Oprah: IT'S BEEN NEARLY 30 YEARS SINCE GARY ZUKAV... [ CHEERING ] ...WROTE "THE SEAT OF THE SOUL." NOW, THAT BOOK IS ALWAYS BY MY NIGHTSTAND. IT IS THE BOOK THAT PROFOUNDLY CHANGED THE COURSE OF MY LIFE. I CAN GIVE THE TEACHINGS, THE MASTERY OF THAT BOOK, CREDIT FOR CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. "THE SEAT OF THE SOUL" CHANGED THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT I WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS. I MEAN, MY HEART, MY ENERGY FELT A CERTAIN WAY, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE VOICE OR THE LANGUAGE TO EXPRESS MULTI-SENSORY PERCEPTION. AND HE, GARY, WAS ABLE TO ARTICULATE IN A VOICE THAT RESONATED WITH ME. I WAS READY FOR IT, SO ANYBODY WHO'S READ IT AND FEELS LIKE, "AH, I DON'T GET IT," IT MEANS YOU'RE JUST NOT READY FOR IT. AND I CONTINUE TO BE READY FOR IT. AS I SAY, IT'S ON MY NIGHTSTAND. AND EVERY TIME I READ IT, I GET SOMETHING NEW. GARY IS THE VERY REASON, ACTUALLY, THAT WE ARE ALL TOGETHER HERE TODAY. BECAUSE I WOULD NEVER HAVE DREAMED OF THIS DAY HAD I NOT READ THAT BOOK. I WOULD'VE NEVER HAD IT IN MY CONSCIOUSNESS. [ APPLAUSE ] IT'S 'CAUSE OF GARY THAT I ALSO CHANGED THE COURSE OF MY SHOW, WHERE I CHANGED THE INTENTION OF THE SHOW. AND I WOULD BELIEVE IT WAS BECAUSE OF MY INTENTION THAT THE "OPRAH" SHOW BECAME WHAT IT BECAME IN THE WORLD -- TRULY A FORCE AND A VOICE FOR GOOD, FOR ELEVATING CONSCIOUSNESS AND FOR INSPIRATION FOR 25 YEARS. THAT ALL CAME BECAUSE OF THE CHAPTER THAT I READ ON INTENTION IN 1989. AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE IS A RESULT OF THAT CLARITY OF INTENTION. THAT'S WHY IT'S MY FAVORITE WORD. GARY ZUKAV! COME ON OUT. GARY ZUKAV, ONE OF MY MASTER TEACHERS. THIS IS YOUR SEAT. WHOA. HEY, GARY. ONE OF MY MASTER TEACHERS. SO, HERE'S THE WAY IT WORKED. LONG BEFORE I HAD A BOOK CLUB, I WOULD READ BOOKS AND I WOULD GO TO THE BACK OF THE BOOK AND THERE WOULD BE LIKE, A LITTLE AUTHOR BIO IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK. AND WHEN I FINISHED READING "SEAT OF THE SOUL," I LOOKED IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK AND IT SAID GARY ZUKAV LIVED IN MOUNT SHASTA, CALIFORNIA. AND I NEVER HEARD OF IT, BUT BACK IN THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOMETHING CALLED TELEPHONE BOOKS. ANYBODY REMEMBER THOSE? TEL-E-PHONE BOOKS. SO, I CALLED INFORMATION, AND I GOT HIS NUMBER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AUTHORS WERE LISTED IN THE TEL-E-PHONE BOOK. AND I CALLED UP GARY, AND I SAID, "HELLO MR. ZUKAV, THIS IS OPRAH WINFREY." AND YOU SAID... "WHO?" [ LAUGHTER ] AND THEN I SAID, "OPRAH." AND HE SAID... "SPELL THAT." IT'S 1989 -- I'D BEEN ON THREE YEARS ALREADY. AND HE DIDN'T -- YOU DIDN'T HAVE A TELEVISION, RIGHT? I HAD A TELEVISION FOR WATCHING MOVIES, BUT IT WASN'T HOOKED UP TO ANYTHING ELSE. WASN'T HOOKED UP TO ANYTHING ELSE -- WELL, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HOOK IT UP. IT WAS JUST A CHANNEL. YOU JUST TURNED IT ON. REALLY. AND SO, I EXPLAINED WHO I WAS AND THAT I HAD A TALK SHOW, AND THAT I JUST FINISHED READING HIS BOOK AND I HAD SOME QUESTIONS OF MY OWN. AT THE TIME, I WASN'T CALLING FOR HIM TO BE ON THE TALK SHOW BECAUSE NOBODY WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT SOULS AND THE LANGUAGE OF SOULS ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. SO I WAITED A LONG TIME, ACTUALLY, BEFORE I ACTUALLY COULD CONVINCE MY PRODUCERS THAT WE COULD DO A SHOW TALKING ABOUT THE SOUL AND GET PEOPLE TO WATCH. SO, WE DID OUR FIRST INTERVIEW MANY YEARS LATER ON CAMERA IN 1988. AND THAT INTERVIEW WAS A SHIFT IN THE WAY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SAW AND FELT AND HEARD WHAT IT MEANT TO HAVE A SOUL. SO I JUST WANT TO RUN A LITTLE BIT OF THAT RIGHT NOW. HERE'S A SHORT LOOK AT THAT FIRST INTERVIEW WHERE GARY EXPLAINS WHAT THE SOUL IS. WE THOUGHT WE HAD TO DO THIS, BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A SOUL WAS. -WHAT IS THE SOUL? -THE SOUL IS WHAT YOU ARE. THE SOUL IS NOT A MYTHICAL ENTITY. THE SOUL IS A POWERFUL, PURPOSEFUL...ESSENCE. IT IS AT THE VERY CENTER OF WHO YOU ARE. BUT DO NOT THINK THAT YOU ARE THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR SOUL. A SOUL IS ENORMOUS. YOUR SOUL EXISTED BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, AND YOUR SOUL WILL EXIST AFTER YOU DIE. YOU, THE OPRAH THAT I AM SPEAKING TO, I, THE GARY THAT IS SPEAKING TO YOU, ARE PERSONALITIES. I HAVE A CERTAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE. I HAVE LESSONS TO LEARN IN MY LIFE. I HAVE EMOTIONS. I HAVE INTUITION AND COGNITION. I HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS. BUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL DIE. BUT MY SOUL WILL NOT, AND NEITHER WILL YOURS. DOES MY SOUL KNOW ME? YES, YES. LOOK AT IT THIS WAY. EVERY FLEET OF SHIP THAT SAILS HAS A MOTHER SHIP -- ONE SHIP THAT KNOWS WHERE ALL OF THEM ARE GOING AND SETS THE DIRECTION AND SETS THE DIRECTION FOR ALL OF THOSE SHIPS TO SAIL. MM-HMM. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE MOTHER SHIP DETERMINES WHAT HAPPENS ON EACH OF THE OTHER SHIPS IN THE FLEET. LIFE ON ONE OF THE SHIPS MIGHT BE MOSTLY PLEASANT. ON YET ANOTHER SHIP, IT MIGHT BE MOSTLY UNPLEASANT. NOW, IMAGINE THE MOTHER SHIP IS THE BIGGEST SHIP YOU CAN IMAGINE. IT'S A CITY AFLOAT, MAGNIFICENT. AND NOW, IMAGINE THAT THE REST OF THE BOATS, THE SHIPS, ARE NOT REALLY SHIPS BUT LITTLE BOATS. MM-HMM. THE MOTHER SHIP IS YOUR SOUL, AND YOU ARE ONE OF THE LITTLE BOATS. THE MOTHER SHIP KNOWS WHY... AH, THAT'S JUST -- THAT'S A VERY NICE ANALOGY, REALLY. THE MOTHER SHIP KNOWS WHY YOU ARE IN THE WATER. YOU MAY NOT KNOW ALL OF THE TIME. THE MOTHER SHIP KNOWS WHY YOU ENCOUNTER STORMS. YOUR JOB, WHILE YOU HAVE THE AWESOME PRIVILEGE OF BEING A LITTLE BOAT, IS TO LEARN HOW TO SAIL IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS YOUR MOTHER SHIP. BECAUSE YOU CAN CHOOSE AND CREATE ANYTHING YOU WANT. YOU CAN SAIL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IF YOU WANT. THAT IS A SURE WAY TO FIND ROUGH WATER. BUT AS YOU SAIL IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOUR MOTHER SHIP WANTS TO SAIL, YOUR LIFE FILLS WITH MEANING AND PURPOSE AND LOVE. YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT BEING ALIVE. YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU ARE WITH AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING. 