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Review title: Alan Watts, "The Norman Vincemt Peale of Zen"
Product review: I first read Alan Watts's books 30 years ago.He got me interested in Eastern thought, but after I gained more knowledge I realized he was quite glib and shallow. His argument in this book is that the ego personality is an illusion.To progress we must get rid of it and realize our true self, which is at one with the universe. So far so good. However, Watts oversimplifies the task.He seems to think that by reading this book one will get a flash and see the truth and all will be rosy.He doesn't explore hard reality of ditching the ego. He doesn't mention 'the dark night of the soul' true mystics usually experience. Genuine self transformation requires dealing with the subconscious mind, but this vital aspect is not investigated by Watts. For example, most people have psychological complexes which tie up psychic energy. Until these complexes are resolved, development is thwarted. Watts does not explore this important issue.
