What if we could go through a day of spilled coffee, traffic snarls, and fights with our loved one, and emerge feeling balanced and unscathed? The Lotus Effect offers ancient meditative techniques designed to help readers do just that. Written by clinical psychologist and practicing Buddhist Pavel Somov, this book breaks down the 'lotus effect'-the ability of the lotus plant to repel any non-nourishing foreign substances that cling to it in order to allow it to access as much sunlight and water as possible. This natural resilience helps it to thrive and bloom in even the worst conditions.                                

Using the lotus flower as its central metaphor, The Lotus Effect offers meditation techniques and intriguing thought and perception exercises for shedding difficult thoughts and experiences, anger, worry, stress, and feelings of low self-worth. Readers discover what triggers their minds to focus on these feelings, and they practice disidentifying with these thoughts and instead identifying with their essential selves-the selves which, like lotus flowers, remain unstained by the slings and arrows of daily life. Somov introduces practical meditation practices including neti-neti (mindful detachment from distressing information, 'I am not this'), vipassana meditation (interconnection between mind and body), Dzogchen meditation (acceptance and awareness of reality), and Western relaxation training.

In the Lotus Effect, Pavel Somov teaches us to work our way through the complexities of pain, suffering and impermanence towards learning to let go, surrender and accept the teachings of our samsaras, the afflictions of body, mind and soul. With the Lotus effect we shift from pain and suffering towards growth, rebirth and transformation of the self, soul and essence. A wonderful read to dive into right now; great for clinicians as a guide and for all others, if you wish to grow a new lotus within yourself!

Ronald A. Alexander, Ph.D., executive director of the Open Mind Training Institute and author of Wise Mind, Open Mind

The Lotus Effect is a remarkable book which guides readers on rich exploration of their relationship to their own identity. Somov's voice is lithe, often playful, but his intent is dead serious. The ideas and techniques in the book are designed to do nothing less than transform the way we think about our own identity. We begin with a process of "identity detox" - which is a wonderful way of describing the process of detaching from the information about ourselves which is not our true self. After working through a series of short exercises designed to help us enact the experience of dis-identifying from what we are not, we are then led on an exploration of what is left after we have discarded all of these unhelpful attachments. Somov has a gift for capturing issues of great complexity in simple concise metaphors and enactments, allowing us to find our way almost effortlessly into an experience of deep self-exploration.

Andrew Peterson, Ed. D., author of The Next 10 Minutes

I read (and write) self-help mindfulness books. This one by Pavel Somov hooked me in first pages with its compelling blend of fascinating history and a very down-to-earth, novel and inventive way of bringing to life and describing age-old Buddhist and Hindu concepts. It was clearly written and also provocative--in the sense that it challenges the reader in a positive way to practice and bring these concepts of detoxifying the mind and mental processes into everyday life. He also helps to explain teachings on emptiness with wonderful clarity and insight, and makes the paradoxes that exist in this area more understandable from an experiential level.

This is a highly beneficial book that can help overcome entrenched negative emotions and thought patterns--even addictive behavior. The writing, too, was seamless and highly engaging. I actually started reading this book at night when I was tired, and I have to say that I happily lost some sleep that night because I couldn't put it down. Thank you Pavel Somov for sharing with us such a unique and healing book.

- Donald Altman, M.A., LPC, author of The Mindfulness Code: Keys for Overcoming Stress, Anxiety, Fear, and Unhappiness

Table of Contents

Part I:             Lotus Identity

• Chapter 1        Lotus Effect   
• Chapter 2        Identity Detox

Part II:           Dis-Identify From What You Are Not

• Chapter 3        Neti it Out!
• Chapter 4        Not a Nothing!

Part III:          Re-Identify With What You Are

• Chapter 5        Root of Am-Ness

Part IV:           Perennial Growth

• Chapter 6        Lotus Blossom

• Chapter 7        Identity Detox E.R.

Identity Recovery

Identity theft is when someone identifies themselves as you and steals your resources.  Identity giveaway is when you identify as someone else and surrender your sense of individuality and uniqueness.  All identification with the external is a giveaway of your essence.

The word “identity” comes from the Latin word idem, which means “same.”  Identity is built through identification with the external, with what you are not. We determine our identities by comparing ourselves to “not-ourselves” and thereby try to determine who we are. We tend to think along the lines of “I am like this or that” or “I am like so-and-so or that-and-such.”  Therein lies the problem. 

You aren’t like anything or anybody else, even if you are similar.  Similarity isn’t sameness.  No one is the same as you.  Number 1.0000001 is very, very close to 1, but it still isn’t a true 1.  Only 1 is 1.  And only you are you.  There is no one like you.  You are not an almost-you, or a kinda-you, or a sorta-you.  You are one of a kind, fully and uniquely you!  When we identify (equate) ourselves with the external, with what is not us, we ignore the very uniqueness that makes us different. 

Recognize that uniqueness is beyond comparison.  Recognize that you are beyond comparison.  Recognize that as long as you define what you are by what you are not, you are exchanging your uniqueness and oneness for similarity.  And, in so doing, you are giving away your identity and losing sight of your essential, unique self. 

Identification with the external is an identity giveaway.  Identity giveaway, just like identity theft, is a loss of self.  Look inside to re-discover yourself.