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David K. Banner wants to open us up to the possibilities of life. Too often, we are trapped in a single, fixed set of beliefs and attitudes that operate out of fear. Fear is generated as a weapon by the ego because it fears its own demise. The ego wants to keep us separate from everything else. But when we change our outlook on life, we can overcome the ego and know wholeness with the world around us. Spiritual teachers such as Deepak Chopra, Eckhardt Tolle, and Ken Wilber all emphasize the need to overcome ego. Banner's "Frameshifting: A Path to Wholeness" lays out a variety of tools to dissolve the dominance of the ego.
Frameshifting
David K. Banner, PhD
Loving Healing Press (2008)
ISBN 9781932690552
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/08)
One month ago, while praying, I decided to surrender certain aspects of my life that I felt I had no control over. Things started to get easier for me. Yesterday afternoon I realized that I was doing better, so I decided to surrender more aspects of my life I felt I wanted to lose control of. This is not easy to do, but it is easier once it is done. Then last night I picked up “FrameShifting: A Path to Wholeness.” The timing was perfect; of course.
In “FrameShifting,” Dr. Banner shares his personal journey of self-exploration with us. He tells about the tools that he used that were valuable to him. This is what makes the book so interesting. Even though we all have our own stories and paradigms from which we view our lives, many of the tools to help us overcome our egos can be shared by all. It is our egos that seem to hold us bound in fear. Our false ego identity keeps us separate. Our ego uses fear to control us. I found it interesting to read what the ego really fears is the death of itself. If we overcome our egos, we find our True Self, which is connected to everything.
Dr. Banner states, “…one of the main messages of this book is, that, to gain real happiness, the ego must be transcended and an identity in Spirit must be experientially realized.” One of the main tools he used on his journey is Enneagram work. This is a method of self-inquiry. This is not something I have used for myself, but I can definitely see the benefits of using it. He also cites the works of many remarkable people. It was interesting to see how the work of some of my favorite guides, such as Don Miguel Ruiz, affected Dr. Banner’s thought processes and aided his journey. Making a list from his references, I also have a new group of works to explore.
Dr. Banner writes “FrameShifting” in a way that is interesting and easy to read, yet he still imparts a tremendous amount of knowledge and research to the reader. The book will draw you in, teach you, and yet not overwhelm you with intellectual verbosity. Dr. Banner states, “The goal of FrameShifting, if there is one, is to become more and more empathetic, consciously aware of ourselves and others, and to “’live deliberately.’” I really liked the emphasis on how helping ourselves helps others. It does not promote a selfish, retreat into yourself type of journey. This is an awesome book and I am so happy to have discovered it when I did.
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