Words by Rachel

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to spirituality, enlightenment and religious transformations. I'm neither an atheist, a scientist or simply a non-believer. I just choose not to define myself by those beliefs.

Having said that, I do believe that if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. My beliefs are ingrained in me - from my family, my education, my culture and my ever changing environment. It is from these beliefs that I find my life's purpose.

And then comes A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, also author of The Power of Now. As an author and a spiritual guide alone, I would not be interested in Tolle's work. In connection to Oprah's bookclub, I was aware of A New Earth but, still, not interested. The opportunity to engage in Tolle's content as part of an online course and a series of web events struck a chord - a chord that propelled me to log on, sign in and start reading.

Every Monday night (which will soon turn into Tuesday morning for me, considering how jam-packed Oprah's page is right now - the webcast often stutters) for the next 10 weeks, I go online and engage in a live webcast of Tolle and Winfrey. They discuss concepts in the book in a frank, open and conversational manner, then open up the dialogue to people around North America. We use Skype, online forms, message boards, you name it, to ask our question. I can't help but agree with Oprah when she says (with only 38 minutes into the call, this is the 5th time), "This is so cool!"

So, I'm interested in the method by which this book and the concepts around it are being discussed. It's participatory, it's engaging, it's dynamic. It's Learning 2.0 and I love it!

But, somewhere amidst my interest in this virtual phenomenon, I'm being pulled into the content. As I'm reading A New Earth, I find myself sort of phasing in and out of a degree of consciousness and belief. Some of what Tolle is saying makes me roll my eyes, but some of it also resonates somewhere with me. I'll be the first to admit that I'm experiencing a dual transformation - one in the way I will forever consider and engage in online content, and another in my state of consciousness. Tolle was right, "As you read, a shift occurs within you."

Imagine online learning could strike this same chord with you. It's a spectacular, energizing, purposeful and motivating experience that I hope to explore more.

And, as always, I hope you will navigate this online space with me. What are your thoughts about online learning? Are you, too, reading A New Earth or other literature that resonates with you? Share your experiences by commenting on this blog or emailing me at rachel@tamarackcommunity.ca.