Rating: 
Summary: Great For Beginners or Advanced Students
Review: I've been studying A Course in Miracles since 1978. I've read all the popular and many of the not so popular books about it. I've seen and heard all the best teachers. This book takes a back seat to no spiritual book in the world, and having just seen the author in person, he takes a back seat to no spiritual teacher in the world. The Disappearance of the Universe is the state of the art of spirituality. It's the future happening now. It uncannily serves as both an introduction to the uninitiated as well as an advanced explanation of ACIM to experienced practitioners. It does this by explanations of spiritual principles that are as clear and sharp as a laser beam. It has humor that works just right to lighten the more serious topics that are discussed. Either Saint Thomas and Saint Thaddaeus really appeared to Gary Renard in person as he says and gave him all of this information, or Renard himself has a tremendous gift for combining his personal life experiences with the very best spiritual teachings in the world. The book would work either way, but if Renard could write this on his own then why would he prefer the false humility of presenting himself as the student instead of the teacher? I think the book works so well because Renard is one of us, and he engages his teachers in language that we can accept and understand, making very advanced metaphysical principles and their applications refreshingly accessable to any interested student.
Rating:
Summary: How To Get Out Of This World Alive
Review: Is it possible for any of us to ever attain the level of Ultimate Masterhood (graduation from this world) in the context of our everyday, mundane existence? What rules our reality? Are we even aware of the origins of our limitations? How does one break free of this crazy world? These are some of the fascinating topics discussed in this new book. We have been told that, for our willingness to follow Spirit, we can expect fulfillment of the promise: "Ask and ye shall receive." Astonishingly, for the author, the response to his spiritual pledge came right after one of his meditations, in the form of two ascended masters who allegedly materialized out of thin air in the comfort of his living room. Arten and Pursah, as they are named, disclose that in one of their previous incarnations they were respectively Saint Thaddaeus and Saint Thomas, both contemporary disciples of Jesus. They inform Renard that they will share a series of 17 sessions together. These would turn out to span nine years. A few pages into the book, the reader is convinced of the writer's sincerity. Renard is, by his own admission, a layman with a limited education. A work-at-home husband with no children, he lives in rural Maine where his quiet surroundings allow him to meditate regularly. In his times of prayer he often tells Jesus how he wishes he could have been one of His disciples so he could have been taught personally by the Master. These moments are cherished by Renard but he finds himself more often at war with himself and others. Yet one day, he makes the clear determination that this painful pattern has to stop. "There must be a better way," he thinks, and he offers the olive branch to a former adversary as a stepping stone to removing conflict from his life. For those familiar with the Course in Miracles, this decision is eerily reminiscent of the gesture of peace between two feuding colleagues, which was the catalyst for the Course's coming into being. Its central teaching is that salvation (or Ultimate Masterhood) can only be attained through the application of true forgiveness. Arten and Pursah make no mystery of the fact that they come as messengers of the Course. They strongly emphasize that their words are in no way to replace its study. To the contrary, they aim to clarify the content of this extrordinary document via the mode of casual exchanges with Renard. Throughout 17 chapters, Arten and Pursah invite you to embark on an enthralling voyage of the mind. With them you revisit the Gospels, Shakespeare, a student of Freud's, the beginning of the universe, the origin of Christian Science, and even have a peek into the future. While these pass in review, you learn the reason behind all cycles and patterns, sickness, death, the impermanence of all we experience. The Masters point to the grand illusion of time and space, the holographic nature of our entire universe. They debunk quite a few myths which we still cling to in the domains of religion, science, and contemporary spirituality. Did I mention that humor is an intrinsic part of this book? You will chuckle at some of the repartees between the author and his visitors. In his prologue, Renard writes that he did not alter his sometimes flippant and not-so-dignified remarks. His guests give him a taste of his own medicine; all in good cheer, and with the vision and benevolence that Masters can demonstrate. You feel totally included in the trio's company, and find it difficult to tear yourself away from this book once you delve into its powerful message.
