Official Review: Holy Here Wholy You by Kim Lincoln

Quinto · Post by **Quinto** » 05 Jun 2018, 19:37

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Holy Here Wholy You" by Kim Lincoln.]

4 out of 4 stars

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I like to consider change a permanent feature of my life. So it didn't come as a surprise to me when the author, Kim Lincoln, brought up the theme of change early on in my reading of her book, Holy Here Wholy You. As Kim postulates, "our journey is a collision of the terrible and the beautiful forged into one. "So like a stone mason, we owe it to ourselves the responsibility of chiseling out the "terrible" from our spiritual journey. Her book, in short, is intended to help her readers "discern, embody, and cherish both the human experience and the terrain of our essence, the subtle energy body of the soul." High-sounding words, huh? Well, this is part of the effective and persuasive writing style employed by the author right across the length and breadth of this book.

To Kim's credit, such high-sounding words are appropriately elaborated on; either immediately after their occurrence or in the comprehensive glossary section available at the end of the book. For example, focusing on the word "essence", it means "being"; "being" as used in "human being" means "living soul" or "consciousness." A further meaning is that it simply means "love". But I over-simplify here; this is because her explanations or reasoning is much more profound. Consider this question she poses, for example: "Now if we are the 'essence of the essence of love', then what is this love the essence of? What is that which is subtler - so subtle yet unfathomably powerful, barely perceivable yet profound?"

At the heart of the change that I had earlier alluded to is the "expression of our True self." Also known as the dismantling of any false structure of identity. And so by reading this book, especially, each one of us has the opportunity to directly know the true love (true self) that we are. Moreover, to fully embody the wholeness of our God-given capacity is to experience the intrinsic nature of unity (oneness between our essence and the divine).

In a subsequent chapter, the author takes us through "the journey." A great adventure that is us - me and you. This is contained within the first half of the book that primarily explores two kinds of knowing. For starters, that kind of "knowing" that doesn't know that it knows, and the one that explains all sorts of defensive tactics that hide our true self, for example, the autopilot of a habit and the pain of our human condition. Secondly, the "knowing" that knows that it doesn't know. As the consciousness awakens and we become responsible for our misdeeds (miscreations), we teach the lesser-developed self that it is safe to come forward and grow to maturity. The second half of the book, on the other hand, focuses on self-realization which is a direct experience of knowing. Within the "process of awakening" that she describes in her book, "the knower who knows is completely surrendered to the wisdom of undoing and, in return, receives guidance from such living grace." At this stage one discovers the true meaning of "enlightenment."

Something worth noting about this guidebook is the author's liberal use of the English language. In the preface, she observes that "the English language offers very few words to describe the nature of this work, and so terms used here may sound like, but not necessarily mean the same thing as, the use of such words in other contexts." This, therefore, explains some words as used in the preceding paragraph, like "knowing" instead of "knowledge" in that context.

Other than the theme of change, other themes discussed include the complexity of personal development, self-realization, and wholeness. One way in which the author controls pacing in her book is through the occasional pose that she employs by asking a reflective question, and in turn, making the reader eager to know the answer. In addition, the author's many personal experiences described in the book act as "action scenes" and help propel the story forward. Kim's tone throughout her book is one of confidence and reassurance. This reflects her personal journey spanning several decades and her current status as a "master" or teacher. Lastly, through her dialogue with her reader, Kim's personality and beliefs are revealed. In chapter 5, titled "my story", for example, she describes an incident in 1972 when she was alone in her apartment and she heard a knock at the door. What happened next, written poetically, simply heightens the tension: "Cold, dead wood pressed against my cheek, heart racing, veins pumping, crazed with horror. Airway immobilized, louder and louder the deafening cacophony of vital organs laboring against 200 pounds of crushing hate pinning my neck to the floor, knife blade poised to carve..."

The weakness of the book includes four minor errors comprising of wrongly used words and misplaced commas, otherwise, it seems to be professionally formatted and edited. Secondly, in my own opinion, the identity of the "Source" that is frequently mentioned in Kim's book is ambiguous. This "Source" is also variously known as the "higher mind of divine intelligence", "living source", "living grace" and "Great mind". For people subscribing to mainstream religious beliefs, this may be a little bit unsettling.

