The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer Book Review

My Bottom Line Thoughts

A really awesome book for anyone who is deeply committed to living a life of freedom, love, joy, and spiritual connection.

The best thing about this book is how practical and straightforward it is, showing how our daily life is the pathway to freedom, not some esoteric practice.

There is a lot of “spiritual” bull shit out there and Michael Singer seems to be authentic.

By reading this book and understanding the process that anyone who wants to free themselves needs to go through, you understand that Michael Singer has been through this with his deep wisdom and clarity.

He even worked in maximum-security prisons for 30 years helping others change their lives for the better.

The only negative is that he does repeat the same concepts over and over again and he makes letting go seem so easy while in reality, this is a process that takes an extreme amount of courage and practice to achieve over a lifetime.

The process he discusses includes:

Increasing our awareness to see our inner problems and question who “I” am
Recognizing how the energy flow works in our body and the tendency to close off
The process of letting go when our inner pains get hit
How we free ourselves by letting go of our painful thorns instead of creating a life to shield ourselves from them
What life is like beyond our inner walls and darkness

Summary Notes

Part 1: Awakening Consciousness

Voice Inside Your Head

We have a constant mental dialogue going on inside our heads whether we realize it or not
Most people are too close to be objective about what this mental dialogue is actually doing and how it operates
The voice takes both sides of the conversation and it doesn’t care which side it takes as long as it gets to keep talking
Basically, this voice is just trying to find a comfortable place to rest and it adjusts it’s chatter to protect itself and make us feel comfortable and in control
We re-create the outside world inside ourselves and then live in our minds avoiding it
Reality unfolding really has very little to do with you or your thoughts
There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing we are not the voice in our minds or the feelings in our body and to work on transcending the part of us that is not okay and needs protection
Come to know the one who watches the voice, and you will come to know one of the great mysteries of creation

Your Inner Roomate

Our inner growth is completely dependent on the realization that the only way to find lasting peace and contentment is to stop thinking about yourself
The “I” that is always talking inside will never be content, it always has a problem with something
Ask yourself honestly, “when was the last time you really had nothing at all bothering you?”
Before our current problem we had an alternative problem and if we are wise we will realize there will always be a new problem until we free ourselves from the part inside of us that has so many problems
When a problem is disturbing us don’t ask “what should I do about it” but instead ask “what part of me is being disturbed by this?”
If we focus on what we should do about it we have already fallen into the trap of believing that there really is a problem outside that must be dealt with
Once we see clearly the disturbed part inside us, then ask who is watching this disturbed part inside of us…..this is the solution to every problem…..the fact we can see the disturbance means we are not it
This act of maintaining objective awareness of the inner problem is always better than losing ourself in the outer situation. This is the difference between a spiritually minded person and a worldly person. Worldly means you think the solution to your inner problems is in the outside world
To attain true inner freedom we must be able to objectively watch our problems instead of being lost in them. No solution can possibly exist while you’re lost in the energy of a problem
Deal with our own reactions first then decide how to proceed with the outside situation
It may seem impossible that you can let go of the part inside us that has a problem with everything but it’s entirely possible with time and commitment
If we want to meet our roommate just try to sit inside ourselves in complete solitude and silence….we will meet them really fast
Spend time just watching what our roommate does and how messed up this roommate is. If we had to bring this person with us in real human form we would realize what a disturbed person they are.
It’s amazing once we realize how we take this person’s advice and believe them all the time
When we have sincerely tried practices of self observation over a period of time we will see that we are in trouble and realize the only problem we have had our entire life
If we want to free ourselves we must first become conscious enough to understand the predicament we are in (seeing our inner roommate clearly) then we must commit ourselves to the inner work of freedom

Who Are You?

