Temple of the Universe. I stayed in Gainesville – 30 min. from Alachua – and attended his Sunday’s service (which has been happening since 1975!) and his Monday night’s talk.
I read (or listened to) The Surrender Experiment and read The Unthetered Soul many, many times during the past 3+ years. I find Mickey’s style of writing and teaching to be really helpful in grasping some timeless concepts. The Truth is always the same, but isn’t there a saying that every generation needs its own books? I think it’s also true that each individual needs her own path to it, and Mickey’s work resonates particularly well with me.
Why travel all the way across the country just to hear the writer of The Surrender Experiment speak – someone who has plenty of books, audio and video recordings available? I expected there would be something different about being in the same space with Michael Singer – something technology could never quite capture. What I experienced surpassed my expectations.
I read so many times in The Surrender Experiment about Mickey’s Sunday Service – I was really looking forward to it! When I arrived there were maybe 30 people, and soon we were a group of 60 or 70. The energy was great, but comparable to any other gathering of sincere meditators. What really struck me was being in the presence of Michael Singer. I only once before met someone who clearly had crossed over another level of consciousness through meditation – and the similarities were uncanny.
Mickey had this quality of absolute joy – it reminded me of what Alan Watts said in his lectures – that if you do find God you cannot help but laugh. I felt as if Mickey Singer had seen the entire universe and found it delightful, funny, full of love, and was in a complete state of bliss – as if he had gotten the joke. Hearing his laughter made me want to really, really tune in, so I could join in the fun.
I grew up in a strong intellectual environment: the Italian public school system is very good – and I enjoyed years of philosophy in high school, along with Italian, Latin, French, English and German literature, scientific studies, and more. I went to college in California and learned a bunch more. I am very grateful for all that knowledge and it served me well. But it had one flaw – one that I see present in so much of Western thought, from academia to politics to psychology: the belief that pessimism, talking about problems, and feeling “down” are all hallmarks of people who know more and are smarter. This is simply not true. What I have been discovering instead is that when you actually get to what is real – what is beyond the mind – you would be crazy to feel down! And this is what I have observed while in the presence of those who “get it” – there is something beyond – and it is a place of unconditional love. Once you get a glimpse, and if you ever get to inhabit it consistently – you cannot help but feeling joy. What we consider sanity is absolute madness.
Reading The Surrender Experiment, I had imagined Alachua to be quite remote, but I had not fully grasped how isolated it is! Michael Singer’s entire tale of creating The Temple of the Universe there and building a company from basically nothing, seemed to me even more fantastic now that I was actually there. A few people in town asked me what I was doing in Gainesville, and not one had heard of Mickey. I saw that it really doesn’t matter where you are – if you connect with Spirit, if you put yourself in service of what’s in front of you, if you truly commit to transformation – you will always be exactly where you are meant to be. Mickey is a human being just like you and me, except for one big difference: he committed to the practice. He started from where it was – as he encouraged us all to do during one of his lectures – and took on the practice of small, incremental, consistent steps of letting go.
One thing I always wondered reading The Surrender Experiment was how intentional he had been while building his business. In the book he always seemed to “go with the flow,” and yet he had to make a ton of decisions, such as how much to price his products, how to hire people, etc. Did he really just let things happen? Had he been way more intentional, but failed to recognize it? I felt there was something escaping me from his narrative – and I was hoping to find the answer during my trip.
As “life’s perfection unfolded” (to borrow one of his phrases), during his Monday night’s talk someone asked a question that provided me with the answer I had traveled thousands of miles to get. Mickey shared that he worked 10-15 hours per day and had to make decisions for many people when he was running his company – but he never identified with his mind. Such a beautifully simple answer – and yet it takes a strong practice to achieve! I really got that there is a higher place from where we can operate so that our decisions do not come from a place of self consciousness, manipulation and ego, but from a place where we are at One with everything. Letting go of your personal self doesn’t mean you stop making decisions – but who makes those decisions ceases to be the you you used to identify yourself with.
Here are some of my biggest take-aways from this trip – not new, but always good to remember:
- Intellectual knowledge – how much theory you know, how many facts you can recite – is nothing without real application in the world and understanding that comes from a deeper place within.
- Ram Dass wrote: “Do not get high, be high!” meaning, drugs will never get you where you want to be, only a true spiritual practice will. If you have ever been around someone high on drugs vs. someone who is “high” through spiritual mastery, you will immediately see the truth of Ram Dass’s words. Don’t look for outside substances to help you merge into the One. Start a meditation practice instead.
- Start now – wherever you are. You already have all you need.
- Technology is great – but when you can, seek in-person connections and experiences. You’ll get much more from them that you can ever get from a video.
- Joy, Bliss, Love, these are Truth. The rest is just the rest.
Resources:
If you want to find out more about Michael A. Singer’s work, here are a few tips and resources. FYI, I am in no way affiliated with his work or organization and I get nothing whether you click on these links or not. I am simply sharing because I love his teachings ♥
- I recommend reading The Surrender Experiment first, and then The Unthetered Soul – I find the former helped me better understand the latter.