Overall, it's an enlightening read. To quote Kim and addressing her potential audience, she says: "Now we have an opportunity to know differently if we so choose." Having read it, I feel I want to share this potentially life-changing opportunity. Its applications are diverse, from the effects of drugs on oneness, to how to manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, the effect of trauma on our body and how it drains our life force is well articulated. It's an opportunity to acquire knowledge about the mind-body-soul connection and what it is to be a consciously embodied human being. The book offers some basic tools needed to create positive change in one's life. I, therefore, recommend it to the general reader who is looking for meaning out of life; or the reader who is searching for their identity and can't seem to get the answers from their current religious or other grounding. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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Holy Here Wholy You
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Like Quinto's review? Post a comment saying so!

Post by **Rosemary Wright** » 31 Aug 2018, 13:37

It seems like a book with enough lessons to impact someone's life positively. Thanks for the review.

Quinto · Post by **Quinto** » 31 Aug 2018, 23:09

Rosemary Wright wrote: ↑31 Aug 2018, 13:37 It seems like a book with enough lessons to impact someone's life positively. Thanks for the review.

Thanks, Rosemary Wright for your kind comments. The book is deep with spiritual teachings that would appeal to anyone seeking answers to the same.

Uinto · Post by **Uinto** » 31 Aug 2018, 23:40

I like the prevailing theme of spirituality that is discussed in this book. The book seems to delve deeper into the subconscious mind and linking it to other facets of our essence. Thanks for your review, Quinto.

Quinto · Post by **Quinto** » 01 Sep 2018, 00:02

Uinto wrote: ↑31 Aug 2018, 23:40 I like the prevailing theme of spirituality that is discussed in this book. The book seems to delve deeper into the subconscious mind and linking it to other facets of our essence. Thanks for your review, Quinto.

Thanks, for your kind comments. Yes, I really recommend this book to you if you are into spirituality.

jcoad · Post by **jcoad** » 06 Sep 2018, 20:52

There is quite a bit to this book and quite a bit to think about. I appreciate your very thorough review and honest opinions on the book. I'll keep this one on my list.

Quinto · Post by **Quinto** » 12 Sep 2018, 00:59

jcoad wrote: ↑06 Sep 2018, 20:52 There is quite a bit to this book and quite a bit to think about. I appreciate your very thorough review and honest opinions on the book. I'll keep this one on my list.

Thanks for your opinion. Yes I agree with you. For one who is into this genre, its definitely worth checking out.

Ruba Abu Ali · Post by **Ruba Abu Ali** » 10 Oct 2018, 09:43

This is a handy book that aids in the discovery of the mind, body, and soul. Tackling PTSD is of paramount importance. Thanks for the enlightening and detailed review.

gali · Post by **gali** » 10 Oct 2018, 09:47

A self-help book that aims to help readers finds happiness and self-realization sounds inspiring. Not only the book explores consciousness and self-realization, it also gives basic tools to improve life. That the book is well-edited is to its credit. I don't read self-help books, but I am glad you found it beneficial. Thank you for the review!

Debjani Ghosh · Post by **Debjani Ghosh** » 10 Oct 2018, 09:51

A self-help book that delves deep into spirituality and helps readers in self-realization sounds interesting. However, I am not a fan of this genre. Hence, I am going to skip this one. Thanks for the review!

Hiruni Bhagya 81 · Post by **Hiruni Bhagya 81** » 10 Oct 2018, 10:11

The content of this book seems to be invaluable to the reader. Especially learning about self-love, self-realization and other such important things but I don't think this book is for me. I'm not a fan of spiritual books and I think this book is a bit too deep for me. Anyway, thanks for your great review.

HollandBlue · Post by **HollandBlue** » 10 Oct 2018, 10:15

It sounds like the author is very intelligent since she makes good use of the English language and uses words abstractly. It seems like a very insightful self-help book dealing with body, mind, and soul. Thank you for your review! Congrats BOTD!

cpru68 · Post by **cpru68** » 10 Oct 2018, 10:18

Great insight into this book as I just gave the sample a read, and I couldn't get past the high sounding vocabulary. It just didn't resonate with me, and as a reader of a lot of this genre, I don't think this book would be simplistic enough for those who are just starting on this journey of going inward to help integrate oneself to wholeness. I think I will pass on this for now. I am grateful for your review as I do read this type of book, but the sample left me not feeling a connection to it, and your review solidified that for me as well.

Misael Carlos · Post by **Misael Carlos** » 10 Oct 2018, 10:20

It seemed like a book full of life lessons, meant for everyone who likes to understand deeper the true meaning and purpose of one's existence. Congrats!

T_stone · Post by **T_stone** » 10 Oct 2018, 10:23

A self discovery book that will help those that are looking for a meaning to their existence. It talks about spirituality and also talks extensively on PTSD. Thanks for the review.