Eight Portals To Higher Reality

Eckhart Tolle's radical program for the present

Like many, I have countless unread books lining shelves throughout my home, standing in quiet vigil, patiently waiting to share their wisdom when the moment calls. For over a decade, Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now lingered among them, until recently, for reasons unclear, it beckoned. Tolle offers many insightful points, but his discussion of “portals” to higher consciousness resonated most deeply.

Tolle’s core aim is to cultivate a vivid awareness of the present moment. Drawing from ancient spiritual traditions, he views deep acceptance of unfiltered reality as a mental scalpel, cutting through the delusions, falsehoods, and fantasies that block our connection to what he calls the Unmanifested—a higher plane of consciousness.

Focusing on the Now, Tolle argues, frees us from the burdens of the past, quiets the mind’s relentless chatter, and dissolves anxiety over the future’s uncertainties. The result is a grounded peace, an understanding that everything is precisely as it should be in this moment.

Image: Eckhart Tolle, imdb.com

Here are Tolle’s eight portals to higher consciousness, along with practical exercises to access them:

1. Being Fully Present in the Now: Immersing yourself in the present moment silences mental noise and time-bound thinking. In this state, the mind’s constant commentary fades, allowing direct experience of reality.

   • Practice: Sit quietly and focus entirely on the present. Feel the aliveness in your hands, feet, or body. Notice how this anchors you, dissolving thoughts of past or future.

2. Conscious Breathing: Observing your breath without controlling it roots your awareness in the body and the present. Breath acts as a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious, drawing attention away from thought.

   • Practice: In a quiet space, close your eyes and listen to the surrounding silence. Follow your breath’s natural rhythm, letting it deepen your inner stillness.

3. Inner Body Awareness: Sensing the subtle energy within your body—what Tolle calls the “inner body”—shifts focus from thought to direct experience. This energy field connects you to universal consciousness.

   • Practice: While focusing on the present, feel the energy within your body. This awareness grounds you deeply in the Now.

4. Acceptance: Fully accepting the present without judgment ends the mind’s resistance to reality. This isn’t passive resignation but a release of inner conflict with what is.

   • Practice: When emotions like anger arise, pause and inwardly affirm, “This is what is.” Observe the emotion as an energy in your body, breathing into it without fueling it with thoughts.

5. Surrender: Deeper than acceptance, surrender is a complete yielding to the present moment. This dissolves the ego’s need to control, revealing the intelligence flowing through all things.

   • Practice: When emotional pain emerges, combine surrender with mindful observation of the “pain-body.” This transforms suffering into a portal to presence.

6. Stillness and Silence: Embracing external and internal quiet creates space for pure awareness. In stillness, mental noise subsides, allowing consciousness to recognize itself.

   • Practice: In a quiet space, close your eyes and listen to the silence. Follow your breath’s rhythm to deepen the inner stillness.

7. Space Consciousness: Shifting attention to the space between objects, rather than the objects themselves, reveals a boundless dimension of consciousness—the open context in which all forms exist.

   • Practice: Notice the space in your environment. Indoors, sense the openness between furniture; outdoors, feel the vastness between trees or the sky’s expanse.

8. Conscious Doing: Bringing full attention to an activity, without splitting focus between the act and thoughts about it, transforms routine tasks into moments of awakening.

   • Practice: Choose an activity (e.g., washing dishes or eating). Pause briefly, breathe deeply, and ground yourself in the moment. Perform the task with complete presence, feeling each movement.

While I could quibble with Tolle’s dismissal of the past and future’s value, he rightly notes that our experience of them is entirely mediated by the Now—the only moment truly accessible. Many of us remain mentally and emotionally trapped by an inaccessible past or an unrealized future. Reflect on life’s peak moments: a performance, an extreme sport, or a deep conversation. These likely demanded intense focus, intuitively drawing you into the Now. You’ve probably already tasted its power and joy. The challenge is weaving this simple yet profound practice into daily life.