All of these wondrous blessings will allegedly occur in readers as they open themselves up to Tolle's "spiritually alive and therefore transformational" teachings, which will cause a "shift in consciousness" —a "transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution." Those who embrace Tolle's ways will be able to "leap to an entirely different level of Being."

But there is more to be gained. According to Tolle, if enough people become enlightened to his truth, then humanity will finally be able to achieve worldwide peace and harmony—i.e., a New Earth populated by "a new species" of human being. Crime will be eradicated. Wars will cease. Selfishness and greed will no longer reign in our governments. Awakening is our only hope for survival, asserts Tolle, who believes that "[a] significant portion of the earth's population will soon recognize, if they haven't already done so, that humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die."

We are coming to the end, Tolle says, of all mythologies, ideologies, and belief systems—i.e., "A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH."

The reimbursements seem endless, as evidenced by an Oprah-produced PR video for Tolle's book (downloadable from oprah.com). It is an emotionally moving series of images that feature all kinds of people interacting joyfully, blissfully, and lovingly in a variety of situations and at beautiful locations: a park, a hillside, a picturesque street corner. The musical soundtrack is lush and heartrending, perfectly complimenting the subtle text that gently fades on and off the screen:

Discover the depth within yourself. A sense of awe, of wonder, will arise within you. It can only awaken those who are ready. Are you ready? Find the goodness already within you.... The past has no power to stop you from being present now.... Only by awakening can you know the true meaning of that word. To love is to recognize yourself in another. In order to attract success, you need to welcome it wherever you see it.... The source of all energy is within you. You will come to life. A new year. A new you. A New Earth.

These sentiments may sound wonderfully poetic and inspiring. But what do they actually mean? What is "the depth" within yourself? What does it mean to be awakened? What does it mean to be "present now"? What does it mean to be "aware"? Aware of what? And what is the "truth" about who I am? We must also ask: How might Tolle's teachings contradict or compliment scripture? What does he say about religion in general, and about Christianity specifically? Where does he stand on God, Jesus, and salvation?

The answers to these and related questions are found in Tolle's book, which one reviewer called "a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life—and for building a better world." However, what many people do not realize is that Tolle's answers, once all the evocative language and colorful imagery is stripped way, reflect the same teachings that have been around since the sub-structures of the New Age Movement were laid back in the mid-1800s. Tolle, in other words, is saying nothing new. He has simply restated New Age beliefs using a fresh vocabulary.