- If you are interested in spirituality, I highly recommend Singer’s short book Three Essays on Universal Law – it contains one of the best explanations of Karma I have read. You can also find a list of books Singer’s has been influenced by in the bibliography, including Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda.
- Check out the video course.
- And here’s the website for The Temple of the Universe.
Last, but not least, stop taking a bunch of courses, reading book after book, learning all different theories, and practice instead. Choose a few teachers and/or approaches to transformation and apply yourself to them. I cannot tell you how many times when I mention Michael A. Singer’s work, people start telling me about all these other books or writers they read (and still feel stuck). Unless you do the work, it doesn’t matter how many books you read. Got that? Now go!
113 Comments
Leave A Comment
Related Articles
Career Changers, Journey to the Self Within
Hidden Gems, Journey to the Self Within, The Repurpose Your Purpose Podcast, Why Am I Stuck?
Thank you very much for sharing
Thank you so much for this Blog- i have read and listened to everything Mickey has ever published and was looking for more when I stumbled on this – the link to Temple of the Universe is fabulous – and the info about your visit answers a lot of my questions. Singer has made everything Crystal Clear – as you said each generation needs its own books and I feel he explains absolutely everything Christ tried to say in a way this current generation can understand. Hopefully there will be a place for his interpretations in History. That’s how clear I feel he can see and explain (his analogies are the best :) Again thank you! and so true- when you see all you do is laugh !!
Thank you, Vivian!
I tried to meditate but was unable to do so.
Hi Joy, don’t give up :) I wrote a little bit about meditation here: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/meditation-practice-change-careers/
If silent meditation doesn’t work for you, there are other approaches, including chanting.
This is one meditation I like and often recommend: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/meditation-practice-for-career/
Thank your for this article! I’m currently reading The Surrender Experiment and was wondering the same thing about Michael Singer’s decisions for his business.
Beautiful article thank you, I am currently reading the surrender experiment. I’m so glad you spoke about reading Surrender experiment first the untethered I felt my order was wrong but was so pushed to read Surrender first
Right?!? For me it made more sense :)
I, too, am loving Singer’s teachings! I’m curious about the difference between Singer’s view that we have absolutely nothing to do with what is happening in the moment and The Law of Attraction. Many popular teachers place a lot of emphasis on being able to change and create your own reality. It seems that Singer is in opposition to this when he says that the present moment was made possible through millions of years of unfolding and “has nothing to do with you”.
In practice, it may not matter. Have you heard him speak about this? What is your opinion? Thanks!
Good question, Pamela! I was just this morning reading a book about the Law of Attraction.
I am personally not a big fan of it because I find that in general it encourages a very self absorbed and potentially victim-blaming view of life. However – and this is a big BUT – I do think that there is an interplay between our thinking and our experience of life. I am a Three-Principles Coach and one of the core teachings I share is that when we are in a healthier state of mind, we see reality more clearly and we have better ideas. This in turn leads to better relationships and results. The mind does have a huge impact on our experiences in life.
So, do we create reality with our thoughts? Yes and No. No because exactly as Michael Singer writes, life has been unfolding for millions of years and we are just a little tiny occurrence in an infinite universe. Yes, because if Michael Singer had not had a “change of mind” and been stuck in negative thinking and low moods, I doubt HIS life would have unfolded the way it did. But it would also be foolish to ignore the environment and other forces at play. To try to separate what was his doing vs. the Universe is impossible: it was by “raising the self with the Self” as he writes, that he was able to open his heart, merge into the Oneness, and have this experience.
We can all do that – but we have to trust in that bigger unfolding. Michael Singer’s life is quite extraordinary, but most enlightened people often live very ordinary lives, loving, being loved, doing good work, and being a light for those around them – with no fame, fortune, or incredible feats. And that’s good news.
I will add that what I love about Michael Singer’s teachings is that they come with an antidote to grandiosity, which is often an underestimated problem. In other words, if you are too much into the Law of Attraction you then risk having a righteousness about it when it works that not only is not pleasant for others to be around, but will come back to bite you when life throws you a curveball – as sooner or later it always does!
What Michael Singer offers instead is a very humble and grounded approach to spirituality and life, which in my experience delivers.
Thank you, Aurora. p
Wow! Thank you! This has been a question that has been on my mind ever since I discovered Mickey and his teachings. I’m so drawn to his style and he teaches in a way that I just “get”. Some of the other things I’m reading, listening to and watching almost seem contradictory, especially when it comes to “manifesting” which is a huge buzz word these days.
Thank you, also, for posting your experience with visiting The Temple of the Universe. I am thinking about the very same thing and discovering this post was helpful 💕
Thank you, Erica 🙏
And let me know if you end up visiting the TOU!
I have come to understand that once you get along with ridding yourself of old stuff, you have a trust in Life that is unshakable — and you wouldn’t try to bend Life to your will with prayers or affirmations
Hi! I just stumbled on your blog after reading The Surrender Experiment. I just moved to FL and read his book. Maybe a coincidence, but am now thinking of going to the Temple of the Universe. Any tips on how long to stay and what to do? Also, where did you stay?
