James Ray will be on the Today show this Monday, July 6th during the 10:30 AM half hour. He was asked to share some insights on overcoming obstacles and getting out a rut (which seems to be a common theme these days)

For the first twenty nine years of Eckhart Tolle’s life he lived in a state of conflict, deep unhappiness and depression until one morning he woke and had the following thought:

“I can not live with my self”

Then, a shift occurred within him. He began to question who was the “I” that had that thought and who was the “self” in that statement. He came to the conclusion that the self was his continuous stream of thoughts and the I was the space or consciousness that was observing or aware of his thoughts. Prior to that moment, there had been no separation between his identity and his thoughts which lead to constant torment. After he realized that his true identity is something greater than his thoughts, he began to experience a great peace.

This is similar to what one goes through during a Dark Night of the Soul as a person questions who they are, or more importantly WHAT they are. It can be a painful process to realize that WHAT we are is far greater than our body, thoughts, fears, desires and attachments…But, as we gradually let go of our identity with our ego’s thoughts, fears, desires, programming…what is left is the purity and radiance of our most authentic Self which is in complete Union with the Presence of our Divine Source.

In the interview below, Eckhart Tolle speaks about some of his childhood experiences that led to his Dark Night of the Soul and how he eventually let go of his deep unhappiness to experience a state of peace.

Dannion Brinkley has had three near death experiences (NDE), including one where he was struck by lightning and pronounced dead for almost 30 minutes. Skeptics dispute near death experiences by saying it is simply imagination or caused by a malfunction in the brain. However, skeptics can not dispute the transformation that takes place in survivors of near death experiences. Nearly all people who go through an NDE come away from it profoundly changed with a peace that passes all understanding, a fearless outlook on life and death, and typically a completely new way of living their life. Most people would agree that imagination or a malfunction in the brain can not cause these type of major transformational life changes to take place…

Probably the most interesting NDE account I heard was from a man who was an atheist who had a near death experience. He reported that he went to a place that could be traditionally described as ‘Hell’ where he was biting his ankles. Then he heard a voice that asked him to pray for the ‘Light of God to intervene’. After hearing this voice the man prayed for the Light of God to intervene and was then taken to the Light. After his near-death experience, the man became a Rev. and devoted his life to serving the spiritual needs of others–when he was previously an atheist before his near-death experience. The fascinating part about this story was that the man had a choice in the matter and his choice made all the difference in the world…

In the five minute interview below, Dannion Brinkley talks about the impact his near death experience had on the way he lives his life.

After a life making billions, he saves a boy, and the boy saves him. The Philanthropist is about a billionaire playboy who undergoes a transformation and then tries to decide how to give the money back. The website asks: If you had all the money in the world, how many lives would you change? It premieres Wed., June 24th on NBC. You can watch the promo below.

Warning: Do not watch this commercial if you are considering getting acupuncture treatment for the first time… But, if you want a good laugh, this commercial is a pretty funny look at what could go terribly wrong if you get acupuncture treatment.

Past Life is a new TV series on Fox that will begin airing this fall. The synopsis of the series taken from Past Life’s website is:

Have you ever experienced déjà vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar? Do you believe in karma, fate or love at first sight?

From writer David Hudgins (“Friday Night Lights”), and inspired by the book “The Reincarnationist” by M.J. Rose, comes PAST LIFE, a new drama series about an unlikely pair of past-life detectives who investigate whether what is happening to you today is the result of who you were before.

DR. KATE MCGINN (Kelli Giddish, “All My Children”) is not your typical psychologist. Confident, outspoken and highly educated, she works at The Talmadge Center for Behavioral Health in New York City, a world-renowned institute dedicated to the study of the science of the soul. After experiencing a past-life regression in her 20s, Kate became a believer in reincarnation. Using regression therapy and her natural gift for reading people, Kate helps solve the mysteries of her troubled clients who suffer from present-day problems caused by past-life traumas. She believes there are levels of consciousness and explanations for human behavior that science can’t begin to explain. Accustomed to skeptics, but not bothered by them, Kate is an unapologetic believer and a force of nature who marches to the beat of her own drummer.

Her partner, PRICE WHATLEY (Nicholas Bishop, “Home and Away”), is a different story. A former NYPD homicide detective, pragmatic and cynical, Price is a damaged soul who constantly battles grief and guilt over the accidental death of his wife. Price feels that Kate, though not certifiable, certainly operates on the fringes of science. It’s a volatile relationship, but with Price’s solid detective skills, and Kate’s penchant for out-of-the-box thinking, together they make a formidable, if somewhat dysfunctional, team.

A fast-paced emotional thrill ride, each episode finds Price and Kate working with their colleagues to unravel a new mystery involving the past-lives of their clients. DR. MALACHI TALMADGE (Richard Schiff, “The West Wing”) is Kate’s mentor and the center’s namesake, an avuncular but gruff elder statesman who is a legend in the field of cognitive research. DR. RISHI KARNA (Ravi Patel, “Scrubs”) is the rookie of the group, a baby-faced therapist from Calcutta who loves bad American TV, Cuban jazz and driving everyone crazy.

Produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, PAST LIFE is executive-produced by David Hudgins and Lou Pitt. Hudgins also serves as writer. Deran Sarafian (HOUSE, “Lost”) directed the pilot.

For more information on the show you can click here to visit the show’s website.

Eckhart Tolle TV will include access to streaming video lectures with Eckhart Tolle, participation in an online community to discuss the teachings, the option to submit questions directly to Eckhart, live group meditations, and more. It will be available as a three-tiered subscription service. A significant amount of content will be provided for free, with exclusive content that increases depending on the number of months a member chooses to subscribe for. After the July 1, 2009 launch, you will be able to subsribe on a issue-by-issue basis for a cost of $14.95 per issue. There is a detailed FAQ section on EckhartTolleTV.com

Some of Eckhart’s new insights featured in the program include nature as a gateway for spiritual awakening, his comparison of his work to Emerson and the transcendentalists of the 19th century, and much more. Below is a free video preview of Eckhart Tolle addressing the question of personal responsibility.

Hay House has released footage of the Wayne Dyer PBS Special for his new program, Excuses Begone, on You Tube. The video clip below is a preview of Wayne Dyer’s new PBS special which began airing on June 1st 2009. Please check your local PBS listings to see when the special broadcasts in your area.

Michael Beckwith will be on Oprah Wed June 10th. Wednesday’s show is about finding your spiritual path and what to do when your life isn’t what you expected. Your job, money, family…how to stay connected in your everyday life.

From unemployed church singer to worldwide singing sensation, Susan Boyle received another standing ovation on Britain’s Got Talent. Her performance earned her a spot in the finals.