'CAUSE YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE MOTHER SHIP. THAT'S RIGHT. SO, YOU CAN SEE ME GET IT, RIGHT? I HOPE YOU GOT IT, TOO. THAT MOTHER SHIP CONVERSATION -- ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND CONVERSATIONS AND LEARNINGS OF MY LIFE, AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE. -HOW DID THAT... -YEAH, THAT WAS CREATED FOR YOU. -WAS IT? -I HAD NEVER -- I DON'T REMEMBER EVER SPEAKING IN TERMS OF THE SOUL AND A MOTHER SHIP BEFORE YOU AND I WERE TALKING THAT MORNING. BECAUSE I SAID, "WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO BRING IT DOWN SO THAT THE AUDIENCE WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SOUL IS." AND YOU CAME UP WITH THIS ANALOGY OF THE SHIP. SO, THANK YOU. [ LAUGHS ] YOU'RE WELCOME. WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR US TO FOLLOW THE MOTHER SHIP? THAT'S THE THING. I MEAN, AND THAT THING CLICKED FOR ME IN SUCH A WAY THAT TO THIS MOMENT, I STILL HONOR THAT PROCESS OF, "WHERE IS THE MOTHER SHIP HEADED AND WHERE IS MY LITTLE BOAT IN PROPORTION TO THAT MOTHER SHIP?" AND I HEARD SOME OF YOU GIVE A "AMEN" TO, WHEN YOU'RE GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE SHIP, THAT'S WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER THE ROUGHEST WATERS. SO WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR US NOT TO JUST STAY IN FLOW WITH THE MOTHER SHIP? FEAR. FEAR. IF YOU IMAGINE THAT YOUR SOUL HAS MANY PERSONALITIES AND YOU'RE ONE OF THEM, AND YOU ARE... ...IN THE EARTH SCHOOL -- THE PERSONALITY. -MM-HMM. THAT'S THE SPAN BETWEEN THE BIRTH OF YOUR PERSONALITY AND THE DEATH OF YOUR PERSONALITY. RIGHT, SO, THIS WHOLE UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE AS A DENSE BODY, AS A BODY, A PERSONALITY WITHIN THE BODY, IS AN EARTH SCHOOL, IS HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. I LOOK AT IT AS THE ENTIRE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE... WHICH PERSONALITIES -- WHICH USED TO BE JUST FIVE SENSORY -- THOUGHT EXTENDED TO INFINITY. BUT WE'RE BECOMING MULTI-SENSORY. AND NOW WE'RE BEGINNING TO SENSE THAT THE ENTIRE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING THAT OCCURS TO US AND THAT WE EXPERIENCE IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. AND IT'S NOT THE ENTIRETY OF THE UNIVERSE. AS WE BECOME MULTI-SENSORY, AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, WE BEGIN TO SENSE. WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE LIMITATIONS OF THE FIVE SENSES. WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE OURSELVES AS MORE THAN MINDS AND BODIES. RIGHT. THAT'S YOUR SOUL, THE MORE. WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE OUR LIVES AS MORE THAN RANDOM AND GOOD LUCK OR BAD LUCK. WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THEM AS MEANINGFUL. YEAH, AND YOU BEGIN TO SEE THAT THERE IS NOTHING HAPPENING OUT OF THE ORDER AND DESIGN OF YOUR OWN LIFE. YES. EVERY INTERACTION BETWEEN YOU AND ANYONE OR OTHER PEOPLE IS PERFECT, AND OFFERS EACH INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW SPIRITUALLY THAT ARE PERFECT FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL GIVEN THE WISDOM OF THE CHOICES THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS MADE. YOU FOLLOW THAT? OKAY, TRACKING? SO, HE'S SAYING, EVEN IF YOU'RE IN AN ENCOUNTER THAT FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE OR THAT BRINGS ANGER OR DISRUPTION, THAT ENCOUNTER HAS HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE IN ORDER TO GROW YOU OR PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO GROW TO WHATEVER IS THE NEXT LEVEL OF YOUR PERSONAL EVOLUTION. THERE IS NOTHING HAPPENING TO YOU THAT ISN'T HAPPENING TO YOU TO GROW YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF YOUR EVOLUTION. EVEN IF YOU'RE IN A TERRIBLE RELATIONSHIP OR IN A JOB THAT YOU DON'T LIKE. I SAY TO MY DAUGHTERS FROM SOUTH AFRICA ALL THE TIME, DOING A JOB YOU DON'T LIKE IS FANTASTIC INFORMATION FOR YOU, BECAUSE KNOWING WHAT YOU DON'T WANT HELPS LEAD YOU TO WHAT YOU DO WANT, CORRECT? -LET'S LOOK AT THE WORD "YOU." -MM-HMM. THERE IS A LITTLE -- THERE'S A "YOU" WITH A LITTLE "Y." -YEP. -THAT'S YOUR PERSONALITY. -CORRECT. -NOW, THERE'S A "YOU" WITH A BIG "Y," WITH A CAPITAL "Y." -YES. -THAT'S YOUR SOUL. -RIGHT. -SO WHEN YOU SAY IT'S ALWAYS LEADING YOU TO WHAT YOU WANT, YOU HAVE TO CLARIFY BECAUSE OFTEN, IT LEADS YOU TO THE THINGS THE "YOU" WITH THE LITTLE "Y" DO NOT WANT. OKAY, SO LITTLE "Y" AND BIG "Y." THAT'S RIGHT. SO WHY I'M BRINGING THIS OUT IS FEAR. YEAH. BECAUSE THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO YOU, YOU CAN SAY ARE ALWAYS PERFECT, AND IF THEY SEEM TERRIBLE OR IF THEY'RE DISRUPTIVE OR IF THEY'RE DIFFICULTY, THAT'S BECAUSE OF PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY... -THAT ARE AFRAID. -CORRECT. THAT ORIGINATE IN FEAR. AND THOSE PARTS WE EXPERIENCE, OR YOU EXPERIENCE, AS ANGER, JEALOUSY, RESENTMENT, SUPERIORITY, ENTITLEMENT, NEED TO PLEASE, INFERIORITY, EVERY OBSESSION, EVERY COMPULSION, EVERY ADDICTION -- THESE ARE ALL EXPERIENCES OF FEAR. AND WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER ONE OF THOSE AND YOU SAY, "THIS IS TERRIBLE. MY LITTLE DAUGHTER'S GOT CANCER. THIS IS TERRIBLE." THAT IS A FRIGHTENED PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY. BUT THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY WHO WOULD LOOK AT THAT CIRCUMSTANCE VERY DIFFERENTLY, AND THESE ARE THE PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY... THAT ORIGINATE IN LOVE. -YES. AND WE EXPERIENCE THEM AS GRATITUDE. SO, YOUR DAUGHTER HAS CANCER, YOU HAVE CANCER, SOMEBODY IN YOUR FAMILY HAS A TERRIBLE DISEASE OR DIAGNOSIS. YOUR FEAR... OF LOSING THEM, YOUR FEAR OF ABANDONMENT, YOUR FEAR THAT THEY WON'T BE HERE, YOUR FEAR OF THAT IS WHAT CAUSES ALL OF THE ANGST, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. THE EXPERIENCES OF A PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY THAT ARE FRIGHTENED... -YEAH. ...IS EXPERIENCING ANGST OR TURBULENCE. OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT -- RESENTMENT, VENGEANCE -- IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE UNCHANGEABLE GROUND OF YOUR BEING. -RIGHT. IT'S COMING FROM A PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY, AND YOU DON'T NEED TO BE CONTROLLED BY IT. CORRECT. