Illusions
by Richard Bach
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recommends it for:
anyone--especially those on a spiritual path
I LOVED this book!! I read it over and over and have given copies to several people.
The book starts off with a "handwritten" and smudged story, written like books in the Bible, by a auto mechanic who discovered the Divine in himself and was followed by throngs of people,who called him a messiah, until he had to disappear.
Then the "real" book begins: A young man flys around the country in his airplane, supporting himself by selling flights in his plane. One fate...more
The book starts off with a "handwritten" and smudged story, written like books in the Bible, by a auto mechanic who discovered the Divine in himself and was followed by throngs of people,who called him a messiah, until he had to disappear.
Then the "real" book begins: A young man flys around the country in his airplane, supporting himself by selling flights in his plane. One fate...more
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Read in January, 1996
I read the book since an X'er employee said he had a philosophy that "in every problem is a gift" and that was why he why he did not react to dramas the way that everyone around us did. I read the book and that one quote was the one that stayed with me. That one piece of wisdom was worth the price of the book. It's about the law of attraction, in current spiritual terms.
To me, the spiritual aspect of it was not as important as realizing that it's my choice how I look at someth...more
To me, the spiritual aspect of it was not as important as realizing that it's my choice how I look at someth...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Madeline by:
its pricetagrecommends it for: um, fans of Johnothan Livingston Seagull
um... probably the nicest thing to say about this book would be... a dumb mans "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"
anyway, i saw this book at a garage sale for 25cents... that made me pick it up. what made me *buy* it was this introduction
"I do not enjoy writing at all. If I can turn my back on an idea, out there in the dark, if I can avoid opening the door to it, I won't even reach for a pencil. But once in a while there's a great dynamite-burst of fling glass and...more
anyway, i saw this book at a garage sale for 25cents... that made me pick it up. what made me *buy* it was this introduction
"I do not enjoy writing at all. If I can turn my back on an idea, out there in the dark, if I can avoid opening the door to it, I won't even reach for a pencil. But once in a while there's a great dynamite-burst of fling glass and...more
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Read in September, 2003
recommends it for:
anyone feeling lost
I can see how some people see this book as escapist. Well, to paraphrase Michael Chabon, is there any better calling for a book?
A friend gave me this book, as I'm sure many friends have, and as I read it, two things happened:
1) All the worry, frustration and bleak thought I could muster was powerless against the book.
2) Before seeing him again, I became closer to my friend.
This book, like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is meant to open your mind. And in terms of your usual measur...more
A friend gave me this book, as I'm sure many friends have, and as I read it, two things happened:
1) All the worry, frustration and bleak thought I could muster was powerless against the book.
2) Before seeing him again, I became closer to my friend.
This book, like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is meant to open your mind. And in terms of your usual measur...more
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Read in March, 2008
Another from my brother's list...he found some strange ones. This book is by the same author as Jonathan Livingston Seagull, so if you liked/understood that book, you can appreciate this one. The full title is Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. I was a little wary of it, and as I first started reading, it seemed a bit blasphemous. One thing that really bothered me was the reference to God as "the ...more
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Read in June, 2008
A quick and easy little story, I reread Illusions today for the fourth or fifth time. My friend reading Bladerunner in the chair across kept looking up, puzzled, as I laughed out loud, chucked, wept, and finally sighed with contentment, closing the book to look at the world with softened eyes.
