This review was originally posted on Online Book Club. The Unbound Soul was a paid review but all thoughts, opinions and criticisms are my own.
The Unbound Soul: A Visionary Guide to Spiritual Transformation and Enlightenment is a 2016 spiritual self-help book and memoir written by Richard L. Haight. The book covers his spiritual journey from childhood to his enlightenment. It follows his various adventures around the world, the meaningful impact of his travels, and his love for martial arts, which helped him find what he calls his ‘is’ ness. The book also acts as a meditation guide, with Haight sharing various mind and body meditation techniques.
He speaks about opening your consciousness through meditation and how the mind and body work together to find the meaning of life. He uses different aspects of religion to explain and explore the universe’s full scope and how the soul and spirit can help to guide you through your own spiritual journey so you can find your ‘is’ ness.
This book was a complete delight from start to finish. My review copy was the audiobook, which was read by Richard L. Haight. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his childhood, about his views on the different aspects of religion. He also shares his love for martial arts and how it helped him find the enlightenment he wanted in life.
His narration was clear, consistent, and enjoyable. There were a few stumbles but nothing to really take you out of the stories he was telling you. Haight is soft-spoken and is pleasant to listen to; I mostly listened to the audiobook while doing the dishes or working from home. When he speaks about martial arts, you can hear how much the practice means to him.
The audiobook even comes with a helpful reference provided by Haight to show listeners his various adventures. From his time in Japan, receiving his license in Mastery to a Glossary, which has useful terms and other helpful information for anyone interested in learning more about Haight and the enlightenment process.
The meditation techniques are simple, and his instructions are easy to follow, especially if you are listening to the audiobook. There is a bit of a warning, he does talk about suicide, it isn’t a huge part of the book and happens quite earlier on, but if you are easily affected by that, it’s there. The topic of spiritual enlightenment is interesting, and you need to be fairly open-minded to take in everything he’s saying. There are a few things that do sound a little far-fetched, but they are fun. His take on Christianity and Buddhism in turns of spirituality is particularly fascinating. He doesn’t make subjective statements but instead shows how different aspects of religion can further your enlightenment.
I enjoyed hearing about his childhood, where he began, and his overall journey. I enjoyed listening and trying out the meditation techniques. If you are interested in learning more about spirituality, I would suggest this book. You can get a copy on Amazon, and the audiobook is available on Audible.