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, HOWEVER, AND DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A PART OF YOUR BEING THAT IS SOLID, THAT IS CONNECTED TO ALL BEINGS, ALL THINGS, AND GROUNDED FROM THE SOURCE OF ALL BEINGS AND ALL THINGS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, THEN YOU BECOME EVEN MORE FRIGHTENED, CORRECT? YES, IT HELPS TO KNOW THAT. [ LAUGHTER ] AND IF -- IF -- HELPS TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A MOTHER SHIP, AND THAT YOU ARE GROUNDED BY THE MOTHER SHIP. SO, OUT OF -- AND THE MOTHER SHIP IS NOT ALL OF THE BENEFICENCE OF THE UNIVERSE. -NO, IT IS NOT. -THAT IS BOUNDLESS. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT GROUNDING, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY. BUT IT'S WHEN YOU RESIST... LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. WHEN YOU'RE IN ANGER, JEALOUSY, RESENTMENT, AND YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS A PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY AND THAT YOU CAN SHIFT YOUR ATTENTION TO A PART THAT'S GRATEFUL OR APPRECIATIVE OR IN AWE OF THE UNIVERSE OR PATIENCE, THEN YOU'RE TRAPPED IN THAT LITTLE MINI-CLIMATE. -RIGHT. -AND IT'S HELL. IT'S VERY PAINFUL. BUT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THAT EXPERIENCE IS PRESENTED TO YOU IN THE EARTH SCHOOL FOR A REASON. AND THAT REASON IS FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE IT FULLY, NOT TO DENY AN EMOTION, REPRESS IT EVER. NOT TO RESIST IT. BUT TO FEEL IT, AND WHILE YOU'RE FEELING IT, CHOOSE THE HEALTHIEST PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY THAT YOU CAN TO RESPOND FROM. -CHOOSE LOVE. -YES. SO, OUT OF THE 36 SHOWS THAT WE TAPED WITH GARY, THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT FOR MANY PEOPLE AND THAT CONTINUES TO RESONATE WITH ME WAS ABOUT HOW TO GET YOUR POWER BACK. WE DID A SHOW ON HOW TO GET YOUR POWER BACK. AND I HEARD THAT IT'S THE SHOW THAT YOU ALSO GET ASKED ABOUT THE MOST. WE MET A COUPLE, JODY AND IRA WERE THEIR NAMES, WHO HAD RECENTLY LOST ONE OF THEIR TWIN SONS. TWINS BORN, AND JUST FOUR DAYS AFTER HE WAS BORN, BABY RYAN DIED. UNDERSTANDABLY, THIS COUPLE WAS TRAPPED IN THEIR OWN GRIEF AND COULDN'T SEE A WAY OUT OR A LIFE BEYOND WHAT THEY HAD ENDURED. ANYBODY WHO HAS EVER LOST A CHILD OR CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER KNOWS, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S A CHILD. THEY WERE SUFFERING AND ALSO FEELING THIS OVERWHELMING "LOSS OF CONTROL", IS WHAT SHE HAD SAID TO US EARLIER IN THE SHOW. HE DIED, AS I SAID, AFTER BEING ONLY FOUR-DAYS OLD. SO, I WANT US TO JUST WATCH THIS CONVERSATION. THIS WAS AN EYE-OPENING CONVERSATION FOR MANY PEOPLE ABOUT THE SOUL. TAKE A LOOK. Zukav: THIS IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE -- THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PERSONALITY, OR THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOUL. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOUL, INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PERSONALITIES ARE MEANINGFUL. AND EVERY SOUL COMES INTO THE EARTH SCHOOL... WHEN IT CHOOSES, AND EVERY PERSONALITY OR SOUL LEAVES THE EARTH SCHOOL WHEN IT CHOOSES. IF YOU LOOK AT RYAN AS A PERSONALITY WHO LIVED FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN ENCOUNTERED TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES AND DIED, THEN YOU ARE LOOKING FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A PERSONALITY. IF YOU LOOK AT RYAN AS A SOUL, LIKE YOURSELF, LIKE IRA, LIKE OPRAH, LIKE ME, LIKE EVERYONE ON THIS EARTH, THAT LEFT THIS EARTH WHEN IT CHOSE, THEN YOU WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE GIFTS THAT THIS SOUL OFFERED TO YOU DURING ITS SHORT STAY ON THE EARTH. YOU WILL REACH A PLACE IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU ARE GRATEFUL THAT THIS SOUL CHOSE TO BE WITH YOU FOR HOWEVER SHORT A TIME. IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL LIVE YOUR LIFE IN ANGUISH THINKING THAT A TRAGEDY HAS OCCURRED. WHENEVER YOU SEE YOUR OTHER SON GROWING UP, YOU WILL SAY, "RYAN SHOULD BE HERE." WHEN HE GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL, YOU'LL SAY, "RYAN SHOULD HAVE GRADUATED." WHEN HE FINDS HIS WIFE, YOU WILL SAY, "RYAN SHOULD BE GETTING MARRIED, TOO." AND THROUGH ALL OF THIS TIME, YOU WILL IMPOSING ON YOUR OTHER SON A BURDEN TO CARRY BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES OR HOW SUCCESSFUL HE IS, HE WILL BE CAUSING MOMMY PAIN. IF YOU LOOK AT RYAN AS A SOUL, A GREAT SOUL LIKE YOURSELF, WHO VOLUNTARILY ENTERED THE EARTH SCHOOL AND VOLUNTARILY LEFT IT IN ORDER TO BE WITH YOU... ...AND TO OFFER GIFTS, THEN YOU WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF FATHOMING AND APPRECIATING AND BECOMING GRATEFUL FOR THE POWER OF THE INTERACTION THAT YOU HAD WITH THAT SOUL. AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE GIFTS THAT THAT SOUL CAME TO THIS EARTH TO GIVE YOU, TO GIVE IRA, TO GIVE TO HIS SIBLINGS. AND IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL CONTINUALLY BE TURNING AWAY FROM THOSE GIFTS. YOU WILL BE DENYING THE VERY WEALTH OF WISDOM AND COMPASSION THAT WAS OFFERED TO YOU BY THIS SOUL. WELL, THAT MIGHT BE THE MOST POWERFUL THING I EVER HEARD YOU SAY. THAT'S PRETTY POWERFUL. THAT WAS PRETTY POWERFUL. THAT'S PRETTY POWERFUL, AND I... DO YOU FEEL THAT HIS SOUL LIVES ON, AND THAT SOMEHOW OR SOME WAY, THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CONTACT THAT SOUL OR FEEL THAT SOUL... -IN OUR LIVES? -YOU ARE FEELING IT RIGHT NOW. EVERY ONE OF US FEELS THE SOUL OF RYAN RIGHT NOW, AT THIS MOMENT. EVERY ONE OF US FEELS THE SOUL OF RYAN, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT GARY'S TALKING ABOUT IN MULTI-SENSORY PERCEPTION. IN THE BOOK ABOUT MULTI-SENSORY PERCEPTION -- IF YOU THINK IT'S ONLY WHAT YOU CAN SEE, THEN YOU'RE MISSING THE WHOLE POINT. 'CAUSE EVERY ONE OF US SAW THAT STORY, HEARD THAT, AND NOW FEEL THE PRESENCE OF YOUR SON WHO WAS ONLY HERE FOR A SHORT FEW DAYS. AND HIS OWN LITTLE LIFE, WEIGHING 1 1/2 POUNDS, HAS IMPACTED THROUGH THE TELLING OF THAT STORY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. WE ALL FEEL IT. WHY DO YOU THINK -- WE'RE ALL FEELING THAT RIGHT NOW. ARE WE NOT, GARY? Zukav: WE ARE. I AM. -WELL, THAT'S NICE TO KNOW. AND YES -- THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS "YES." -[ APPLAUSE ] -NOW... ...WHAT'S AMAZING ABOUT THAT... ...THAT SHOW WAS IN 2000, AND HERE WE ARE, 17 YEARS LATER, EVERYBODY WHO JUST SAW THAT TAPE AND FELT WHAT YOU FELT. THAT WAS THE SOUL -- ANOTHER NAME, SPIRIT -- OF BABY RYAN, WHO ONLY LIVED FOUR DAYS. AND LOOK AT THE IMPACT THAT FOUR DAYS OF LIFE ON EARTH HAS HAD ON EVERY ONE OF US. SO, HOW DID YOU COME TO SEE LIFE AND DEATH IN A WAY THAT YOU EXPLAINED TO RYAN'S PARENTS? BY OPENING MYSELF. