This Extraordinary Moment: Moving Beyond the Mind to Embrace the Miracle of What Is - Softcover

"John has taken on an impossible task--to communicate the incommunicable, to share the unshareable--yet he has written a remarkably accessible, multipronged invitation to the reader to explore their normalcy, and possibly discover for themselves the unrecognized goal of all their aspirations, unsuspectedly hidden in plain sight in the very nature of that 'normalcy.' A lucid, intelligent, and wide-ranging exploration." --Peter Brown, author of Dirty Enlightenment--Peter Brown "This Extraordinary Moment is a remarkable book that weaves together years of scholarly investigation and contemplative practice to help us understand the nature of reality. John Astin reminds us that the whole point of spiritual inquiry is to discover the ways in which our fantasies, hopes, beliefs, and ideas could never possibly capture the inconceivable depth and richness of our moment-to-moment experience. This book has the power to transform individual and collective lives." --Shauna Shapiro, professor at Santa Clara University, and coauthor of The Art and Science of Mindfulness--Shauna Shapiro "John Astin is a gift. He points our awareness to insights that could take a lifetime of practice to reach, but can also be apprehended by just the slightest turn of attention. With his rare blend of experience as a seasoned academic scientist, mystic, poet, and musician, John's ability to illuminate a path toward realization with a lack of jargon and an elegant economy of words is unparalleled. This book is like walking into uncharted terrain with the kindest of guides pointing out the sublime in every step." --Cassandra Vieten, PhD, president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences--Cassandra Vieten, PhD "This Extraordinary Moment delivers clear, engaging, refreshing, and transformational spiritual teaching. John guides the reader to awaken to the unconditional freedom and well-being that is available in every moment. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in psychospiritual evolution." --Jessica Graham, spiritual teacher, and author of Good Sex--Jessica Graham "This wonderful, clear book invites us to drop out of metaphysical speculation and belief, stop our desperate efforts to grasp reality conceptually, and instead, tune in to the direct immediacy of present (sensory, energetic) experiencing, just as it is. John offers a simple but immensely rich and subtle exploration of actual experience, revealing the depth of this extraordinary moment that is ever-changing but always here-now. Instead of turning to outside authorities, he suggests listening to experience itself. Instead of urgency and seriousness, he invites approaching this practice in a lighthearted, playful way. Nothing is an obstacle or a problem in this approach. John suggests that, 'The subtlest depths are not found behind, below, or beneath but smack dab in the middle of the so-called gross or surface level of things.' This book points you to the vibrant aliveness that is right here in every moment, to be discovered not by transcending what seems ordinary and mundane, but by opening fully to the (sensory, energetic, experiential) actuality of this very moment, however it seems to be." --Joan Tollifson, author of Nothing to Grasp and Awake in the Heartland--Joan Tollifson "'Live in not knowing' is a pointer you hear repeated across non-dual traditions and teachers. In This Extraordinary Moment, John expands this simple pointer into a complete path to awakening. Using a mixture of original metaphors, contemporary cognitive science, inquiry work, and vibrantly alive writing, the book continually invites us beyond the narrow confines of our conceptual mind into the vastness of our real experience. Highly recommended!" --Chris McKenna, guiding teacher at Mindful Schools--Chris McKenna "I've never read a book that goes so deeply into the question, 'What is experience actually made of?' John Astin has created a masterpiece here that draws us into this question in a very thorough and meticulous way. If you take this book deeply, you can begin to see that he is pointing to the fact that concepts cannot pin reality down and that reality is an ever-changing flow of experience that cannot be grasped. This can be the start of a profound recognition of freedom. Highly recommended!" --Scott Kiloby, author of Natural Rest for Addiction and The Unfindable Inquiry--Scott Kiloby "In his latest book, John Astin offers us a multitude of simple, straightforward, yet elegant practices for welcoming and embracing each moment of life. If you wish to discover methods of inquiry that easily peel away misperceptions of thinking, and which lead to the discovery of a lasting happiness and well-being in the midst of daily circumstances, then this is a book that deserves to be on your reading table for years to come." --Richard Miller, author of iRest Meditation and The iRest Program for Healing PTSD--Richard Miller "With its mini essays and friendly practices, John's book examines experience with a vast, nondogmatic openness." --Greg Goode, author of The Direct Path and After Awareness--Greg Goode "Surrender to mystery can lead to bewilderment, which in turn can lead to joy and even transcendent ecstasy. The realization that there is no explanation for existence or awareness of existence is ultimate liberation. John Astin's book offers an opportunity for this liberation, if you are ready." --Deepak Chopra, coauthor of You Are the Universe--Deepak Chopra