Life saving, and yet ending my fear of death!

As a great fan of Alan Watts, I'd heard many of his talks over and over, but when I landed this compilation in my mp3 player, I was given 14 hours of his finest speech. That was originally shortly before being admitted to hospital for a stem cell transplant, a risky procedure for rebooting my immune system with healthy young bone marrow cells, while the cancerous cells destroying my bones were killed off with a massive dose of chemo poison.

I mention this to illustrate the extraordinary experience I had in being kept safe, mentally, emotionally and spiritually by Alan Watts' unarguable description of reality from the inside-out. For two weeks, Alan kept me company as my ailing immune system was destroyed and then rebooted. His words eased my fears as they described my own being and relationship with the Universe in the most simple terms.

On my way to recovery, I eventually grasped that which most people couldn't conceive. Not because it requires any great intellectual feat, but because we are not conditioned to experience the world from the inside-out, a perspective from which death cannot exist as a direct experience, anymore than birth can.

This material is profoundly capable of shifting one's perspective with repetitive listening, and Alan Watts' beautiful voice makes it a pleasure to listen to again and again. as moments of epiphanic A-Ha come thick and fast.

Get it...

138 people found this helpful

wow.

I have listened through this 3 times now and each time I pick up something new. I had heard of Alan Watts and tried watching/listening to his work on YouTube but just wasn't for me. I got this with my monthly audio credit because I had been looking for a book about eastern philosophies and westerners who had embraced them. Alan Watts came up in the search, was a lot of hours of lectures - I figured if nothing else it might help me sleep.

Instead was amazed and found myself saddened he's no longer alive to do more lectures. A lot of the material is undeniably a bit of a shock - can't see today, him being able to be so blunt in his views on suicide. As someone who is a parent and who has been a high suicide risk to now someone who was of the mindset 'well suicide hurts those left behind. I need to put up and shut up. Life is what it is. Hopefully my kid will have a happier life, make better choices.' I was surprised to have my views challenged and to be made to think deeply about what my problem was.

I've had depression diagnosised since 18. I figured it was maybe a rogue chemical in my brain. Later I figured maybe it was because I wasn't diagnosised as ASD till late in life. I function. I endure. Having tried the whole LOA thing, tried positive thinking regimes with grinning wildly mentors, tried CBT - mean every current alternative means has been encouraged by my doctors. The problem they see is im too aware of society. I figured was just me, who wondered how much damage "pay for your funeral" ads "take this painkiller" ads do. Instead I found in these lectures someone pointing out how far as a species we go to avoid pain, to avoid conversations on death, to avoid understanding why someone has had enough of life and insist on them living in pain and suffering even when terminally ill, bedridden and with no chance - many years before I was thought of. It helped me a lot frankly that someone had seen what was happening and said it as it was.

It did not magically cure me of any illness. Alan Watts did not reach from beyond the grave transform radically my world view. It did however make me wonder why his lectures aren't on repeat on tv. It would do a lot more good i think personally than repeating hourly how horrible the world is on the news. Will it change my life, probably not, it did make me think harder about adding to the stereotypes of life is suffering between cradle and grave. Really interesting man with an interesting life that I'm sure makes it easy to criticise or villainse if that's your thing. Personally, after researching I just saw a man with an unusual mind, not pretending or caring about appearing "perfect" or "good".

Enjoyed is wrong word. So is inspired. Somewhere between intrigued, challenged and fascinated by what he had to say is more accurate. Hopefully taking time to write what I really thought will help someone else, who like me, gets bored the second someone claims such and such is a great guru or mind. I found an intelligent human being with an interesting take on life which was helpful. Maybe you will to.

15 people found this helpful

Very accessible way into Zen thought

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because i had such a deep experience listening to Watts talking. Years ago I read some of his books which were clear and helpful but seemed a bit quirky. Having now listened (twice) to 14 hours of him explaining Eastern thought in real depth I realise he was a deeply wise person who was really effective at putting across the unexplainable. On these 50 year old tapes he speaks directly to me today.

Any additional comments?

Just now and again he makes a remark that would have seemed normal in 1966 but seems a bit non PC today. These came as a surprise because it reminded me that he wasn't in the room with me!

14 people found this helpful

Beware

This is the same set of lectures and anecdotes as You're It - almost identical. I sent it back.

111 people found this helpful

Mind expanding

As an introduction to Eastern philosophy for a Western mind this was incredibly eye opening. It has changed the way I think about many aspects of reality and helped to strengthen my spiritual understanding. I am excited to read more of Watts' material and to discover more Eastern spiritual thought.

The delivery was intelligent and witty although I felt that the structure was a little random and that many of the parts ended a bit abruptly. In his defence however, this was a lecture series and not a book.

Part of me felt a little robbed that I had to wait until my 37th year to discover such ideas. It's both interesting and rather frustrating that this way of thinking is almost entirely missing from our culture. A culture in which competition and hierarchy are such important aspects...

26 people found this helpful

Excellent wisdom that helps in daily life

these lectures are fantastic! the way Alan watts presents is the best interpretation of of eastern philosophy for a western audience I have ever heard. he simplifies methods for meditation and spiritual development so they no longer seem arduous long-winded processes involving tons of work and practice. I feel happier after listening.

12 people found this helpful

I love Alan Watts.

Really great if like me you are new to Alan Watts. He is a great speaker full of wisdom. I feel aware after listening to him. Like an artist opens your eyes to a subject so to does Alan open the heart to many ideas. Brilliant.

9 people found this helpful

Loved it. listening for a second time now.

Loved it. listening for a second time now. Alan Watts is unique in that he doesn't ever sound like he's preaching and has a soothing calminv voice and great sense of humor. Really good.

16 people found this helpful

Disappointing

I read a lot of Alan Watts in my teens and found it fascinating and his books at the time upgraded my world view. Since then I've read spiritual texts by realised masters from the Buddhist and Hindu traditions and have had some experiences of the reality they talk about. I thought I'd revisit him as I'd enjoyed his works so much before. He does not compare to the texts by individuals who are permanently spiritually awakened, or the preciseness of great spiritual classics. He gets a lot of people interested but he's just at the gateway. I now see his works as a mish-mash of his own inconsequential thoughts and interpretations mixed with some interesting information. As long as he sticks to the subject of Zen and general spirituality he gets close to something, helps the reader get close, but the rest of it..... what an accepting, fawning audience, asking for no references or checks to the validity of what he is saying. I feel he would get a different experience these days. Rather than the unquestioning acceptance. The endless mansplaining is hard to take at times and nothing to do with anything. Rather muddy and muddled. I do believe he has the power to flip his readers into a spiritual state, which is quite an achievement. But as we now have access to many more spiritual texts, we can go straight to pure source. He's a mixed bag but has my gratitude.

49 people found this helpful

Wonderful.

Alan Watts had the most beautiful way of drifting us listeners to the serenity that is our pleasure of listening to his lectures. I would recommend this to anyone who takes a moment to glance at this review... You won't regret listening to this... :) The journey through this title is a funny one, much humour making the listening all that easier as well as taking in all the lessons :) - enjoy!

16 people found this helpful