“I think, therefore I am”, declared Descartes, a classic philosophical bestseller in Western culture. In New Earth, Eckhart Tolle criticizes the predominance of the mind, its excessive rationalism and Cartesian thinking, which he believes relegates our true essence to the background. This philosophy has encouraged the glorification of the mind, to the point of imprisoning us in our own cogitations. In short, a mental “hamster wheel” where we think, ruminate, compare and repeat. For Tolle, the ego is the main actor in this tragic comedy. This false friend is nothing more than a mental bricolage – memories, judgments, social roles, experiences – to which we cling. It lies at the heart of human suffering and disconnection, because it distances us from our true essence, which lies in pure awareness and presence. The ego feasts on our compulsive thoughts and that famous “body of suffering”, that cluster of negative emotions that pops up as soon as tension appears. You know, that inner gremlin that rehashes our arguments, our mistakes or that scathing retort you should so much have gotten out? Obsessed with our possessions, our performance and our comparisons, we distance ourselves from ourselves and from others. The result? Conflicts, superficial relationships, and that nagging feeling that something’s wrong, without really knowing what. To defuse this ego, the inner saboteur par excellence, Tolle invites us to recognize it, return to the present moment and cultivate conscious presence. For our essence lies in awareness and presence, not in our thoughts. By letting go of the invasive “I” and reclaiming our true nature, we develop a broader, more intuitive sense of identity, based on pure awareness rather than the analytical mind. Letting go, non-resistance and acceptance then become key practices for achieving inner peace. By cultivating this state of presence, we balance the dance between form (our actions) and space (our essence). This return to presence is a real reset. It allows us to exchange our anxieties and fears for inner peace. Conflicts subside, relationships gain in depth, and we rediscover others as human beings, not walking roles. In short, we leave the stage of this bad sitcom to reconnect with a more authentic life. Philosophically written, a little difficult to read, and best read in small doses, this book nevertheless challenges. Nouvelle Terre is an invitation to leave the spotlight where the ego struts its stuff and get back to basics: living in the moment, listening to inner silence, and rediscovering a harmony that the mind can never offer. And who knows? If Descartes were to read this book today, he might revise his famous formula: “I am, therefore I am.”
«Quand il y a identification complète au mental, un faux sens de soi – l’ego – se met à exister. La densité de l’ego dépend de la mesure selon laquelle vous – la conscience – êtes identifié à votre mental, à votre pensée. La pensée n’est qu’un infime aspect de la totalité de la conscience, de la totalité de ce que vous êtes.»