Hi Rebecca, I stayed in a hotel in Gainesville so I could use my miles. As for how long to stay…it really depends on you! I would look at when Michael Singer is speaking and also whether you want to join him for yoga and meditation and plan accordingly :)
Is there lodging at his retreat center? I didn’t find it online.
There wasn’t when I visited in 2019. Not sure if they added some since then, you could try calling or emailing the Temple of the Universe directly.
What would you consider his teaching style? Buddhist? I’m trying to figure out where to go locally to learn.
Hi LeAnn, this is probably a good question for Michael Singer himself :)
From my perspective, he has his own style. The Temple of the Universe is an interfaith place, so there is no need to feel you have to have a certain specific practice. In fact, I think Michael Singer even says so himself.
Said that, it is my understanding that Yogananda’s teachings had a big influence on him. You can learn more about them here: https://yogananda.org/
What are you looking to learn?
Assuming you are looking to learn meditation, mindfulness, or some spiritual teaching, and if you want something local, I would start by looking at what is close by and convenient to you. I would then read up on that tradition and slowly start learning. I would look for the following:
– Is the place inclusive and welcoming? Are people kind?
– Is there any uncomfortable pressure to give money or are they asking for a lot of money in order to gain more understanding? These could be red flags!
– Do you feel better during and after interacting with that teacher/group/practice? It doesn’t have to be every time, but generally speaking, you want to feel good (relaxed, or more connected to yourself, etc.)
Hope this helps!
I just finished the book. Thank you for your writing! Two things that are bugging me so much. Why not talk about his family? The most difficult thing of all is marriage and parenting. Did he ever show up for either? The other thing was how he ignored every time life’s flow told him to let go of his business. He demanded to stay in control and life’s flow had to send the FBI and ruin a ton of lives to get him out of his business. He seemed to entirely miss what was so obvious to me. I wish he had realized that. I still wish he would write about marriage and parenting but I suspect he didn’t show up for either and it really annoys me!!!
I hear you! Maybe there are better resources for spiritual wisdom when it comes to marriage and parenting :D
You might find some answers to your mind‘s concerns in this interview/podcast 🧡
https://youtu.be/IOTwnTtSzvs
Thanks for writing this about your time at the Temple. I am almost finished with The Surrender Experiment. I have had many interesting synchronicities in my life, when I have surrendered. The strangest thing to me about the book was that he never mentions his (former?) wife and daughter after she is born. The book is so focused oh what he accomplished as a businessman and almost seems like he is going to great lengths to clear his name after the lawsuit, but it never mentions fatherhood or marriage as any part of his spiritual growth. How could he be a present partner or parent if he was working 10-15 hours a day? It doesn’t add up.
I hear you, Lisa! I have no idea why Michael Singer didn’t write more about his family, but it could simply be because of a desire for privacy. I think when it comes to spiritual teachings, the point is to feel at a deeper level what makes sense to us in our own lives. Teachers are human beings, and never perfect!
Hi, I love what you wrote. I follow his books and many things about him for a while now , it fascinates me and helps me somehow.
Of course at some point I wanted to know about his private life, I think it happens to all of us but it was for sure a fleeting thought. and indeed I read and listen to his audios to improve myself and what I get helps me.
I wonder what spiritual improvement it is to feel annoyed because he does not publish his life, something that here in Germany, the country where I have been living for thirty-four years (I am Italian-Argentinean) is neither done nor expected. Privacy is very important.
The cultural angle is definitely an interesting one!
I agree with you, Marcela. “The Surrender Experimeny” was not meant to be an autobiography. I’m not sure that his family situation had anything to do with what he was revealing in his first book and he has every right to his privacy.
Totally agree. My daughter or husband would be very very unhappy and annoyed if i wrote about them or our private life. He may surprise as with another book where he speaks to that. I may ask something next time i see him. I can’t remember what, but he has spoken to relationship issues in the past as people ask him after evening talks. in fact, he will be releasing a new Book soon!
If you ask, let us know :) Thank you for sharing, Pilar!
Thanks for writing this. Have been listening to a few of Michael’s talks and the Surrender book, and then was looking online just to see a photo of the Temple out of curiosity, and saw your post. Was thinking the same thing…..wonder if making a visit (though I live in California) would be compelling, though I also get what you say, start the practice now….I have everything I need already. But still, a visit to the Temple might be in order some day. I have started to meditate – short stints of sitting quiet. Can you direct ( or anyone) me to a short, simple instruction on meditation posture, what to do, etc.? Just to help get me started.
Was listening to the Surrender book on Audible last night, and woke up and fell asleep from time to time (I know….it’s a terrible recipe for actual good sleep), and when I did listen to various parts of his journey, was struck by all of the serendipitous things that happened because he was open to the flow, and surrendered to what presented itself to him. Very exciting prospect because, as he said somewhere and probably says a lot, there is no way for me to know what I want/need in this vast universe, but rather be open to what it (she/he) presents to me.
Anyway, thanks again. If you have any guidance on meditation-for-beginners, I’d really appreciate it.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for reading my blog post. If you do indeed visit the Temple of the Universe, let me know how it goes :)
So, in regards to your meditation question…a couple of thoughts:
– There are a ton of different ways you can start meditating. I would recommend finding an-person class or gathering near you. In my experience, it is easier to start and learn that way. The other thing to keep in mind is that some people can do silent meditation, others prefer music, chanting, or body-movement work. So if you try something and it doesn’t click, try a different approach.