Ramana Maharshi, a great teacher in the yogic tradition used to say that to attain inner freedom one must continuously and sincerely ask the question “who am I”?
Just ask “who am I? Who sees when I see? Who hears when I hear? Who knows that I am aware? Who am I?
When most people are asked this question they will reply with something like “Tom Greene” or “ Tom Greene who was born in New York and worked as a stock broker”
In reality, this question is much deeper. We are really pure consciousness or pure awareness because without awareness nothing else would exist on the movie screen
Our true home is this center of awareness or the seat of self. From that, we are aware that there are thoughts, emotions, and a world coming in through our senses.
This is what Buddhists call self, Hindus call atman, and Judeo-Christian tradition calls the soul
The great mystery begins when we take our seat within

The Lucid Self

Consciousness has the ability to focus on different things which is it’s nature
When a teacher says “concentrate on what I’m saying” it means you need to focus your consciousness on listening to her talk
The best way to learn about consciousness is through our own direct experience
If we step back we will see that sensory objects are always passing by in our awareness. Thoughts, emotions, and physical objects
Have you noticed that when you are deeply absorbed in a movie or TV show you lose your awareness of where you’re sitting or what else is going on in the room?
We all have underlying thought and emotion patterns: a certain amount of fear, love, and insecurity. If certain things happen one of these will flare up and then settle back down. We are busy trying to avoid these reactions.
What differentiates a conscious centered being from someone who is not aware is simply the focus of their awareness
For the deepest true meditation we must not only have the ability to focus on one object but we must also have the ability to make awareness itself the object. This is the highest state.
This state of being is really the most natural thing in the world and as we pull back into it the worldly matters cease to be problematic
We are tremendously expansive, loving, and radiant beings
So, “Who am I?”…ask this question constantly and we will notice we are the answer….there is no intellectual answer. Be the answer and everything will change

Part 2: Experiencing Energy

Infinite Energy

Inner energy is another great mystery of life and it’s a shame how little attention we pay to it in the west. We study energy in the outside world but are completely oblivious to our inner energy machine
We go about our lives thinking, acting, and feeling without an understanding of what makes these take place
Every movement of our body, emotion we have, or thought that occurs in our mind is an energy expenditure just like in the outside physical world
For example, if we have a thought and another thought occurs we have to assert an opposing force to fight the interfering thought. This requires energy and can wear us out.
The same goes with emotions. If we have an emotion that we don’t like which is interfering with our activities, we push it aside. We do this almost instinctively so that the unwanted emotion doesn’t come up and disturb us. Every one of these acts is an expenditure of energy.
The question to ask is where does this energy come from? Why are we completely energized sometimes and at other times drained?
This energy does not come from the calories our body burns from food. There is a source of energy we can draw upon from inside and it’s distinct from the outer energy source
An example of examining this energy source is to look at someone in their 20’s who’s girlfriend or boyfriend breaks up with them. The person gets totally depressed and doesn’t want to do anything. Food doesn’t help. Then one day the phone rings and the girlfriend wants to get back together. That person is almost instantaneously filled with energy. There was no sudden change in eating or sleeping habits.
We have a tremendous amount of energy inside of us and the only reason we don’t feel it all the time is because we block it
When we close our heart, mind, and other energy centers in our body they become dark. Yogis call these energy centers Chakras
Often people fluctuate between these states of higher and low energy
This flow of energy comes from the depth of our being and in ancient Chinese medicine it’s called chi, in yoga it’s called shakti, in the west it’s called spirit
This energy is unlimited and it has nothing to do with age
The only thing to know is that opening causes energy to come in and flow and closing blocks it out
If we want to feel boundless love, enthusiasm, and joy then we cannot close. We stay open by not closing. It’s really that simple but hard to do in practice.
The problem is we are programmed to open or close based on our past experiences. If they were negative we tend to close, if positive we tend to open
What we will find is that the only thing we really want from life is to feel enthusiasm, joy, and love. We get that by staying open. We can learn to keep our energy centers open.

The Secrets of the Spiritual Heart

The heart is one of the masterpieces of creation
If the heart happens to open we fall in love or feel love if it closes the love stops
These energy shifts and variations that take place in the heart run our lives
The heart controls energy flow by opening and closing
It closes when it becomes blocked by stored unfinished patterns of energy from our past. Certain events trigger energy in us and if we don’t like them or we like them too much we resist or cling to them and they get stuck and block the energy flow
If nothing was stored inside us and we were able to process all events in life and let them pass through us we would be consistently in the present moment enjoying all the beauty that life has to offer
It’s only when images, smells, situations, or sensations trigger stored energy patterns in us that we lose contact with the present moment and block the flow of love in our heart
The only impressions that get blocked are those that cause problems or those that contain extraordinary enjoyment
The key is to simply allow the experiences of life to come in and pass through us. If old stored energy is triggered and comes back up we need to let go.
If we don’t let go of our stored energy patterns then we will try to control the world to protect ourselves from them

