The book has a great title and a good but brief introduction to the topic, but falls short of the promise by padding a few good pages of information into book-length with "la-la" filler. I was bothered that the entire "what you hear" section was vague and hardly filled one page. For example, there was no mention that many folks hear chords, and no mention of the pitch, that very curiously for many is the older musical key of A (~425 Hz), might possibly be the source of our musical scale, and no mention that the sounds become stronger when one clinches one's teeth. Nonetheless, this book is the first entry into a field rarely separately discussed, and my hope is that we don't have to wait long for the "fully researched and revised edition".

The "Ringing Sound" is a most incredible book. The author has explained a difficult subject that is little known and less understood. He brings it out of darkness and into the light of understanding nicely. This subject matter touches everyone's life. At some point we all have heard the ringing and buzzing sound in our ears. I heard it almost all of my life but didn't know what it was. Now it is plesantly with me all the time.
Most people who hear it fear that there is something wrong with them. I am a health proffessional and I get clients with this ringing often, I suggest that they read Eric's book. I am very gratefull to have such a wonderfull resource.
The book is an introduction to the world of energy and is not designed as an exstended meditaiton program. It is for the general public and anyone who is begining to explore the world of energy and meditation.
Eric explains this normal phenomenon in a way that is both logical and mystical at the same time. This is an easy, must read, one to keep by the bedstand.

I had dismissed the constant ringing in my ears as a physical phenomenem and an annoyance that I was destined to live with for the rest of my life. But when a physicist explains to me in layman terms that this may be spiritual energy, the sounds take on an entirely different meaning. The author unselfishly shares the mystical secrets of sound current which have been hidden away for centuries. It is obvious that he has a direct connection with Source.

This book, like most so-called "New Age" literature, skims the surface of a complex subject in a friendly, almost endearing, manner. Some of this material may even be true. But there is one huge problem - Summit University Press has attributed authorship of the book to two well-know occult/spiritual literature, masters, Kuthumi and Djwal Kul. For those who are well-read in occult/spiritual literature, they will surely recognize "Djwal Kul" as the source of the monumental series of treatises transcribed by Alice A. Bailey and published by the Lucis Trust. This book is dishonest for many reasons. Here's a few:

1. "Djwal Kul" is a misspelling of the Tibetian's name. It should be spelled Djwhal Khul. I suspect that the name was spelled incorrectly in order to avoid legal entanglements.

2. At the end of the book there is an "About the Authors" chapter. In the short discussion of DK there is no mention made of his 18 books, totaling 9271 pages, all published by the Lucis Trust. Amazing! DK worked exclusively with Alice A. Bailey from about 1920 to 1960. A gentleman at the Lucis Trust told me that DK stated that he was only going to provide information to AAB and that it would only be published by the Lucis Trust. Therefore I seriously doubt that DK is the co-author of "The Human Aura."

3. I wrote to Summit posing the above questions. They never answered.

If you want REAL Djwhal Khul material, just search for his properly-spelled name, Alice A. Bailey or Lucis Trust. Then you'll find authentic material that will challenge your intellect, broaden your horizons and put you on the path of real knowledge. Don't settle for less!

Mrs. Prophet is an author and messenger of the Ascended Master teachings and this I have confirmed in my own heart for 20 years. There is no one that can say there is only Alice Bailey who can speak for these Masters. Her teachings are profound and very helpful in my everyday life. I would recommend this to anyone who is a new age seeker of truth.

This book explains the aura and its significance in our lives in very clear and detailed terms. It also reveals the science of the seven major chakras and their relationship to the aura and much, much more. A must read!

It is nice to have this book just to be in touch with the Master, in some way. But do now expect to learn much from it.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it gave me much to think about, this is not the book for people wanting to learn about Reiki. The descriptions of some of the events of Takatas life will perhaps seem unbelievable, especially to the Western mind set. Someone with a bit more experience with Reiki who realizes its boundlessness will appreciate this book more fully.