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ARTICULATE IT EITHER, UNTIL I WAS... TILL I ENCOUNTERED SOME OF THESE THINGS AND WAS TAUGHT THEM SO THAT I COULD SHARE THEM. I HAD A GRANDMOTHER WHO PASSED ON WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND BEFORE THAT, SHE WOULD TAKE ME THROUGH THIS LARGE BUILDING WHERE PEOPLE HER AGE WERE RETIRING, AND IT WAS A SEA OF GRAY HAIR. SHE'D TAKE ME TO THE RESTAURANT, AND AFTERWARDS, WE'D WALK THROUGH AND SHE'D INTRODUCE ME TO THIS PERSON AND THAT PERSON. SHE'D SAY, "YOU REMEMBER MR..." AND, "YOU REMEMBER MRS..." AND IF I DIDN'T OR I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE IT, SHE'D JERK DOWN ON MY HAND, AND SHE'D SAY, "SHH!" SO, WHEN SHE PASSED ON, I WAS HEARING HER EULOGY IN THE FUNERAL HOME, AND THE RABBI WAS SPEAKING TO AN AUDIENCE LIKE THIS, BUT TO HIS RIGHT WAS AN ALCOVE WHERE THE FAMILY WAS SITTING. THAT'S WHERE I WAS, AND I WAS WATCHING HIM FROM THE FRONT VIEW ON A CLOSED-CIRCUIT TV. AND THOSE DAYS, CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION WAS SO NOVEL, IT WAS BRAND NEW, THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY, AND I STARTED TO LAUGH. AND GRANDMA LIBBY JERKED MY HAND DOWN AND SHE SAID, "SHH!" SHE DIDN'T WANT ME LAUGHING AT THE FUNERAL. SO, HOW COULD I EVER MISS HER AFTER THAT? SHE SCOLDED ME BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T -- SHE WANTED TO HEAR WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SO, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT AS MULITISENSORY PERCEPTION. I JUST KNEW THAT'S GRANDMA LIBBY. AND I DIDN'T TELL MY PARENTS FOR MAYBE 20 OR 25 YEARS, BECAUSE I KNEW THEY WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME. THEY'D THINK THAT I WAS DISTRAUGHT WITH GRIEF OR IT WAS A WISHFUL FULFILLMENT, BUT IT WAS REAL. AND IT WAS ONLY MUCH LATER, AFTER A LOT OF RESISTANCE IN MY LIFE, A LOT OF TRYING TO AVOID THE PAIN IN MY LIFE WHICH IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE FEAR IN MY LIFE. AND THE WAY I WAS DOING THAT IN MY EARLIER DAYS WAS -- THERE WERE A LOT OF THEM, BUT THERE WERE SOME BASIC ONES -- I WAS A SEX ADDICT, I LOVED RIDING MOTORCYCLES, I ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT THE MONTHLY MIRACLE OF THE RENT SO I TRIED TO AVOID THAT. AND THEN, I AVOIDED IT BY JOINING THE MILITARY, WHERE I WAS IN THE ARMY. AND THEN, I CAME OUT OF THE ARMY AND... WEREN'T YOU A GREEN BERET, WEREN'T YOU? I WAS A GREEN BERET. I WAS A GREEN BERET OFFICER IN VIETNAM. MM-HMM. SO, ALL OF THESE WERE WAYS OF AVOIDING PAIN. THEY ARE DESTRUCTIVE WAYS OF AVOIDING PAIN, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE UNCONSCIOUS WAYS OF AVOIDING PAIN. IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME IN THOSE DAYS, "GARY DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING ALL OF THOSE THINGS YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE YOUR FRIGHTENED?" -AND YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY. -YEAH. MM-HMM, FROM YOURSELF. I NOT ONLY WOULD NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT, I WOULD'VE EXPLODED. BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY TELLS SOMETHING TO YOU THAT A FRIGHTENED PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY CONSIDERS TOO PAINFUL OR SHAMEFUL TO LOOK AT, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE THE MESSENGER. AND THAT IS THE MESSAGE, THAT FEELING OF EMOTIONAL PUSHING AWAY, OF RESENTMENT. -WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS SOMETHING THAT HITS THE NERVE OF FEAR FOR YOU, GENERALLY PEOPLE REACT WITH...ANGER. ANGER, OR THEY WITHDRAW, OR THEY BECOME WEEPY. MM-HMM. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. YOU ASKED WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM FOLLOWING THE MOTHER SHIP, AND I SAID FEAR. THIS IS HOW IT WORKS. IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF THE FEAR IN YOU, WHICH MEANS THE FRIGHTENED PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY, WHICH MEANS IF YOU HAVE NOT DEVELOPED AN EMOTIONAL AWARENESS IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL SENSATIONS IN YOUR BODY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE RESPONSIBLE CHOICES WHICH MEANS CHOICES FOR WHICH YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY, YOU'RE ON AUTOMATIC. YOU'RE JUST ROLLING. IN FACT, THE BUDDHISTS CALL THAT A WHEEL -- THE WHEEL OF SAMSARA, OR SUFFERING. AND YOU KEEP TURNING AROUND AND AROUND. WHEN SOMEONE OFFENDS YOU, YOU GET ANGRY, YOU SHOUT, YOU CREATE CONSEQUENCES FROM REACTING UNCONSCIOUSLY. AND THEN, YOU ENCOUNTER OTHER EXPERIENCES THAT GIVE YOU OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, AND IF YOU REACT EACH TIME, YOU CREATE NEGATIVE, PAINFUL EXPERIENCES UNTIL -- UNTIL YOU DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO BECOME AWARE OF THESE FRIGHTENED PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY. -THAT'S A WAKE-UP CALL. -AND THEY ARE PAINFUL. THIS IS A PASSAGE THAT CAUSED, FOR ME, A MILLION LIGHTBULBS TO TURN ON AND REALLY CHANGED -- NOT JUST CHANGED THE COURSE OF MY LIFE, IT CHANGED THE COURSE OF EVERY SHOW THAT I DID. ON PAGE 23 -- THIS IS THE 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY -- I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S STILL ON PAGE 23, MAYBE IT IS. ALL THOSE YEARS, IT WAS ON PAGE 23. [ LAUGHTER ] IN THE OLD BOOK, IT WAS ON PAGE 23. OKAY, SO PAGE 23, YOU SAY, "EVERY ACTION, THOUGHT, AND FEELING IS MOTIVATED BY AN INTENTION. AND THAT INTENTION IS A CAUSE THAT EXISTS AS ONE WITH AN EFFECT." YOU GO ON TO SAY THAT YOU CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE CAUSE WITHOUT PARTICIPATING IN THE EFFECT. THAT SENTENCE CHANGED MY LIFE. I'M GONNA READ IT TO YOU AGAIN. "EVERY ACTION..." 