Rating: 
Summary: A Commercial for the A Course in Miracles
Review: Less than one star! DON'T WASTE YOUR CASH!!! My 'inner voices' tell me "This is just a blatant commecial for the 'A course in Miracles' series of books , tapes , etc." Some rich investor type guy listens to his own 'inner voices' and creates a commercial for a series of books and tapes !? What? That's enlightenment!!?? Well at least you might be able to forgive him , after you read his book anyway .
Rating:
Summary: a simple example of true depth
Review: Of all the religious doctrines and theories on the meaning of life I've ever heard of, read about, or been exposed to in any way, this representation and discussion of life w/in the context of the principles of A Course In Miracles (and more importantly, ACIM itself), is the only form so far that I've ever been able to take seriously. Yes, it is "out there," but its simple sophistication challenges you to think; it is not superficial fluff nor is it a representation of sugarcoated or twisted versions of the truth. It is a simpler, more straightforward analysis of some of the amazing depth, beauty, and release that ACIM illustrates. I recommend this book, though it is not for everyone, and it doesn't have to be. There's no pressure to "pick the right path" here. It doesn't matter, but even if you don't agree w/the principles explained in this book, I think - no matter what your scholarly, philosophical, or religious background is - you'll at least get an interesting read out of it. And if you're intrigued by this, I suggest you go directly to its source: A Course In Miracles (ACIM). And one more thing: I simply ignore the premise of how the information of this book originated. To me, it doesn't matter whether or not one believes the method of origination by which these words came forth (in this case, through "ascended masters"). The messenger isn't so important because that's ultimately just superficial form. It's the content of the message itself and the intentions behind it that should be scrutinized, and that's what I look at. If I had to pick one word to describe it, that word would be "mind-blowing," like ACIM itself.
Rating:
Summary: The layman's Gateway from the Samsara to the Nirvana
Review: The "Disappearance of the Universe", does just that. It is the modern day portal, between the world of multiplicity and form to the symbolic-less meaningful reality of formlessness. Pursah and Arten are fun, I would like to meet up with them for a few beers and maybe some Guinness. They are a contradistinction, to Jesus's tone in ACIM, which seems more at home in the incarnation of a compassionate military leader, while still emphasizing the distance. I love Jesus's content in the course, but I hate his form. This is mirrored in his general tone within the form of the course. It is that of a Shakespeare, shaking his spear, and so enforces duality. It is often not a tone of seeming Equals, no matter what it says. During the apparent timeframe that "A disappearance of the universe", was written, and before , I got around to reading, "A Course in Miracles", I was enlightened through the spiritual superfluidity, of Osho and Atisha, most particularly, through, Osho's tapes, expounding "The book of wisdom" , but I have to say, "A Course in Miracles", offers the most practical course and direct approach to enlightenment, that I have come by, or expect to come by. It's central message of forgiveness re-inforces, the true reality, which is one of non-differentiation, and which follows naturally, from the seemingly altrusitic practice that it propounds. The cental contribution of "The disappearance of the universe", is to package ACIM in a more readable form suitable for a majority. It bridges both the worlds, while still holding out a bridge to the real world.