I keep coming back to this book, and am willing to lend it, leave it, give it, or throw it away, in accordance with the teachings of the book's reluctant messiah, Donald Shimoda. The simple story of ...more
I keep coming back to this book, and am willing to lend it, leave it, give it, or throw it away, in accordance with the teachings of the book's reluctant messiah, Donald Shimoda. The simple story of ...more
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Read in January, 1997
recommends it for:
spiritually oriented readers
Prevedena kao: PRIVIDI
snažna, a opet posve jednostavno pisana knjiga nakon koje se svaki put osjetim jače i usmjerenije, a život smislenijim. U stanju je promijeniti cijelu paradignu doživljaja stvarnosti, nadahnuti na promjene i osnažiti tu odluku. Za jedno čitanje preporučam je baš svakome, a mnogi od čitača će joj se vraćati još mnogo puta
"Evo
odgovora na pitanje
je li tvoja misija
na zemlji završena:
Ako si još živ,
...more
snažna, a opet posve jednostavno pisana knjiga nakon koje se svaki put osjetim jače i usmjerenije, a život smislenijim. U stanju je promijeniti cijelu paradignu doživljaja stvarnosti, nadahnuti na promjene i osnažiti tu odluku. Za jedno čitanje preporučam je baš svakome, a mnogi od čitača će joj se vraćati još mnogo puta
"Evo
odgovora na pitanje
je li tvoja misija
na zemlji završena:
Ako si još živ,
...more
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1 comments
I found this book on my dad's bookshelf as a teenager and started reading it. It changed the way I thought about the world. This is probably the book that I've read and reread the most times in my life and the one that I've given to others to read the most. It gives one cause to pause and think about life. It is about life, love, God, individuality, and finding yourself in this complicated world of ours. I have read the others in the series, but this remains my favorite and the most impactful. I...more
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recommends it for:
Everyone.
This book is like my bible. It's full of insight and wisdom, fun and adventure. Illusions shows us what we are truly capable of as spiritual beings, going in depth in a creative way into concepts that quantum physics and movies like 'The Secret' are just barely scratching the surface of.
From a literary standpoint, Richard Bach has a style and way with words that creates stunning imagery and powerful emotion in as few words as possible. His characters are genuine and easy to relate to, m...more
From a literary standpoint, Richard Bach has a style and way with words that creates stunning imagery and powerful emotion in as few words as possible. His characters are genuine and easy to relate to, m...more
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recommended to Johann by:
Mr. John, teacher and friend.
recommends it for: everyone
recommends it for: everyone
One of my favorite books of all time. Often reminds me of the ideas that Robert Collier proposed in his 7 volume set "The Secret of the Ages". I would recommend both Collier and Bach to anyone who would like to think that consciousness has power. This book, Illusions, really transformed my life. Not so much in that I practice what it speaks, but in that I am able to more fully evaluate in myself the idea of consciousness and perception and that in many ways reality is a part of how...more
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Read in July, 2004
I vividly remember the places I stood while I read this book in DC. Not because the particular places were so exciting (a metro stop here, a metro stop there) but because the book compels you to challenge the way you interact with your world, your perception of reality.
I enjoy being challenged and so I found this to be a fun read. It could easily be argued that the whole "messiah" premise is Sacrilegious, but rather than take it literally, I saw it as an extreme taken to make a p...more
I enjoy being challenged and so I found this to be a fun read. It could easily be argued that the whole "messiah" premise is Sacrilegious, but rather than take it literally, I saw it as an extreme taken to make a p...more
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I give this book leniency because of where and when I found it. As a high school kid in what I would call, were I less aware of the unity of all things, a God-forsaken hellhole of a town, this book was formative and important. Reading it again later, I realize it is a hodge-podge of ideas cobbled together from more reputable sources, and I better understand the Perennialist philosophy that while truth is everywhere, it is best to follow an established path to avoid problems.
That said, it real...more
That said, it real...more
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Read in March, 2008
This book was recommended to me by a friend (he loved it so much that he would photocopy the first chapter and hand it out to random people). Although I wouldn't go to these lengths, I must admit that I liked Illusions as well.
A lot of the theory (hey, everything is theory on this relative plane)is based on ascension philosophy: Ascended masters, nonduality between perceiver/percieved, the mind-body as a vehicle, phenomenal laws (e.g. law of attraction), and so on.
If that'...more
A lot of the theory (hey, everything is theory on this relative plane)is based on ascension philosophy: Ascended masters, nonduality between perceiver/percieved, the mind-body as a vehicle, phenomenal laws (e.g. law of attraction), and so on.