'CAUSE THIS IS THE THIRD LAW OF MOTION IN PHYSICS, YOU ALL KNOW THAT, RIGHT, FROM PHYSICS? EVERY ACTION HAS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION. SO, WHAT GARY INTRODUCED OR GAVE LANGUAGE TO, FOR ME, IS THAT NOT ONLY IS THERE THE PHYSICAL LAW OF EVERY ACTION CREATING ITS OWN REACTION -- THE THIRD LAW OF MOTION, PHYSICS. IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT GOES UP IS GONNA COME DOWN. WHAT GOES OUT IS ALWAYS... GOING TO COME BACK. WE DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT GOES UP, COMES DOWN, BUT SOME PEOPLE THINK LIKE MAYBE IT WON'T COME BACK. MAYBE I'LL DIE FIRST. MAYBE I'LL DIE BEFORE IT COMES BACK. -[ Chuckling ] AH! -OR MAYBE THEY'LL DIE FIRST. -THAT DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE. -NO, IT DOESN'T WORK. THAT'S NEVER WORKED, BUT NOW WE KNOW IT. WHAT GOES OUT IS ALWAYS COMING BACK. AND EVERY ACTION, THOUGHT, AND FEELING IS PRECEDED BY AN INTENTION. AND THAT INTENTION IS ONE WITH THE EFFECT OR THE OUTCOME, SO YOU CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE CAUSE, OR THE DOING, OR THE ACTION WITHOUT PARTICIPATING IN THE EFFECT. AND THE INTENTION IS GOING TO DETERMINE WHAT THE EFFECT IS. THAT CHANGED MY LIFE. AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE IN SUCH A WAY -- I DON'T KNOW EVEN IF YOU KNOW THIS -- AFTER GETTING IT, REALLY GETTING IT -- I USED TO HAVE THE NEED TO PLEASE AND I'D DO EVERYTHING EVERYBODY ELSE WANTED ME TO DO, SO IT CHANGED ME, PERSONALLY. I STOPPED DOING THINGS THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO DO. I LEARNED THAT THE REASON WHY EVERYBODY KEPT ASKING ME IS BECAUSE MY INTENTION WAS TO PLEASE THEM AND TO MAKE THEM THINK I WAS NICE. AND THEY THOUGHT I WAS SO NICE THAT THEY ALWAYS CAME BACK AND ASKED ME AGAIN. [ LAUGHTER ] I'D SAY, "I JUST GAVE YOU MONEY. WHAT IS THE DEAL?" HE'S LIKE, "'CAUSE YOU'RE SO NICE, I CAN ASK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN." SO, IT CHANGED THAT FOR ME. BUT WHAT IT REALLY CHANGED WAS, IT CHANGED THE WAY I OPERATED MY BUSINESS. SO I HAD EVERY PRODUCER BEFORE PRESENTING, 'CAUSE I GOT THE FINAL VETO OR "YES" ON EVERY SHOW, BUT BEFORE THEY WOULD BRING ME THE SHOW, I WOULD SAY, "YOU BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOUR INTENTION IS, AND I HAVE TO FIND WITHIN THE SHOW A REALM OF TRUTH, A THREAD OF TRUTH THAT I CAN SIT IN EVERY DAY SO THAT I DON'T HAVE FALSE MOMENTS." SO, MY INTENTION HAS TO ALIGN WITH WHAT YOUR INTENTION IS. I GOT TO FIND THE SPACE IN THERE SO THAT I AM NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE TO MYSELF. AND THAT IS WHY WE WERE NUMBER ONE FOR 25 YEARS, 'CAUSE WE INTENTIONALLY, EVERY DAY... WE HAD AN INTENTION FOR EVERY SINGLE -- AND SOMETIMES, I COULD TELL THE PRODUCERS WERE JUST MAKING IT UP. THEY'D SAY, "BRAD PITT. IT'S BRAD PITT, WHAT DO YOU WANT? IT'S BRAD PITT." W-W-WHAT DO YOU WANT? SO, EXPLAIN -- WHAT I REALIZE IS, THAT EVEN UNTIL THE FINAL SHOWS, PEOPLE WERE LIKE, "I'M NOT REALLY CLEAR." WHAT, IS INTENTION SAYING THE SAME AS MOTIVATION? IS INTENTION WHAT YOU REALLY WANT? EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT BY "INTENTION." YES AND YES, AND I WANT TO EXPLAIN INTENTION A LITTLE MORE CLEARLY. IT IS A MOTIVATION. IT'S THE REASON FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. -YEAH. -IT IS AN ENERGY THAT INFUSES THE DEED -OR THE WORD NOW. -THAT'S GOOD. "IT'S THE ENERGY THAT INFUSES THE DEED OR THE WORD." -AND -- -IT'S THE THING -- IT'S THE REAL REASON WHY YOU CAME HERE TODAY. -PRECISELY! -IT'S THE REAL REASON. THE REAL REASON, AND IF YOU GO DOWN, DRILL DOWN DEEP INTO YOUR INTENTION, YOU'LL GET TO A BEDROCK BOTTOM PLACE WHERE THERE'S ONLY TWO INTENTIONS -- LOVE AND FEAR. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE COULD WANT TO BE ON "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW" OR ANYTHING YOU'RE DOING. -YEAH. BECAUSE THEY WANT EXPOSURE. BECAUSE THEY WANT MONEY. -YEAH. BECAUSE THEY WANT TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES. THEY WANT TO PROMOTE SOMETHING OR...YEAH. EXACTLY. OR THEY WANT THEIR MOM TO BE PROUD OF THEM, OR SOMETHING. ALL OF THOSE ARE INTENTIONS OF FEAR. OR, THEY COULD BE ON "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW" OR SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY ON THE STREET, AND THE INTENTION CAN BE LOVE. THE INTENTION CAN BE TO CONTRIBUTE. THE INTENTION CAN BE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN GIVE TO LIFE -- IN OTHER WORDS, TO GIVE THE GIFTS THAT YOU WERE BORN TO GIVE. AND THEN, LET YOUR INTUITION SHOW YOU HOW THAT PLAYS OUT IN AN INTERACTION WITH SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW OR SOMEONE YOU JUST MET. SO THESE ARE THE TWO INTENTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I JOINED THE MILITARY, I JOINED IT BECAUSE I FELT SO INSECURE AND INADEQUATE ABOUT MYSELF. I NEEDED JUMP BOOTS, I NEEDED A COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE, I NEEDED JUMP WINGS, I NEEDED A BERET, I NEEDED A MISSION AND A WEAPON. MY WEAPONS HAD THE SERIAL NUMBERS TAKEN OFF ON SOME OF OUR PATROLS. MY MISSIONS WERE TOP-SECRET. AND STILL, I DIDN'T CONSIDER MYSELF ADMIRABLE. I WANTED OTHER PEOPLE TO CONSIDER ME ADMIRABLE. -IN OTHER WORDS -- -BUT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEN. -I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEN. -YEAH. I DIDN'T. I DIDN'T REALIZE. I THOUGHT THERE WAS A LOT OF INTIMACY IN A LOT OF SEX. THERE'S NOT... IN A LOT OF SEX. BECAUSE I USED TO THINK -- I ALWAYS KNEW THAT THE WOMEN I WAS WITH DIDN'T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING TO ME. BUT WHAT REALLY SHOOK ME WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT I DIDN'T MEAN ANYMORE TO THEM THAN THEY MEANT TO ME. [ CROWD "OOH"s ] YES, OOH. [ LAUGHTER ] IT'S JUST KINDA HARD TO PICTURE LAID-BACK GARY AS A SEX ADDICT, I GOT TO TELL YOU. [ LAUGHTER ] I'M TRYING TO GET THAT PICTURE IN MY MIND. -IF YOU THINK THAT'S... -I MEAN LIKE, ARE YOU DOING SOUL-TALK OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW? IF YOU THINK THAT'S HARD TO PICTURE, IMAGINE HOW IT WOULD'VE BEEN FOR ME TO TRY TO PICTURE WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. YEAH, YEAH. YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. ANOTHER LIFE-CHANGING LESSON FOR ME, UM... THIS IS THE ONE. AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE VERY END OF THE SHOW. WHEN THE PERSONALITY -- IF YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING ELSE, THIS IS IT -- WHEN THE PERSONALITY COMES TO -- WHICH IS REALLY WHAT THIS WHOLE BOOK IS ABOUT. -YES. -WHEN THE PERSONALITY COMES TO SERVE FULLY THE ENERGY OF ITS SOUL, THAT IS AUTHENTIC POWER -- AUTHENTIC POWER. SO WILL YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT IS 'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK AUTHENTIC POWER MEANS, "I OWN THE ROOM. I'M