What does solitude mean to you? Albert Einstein once said: ‘I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.’
In his latest book Simon Parke, author of The Beautiful Life and One-Minute Mindfulness describes solitude as the active path to inner silence and takes us on an enthralling journey there. In a world of haste and distraction he commends the way of stillness and withdrawal where we can ‘recover the power of alone’.
‘It’s a journey to our selves and a place we can call our own,’ he says. ‘It’s here, away from the crowd that we reconnect with our inner knowing - so different to our outer knowing.’
A capacity for silence is what distinguishes us as humans, yet many of us fear to go there. But there is nothing to fear in solitude and everything to gain. If you want to be still but wonder how, this book is the perfect friend.
About the author
Simon Parke was a priest in the Church of England for 20 years and is now a freelance writer. His most recent books are The One-Minute Mystic, Shelf Life, and The Enneagram: A Private Session with the World’s Greatest Psychologist. He is also the author of The Beautiful Life. and The One Minute Mystic. Simon runs, leads retreats, meets with people looking for a new way in their life, and follows the beautiful game.
Publisher: White Crow Books
Published October 2011
278 pages
Size: 229 x 152 mm
ISBN 978-1-907661-97-6
The Only Planet of Choice: Visitations – Many people use the word ‘Alien’ to describe a visitor from outer space. Extra terrestrial is another word, which is rather more user friendly. For the sake of the question and answer format, the word used by the questioner has been left, though even Tom questions our use of‘Alien’. Should we wish to foster openess between all beings of the Universe perhaps we should also look at our vocabulary?
In a discussion between Andrew and Tom many years earlier, Andrew had asked Tom about UFOs and whether they were created manifestations. Tom had replied: “Many of the flying things that you call UFOs come from our place, but they come from other places also, and they do come in physical form. But many of them are not physical. They are like your movie screen”. Read here