I wrote a little about my experience and thoughts on meditation here: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/meditation-practice-change-careers/
– In my case, I really couldn’t get into silent meditation. It wasn’t until I experienced music and chanting that I was able to do it. This is the practice I found super helpful when I started out: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/meditation-practice-for-career/ It combines movement, sound, and silence and I found it very effective.
Let me know how it goes and have a wonderful day.
Upon finding this book and beginning to listen to it one evening, I, too, made the odd choice to allow the book to play while I slept. I’ve never done that before. I had interrupted sleep and would awaken to listen and drift back off. Wish I could say these spurts of intermittent consciousness revealed exactly what I needed to hear, but I don’t remember a thing. Lol! Enjoying this book immensely and I find it rings true as I continue to listen to it on my commute very much awake. I feel like I’ve known this is the path for quite some time, I begin to do the work of consistent meditation, then I fall away at a time when in retrospect, I needed the practice most. I’m feeling the pull to go to Alachua, Florida as well.
Hi Aurora,
I would love to ask your advice, in relation to what you understand about Michael’s work and I think it is the basis of what you yourself were curious about.
I am about to start looking for somewhere new to live. In my current home doors are slammed, housemates have guests over randomly and as an introvert I find this difficult as I love peace and quiet. Yes I know! So trapped in my desires and aversions.
I love the idea of letting all of this go but as I search for a new room, with the freedom of choice, I cannot help but think of all I’ve learnt in 12 step recovery, about having healthy boundaries and speaking up for my needs.
I’d love to hear your thoughts before I make this choice as I’m coming up with a lot of inner resistance and picking the first house that comes to me.
Many thanks
Shireen
Hi Shireen,
Thank you for reading my blog and for reaching out. I would love to share some of my understanding with you. Best to connect over a call – I offer one complimentary coaching call to new people. You can find my email address here: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/contact/
Get in touch and we can schedule a time to connect :)
What a lovely blog post! My name is Louise and I am a 44 yr old South African who stumbled upon it. Thank you.
Welcome, Louise :)
Thank you, Aurora! I’m about to spend the week with Mickey. And I cannot wait! Your article helped me to know that I am exactly where I’m meant to be right now.
XOXO
This is so cool! Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful time ♥
Thank you for a beautiful post Aurora. Micky Singer’s books resonate with me this way too, and continue to change my life profoundly. One question: are you aware of whether Micky has spoken about the use of psychedelic medicines to gain non-ordinary states of consciousness? I assume his view would be similar to Ram Dass (ie meditation being the preferred path) but would love to hear/read from him on this topic. I recall in Surrender he spoke about deciding not to continue marijuana use (as he wanted to keep his mind clear – or words to that effect). But no mention of other mind altering substances to my knowledge, and given that he was a young adult in the 60’s he certainly would have been surrounded by them. Thanks again for your blog it was a beautiful message with which to start my day! :)
Mmm…I don’t know whether Michael Singer has written about psychedelics…
Thank you for reading my blog :)
Great post…thank you for sharing. I have spent a fair amount of time listening to and attempting to implement and grow from Michaels’ teachings. Probably the hardest thing I’ve struggled with is is being in a personal relationship/living with my partner who is of Christian faith. It feels as though we literally live in two different worlds (her outer-world and me working within my inner-world). Obviously the work is to give it space, non-judgement but it hard when one partner is living from layers and layers of domestication rules, and self judgment as measuring up and fear when the other is on the path of “be here now”, heaven on earth is here, now, the garden, and when the light goes out—we’ll just have a once in a lifetime experience. I guess my question.. are there any readings on how to work on relationships (bridging the two) worlds? Perhaps others can chime in as well. Thank you
Thank you, this is such a rich topic. Here are some ideas that might be helpful.
Sometimes looking in the direction of what is at the core of different practices can help: Christianity has its own tradition of meditation, looking inward, and letting go of the ego, but it expresses itself in different ways and through different practices. There are also beautiful passages in Christian scriptures about trusting God and not being afraid. Getting curious about what your partner sees and what she experiences through her faith could open up some space to find commonality, complementarity, or even much deeper understanding of each other’s realities and needs. Often the path is very different, but the destination is quite similar. I do believe that when we are in Source, we are all touching the same Oneness, we just call it by different names.
Another helpful direction to look into is that we are all very different: what to you feels stifling or outside-in, for her could be liberating or give her a sense of stability, purpose, etc. We experience the world through our own “lenses.”
There are also traditions that point to the commonality between Christianity and Hinduism, for example Yogananda – whose teachings greatly influenced Michael Singer – often referred to Christ consciousness in his writings. It might be interesting to explore those ideas as well – together or individually.
