We are assuming here that Eckhart Tolle was right that we must live in the power of now! We caution against him and his teaching but put that aside to see what implications we get.
What I do matters now. It is only now that I have the power to change. I can change in the present. This leads to changes in the future. I cannot alter the past.
What matters is now for it is all I have. Five years time, five hundred years time or five million years time. They are not as real to me. I cannot make decisions about them now. I can only decide what to do now.
Why lose my temper now and spoil today over what will not matter tomorrow? If I lose my precious car today, will I care in a few years? No. It doesn't matter today if I will care tomorrow. I will not hurt somebody today over something that one day will not matter any more! I will not demean myself by acting as if it will always matter!
Try this exercise often. You cannot do it all the time but do it often. Enjoy the present moment by cutting off all attachment to the past and the present. In other words, do not think but just observe. If thoughts come let them flow but do not consent to them. Do not force them to go away. That way I experience the now fully. This is mindfulness. It helps train me to stop letting my thoughts provoke bad or unhelpful feelings in me. As Tolle said, live in the power of now. The present is what is real now. It is what matters. Living in the power of now may seem hard to some. Even if it is, the fact remains that it is correct philosophy. The notion of God and prayer and religion are not important. The power of now is. The notion of God and prayer and religion stand in criticism of the truth. By the power of now, you become your own God.
My system of philosophy can seem to be opposed to religion. It is not about opposing religion but removing the obstacles to personal power and becoming a masterpiece of goodness and benevolence. My intention is not to criticise but to heal.
There are no basics in my system. To become a powerhouse of self-esteem and benevolent power, I have to alone be my God. To support anything that puts me down is harmful even if it seems small. It is affirming, "I am not worth giving my all to being a person who is happy with me and who radiates that happiness into the lives of all who I encounter". I will get improvements yes but will they last with a damaging attitude like that?
If I want a God who is not me and who is outside of me, I fail to see that I alone am the GOD of MY present moment. The present moment is mine alone to do with as I will. I have my will. If I just experience the present moment, if I am mindful, I am not thinking of God but am being my own God.
I will live in the power of now when I can and I will always have a place to go inside myself to find peace. The more I do it the more effective it will be.
We all need to see that what matters is now. Don't see the present moment as a means to an end. See it as an end in itself. That matters. Prayer does not. Prayer is a denial that the present moment is enough.
ANALYSIS OF TOLLE AND FAITH
Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now emphasizes the importance of living fully in the present moment and transcending the mind’s preoccupation with past and future. Central to Tolle’s philosophy is the idea that the ego, or the false sense of self, creates suffering, and that spiritual awakening comes from detaching from this ego and being fully present. While this approach has resonated with many seeking spiritual fulfillment, it presents significant contrasts with traditional Christian views of God and prayer.
In Christianity, God is a personal, transcendent being with whom believers can have a relationship. Prayer, a cornerstone of Christian practice, is a means of communicating with God, expressing gratitude, asking for guidance, or interceding for others. This requires engagement with both the past and future: remembering God’s past acts, reflecting on one’s life, and seeking divine intervention in future circumstances. Tolle’s teaching, which discourages attachment to temporal concerns and ego-driven desires, could be seen as minimizing the relational and petitionary aspects of prayer. Moreover, his focus on the self as “presence” rather than directing devotion toward a personal God might be interpreted as subtly shifting worship away from God toward an impersonal spiritual consciousness, conflicting with orthodox Christian theology.
In The Power of Now, Tolle suggests that much of human suffering comes from identification with the ego and conditioned thought patterns, implying that concepts of God can be projections of our personal needs, fears, and culturally ingrained notions. From this view, our understanding of God is often shaped by childhood conditioning—parents, religious institutions, and societal expectations teach us specific images and rules of the divine that may reflect more about our own insecurities and desires than an ultimate reality. Tolle would argue that by becoming fully present and observing these mental patterns without attachment, we can move beyond conditioned projections and experience a deeper, impersonal awareness of being, rather than clinging to a God defined by personal or societal expectations.
For occult or nature-based religions like Wicca, Tolle’s emphasis on inner stillness and presence could have a different impact. Wiccan practice often involves ritual, spellwork, and intentional interaction with spiritual forces, which frequently require visualization, intention-setting, and temporal focus. Tolle’s insistence on surrendering ego and remaining in the moment could either enhance Wiccan meditation practices by deepening mindfulness or diminish the efficacy of ritual work, which relies on conscious intention and interaction with symbolic forces. In essence, while Tolle’s philosophy could support the meditative and introspective aspects of Wicca, it may undermine practices that rely on projecting will or intention toward future outcomes.
In conclusion, The Power of Now presents a spiritual paradigm focused on presence and ego-transcendence that can clash with Christianity’s relational, prayer-centered approach to God, while offering a mixed influence on occult traditions like Wicca, enhancing mindfulness but potentially limiting intentional ritual work. Tolle’s teaching prioritizes inner stillness over relational or intentional engagement with divine or magical forces, making its compatibility with established religious practices nuanced and context-dependent.