If that'...more
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Read in January, 1988
This was actually recommended to me - and sometime (annoyingly) read to me - by one of my college roomates. I was (sort of) impressed by it at the time, although it still seemed a little full of hippy love child mumbo jumbo - you know talk about the messiah and flying and stuff like that. I did think it was a nice addition that it had entries in it that appeared to be handwritten. I went on to read several other bach books and of course I had read Jonathan Livingston Seagul (because one of my ...more
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Read in July, 2005
A personal favorite. A simply written yet artfully crafted story about life, faith and self-purpose. The characters are lifelike and the story is close to home for all of us who struggle not to "argue for our limitations". "Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah" is a story with a powerful statement to make in a remarkably accessible novel which I would reccomend to as a parable for all youth and adults. "Illusions" has a story that has a plot that will stimul...more
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Read in August, 2002
recommends it for:
Everyone
This book is one of my mom's favorites. I had always noticed it sitting on her bookshelf, but the goofy cover art always turned me off. Then I noticed her re-reading it after my dad died, so I figured that it must have some deeper message that was consoling. So I read it and loved it. It features the relationship between two bi-plane pilots, actually barnstormers, one of whom is a messiah that has decided to quit. You could open this book up to any page and find an affirmation for life. I f...more
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Main character meets a rouge pilot who shows him a new world of fantastic possibilities. Gives him a book that leads him to think hes jesus, or that maybe everyone is jesus, or whatever. Basically the self aggrandizing that was Johnathan Livingston Seagull masturbates itself into an ever frothier novel length self copulation.
I dont know why i was fascinated by this genera, im not one to believe there are other world then these. But when bachman starts talking about how we all hold some genu...more
I dont know why i was fascinated by this genera, im not one to believe there are other world then these. But when bachman starts talking about how we all hold some genu...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in July, 1999
recommended to Geneva by:
Fatherrecommends it for: The Soul Searcher
I read this book for the first time when I was a 16 year old depressed, suppressed adolescent. This book was a great tool to my emotional awakening. It opened my eyes to a world of limitless possibilities. This book empowered me and helped me out of a very dark period of my life. I still open this book up randomly and read a couple of pages. I not saying I believe this book is nonfiction, I am saying this book was my adolescent fairytale. I recommend this book highly, but if you dwell to much ...more
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Read in February, 1988
recommends it for:
who believes in east meets west philosophy
Another alluring book from Richard Bach..
its all about the east meets west philosophy..
living in the now..
perspectives change according to time, people and places..
belief in good karma ..
constant exploration of self in terms of why am i here..
what am i here for..where do i want to be..
the quintessential today's pop ups.. in every one's mind..
every time you read this book..you just evolve..
some times..i wonder..Lord Krishna's philosophy of maya cannot be more succi...more
its all about the east meets west philosophy..
living in the now..
perspectives change according to time, people and places..
belief in good karma ..
constant exploration of self in terms of why am i here..
what am i here for..where do i want to be..
the quintessential today's pop ups.. in every one's mind..
every time you read this book..you just evolve..
some times..i wonder..Lord Krishna's philosophy of maya cannot be more succi...more
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Read in January, 2007
A really easy, quick and entertaining read...
Perfect for people who see themselves as spiritual but not religious, or for anyone who enjoys another perspective on "why are we here?"
The book tells how the world works from both the perspective of a man who has the answers, and from a man who wants them.
Liberally sprinkled with simple quotes, some will touch your core.
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's lif...more
Perfect for people who see themselves as spiritual but not religious, or for anyone who enjoys another perspective on "why are we here?"
The book tells how the world works from both the perspective of a man who has the answers, and from a man who wants them.
Liberally sprinkled with simple quotes, some will touch your core.
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's lif...more
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.04 (2348 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.06 (2100 ratings) number of reviews: 278popular shelves
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quote
" If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats."
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