Review of "The Vortex" by Esther & Jerry Hicks/The Teachings of Abraham

If you only have the energy and the interest to read one non-fiction spiritual book this year, make it The Vortex. It’s simply not possible to overstate the importance of the work done by Esther and Jerry Hicks in bringing the teachings of Abraham to our awareness. Abraham is the name for the collection of benevolent, non-religious entities that channel through Esther. This is the third in a series of four Abraham-Hicks books that focus on different aspects of the experience of self as a powerful creator. Creation involves the presence of desire, asking, focused thought, allowing, and getting into the “vortex” where everything you want is magnetized to you. The vortex is a state of mind that’s in alignment with Source. Others refer to this state of mind as transcendence, being in alpha mode and/or as communion with the God-self.

The first Abraham-Hicks book, Ask and It Is Given, was published in 2004 and is on my list of the top ten spiritual books you must read in this lifetime. The Vortex will be there too, because like Ask and It is Given the reader gets clear, relevant, practical information about how to make life more satisfying and enjoyable. The book is written in a logical sequence, using terms and sentence structures that everyone can understand. This straightforward, uncomplicated presentation of material is rarer that you might think. Even more, Abraham-Hicks have a unique way of communicating that automatically strengthens your desire to connect with Source, and they do it without reference to or reliance on any religion.

The underlying premise of The Vortex is that you must be in alignment with Source to undo resistance and to access the power for manifesting that’s available to us all. Every so-called unwanted condition is the jumping off place for developing preferences and for birthing desires. The basic problem to be resolved is that most people do not focus on what is wanted. Instead, they incessantly and obsessively dwell on the thing that is unwanted. For example, if you’re one of those people who’s unable to accept a compliment or who deflects affection or gifts from others, then you’re inadvertently focusing on what you think you don’t deserve, and this is what you’ll get more of.

Our thoughts are like magnets, and we attract and get what we think about. That’s the rule. So the required shift is to take your attention off the problem that’s in your face and put your attention on the solution that currently exists only in your mind. Your decision about what you want is made with your attention. See how it works? To change the result, you have to first change the dominant thoughts you hold in your mind. Control over what you think and the way that you feel is not only the key to consistent happiness but also to getting what you want from life. Nothing is more important than feeling good because feeling good means you’re in alignment with Source.

Parts 2 and 3 of The Vortex deal specifically with mating and sexuality, two areas that generate mass confusion and considerable emotional pain. Abraham tells us that “no other person has the ability, or a responsibility, to hold you as their singular, positive object of attention.” And “it is never possible for another person to behave sufficiently, or consistently enough, to keep you in balance. That is your job.”

Again, the basic idea is that that the most successful relationships are achieved when both parties are independently secure and in alignment with Source. In our desire to seek harmony with a mate, many of us forget about alignment with Source and make the approval of another the top priority. The flawed premise is that a good relationship is one in which each person has to find agreement and harmony with each other. This leads to a loss of freedom and ultimately becomes a destructive force in the relationship. No matter how good you are at pleasing, you cannot substitute for your partner’s lack of alignment with Source. That said, we are promised that the “best relationships that exist on your planet today are those that have erupted from a series of not-wonderful relationships.”

Part 4 of The Vortex sheds light on parenting, another complicated and emotionally-charged subject. There’s much to provoke thoughtful re-examination of many popular practices that are currently accepted as “good” parenting. How many parents, for example, recognize and treat their children as powerful creators who come into this environment with great eagerness, purpose and ability? And how about all the worry and anxiety that parents invest in their children?

“Contrary to what most parents believe, the less concern they feel for the welfare of the child, the better off the child will be because in the absence of the negative speculation and worry, the child is more likely to gravitate to his own alignment.” Most parents think their words play a role in teaching children; however, Abraham says that children come into the world to learn through their own life experience. Abraham also reminds us that we cannot control our children, and he asks us to free them from the “impossible bondage of needing to please you.”

The Vortex really turned me on to my own potential. I love the idea that I’m a magnificent creator rather than a helpless victim. And I love the promise that I can influence my results by carefully choosing what I pay attention to and what I ignore. This book will be useful to anyone on a spiritual path, anyone who’s stuck in a rut of any kind, or anyone who wants to open the mind a little wider. This is hands down the best spiritual non-fiction book published in 2009, and it's highly recommended.

BOOK INFORMATION:
Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 1401918824

Publisher: Hay House, Inc.

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Karen Bentley is America’s Spiritual Reviewer. She reviews contemporary books and movies exclusively from a love-based perspective. For more information go to www.spiritualreviewer.com or www.karenbentley.com. Bentley can be reached through email at reviewer@spiritualreviewer.com