Time in a Bottle: Mastering the Experience of Life

Self-empowerment expert Falco (I AM) offers instruction on undertaking a mindfulness practice using “intention, belief, awareness, and action.” He begins by shoehorning Einstein’s special theory of relativity into an unpersuasive explanation of the endless possibilities of life and each individual’s potential to make change before outlining how to navigate pitfalls like negative thinking under stress, regret, and fear of change as well as self-sabotage. Falco claims that “all circumstances have a purpose” and “that the universe supports you,” noting that “the universe can only conspire with you regarding what you really believe to be true.” He also believes in synchronicity, where like attracts like and our thoughts have a direct effect on our circumstances. More bizarrely, he calls for establishing a system of mind that allows control over when things happen, or, in a sense, time itself. In addition to personal anecdotes, Falco invokes inspirational figures like long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad and Dewey Bozella, a man wrongfully convicted of murder who exhibited grace and perseverance under tremendous adversity. Finally, Falco outlines the five attitudes one must embrace to reach the “highest state of presence and creative energy” and their specific benefits. Falco’s system may be helpful, but it requires a high tolerance for New Age gobbledygook. (May)