Transcending the Tendency to Close

If something triggers our own personal fears, insecurities, or sense of self when instinctively either close down or fight
When we close down we are pulling a shell around the part of us that is weak
The part of us that get disturbed is way out of balance and very sensitive
We will get to a point in our growth where we understand that if we always protect ourself we will never be free
Living in this way allows for very little spontaneous joy, enthusiasm, and excitement for life because we are always protecting ourself and resisting new experiences
No matter how much pain the exposure creates we have to be willing to let it go if we want to be free
Spiritual growth starts when someone or something hits your stuff inside. You will feel the energy change, some fear, some tension. This is your cue that it’s time to grow and to relax and release.
The energy that starts bubbling up inside is very strong and we need to let go and fall behind this energy when it comes up. Stop, relax, and let go.
The disturbed energy will start to pull on our consciousness and we have to use our will to not fall into it. If we do this we will notice the difference between consciousness and the object of consciousness
A wise person remains centered enough to let go every time the energy shifts into a defensive fearful mode
Our opportunity to grow is endless and occurs each and every day. The power of the energy is very strong and it takes a willingness to go through some intense energy pulls.
There’s nothing wrong with being peaceful and centered as long as we are releasing the energy and not suppressing it so it keeps resurfacing

Part 3: Freeing Yourself

Let go now or fall

As we grow spirituality we will realize that our attempts to protect ourself actually create more problems
We have to decide not to fight with life and realize that life is not under our control
It’s hard to understand how we decided that avoiding our inner issues is an intelligent thing to do but everyone does it
The fear and other issues that hold us down occasionally rear their heads. When this happens we need to let them go. Permit the pain to come up into our heart and pass through
When our stuff gets hit it’s critical to let go right away because it is harder later
1. We must be aware that something is coming up that needs to be released
2. We must then notice who is witnessing the stuff coming up (the seat of self)
3. If we don’t let go and get lost in the feelings and thoughts a sequence of events will unfold so quickly that we lose awareness
Consciousness is always drawn to the most distracting object
The cycle is the time it takes from the moment you leave your seat of clarity until you come back
When a blockage gets hit we either go up or down. If we let go we go up and if we push it away or fall into it we go down into a vicious cycle where we then disperse this energy on other people and surround ourself with people who have similar energies
We do not have to leave the seat of self to deal with our darkness; it will naturally purify itself if we let it. Getting involved in the darkness does not dispel it, but feeds it.

Removing Your Inner Thorn

We all have inner thorns and we have 2 ways of dealing with them
- 1. Decide that because it’s so disturbing when things touch the thorn we need to make sure nothing touches it
- 2. Decide that since it’s so disturbing when things touch it we need to take it out
This is a core-level decision that will impact the rest of our lives
If we choose #1 we build our whole life around the thorn and create shelters and tools so that nothing touches it and it runs our life
If we choose #2 it will be challenging to let it go but if we commit to it the rest of our life can be abundantly joyful and filled with creativity, love, and enthusiasm and total freedom
The more we can let go and sit in the seat of self the more you will begin to feel an energy you have never experienced before
We don’t have to try to get rid of our loneliness or fear or shame we just choose to not get involved with it, to recognize it, feel it, and let it go

Stealing Freedom for Your Soul

The prerequisite to true freedom is to decide we do not want to suffer anymore
Everyday we bear this burden of constant mental chatter, fear, tension, criticism, ect
People don’t understand how much they are suffering because they have never experienced what it is like not to suffer
Look at how often you think about thoughts related to “I” “me” “mine”
Look at how often you think about how you’re doing, whether you like things or not, and how to rearrange the world to please yourself
We need to realize that our psyche is not ok but it doesn’t have to be this way
Most people try to fix their internal problems by fixing or changing something on the outside but if you are wise you won’t play this game
We need to learn to watch the mind and body when they start to act up and let them be
The heart and body reacts before the mind so it’s critical to notice when the energy in our body shifts and relax/release right away without getting into the endless thoughts