Lastly, you can find many podcasts or videos of people engaging in conversations with each other while coming from different paths and enjoying the discovery of similar yet different experiences. The Temple of the Universe is in fact a place for that exploration. And here’s a podcast whose host is Christian – we had a wonderful conversation: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/podcast-threads-of-enlightenment-with-ken-primus/
As for books…I can’t think of them top of my head, but I think you might find some inspiration in many of the books written by people who have a more interfaith approach to their understanding of their own religion or spirituality. For me personally, the more I understand how we all live in separate realities, explore topics, meet others from a sense of curiosity, and learn from different Wisdom traditions, the more I have found so much to connect with and love.
Hope this helps and thank you for reading my blog :)
I highly recommend “Spiritual Partnership” by Gary Zukav. He goes into great detail about the differences between the modern day culture of marriage versus what it means to be a spiritual partner with someone. Differing religions do not matter (and whether or not you are legally married or not doesn’t either) – it’s all about what the couple’s goals are and whether you are both on the same page for where you are headed. Modern relationships are about supporting and helping each other with your outside world so that you feel okay inside. Spiritual partnerships are about ordering your world inside (separately but you support one another) so that no matter your circumstances you are still working towards the evolution of your souls and are authentically empowered.
hi Aurora,
i came across with your post today, i just wanted to thank you for the work you put into this and sharing with us! I think we often fail to applause each other this. And also, i love the ending and it actually hit me today more than ever, “stop taking a bunch of courses, reading book after book, learning all different theories, and practice instead”. and your related post as well. thank you Aurora! thank you… with love,
Thank you, mel!
Years ago I was greatly helped with the brilliant words of Stephen Covey in his book “7 Habits oh Highly Effective People.” I’m now just getting started with the Singer concepts and so far I see much promise in his philosophy. There have been some comments such as, “Everything will be ok when we are ok with everything,” which begs the question, Does the Untethered Soul have a conscience? Do I, an untethered soul, concern myself with how my actions and words affect other souls? Maybe this will be answered to my satisfaction as I study Singer’s works. So far I have not noticed anything that satisfies this question.
This is a great question, Peggy! And what kept me away for so long from concepts such as radical acceptance. What I discovered for myself is that if I am “ok with everything,” I stop resisting reality “as is” and see everything more clearly. And if I need to engage with changing something, or get involved in a cause, I can more powerfully do that. In other words, “being ok with everything” does not equal resignation. And can open up incredible reserves of clarity and power when needed.
That is reasonable. Do you know of any chapters of Singer’s books that address this, or is it just assumed if you want to be compassionate be, and if you don’t want to be thoughtful to others you can still be considered spiritual?
I don’t think Mr. Singer addresses this issue directly in his books, but I might simply not recall. For me, it was a realization that came from experience. In other words, the more I experienced resting in the space behind the “little self,” the more I experienced love, inner peace, and clarity. I think the thing with spiritual teachings is that they are not meant to be informational, they are meant to help you experience your True nature. I call this being in Source (my coaching focuses on helping people access this experience and live from it). I have never seen someone in Source become more hateful, or less caring. Our true nature is one of love and compassion.
Sometimes people also fall into “spiritual bypassing.” I wrote about it here: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/how-to-recognize-spiritual-bypassing/
Great question. This is the nagging question in my mind as I listen to Mickey as well. I understand what he is saying in principle, but don’t think it is as literal as he makes it sound. Would prefer (oops, I don’t have any preferences do I) he expounded on that topic a little more. Maybe he does and I just haven’t come across it.
I really enjoyed reading this article. I must say I’m new to all this and the sentence from Michael “…he never identified with his mind” that enlightened you is incomprehensible to me. I’ve read The Surrender Experiment and am on the library’s waitlist for The Untethered Soul. I’m struggling to understand the concept itself– I am not… me??- which tells me I must be at the very beginning of ..something. Anyway, I actually wanted to also thank you for the recommendation for the Nature of Wow book. Parenting toddlers feels like such a hardship and I’m seeking that inner bliss and serenity that y’all are talking about. I guess therein lies the rub, I am desperate to find spirituality because parenting is so damn hard but at the same time, I would not have looked for said spirituality if I wasn’t going through this. Even a newbie like me can see the ironic humour in that! Looking forward to learning more from the site 👍
Hey, Diana. I, too, am new to Singer’s writing, but his main idea is that you ARE “you,” but that the “you” you really are is actually the conscious awareness that you sense as the observer of your thoughts and emotions that come and go rather than the ego-construct that most of us identify as our “selves” (e.g. 40 year old Black female, mother of two, masters degree in English, living in Ohio and teaching at a community college and quilting as a hobby). Those are various life experiences that you have had and things based on outward appearance and the world of form. But inside, we are all part of the same “I am” consciousness that Hindus call atman and Christians call Spirit. It’s ok to USE your mind as a problem-solving tool. That’s what it’s for. But if you allow the constant “voice in your head” to rule the way you judge and react to things in the outside world, it causes a lot of resistance and suffering. That’s at the core of The Surrender Experiment. Singer decided NOT to be ruled by the likes and dislikes of his mind, and, instead, “go with the flow” of what life brought him.
loved reading this thank you can’t wait to visit !