Rating:
Summary: The Disappearance of the Universe
Review: The Disappearance from the Universe is definately '5 stars'. It was extremely educational and entertaining. Because of reading Disappearance I am now able to fully understand A Course in Miracles and David Hawkin's trilogy. I realize that reading Disappearance has increased my ability to understand the teachings of books about higher consciousness. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of who they are and how to make better decisions for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Experience For All Spiritual Seekers
Review: The Disappearance of the Universe (DU) is a truly unique spiritual book in that it doesn't fool around but gets right to the point from the word go and doesn't hold anything back. It's blunt and authoritative. There's absolutely nothing vague or ambivalent about this book. It's in your face. The style and humor are very unusual for a spiritual book, but that serves to lighten the sometimes serious topics that need to be discussed. The result is a book that could stand alone as one of the best Gospels ever written. In a way, The Disappearance of the Universe could be viewed as the answer to "The Passion of the Christ," that movie in which the insane thought system of sin, guilt, fear, suffering and sacrifice is sold once again to a new and unsuspecting generation. Unlike "Passion," DU is about the real Jesus, because it's about unconditional love and forgiveness and how to have the same experience of God that Jesus did. He wasn't about suffering and sacrifice, and neither are the teachers in this book, Arten and Pursah, aka. Saint Thaddaeus and Saint Thomas. Renard, the recorder of his experiences, including the conversations with these two enlightened masters who appeared to him in his living room from out of nowhere, is the sometimes wise-cracking student. It's refreshing to have a couple as the teachers, including an independent and feisty woman as the main teacher. (She was Saint Thomas, a male, in a previous incarnation.) The clarity is amazing as the two teachers speak from a Jewish perspective about their friend, the master named Y'shua. Most teachings about him, calling him Jesus in English, present the revisionist, made up Christian version of him. After brilliantly and entertainingly presenting many spiritual principles, the teachers effortlessly guide the student into the most usable and accurate explanation available of the modern spiritual masterpiece, "A Course in Miracles." If you've never read about the Course, this is the book to learn from. Other popular books that have been written about the Course seem almost silly beside this one. Most interesting is that this book is often funny, yet the result is serious: a serious understanding of, as well as the ability to apply, this until now difficult to understand spiritual teaching. Thank you to the author, the teachers and the publisher for having the courage to do something different. This book promises a lot very early on, and then incredibly, it delivers. I'll give this book 5 stars, but it deserves more.
Rating:
Summary: For Those Who Are Ready
Review: The Disappearance of the Universe is a great book; funny, wise, and full of wisdom. It's for sophisticated, open minded people who are ready to consider the possibility that God really IS perfect Love, which would mean that he would not create anything that wasn't perfect, much less violent, judgmental or reactionary. If you're ready to read one of the best spiritual books ever written, I think this fits that description. It's not like your average spiritual book, but that's one of the best things about it. BTW, A Course in Miracles, which is part of the teaching in this book, is also a great spiritual teaching that has been embraced by so many Ph.Ds it's amazing that anyone wouldn't take it seriously. And this book is probably the best book ever written about A Course in Miracles.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Contribution
Review: The Disappearance of the Universe is a great contribution to metaphysical/spiritual literature. The fact that it's funny and entertaining to read helps enormously. The book focuses on the power of thought and why it's so important to choose the thought system of the Holy Spirit (love and a modern kind of forgiveness, not the old fashioned kind) instead of the thought system of the ego (fear, judgment, negativity, attack, etc.) I've never seen a spiritual book put it all together the way this one does. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended reading for all serious ACIM practitioners
Review: The Disappearance of the Universe is a must read for every modern day disciple of A Course In Miracles. The reader's passion for the Course is completely revitalized, and his or her practice of forgiveness is turbo-charged to a new and all-encompassing level. "Sooner or later, it always comes down to some kind of forgiveness and how willing you are to do it. How willing are you to accept that it's all your dream? How willing are you to release your dream and choose God?" With over 400 pages, The Disappearance of the Universe is a fairly long book, but author Gary Renard has an honest and irreverant way of expressing himself, which makes it enjoyable and interesting to read. Renard doesn't hide behind the pretense of always getting everything just right along the spiritual path. Many examples of his own petty thoughts are fearlessly shared. Renard also has the welcome and rare ability to smartly restate some of the more complicated Course ideas in plain language that everyone can understand and apply. No mumbo jumbo. No compromising of spiritual principles to conform to popular psychology. No spiritualizing of money or sex. It's all so refreshing. But I've saved the best for last. Gary Renard simply cannot resist wisecracking his way to God. Here are a couple of my personal favorites: "Love is letting go of beer," and "...it's possible to have both an erection and a resurrection." Maybe one of the best reasons to read this book is simply because it makes you smile. Don't worry about whether you'll like this book or not because you will. Click on the "buy" button and get it today!
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