I had never heard of Reiki until an advanced Amdahl computer science student of mine demonstrated it for me during a class lab in 1997. I was intrigued. The student told me he was a Level 2 Reiki Student and that one became a Level 1 Reiki Student after only one weekend class. So, I searched through the San Jose CA public library and found that Reiki Classes taught by Ms. Fran Brown were in a nearby town. I went and found that Ms. Brown was using "Living Reiki: Takata's Teachings" as the final teaching tool in her weekend class. This book makes the most sense if one has just recently attended (or will be attending) a Reiki class taught by a live instructor. According to the book, Reiki was "re-discovered" by a Christian seminary professor in Japan during the late 19th century. This professor (Dr. Usui Sensei) was asked by his students to be taught how Jesus did His "laying on of the hands" miracles. Dr. Ursui did not know, but promised to study the question. He did this for the next several years. Dr. Ursui taught many students over the years and chose Dr. Chujira Hayask to carry on the work. At Dr. Chujira's death, he chose Mrs. Hawayo H. Takata (1900-1980) to be his successor. Takata chose twenty-two people to succeed her in carrying on the tradition of manual healing. Mrs. Fran Brown was the seventh "Reiki Master" selected by Takata. So, this book is very close to the original teachers of Reiki and includes many personal recollections of Fran Brown she learned over the years. I highly recommend this book from a scientific and Christian perspective.