Beautifully put. I have committed to Mickey’s practices for nearly 5 years and I can vouch for his teachings. As you say. It is about doing the work! Most people won’t because they are so attached to their fears and desires. Namaste
Hi there yes I also find Michael Singer to be very profound and I feel very connected to his teachings. And yes I also agree with you you don’t have to re-book after book after book but when you find something really dive into it. Overtime you may venture off to somebody else or a different path but for the time being keep it simple. Michael definitely touches me inside whenever I watch his videos or read his books or just hearing him speak he seems to be very at ease and at peace which makes me feel the same. I’m so thankful to have found him and his works it has helped me immensely. I keep telling myself the following thing observe and let go. It’s that simple observe the outside world and whenever something comes up to let go just to relax and let it go. The more garbage we take out the better we will feel even if it’s just a little piece it’ll be a little bit more gentle in there
Beautifully said, thank you for sharing, Ryan ♥
Also agree how important it is to dive in and apply these beautiful teachings. I am committed and so grateful to have Michael Singer’s writings to inspire my growth. It really is all about application. May we all apply and grow!
Hi I just finished reading “The Untethered Soul” and as I was looking up some information about the author I came across your blog. Although I have been interested in Spirituality and understanding the relationship between our thoughts and consciousness in general I have read a fair amount on Buddhist philosophy but M.Singer’s book in many ways brought it all together in a very simple and logical way. One phrase in the book” Everything will be ok when we are ok with everything” was particularly inspiring for me. Anyway I read that you went to an Italian school which is quite a coincidence since I too went to Italian school and actually still live in Rome but was born in the US I thought I would drop you a line.
Hopefully when this pandemic calms down I would really like to visit Temple of the Universe. Ciao
Ciao Anthony, so great to hear you found the book. And yes, definitely worth the trip if you can. If you haven’t read The Surrender Experiment yet, I highly recommend it!
This is a very helpful post, thank you very much. Seeing is believing ;-). I am also working through Mickey´s material intensively. I really like your final sentence: “Unless you do the work, it doesn’t matter how many books you read. Got that? Now go!” However, I can imagine that many awakened people do not know where to start. Shall I meditate? Yes. How? Which technique? How long? How do I do that? I want to work on releasing energy. How? Where to start? May I ask if you could share some of your initial steps you took to start your spiritual journey? Thanks a lot for your help.
Hi Max, thank you for the kind words. And good question! I will write a blog post about it, how’s that? Give me a couple of weeks, and I will have something for you about my experience on taking the first steps :)
Hi Aurora. That sounds awesome. Looking forward to that blog post. Thank you, Max.
Here’s the new blog post: https://repurposeyourpurpose.com/9-steps-to-start-your-spiritual-journey/
Hi Aurora, this is great. Thank you very much.I think this will help a lot of people. My main takeaways: keep consistently working on your spiritual growth. It will take time, most probably the rest of your life. The journey is not easy. Obstacles in the path can be embraced as opportunities to grow. Be open to experiences you never dreamed of being possible. Nevertheless, stay alert, there may be crossroads leading you in the wrong way. Thanks again.
You are welcome! Thank you for reading the post :)
Glad to stumble across your post. I had purchased The Untethered Soul with other horse books (or so I thought) probably 4 years ago! Two years later, I reopened it on a nudge that I landed it for a purpose…Since then I have read/listened to The Surrender Experiment as well as many of his talks…Once I found Living From a Place of Surrender….The Untethered Soul in Action…I couldn’t begin to know how many times I’ve listened to that one. I found that the Temple is temporarily closed due to covid…But You answered my wondering question of going in person!! Thank you!
Thank you, Denise! And hopefully TOU will reopen soon ♥
I have just recently finished Mr. Singer’s book: The Surrender Experiment.
I enjoyed it. I often wonder how can most spiritual teachers blend family life with spiritual practice. I have always struggled with that concept after having kids.
Unfortunately, it seems there is no information on that topic anywhere. I kind of fear you have to chose and be either focusing on yourself and grow spiritually, or chose your family. In the book Mr. Singer mentions the birth of his daughter. But later on he is still not living with her nor she is ever mentioned. This makes me wonder if only the true loners can reach the greatest heights.
Thank you for sharing, Jana. I think it depends on the spiritual practice. Some actually do talk about parenthood as sacred work. Here are three examples that come to mind:
– I haven’t read it yet, but there is a book out by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg on “how parenting can be considered a spiritual practice, and how seeing it that way can lead to transformation” https://danyaruttenberg.net/books/nurture-the-wow
– Thomas Moore talks about the need to see parenthood as a sacred work some are called to do. While I don’t have a specific book of his in mind on the topic, he has several you might want to look into: https://thomasmooresoul.com/books/
– And a religion such as Sikhi actually stresses the need to be spiritual while engaged in the world through work and family, and so it doesn’t have a place for people to practice spirituality in a vacuum, as a way to retreat from the world: https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikhi
I hope this gives you some inspiration ♥
Highly recommend “The Conscious Parent” by Dr. Shefali.