Pain, the Price of Freedom

One of the essential requirements for true spiritual growth and deep personal transformation is coming to peace with pain
No expansion or evolution can take place without change, uncertainty, and uncomfortability
Becoming familiar with the pain associated with inner disturbance is critical for growth
When we face our disturbances we will realize that there is a layer of pain seated deep in the core of our heart
This pain is so uncomfortable, challenging, and destructive to the individual self that we spend our entire life avoiding it
Real growth takes place when we finally decide to deal with the pain
We create our life and personality around avoiding our pain so that nothing touches it
Once again there are two choices, we fix the outside world to avoid touching our pain or we work on removing our pain
We must look inside and determine that from now on pain is not a problem and it is a natural changing occurrence in the universe
Pain is the price of freedom and the moment we are not afraid of pain we will be able to face all of life without fear

Part 4: Going Beyond

Taking down the walls

We all have “walls” surrounding ourselves made up of our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that prevent us from feeling true freedom
We put up walls based on our own personal fears and issues
We need to focus on the walls of our own making that are blocking the flow of light and energy
We can break down these walls by letting everyday life take them down we just need to stop participating in supporting, maintaining, and defending our fortress
Imagine the walls crumbling down and the effortless release of consciousness expanding into the brilliance of what is and always was
Give this a name-enlightenment

Far, Far Beyond

If we are willing to have the courage to go beyond our comfort zone when the fears or uncomfortability hits we can go far far beyond and stay there
When we learn to relax and release instantly like a great athlete when our edges and walls get hit we can learn to be free in all circumstances
This ability to go far beyond our walls is where all great beings live
Nothing can ever bother you but your edges and once you learn how to deal with them you are free in all situations
Our edges and walls point the way to our freedom in a place far beyond and once we relax and lean into them, when we least expect it, we will fall through into the infinite

Part 5: Living Life

The Path of Unconditional Happiness

The highest spiritual path is life itself
If we know how to live daily life it all becomes a liberating experience
We really only have one choice in life: do we want to be happy or not happy….it’s as simple and clear as that
Once we decide that we want to be happy and free then our path through life become totally clear
Once we have passed through trial by fire and we are convinced that we will let go no matter what the veils of the human mind and heart will fall away
We will stand face to face with what is beyond us, God, and open up to this eternal infinite
This is where words like joy, ecstasy, bliss, liberation, and nirvana come in

Spiritual Path of Nonresistance

We have a tendency towards stress and resistance
We must examine why we are so resistant to just letting life be
We will see that it’s you, the self, that has this willpower
We actually assert our will in opposition to the flow of life….if something happens we don’t like we resist it
What we are resisting has already taken place so what good is it to resist it? Reality has already occurred
We need to open up to life and the changing energy flow and commit to not resisting anymore
This is a path of acceptance, surrender, and release
They key is to relax and release but it’s not easy and we will fall sometimes
Just keep working on it….it’s the work of a lifetime to become that open

Contemplating Death

Learn to live your life as though you were on the verge of death because you are
Appreciate and relish every experience in life and release into this beautiful opportunity to be alive because death can take it away from us tomorrow

The Secret of the Middle Way

The middle way in buddhism or the Tao in daoism is a path of natural energy flow
If we choose to center and not take place in the extremes we will know the Tao
We can watch the energies tries to suck us into the extremes and hold our ground in the middle
As you center by not participating in the swings the energies will naturally find their balance
The experience of being present in each moment will be your natural state
For beings in the Tao events take place and last as long as they are taking place and then pass by
Constantly look to see if we are living in the natural powerful balance of energy or if we are lost in the extremes

The Loving Eyes of God

How can anyone really know anything about God but experience
We have so many teachings and concepts but they have all been touched by people and the cultures they live in
Deep within us there is a direct connection to the divine. This is the part of our being that is beyond the personal self and we can consciously choose to identify and be in union with this part or God
We can know the nature of God through our own experience with this direct source
When great being fall into this presence they describe it as all being one
This is how we know God truly from our own direct experience of falling into this infinite beauty that shines through us
When we are in this presence we feel beauty and love for all creatures, plants, humans, and animals

Hear Michael Singer’s Podcast Episode About the Journey of Freeing Yourself

If you don’t want to read the book this is an excellent podcast episode to hear Michael Singer talk about the process he discusses in the book: