Shift Into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness

Exactly what I was looking for. It pairs well with more modern commentaries on the same tradition. The typesetting is comfortable for study, with good margins for notes. Some archaic spellings slow things down. Solid, if not essential.

Honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm impressed. Plenty of passages worth underlining; my copy is already full of margin notes. Not a light read, but far more accessible than I feared. Highly recommend to serious students.

This edition finally does the material justice. Challenging in places, but never needlessly obscure.

Was skeptical at first. The material is presented clearly and the structure makes it easy to revisit key passages. I appreciated how the argument builds steadily from first principles. A few pages arrived with light corner wear, though nothing serious. Good, with the caveats above.

A friend in my study group recommended this one. Some chapters demand a slow, careful read, and that's exactly the point. I'd have loved an index, but that's on the original text.

This has been on my wishlist for months. It reads better in small doses — a chapter at a time with notes.

Kelly offers a compelling bridge between rigorous neuroscience and soft-contemplative practice, making the concept of 'awake awareness' tangible and trainable. The text succeeds in demystifying spiritual awakening by framing it as a skill involving repeated glimpses rather than a mystical event. However, readers expecting traditional metaphysical doctrines or rigid religious structures will likely find this approach too secular and psychological. Those who prefer theoretical depth over practical exercises may feel the manual lacks sufficient philosophical grounding. It is best suited for pragmatists who want immediate tools for shifting identity from ego to awareness, rather than those seeking purely academic analysis of consciousness.