In the Dark Age prophesied by Buddhist and Hindu traditions, false teachings will multiply exponentially, and the ability of beings to discriminate between gold and compost will atrophy in a frightening manner. This book validates this world view.
Whatever the realtive merits or demerits of Reiki might be, it is abhorrant that anyone would co-opt the profound and sacred teachings from the Tibetan tradition to serve their own ends. Not only is there no historical, scientific or traiditonal basic for any kind of "Reiki" in the Tibetan or Indian Buddhist systems, but trying to validate the Reiki system by association shows a remarkable lack of basic ethical development. It is an incredible insult to millions of Buddhists worldwide.
The kind of delusional associations and frankly bizarre connections that the author tries to make are done without even the least scholarship, and apparently without consultation with any Lamas from any Tibetan tradition. From another tradition, Gurdjieff says that there is no greater demerit than leading others astray, spiritually. Buddhist teachings have even more heavy things to say about spiritual charlatanism.
Why dont you leave Buddhism alone and do your own misguided thing without contaminating and misrepresenting valid systems of cultivation and transformation?

~~~This is a superb book to read in conjunction with Richard Blackwell (Lama Yeshe)'s book Medicine Dharma Reiki. The association of Reiki with the tradition of the Healing, or Medicine, Buddha is even more precisely outlined there.

Despite what one of the reviewers says about Reiki and Buddhism, Maureen Kelly and Richard Blackwell both draw on documents from Reiki's founder, Mikao Usui, and extensively note his teachings in establishing and expanding this connection. Maureen Kelly carefully~~~~ goes through secondary sources on his teachings; Richard Blackwell is fortunate to have primary sources that he translates from the Japanese. He adds his own commentary as well.

This is an outstanding book on its own; I just wanted to mention its connection to this second volume. Both are great books to read together; each is outstanding on its own merits-- spiritual and textual-- as well. I am a Yogi, not a Reiki practitioner, but I have had Reiki and my practitioners all love this book: it~~ enhanced their knowledge and gave them a structure for their own practices.~

This book is an extraordinary (and extraordinarily clear) discussion of the Buddhist roots of Reiki. The author has in great detail put Reiki practice in the context of meditation on the Healing, or Medicine Buddha within the Esoteric Buddhist tradition.

I am a Reiki Master who previously searched on my own for more information on this subtle healing energy. This book clears up many earlier inconsistencies in writings about Reiki's origins and gives a detailed and quite beautiful view on what Reiki's roots may ultimately be.

This book is not just beautiful for the concepts discussed, but also for its graceful, measured, and lucid presentation. A tremendous spiritual volume.

Jerrell's book contains interesting and original information, but, as a former editor, I find too many errors reduce confidence in the content. Index points to the wrong pages, illustrations are mislabeled or missing, and there are some content errors. I hope Jerrell produces a new, revised and corrected edition.

I found the other review talking about editorial needs did not refer to the newest edition. This book offers important and practical information for the Reiki practitioner.

I think it's funny that the review from the former editor, which complains about errors, happens to misspell the author's name.

I was very disappointed in this book, since I ordered it based on a 5 star rating from one other reviewer. The sketches showing the various positions of the body are primitive and disconcerting, and ugly. They were so distracting I could not focus on the writing.

This book includes two basic forms of qi gong: standing-still qigong and moving qigong. Excellent explanation about the very detailed points of a standing-still qigong "embracing the tree." Also provides, in an efficient manner, the how-to-do of the "8 pieces of brocade" which is a famous moving qigong.

I have read other books on the introductory level about Chi Kung, including the one by Stanley Wilson. This book by Y Requena is so far one of the best. It is well organised and detailised for more in-deepth understanding of Chi Kung. It made sense for the movements I follow through when practicing.

I am a traditionally trained Reiki Master/Teacher. I am also a horsewoman of many years, and a horse owner. I found this book to be a mixed bag of the good and the not so good.

My main complaint about this book is the inaccurate way Reiki is portrayed. If you buy this book thinking you'll be able to learn how to treat your horse with Reiki after reading it, you'll be sorely disappointed. Reiki can ONLY be learned IN PERSON from a Reiki Master/Teacher (beware of anyone who tells you they can attune you to Reiki over the Internet, they cannot.)

However, if you are already a Reiki practitioner, this book is a moderately useful tool to assist you in learning to treat horses with Reiki. There are other books out there which cover treating animals better than this, but none are specific to horses, so this might be a good addition to your library if you're looking for horse-specific works. But it's not quite what it promises to be, and there is the potential for people to be misled into thinking they can use Reiki on their horses after reading this book.

Please feel free to email me at "laura@duluth.com" if you have any questions about using Reiki on horses (it's a LOT of fun) or learning to channel Reiki yourself.

i read this book and have to agree with Laura (the first reviewer) - it is misleading for those who think they can learn reiki from a book.

also - there wasn't much detail. if you already do Reiki (like me) and are seriously interested in working with animals, it may help a little. for example, two things i specifically wanted to know were the equivalent chakras on a horse and a set of hand positions. these are in the book, but i feel that i would change the hand positions a little from what clare uses.

this was written from one person's point of view, and nowadays there are many variations on Reiki. it doesn't make her view wrong or right - just different! it's not a waste of time, but it isn't all that i hoped it would be.

on that note - i decided i may try a hand at writing a book on reiki & animals (in particular, horses).

Kate

What a great book! I have long been interested in alternative therapy treatment for both humans and animals. This book helped to explain the hows and whys of Reiki and how to apply it to your horse and fellow rider, as well as yourself! The techniques, which are clearly outlined, work amazingly well. I would really recommend this book to anyone with horses.