Thanks for sharing your experience Aurora. I serendipitously came across your post today as I was feeling totally overwhelmed by having too many books and courses to read/complete to help me on my spiritual journey. I took a screenshot of your advice to just stop the search and focus on those teachers you resonate with so I can remember it when I’m tempted to keep seeking. Mickey Singer is definitely one of those special teachers for me. I struggle with the letting go aspect that he teaches and I think that’s why I keep searching for techniques on how to do it, but I guess the whole point is to just keep practicing and intuitively the way that works best for you will come to you. Is that what you found in your experience? Thank you 😊🙏
Hi Carolyn, yes, I think you are onto something. What I have personally found is that once you have an experience of letting go, then the practice is one of nurturing and lovingly supporting yourSelf in that letting go. Sometimes you might feel in the flow for an extended period of time and sometimes it might come and go. It is ALL flow. So the quality of the feeling of your learning and seeking determines the difference: do you keep looking for something to “fix” you? Then consider you are not letting go, and that search is the ego trying to prevent you from letting go by creating more and more noise. If your search is playful, feels good, keeps nurturing and deepening your own spiritual practice, then it can be wonderful. Notice whether you are coming from a place of self love and oneness vs “fixing” and struggling.
Lastly, spirituality in my view, encompasses our whole existence. Setting boundaries that let you and those around you live freely and peacefully is spiritual, sharing food with someone who is hungry is spiritual, appreciating your co workers is spiritual. You can see the whole of life as an invitation to merge into Oneness. Once you get that, you understand letting go. And then the practice becomes remembering we are all One in every moment, while staying in the here and now (not checking out). I hope this helps ♥
Thanks Aurora for sharing your experience at TOU in such a well-written and insightful way! I loved your takeaways, especially the one that recommended starting a practice now rather than endlessly consuming information from a variety of sources. I am definitely guilty of that.
I just got my hands on The Untethered Soul from the library a few days ago – after months of waiting. I was immediately taken in by his teachings. His approach resonated with me and even gave me a sense of relief. There is a way out of suffering and into joy through Self-awareness and letting go.
As Rumi said: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Awesome! And I love that quote from Rumi, thank you for sharing.
Thanks Aurora for sharing your experience. I’ve also wanted to take the trip to mecca to visit Mickey’s temple – I just have to figure out how to make it worthwhile for my wife :-). In case people don’t know, they have been posting Mickey’s talks on their website due to the pandemic on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays to coincide to his normal schedule. This is very generous. I’ve found them very helpful although I’ve read his books umpteen times. I find his teachings dovetail nicely with my meditation practice.
Yes, I love that he is sharing his talks, what a wonderful gift ♥
I discovered Michael Singer last year while living in SE Asia and going thru intense family issues. His teachings have changed my life. But I struggle daily to ” surrender to the flow of life rather than my preferances” I was googling something in re to the surrender experiment and came across this. So I ask: in surrendering to the flow of life , how then do we know if we are going with the flow or not. ie ( I apply to a job , I get hired, but then due to a few factors I have strong intuition that says not to take it. So am I going with the flow or resisting if my intuition strongly says dont take the job. I hope this comment gets seen. Thank you
Hi Tara, great question! I remember being stuck on this quite a while. At first I tried to solve the issue by saying Yes to everything and ignoring my intuition – not a good idea! Then I realized that looking at your intuition as separate and opposed to what you “should” do is a trap – it puts you right back into a duality state of mind. I have come to see everything as part of the flow, including whatever comes up as intuition. So what do you do if you are not sure what to do? Here’s what I have found helpful:
– Always have a meditation or mindfulness practice that keeps you connected to Source – your deepest Self that is at One with everything
– Let yourself feel your feelings, stay open, as Mickey Singer explains (check out The Unthetered Soul for more about it)
– Let your thoughts be like clouds, thoughts always come and go and we don’t need to give them too much importance.
If you stick to the three above, a deeper sense of knowing starts to emerge, something very peaceful. And from that place you either know what to do, don’t know and can simply relax in the not knowing (you will eventually know), or understand that whatever is happening is an invitation to grow spiritually.
Even when it feels like you are not in the flow, it’s still the flow. You just closed up, feel disconnected. The moment you let go, you will find yourself at One with everything again ♥
Mickey is the real deal. Nobody can write or speak with such simple laser like clarity until they have experienced the full truth. This has made me want to go and visit the Temple one day. In the Google search page for the Temple, next to the Temple’s simple website, it was your link I was drawn to.
One day soon.
You’ll love it ♥ Thank you for reading my post and sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I, too, am drawn to the teachings of Mickey Singer. If I could sum up how I am when I read or listen to him into one word, that word is ‘alignment’.
Wishing you a wonderful spiritual journey!
I love it, “alignment”! That’s a great word.
this is beautiful, THANK YOU for sharing! I have felt similarly about Michael A Singer. No one I have read or followed has impacted my ACTIONS as much as Mickey has. Visiting the Temple of the Universe and hearing him speak in person would truly be a dream come true. Your blog post really inspired me to do that – so thank you.
Thank you, Isha, for sharing your experience. I loved visiting, if I didn’t live on the other side of the country, I would go again and often :) Definitely worth it, if you can make it happen.
Thank you Aurora for this post.
I have been researching all that I could about the TOU and I am really grateful for what you have written.
I wonder if you know if its possible for an individual to relocate and live on temple grounds? Is it even possible or are visits the only option?
Thank you, Arik
Thank you, Arik! I am not affiliated with the Temple and I don’t know how it works as far as relocation. They are very friendly, my suggestion is to call or email them and ask directly. Feel free to post what they say in a comment here, I am sure you are not the only one wondering about it :)
Thank you for this article.
I heard Michael on the Super Soul podcast & knew immidiatly that I needed to read his books.
His teachings are so simple & direct. I began practising letting go of the samskara’s & have to say I feel lighter than I have for decades. Some are stunorn & can take longer to shift. A few times I have wept with such sorrow, yet felt freer afterwards.
I also agree with you, just have a couple of spiritual teachers. It can become confusing as well as distracting if we try to take in too much information. If read, meet or listen to someone & their teaching resonate with you, then this is a path worth pursuing.
Thank you, Carmen, for sharing your experience ♥
Thank you for this post. It just so happens I’ll have a long weekend off, and I’ve toyed with the idea of visiting TOU. Are there accommodations nearby? Or does one have to stay in Gainesville? Thanks again!
Hi Chris,
I opted to stay in Gainesville at a hotel to use my free miles :) If you email the Temple, they might have some recommendations for you. It is in the middle of a forest, just like Mickey writes, so there aren’t a ton of options. Well worth going – I was even more amazed by Mickey’s story once I got to experience the location!
Thank you for sharing this experience. I am researching a trip to the TOU from Kansas because I have listened to the Untethered Soul and recommended it so much I feel compelled to go check it out. The way Michael Singer writes resonates with me and makes so much of what My spiritual beliefs are clearer to me! It is hard to explain but wonderful. I hadn’t realized that he was still so engaged at the temple. Thank you for the great post.
Thank you, Steph! I hope you get to go – it’s totally worth it :)
What a marvelous post! I stumbled upon The Surrender Experiment after having read The Untethered Soul and I agree reading The Surrender Experiment helps greatly in understanding The Untethered Soul. I too am planning on going to see him as soon as time permits and am thinking of taking his video course. Did you take it?
Thanks for your insight and better yet this quote “Unless you do the work, it doesn’t matter how many books you read.”
Hi Helen, thank you for reading! I know about his video course, but I have not personally taken it. I am sure it’s great.
Let me know how the trip goes :)
Mr. Singer’s “Living from a Place of Surrender” video course is EPIC. I’d already read all of his books, and listened to “The Untethered Soul at Work” in January for a complete work overhaul on how I practice law… when I found the video course, I was riveted – I watched it for 6 hours straight. If this were Yelp, I would give it 3 billion stars! :)
♥
Love your post. Answer the same questions I have about making desitions and “do the work”.
Thank you, Monica.
Thank you for sharing your story! I found this site as I was doing some research on visiting Temple of the Universe. I, too, feel compelled to visit and meet Mickey one day. There is no book that has resonated with me more, and I have read quite a few. It’s great to know that his place is still thriving out in the woods.
Glad you liked the post :)
Hi Aurora–
Thank you for helping to clear up some of my understandings of Mickey’s teachings.
Here is the quote from your article that has helped me.-Letting go of your personal self doesn’t mean you stop making decisions – but who makes those decisions ceases to be the you you used to identify yourself with.
Mickey and I were high-school and college buddies.
But life events sent us on different paths and we lost touch until a few
years ago when I was re-introduced to my long lost friend.
I too have read his books many times and my wife and I have been to his Temple in Alachua twice in the past 2 years.
I have also been through his video course twice.
His teachings have certainly impacted my life and my relations. He’s right up there with all the other greats.
Thanks again for your article,
Thank you, Rich! And yes, I agree, he is “right up there with all the other greats.”
I just finished reading Surrender Experiment and his story was just incredible, I couldn’t put it down. Coming across your post, I am amazed to find that he is still serving at the Temple, I have to meet him as well, thank you for sharing your post!
Yes! It’s totally worth going. I love that book – it’s one I read regularly and keep close by. It changed my life ♥
Thank you
I love this, Aurora. I share your love of the way Michael writes and speaks and his messages. Thanks for this synopsis that clarifies his teachings for me! I, too, will go to the Temple of the Universe one day soon!
With love,
Gretchen
Thank you, Gretchen! And if you go, you’ll have to tell me what you think :)
Beautiful. This makes me happy!
♥♥♥
So beautiful. Thanks to your recommendations, these books have changed my life and I recommend them to my clients. Michael Singer is easily my favorite author. Thanks for sharing him with us!
Thank you for all our conversations, I am a better person because of them ♥
Thank you so much for writing this post! I loved hearing your experience with visiting the TOU. I discovered his teachings about a year ago and have since listen to The Unteathered Soul and read it many many times as well as the Surrender Experiment. I keep buying the book for everyone I know. The work is ultimately very simple. For example relax and release, stay open, don’t close… but boy oh boy, that can be confusing to put into practice sometimes. I think you’re so right about less resources is actually more helpful and spending time noticing our thoughts and not identifying with them has been really helpful also. I seek that permanent joyful/peaceful place. I know it’s inside all the while.. just trying to find my way back to it💕