AUTHENTIC WITH MYSELF. I GOT THIS, GIRL," YOU KNOW? -YEAH. YEAH. -THAT'S RIGHT. ALL OF THAT IS EXTERNAL POWER. -THAT'S EXTERNAL POWER. IT'S THE PURSUIT OF EXTERNAL POWER -- THAT IS THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE AND CONTROL. -YEAH. -AND WHEN YOU'RE EXPERIENCING A FRIGHTENED PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY, THAT IS WHAT THAT PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY IS DOING. -MM-HMM. -IT'S PURSUING EXTERNAL POWER. IT'S TRYING TO COVER A VERY DEEP PAIN -- THE PAIN OF POWERLESSNESS, THE PAIN OF WANTING TO BELONG AND NOT BELONGING. SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT EXTERNAL POWER. I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A BOTOX WORLD WHERE EVERYBODY'S JUST TRYING TO STAY EXACTLY LIKE THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO. SO, EXTERNAL POWER -- BEAUTY, WHEN YOU USE YOUR BEAUTY, YOUR LOOKS, YOU CAR, YOUR STUFF, YOUR THINGS -- EXTERNAL POWER. ALL OF THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS EXTERNAL, Both: ALL OF THAT. -AND MORE. -AND MORE, OR COURSE. AND MORE. LIEUTENANTS GOT MORE -- LIKE I WAS -- HAD MORE EXTERNAL POWER THAN A PRIVATE, LIKE I WAS AT ONE TIME. BUT A MAJOR HAS GOT MORE, AND A GENERAL'S GOT MORE. WHEN YOU WALK INTO A BUILDING DOWNTOWN, THE PEOPLE WITH THE LEAST EXTERNAL POWER ARE IN THE BASEMENT, AND THEY'RE WEARING JEANS AND NOBODY SEES THEM. IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE EXTERNAL POWER, YOU'RE WORKING ON A HIGHER FLOOR IN THE BUILDING AND NOW YOU'RE WEARING A SUIT, MAYBE. AND THEN IF YOU GO TO A HIGHER FLOOR, YOU'RE WEARING A TAILORED SUIT. -RIGHT. IF YOU GO TO ONE OF THE HIGHEST FLOORS, YOU'VE GOT A BIG OFFICE, AND YOU DON'T BUY YOUR SUITS, NOT EVEN IN SAKS OR NEIMAN'S. YOU HAVE IT MADE. -YEAH. AND THEN IF YOU GO AS HIGH AS THAT BUILDING GOES, YOU WEAR WHATEVER YOU WANT. YOU CAN WEAR FLIP-FLOPS TO WORK. YEAH. AND THE ORIENTATION IS, "I OWN THIS BUILDING." AND THE ORIENTATION IS, "I OWN YOU." THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE OF DEEP POWERLESSNESS. WE THINK THAT THESE KINDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE MOST POWER. THEY HAVE THE LEAST POWER. THEY ARE IN THE GRIP... IT SURE DOES APPEAR LIKE THEY'VE GOT SOME POWER. WHEN IT'S YOUR BOSS AND HE'S WRITING YOUR PAYCHECK, I DON'T CARE WHAT HE'S WEARING, STILL FEELS LIKE HE HAS THE POWER. I'M NOT BACKING DOWN. OKAY, GO AHEAD. [ LAUGHTER ] NO, I KNOW OPRAH. SHE IS THE MOST WONDERFUL INTERVIEWER BECAUSE SHE ASKS QUESTIONS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS MOST ELUCIDATION. -YEAH. SHE CAN SENSE IN AN AUDIENCE WHEN PEOPLE ARE SAYING, [ Chuckling ] "NO. NO, NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT," AND ASKS EXACTLY THAT QUESTION. AND FEAR -- WHEN YOU'RE IN A FRIGHTENED PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY, YOU'RE TRYING TO FILL A VACUUM, AND THERE'S NO END TO IT. IF YOU WERE A SEX ADDICT LIKE I WAS, THERE'S NO END TO SEX. YOU COULD BE COMPLETELY SATISFIED, AND 30 MINUTES LATER, THINKING ABOUT SEX. YOU COULD HAVE $17 MILLION A YEAR IN DISCRETIONARY INCOME, OR $152 MILLION, AND YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT MORE. THAT'S THE BOTTOMLESS PIT. THAT IS POWERLESSNESS. YOU ARE CONTROLLED BY THE FRIGHTENED PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY. -MM-HMM. AND AUTHENTIC POWER IS RECOGNIZING THEM. IT'S NOT EASY TO SAY "NO" TO A GLASS OF SCOTCH WHEN YOU'RE ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL. IT'S NOT TO SAY "NO" TO A WILLING PARTNER WHEN YOU ARE A SEX ADDICT. IT'S NOT EASY TO SAY "NO" TO THE IMPULSE IN YOU THAT WANTS A BIGGER MOUNTAIN BIKE OR THE BEST DREADLOCKS DOWN TO YOUR WAIST, BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PURSUIT OF EXTERNAL POWER DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH HOW MUCH OF ANYTHING MATERIAL YOU HAVE OR YOU DON'T HAVE. IT MANIFESTS ITSELF... AS TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF -- AS TRYING TO ACQUIRE THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE AND CONTROL. SO WHEN YOU'RE A GENERAL, YOU'RE LIVING IN A WORLD YES-MEN, EXCEPT FOR GENERALS. WHEN YOU'RE A C.E.O., YOU'RE LIVING IN A WORLD OF YES-PEOPLE. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS TO LIVE AN AUTHENTICALLY-EMPOWERED LIFE. IT MEANS YOU ARE LINED UP -- THIS IS HOW I SEE IT. IT'S WHAT I SAID AT THE END OF "THE OPRAH SHOW" EVERY SINGLE DAY, PARTICULARLY AFTER 1989 AND LINING UP WITH INTENTION. EVERY SINGLE DAY, I WAS LINED UP IN EXACTLY THE FLOW OF MY LIFE, WHICH IS WHAT I WANT FOR ALL OF YOU -- TO BE IN EXACT ALIGNMENT, SERVING... THE ENERGY OF YOUR SOULS. SO, GARY SAYS, "WHEN THE PERSONALITY COMES..." TO FULLY SERVE THE ENERGY OF YOUR SOUL. AND WHEN YOU... YOU ARE USING YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR LITTLE BOAT... -PRECISELY. -OKAY. YOU'RE USING YOUR LITTLE BOAT TO HONOR, TO HARMONIZE WITH, TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE MOTHER SHIP. THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS. YOU'RE USING YOUR LITTLE BOAT, YOUR LITTLE PERSONALITY, THE LITTLE YOU, TO LINE UP WITH THE MOTHER SHIP. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU'VE GOT TO DO THE WORK TO KNOW WHAT THE MOTHER SHIP REALLY CAME TO DO. I'D LIKE TO ILLUSTRATE THAT BY AN EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE ME FROM -- THAT YOU JUST GAVE ALL US FROM YOUR LIFE. YEAH. WHEN YOU SAW WHAT YOU SAW AND YOU SAID, "NO, I'M NOT SAYING 'YES'." -YEAH. -"I'M JUST NOT SAYING 'YES'." I WAS WITH YOU ONCE WHEN YOU SAID -- WELL, I WON'T SAY HIS NAME, BUT YOU SAID, "I WAS JUST OFFERED..." AND YOU TOLD ME A NAME THAT WAS THE BIGGEST NAME IN ENTERTAINMENT IN THE WORLD. AND YOU SAID, "NO, I'M NOT HAVING HIM. I DON'T WANT THAT -- I DON'T WANT THAT ON MY SHOW." YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY ABC'S GOT STOCKHOLDERS REMINDING THEM AT THE END OF THE QUARTER, THEY WANT RETURNS. -MM-HMM. AND YOU'VE GOT A SYNDICATOR SAYING, "I WANT THOSE RATINGS UP. THEY'VE GOT TO BE UP, OPRAH." -YEP. AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL OF THAT, THERE'S A PART OF YOU THAT DOESN'T WANT TO SAY "NO," AND IT WAS A FRIGHTENED PART OF YOU THAT KEPT SAYING, "YES, YES." BUT IT WAS AN EMPOWERED, IT WAS A LOVING PART OF YOU THAT SAID, "NO." AND YOU SAID YOU NEEDED TO FIND A COMMON THREAD BETWEEN WHAT'S VALUABLE TO YOU AND WHAT YOUR PRODUCERS WERE GIVING YOU AS AN INTENTION. AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS LOVE. THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING THERE OF VALUE. THE RATINGS ARE NOT ENOUGH. -MM-HMM. THE SENSATIONALISM IS NOT ENOUGH. THE CELEBRITY-DOM IS NOT ENOUGH. THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING -- THERE'S GOT TO BE AT LEAST A KERNEL... A KERNEL OF TRUTH THAT I CAN SIT IN, YEAH. AND THAT TRUTH IS LOVE. IT IS SOMETHING TO GIVE, TO GIVE TO PEOPLE. AND LIKE I MET GRANDMA LIBBY AFTER SHE DIED, YOU TOLD YOUR GRANDMA WHEN SHE SAID, "LOOK AT THIS, GIRL," AND YOU'RE HANGING UP THE CLOTHES OUTSIDE IN MISSISSIPPI, "YOU'RE GONNA NEED THIS SOME DAY." AND YOU TOLD HER, "NO, I'M NOT." SO YOU KNEW, BUT IT WAS A WHILE LATER BEFORE YOU KNEW THAT YOU COULD USE WHAT YOU KNEW AND YOUR PERSONALITY AND REALLY START COOKING WITH GAS. AND THAT'S WHEN YOU KNEW INTENTION, AND THE INTENTION THAT REALLY PRODUCES RESULTS IS THE INTENTION OF LOVE. THE INTENTION OF LOVE. -YEAH. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO EVERYBODY, IF YOU'RE NOT LINED UP, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THIS KIND OF GATHERING WITH ALL OF THESE LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, ALL OF US SEEKING THE SAME THING, THE HIGHER ORDER OF OURSELVES, IS TO LINE YOURSELF UP WITH THE MOTHER SHIP. AND WHEN YOU LINE UP WITH THE MOTHER SHIP, WHEN YOU START USING YOUR PERSONALITY TO SERVE THE GREATER CALLING THAT YOUR SOUL CAME HERE...FOR, NOBODY CAN TOUCH YOU. NOBODY CAN TOUCH YOU, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT AUTHENTIC POWER IS. THAT'S WHERE -- THAT'S WHEN YOU ARE YOUR STRONGEST. THAT'S WHEN YOU ARE YOUR MOST FORCEFUL AND YOUR BEST. WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD WHERE EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. WE'RE ALL INSTAGRAM-ING. I LOVE INSTAGRAM, BUT YOU WANT TO HAVE THE SAME LIP. EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME LIP AND FOREHEAD. I LOOK ON TV, EVERYBODY GOT THE SAME FOREHEAD. NOBODY'S FOREHEAD'S MOVING. THEY'RE JUST TALKING OUT OF THEIR LIP. WE'RE ALL JUST TRYING TO LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. THE POWER IS USING THE ENERGY OF YOUR PERSONALITY TO SERVE THAT BIG MOTHER SHIP. AND WHEN YOU CAN DO THAT, YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE. AND THAT'S WHY YOU WERE BORN. THAT'S WHY YOU WERE BORN. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE. YOU'RE HERE TO LINE UP WITH THAT THING. SO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR WORLD TODAY. I ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES. -NOW, CAN I SAY ONE THING? FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CLAPPING, THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN A POWER STRUGGLE WITH SOMEONE, REMEMBER THESE WORDS. THAT'S THE TIME TO CREATE AUTHENTIC POWER. THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE FEELING INADEQUATE, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET OUT OF BED, OR YOU WANT TO KILL SOMEONE OR YOU WANT TO KILL YOURSELF, REMEMBER, THAT'S THE TIME TO CREATE AUTHENTIC POWER. THAT IS THE TIME TO REACH FOR THE HEALTHIEST, MOST GROUNDED, WHOLESOME PART OF YOUR PERSONALITY AND ACT FROM THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE FEELING. 'CAUSE AUTHENTIC POWER IS THE ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH WITHIN YOURSELF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOVE AND FEAR. AND CHOOSE LOVE NO MATTER WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE OF YOU OR WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF YOU. AND THAT'S IT. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR WORLD TODAY AND HOW THE LESSONS FROM THE EVENING'S "SUPER SOUL" CAN SPEAK TO TIMES WE'RE LIVING IN. AND YOU TITLED OUR CONVERSATION TODAY, "THE NEW PERCEPTION OF COMMUNITY AND THE SOUL." AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN, THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO STEP INTO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A UNIVERSAL HUMAN. WE ALL KNOW HOW POLARIZED WE ARE IN THE WORLD TODAY. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S JUST ACCEPTED. MORE DIVIDED WE ARE THAN EVER, AND WE -- ACTUALLY, IT FEELS IN SOME PLACES, IN PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY, BECOMES SPLINTERED. AND I KNOW YOU BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS IS FOR US TO STEP INTO WHAT YOU CALL THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN. WELL, YOU CAN'T STEP INTO IT. YOU GOT TO CREATE AUTHENTIC POWER, AND THAT WILL LEAD YOU INTO IT. -MM-HMM. -BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY CLEARLY, THAT FROM MY PERCEPTION, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TODAY AND SPECIFICALLY IN THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION WHICH IS ENCOURAGING HATE CRIMES, WHICH IS ENCOURAGING DIVISION, WHICH IS ENCOURAGING FEAR. -YEAH. -THAT WE MIGHT -- WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO THINK THAT'S BECAUSE... WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD OF FEAR-BASED LEADERSHIP, WHICH IS ONLY GONNA LEAD TO MORE FEAR AND MORE FEAR AND CREATE MORE FEAR UNLESS WE, THE PEOPLE, CAN AUTHENTICALLY ALIGN WITH OURSELVES. Woman: OPRAH FOR PRESIDENT! [ CHUCKLES ] [ CHEERS ] NO, THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU. WASN'T TRYING TO GET THAT, BUT... THOSE WERE EXACTLY MY SENTIMENTS ABOUT THREE ELECTIONS AGO. BUT SHE WASN'T LISTENING. THANK YOU FOR THE THOUGHT, NO, THANK YOU. BUT WHAT I WANT TO SUGGEST IS THIS. THERE IS THIS, IN MY PERCEPTION, MISCONCEPTION THAT IF WE ELECTED SOMEONE ELSE, THINGS WOULD CHANGE. AND I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR SOCIAL STRUCTURES, WHICH I'VE BEEN DOING, AND GOVERNANCE IS ONE OF THEM, THEY'RE ALL BASED ON FEAR. THEY'RE ALL BASED ON FEAR, SO OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE -- REPRESENTATIVE, CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY -- IS NOT BROKEN. IT'S PERFECT. IT'S DOING WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO. BUT WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO IS HARNESS CONFLICTING PURSUITS OF EXTERNAL POWER FOR THE COMMON GOOD. NOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE COMMON GOOD IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE TO OUR REVOLUTION? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PURSUIT OF EXTERNAL POWER PRODUCES ONLY VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION? THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW. SO, HOW CAN YOU CHANGE A WORLD THAT'S BUILT ON EXTERNAL POWER? YOU CAN TRY TO CHANGE OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S THE PURSUIT OF EXTERNAL POWER. SO YOU'RE ADDING MORE TO THE WORLD OF WHAT THE WORLD IS ALREADY MADE OF. THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE IT IS TO CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING NEW TO IT. AND THAT IS AUTHENTIC POWER. THAT IS LOVE. IF YOU HATE THOSE WHO HATE, YOU STEP INTO THE DARKNESS WITH THEM. IF YOU HAVE NO COMPASSION FOR THOSE THOSE WHO HAVE NO COMPASSION, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND THEM? SO, THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THE WORLD IS TO CHANGE YOURSELF. SO A LOT OF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT. YOU HEAR IT, AND YOU LIKE IT. YEAH. THANK YOU. I UNDERSTAND THAT RECOGNITION. BUT IT'S DEEPER THAN THAT. ONCE THE RECOGNITION COMES TO YOU, LIKE OPRAH, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. YOU ARE EACH VEHICLES OF GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION. AND THAT FLIES IN THE FACE OF THE INTELLECT OF FIVE-SENSORY OF LOGIC, BUT THE HEART UNDERSTANDS IT. THE HEART UNDERSTANDS IT, AND NOW YOU UNDERSTAND IT JUST IN THAT ILLUSTRATION OF BABY RYAN, FOUR DAYS ON THE EARTH. LOOK AT WHAT A SOUL -- IT HAD TO BE A LARGE SOUL -- A LITTLE BABY... YES, LITTLE BABY RYAN WAS A PERSONALITY. THAT WAS THE FOUR-POUND ENTITY. -YEAH. THE SOUL IS HUGE. -HUGE. -AND... -AS IS YOURS. -AS IS YOURS. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING -- AS IS YOURS. SO, LOOK AT THE IMPACT THAT FOUR DAYS ON EARTH DID. SO, IF YOU'RE BLAMING OUR PRESIDENT OR IF YOU'RE BLAMING OUR ADMINISTRATION OR IF YOU'RE BLAMING ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BIGOTED, UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE IN PAIN... UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING POWERLESSNESS. NOW, HOW WILL YOU... RESPOND TO THAT? IF YOU RESPOND WITH THE SAME KIND OF VISCERAL, UNAWARE, WHICH MEANS IGNORANT, WHICH MEANS UNCONSCIOUS, FEAR THAT YOU ARE ENCOUNTERING, YOU ARE ADDING MORE OF THAT TO THE WORLD. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY, TO CREATE AUTHENTIC POWER. AND WHEN YOU CHALLENGE TO PART OF YOU THAT WANTS TO REACT WITH FEAR, THAT'S WHERE THE SPIRITUAL RUBBER MEETS THE SPIRITUAL ROAD. AND YOU CAN HEAR AS MANY TALKS AND BE AS INSPIRED AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN BE, AND THERE'S VALUE IN ALL OF THAT IF THE INTENTION BEHIND THE TALK OR THE INSPIRATION WAS LOVE. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO PUT IT INTO PRACTICE. YOU'VE GOT TO GO HOME WITH YOUR CHILDREN, WITH YOUR HUSBAND, WITH THE PERSON YOU DON'T GET ALONG WITH OR THE PERSON YOU DO, AND THEN START TO APPLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT -- CREATING AUTHENTIC POWER, DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN LOVE AND FEAR IN YOURSELF AND CHOOSING LOVE, EVEN WHEN THE OTHER PERSON'S WRONG. EVEN WHEN THE OTHER PERSON'S BRUTAL. EVEN WHEN THE OTHER PERSON IS A TORTURER, YES, YES, YES. OUR DEAR FRIEND, AND YOURS LONG BEFORE MINE, MAYA ANGELOU, SAID SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS FREQUENTLY. ONE OF THEM IS, "WE'RE MUCH MORE ALIKE THAN WE ARE DIFFERENT." DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS RACE? THERE IS NOT. THERE IS NOT, GENETICISTS AND ANTHROPOLOGISTS DISCARDED THAT TERM 50 YEARS AGO. THEY'RE ONLY ETHNIC DIFFERENCES. IN OTHER WORDS, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COLOR OF MY SKIN AND THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN IS NO MORE SIGNIFICANT GENETICALLY, THAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COLOR OF MY EYES AND THE COLOR OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S EYES. LET THAT SINK IN. WHEN YOU SAY "BROTHER" AND "SISTER," UNDERSTAND THAT'S REAL. IF YOU WANT TO USE ANTHROPOLOGISTS AS A SOURCE -- THERE MAY NOT BE RACE, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY RACISM. -THERE IS RACISM. -RACISM. IT IS ABUNDANT EVERYWHERE -- EVERYWHERE. AND ESPECIALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR KNOW IT. NO MATTER HOW IT APPEARS OTHERWISE, THERE IS RACISM. SO HOW CAN THERE BE RACISM WITHOUT RACE? FEAR. FEAR OF DIFFERENCES. -YEP. -FEAR OF DIFFERENCE -- THAT'S WHAT FORMS COMMUNITY. AND THAT BRINGS US BACK TO HOW WE OPENED THIS TALK. -YEAH. -COMMUNITY -- MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE FIVE-SENSORY THINK THAT COMMUNITY IS A GOOD THING. IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO THINK ALIKE, BEHAVE ALIKE, TALK ALIKE, ACT ALIKE, AND IT GIVES THEM A SHELTER... AGAINST PEOPLE WHO DON'T, AND THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE COMMUNITY. AS WE BECOME MULTI-SENSORY, WE BEGIN TO SEE SOMETHING SO SHOCKINGLY STOCK-EVIDENT THAT WE CAN'T IMAGINE WE DIDN'T SEE IT BEFORE. COMMUNITIES DO NOT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. THEY KEEP THEM APART. [ APPLAUSE ] IN OTHER WORDS... IF YOU'RE ONLY ASSOCIATING WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU, PEOPLE WHO THREATEN YOU THE LEAST, YOU ARE EXCLUDING ALMOST ALL OF THE WORLD FROM YOUR COMMUNITY. SO THINK ABOUT A COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT EXCLUDE ANYONE. A COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT EXCLUDE ANYONE. THAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST COMMUNITY. NOW, GIVE THAT A CAPITAL "B" AND A CAPITAL "C." THAT IS THE BIGGEST COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT I STRIVE... TO BE THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN IN THAT COMMUNITY. THAT IS THE SAME AS BEING A UNIVERSAL HUMAN. AND I BELIEVE, OPRAH, THAT THAT IS THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU SPEAK TO AND THAT YOU'VE USED TELEVISION SO WELL AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU DO -- MOVIES, STAGE, "O" MAGAZINE -- IT IS ADDRESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN. OR, TO PUT IT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY, THE BIGGEST COMMUNITY. THE BIGGEST COMMUNITY. THE BIGGEST COMMUNITY. OUR UNIVERSAL COMMUNITY. WE COULD TALK ALL DAY. THANK YOU, GARY ZUKAV. [ APPLAUSE, CHEERING ] THANK YOU, GARY. THANK YOU. WOW, GOOD. GOOD WORK -- YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