There is a lot of Graphic and Color for your money. The text is from other texts. I like the photo of the pixieish author on the back cover, but it's not enough to keep me from wishing there were more for this anxious to learn student seeking truth. If you are looking for an easy way into your esoteric learnings, tho', this could be just the one for your "now".

The Energy Secret was picked on a whim as my introductory flight into the shpere of energy knowledge.I flew throught the amazingly entertainig dialog of the books contents as if I were talking to Jane Alexander personally.Not only did she explain a very broad subject in terms I could easily understand ,but she also peaked my interest in all the related subjects she introduced.One of my best buys yet!!

While not an almanac in the traditional sense, Llewellyn's 2003 Herbal Almanac contains an admirable collection of articles relating to the cultivation, culinary, medicinal, mythical and ritual use of herbs.

Several different cultures are represented with articles such as "Good Health the Chinese Way", "Ashwagandha: India's Superb Tonic" and "Mexican Herb Lore". There are also Moon Tables for each day of the year showing the relevant astrological signs, elements, natures (barren, semi-fruitful, fruitful) and moon phases; helpful knowledge for spell working, planting and divination.

There are well over 30 different recipes for teas, potpourris and food items in the almanac. Most are easy to prepare and contain common ingredients, some contain exotic ingredients like nettles or pineapple sage. If I may make a suggestion to the authors, I would like to see more vegetarian recipes in future additions!

Overall, Llewellyn's 2003 Herbal Almanac is a respectable read in its collection of articles. However, for a more traditional almanac with a wider breadth of information, I would recommend Llewellyn's Magical Almanac.

Whether you are just beginning to learn something about herbs and their uses and lore, or are an experienced herbalist, you will enjoy Llewellyn's 2003 HERBAL ALMANAC. The Almanac consists of a collection of essays covering topics as diverse as Chinese herbal medicine to the origins of Pansies. The book is divided into several broad categories covering the growing and gathering of herbs, culinary herbs, herbs for health, herbs for beauty, herb crafts, and herb history, mystery (myths) and magic.

Lest you think you are "too old" to believe in herbal myths and magic, remember no one really knows why aspirin, cloves, or capsicum work, and while all three ingredients are found in modern medicines, they were first discovered and used by traditional healers. Unfortunately, the synthetic versions of the original herbs (brought to you by the modern petro-chemical pharmaceutical companies) are not as effective as the natural version.

Several excellent essays on traditional medicine appear in the ALMANAC. 1) "Native American Herbal Healing Ways" by Marguerite Elsbeth takes a thought from Chief Joseph, who said, "The Earth is our Mother..." Elsbeth notes that American Indians believe all life is interrelated. Because of this, poor health comes from spiritual or energy imbalances. American Indian medicine is holistic. The entire body must be considered when illness intervenes. 2) "Ashwagandha: India's Superb Tonic" by Kevin Spelman, discusses the clinical applications of Ayurvedic herbs as well as Indian (from India) folk medicine used to address ailments ranging from inflamation to bi-polar disorder. 3) "Good Health the Chinese Way" and "Treating Cardiovascular Disease with Traditional Medicine" by Xingwu Liu, investigates the wisdom of combining Eastern and Western methods. Whereas the West has progressed technologically, the East has retained the wisdom of the ages. Perhaps the time has come to link MRI equipment with a holistic approach. Although Liu is not so bold, I might add, perhaps if one practices a holistic approach, the equipment will never be needed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and heart who is ready to accept great wisdom.

I have been around the world of alternative healing for years, and a book like this is very disappointing to me personally.

I bought this book to see what the author would have to say about the four alternative healing methods that I am most involved with (HUNA, Qigong, Reiki, and Seichim).

Chapter 2 is dedicated to to HUNA, and based on what I read; she used two sources for HUNA information "The Secret Science Behind Miracles" Max Freedom Long, and "Huna: A Beginners Guide" Enid Hoffman.

Max Freedom Long (MFL) was a tireless researcher, and he spent the last 52 years of his life trying to reclaim the wisdom of the kahunas. Unfortunately Max had several problems.

1. MFL was a ha'ole, and the Hawaiians would not talk to him for fear of persecution. This was only 97 years after the "christian" missionaries did their good deed of civilizing the "savages", and castigating the beliefs of the hawaiians as Satan worship.

2. MFL was raised "christian", and he allowed his beliefs to influence his perceptions of HUNA. In some of MFL's volumes; he goes so far to say that Jesus was an initiated Kahuna.

3. MFL completely overlooked the role of the Akua(gods and goddesses acknowledged by the Hawaiians. The Hawaiians knew of a single creator; but worked through their Aimakua, Po'e Aumakua, and the Akua. They believed the levels above the Akua was beyond human comprehension. MFL did not acknowledge any levels above the Po'e Aumakua.

Ms. Hoffman took the writings of MFL, and expanded on it to the best of her ability; but unfortunately she was using faulty material as a base.

Ms. Coddington constantly refers to the spiritual beliefs of the Kahunas as "the Huna". HUNA is only a name that was given to this by MFL.

I am unaware of the real name the Hawaiians gave their spiritual beliefs. The Hawaiian word for religion was Ho'omana. If I had done the research that MFL did; I would have called the Hawaiian form of spirituality as Pulemana (which means to pray with mana).

If you are interested in HUNA; please see my two HUNA listmania lists, or my "So you would like to" area about HUNA.

I was very distressed to see her list "Accupuncture" in the "New Age" area on page 143. Accupuncture has been studied for almost 5,000 years (hardly new age in my opinion).

I was surprised to see her list Tai Chi on pages 147-150 but not mention Qigong (ch'i gong or ch'i kung), Reiki, or Seichim at all.

I did find the comments about Mesmer, Wilhelm Reich, Eggar Cayce, Hippocrates, etc interesting.

I only wish she had spent a little more time in research so she could have presented a cogent debate for alternative healing.

E-Mail if you have questions or comments. ...

This book was extremely insightful. opened my eyes to new alternative means of healthy living. It has given me hope with my existing medical conditions...MUST READ>