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  • The Surrender Experiment

  • My Journey into Life's Perfection
  • Written by: Michael A. Singer
  • Narrated by: Michael A. Singer
  • Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (768 ratings)

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The Surrender Experiment

Written by: Michael A. Singer
Narrated by: Michael A. Singer
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Publisher's Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Untethered Soul and Living Untethered comes the astonishing true-life story about the spiritual harmony and personal happiness he found when he just let go.

“With his hallmark precision and clarity Michael Singer reveals how everyday life, doing business in the world, and spiritual practice can be synchronized to carry us into the heart of life’s unimaginable perfection.”—Jack Canfield, co-author of The Success Principles and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series

In The Surrender Experiment, Michael A. Singer tells the extraordinary story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual awakening, he decided to relinquish his personal fears and desires and simply let life unfold before him. Singer shares how this pivotal decision to embrace the flow of life led him to extraordinary success, sustained him through times of crisis, and allowed him to cultivate profound inner peace—whether as a young man pursuing a life of solitude in the woods, the founder of a thriving spiritual community in Florida, or the CEO of a billion-dollar medical software company.

As he takes you through his grand experiment, Singer demonstrates how surrender is the key to a peaceful and harmonious life. His remarkable and unexpected personal experiences will challenge your deepest assumptions, teaching you how to stop making the outside world conform to your desires, let go of the need to control everything, and place your trust in life’s perfection.

Thought-provoking and moving, The Surrender Experiment will inspire you to seek the calm and freedom that comes from letting go.

©2015 Michael A. Singer (P)2015 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“A lone voice in the modern wilderness calling for surrender instead of striving, Singer shows how surrendering to life does not mean giving up our dreams.”—Shawn Achor, happiness researcher and New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage

“Only the rarest of books has the power to clearly explain the difference between a human being and a human doing, and why that distinction is so important. The Surrender Experiment is such a book. Inspiring, authentic, and intensely compelling.”—Dean Radin, author of The Conscious Universe

“Michael Singer writes a beautiful, touching memoir on the amazing power of surrender in his life. With courage, spunk, and thoughtfulness, he has reached beyond the status quo to dare to trust life and surrender to its ultimate perfection.”—Judith Orloff MD, author of The Ecstasy of Surrender

What listeners say about The Surrender Experiment

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Selfish spiritual journey

I almost made it through the whole audiobook....I tried.
I love the concept of surrender. I see the wisdom of that. And that message comes across clearly. I liked the narration as well.

I felt the author had a selfish spiritual journey. All he cared about was his own gain, with no thought to anyone else around him, or the students who were spending time and money to be taught by him. There are wise and compassionate leaders in this field, and I am sad to have supported him by buying this book.

With no humility whatsoever, the author tells us how things keep working out for him and how smart he was. Surrender is great. But if the world was full of people like him, we would be no better off. What is mindfulness without compassion?

His parents paid for his university and as a white male, he traveled around learning and growing to become enlightened for himself.

Never satisfied and always striving for more.. more self enlightenment. Surrender, then more striving. Then patting himself on the back for surrendering again and having everything work out.

Now, we are all paying him to hear his wisdom that was bestowed upon him. Lucky us.

To sum up, listen to how he describes his ‘generosity’ to the Mexican families who were kind to him and shared their land and food willingly (he squatted for free for months).

“I went to my van and gave these Mexicans all my white rice and beans that I had. They were beyond grateful to me. They were so excited. It was then I realized it can feel good to give to others’

Really? Giving white rice to the people who have given you way more is an act of your generosity? Sigh. I am tired of the privileged patting themselves on the backs for what many kind spiritual souls do naturally.

I’m a yoga teacher and student who is grateful for many teachers - past, present and future.

Maybe my learning from this book is that I need to surrender to the fact that I disagree with what i perceive as the authors ego and selfishness, and accept the teachings and accept him as well. Everyone has something to teach. And I still have a lot to learn.

However, perhaps your money could be better spent on a different book.

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28 people found this helpful

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A life changing Story

A great book about the power of going with the flow and surrendering to life events as they will unfold before your eyes. An amazing life journey. I already read this book twice in its physical form and begun applying the concepts in my own life. I can tell you mine already changed. Its about trusting the amazing power of the universe over the limited power of our minds. Mastering the art of being mindful and ready to receive the great messages of our universe. Its about living fully. I'm so grateful for Michael A Singer the author of this book. Thank you for sharing your miraculous life experiences with us.

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9 people found this helpful

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LOVE

I could not have loved this book more. It moved me. I always love when the author is narrating. Thank you Michael Singer for sharing your remarkable journey.

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First 1/3 was good, last 2/3 was a struggle

Pearls of wisdom were found in the first third…What follows is a drawn out account of business and legal events that were not of interest.

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It is what it is

While the concept of surrendering is similar to the letting go of outcomes that accompanies the pursuit of peace and enlightenment, the way Singer talks about it makes it seem as if the universe conspires to give him a great life - by cherry-picking times in his life when he went against his immediate emotional reaction and went with the flow. There are countless times when he didn’t surrender, and things also worked out fine. Either way, letting go of outcomes is a great outlook on life. I didn’t need to hear over and over how he overcame obstacles by not making decisions - it comes across as “you too can have a great life if you would just stop making active decisions”, which is a little smug.

I skipped 60% of the book and went to the last chapter, which is quite fascinating about the outcome of a legal case. That was enjoyable. The chapters in between, not so much.

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Interesting but incomplete story

The story of the author is interesting, Sometimes too good to believe. things worked out almost perfectly for him. I wonder if there are times when he struggled.
Such stories could give a more balanced view on the flow of life.

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Loved it. Very well read and so inspirational.

Loved this book. It has provided me with great inspiration to follow the flow of life. It's incredibly well written and read. Very easy read.

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Some stories convincing

My friend recommended this book saying it’s really good. I am a third way through and decided to drop.
I like the idea of acceptance and surrendering to what life offers. But some of the stories, for example, how he excelled the exam by randomly opening the book 3 times and just so happen to be the 3 questions of the exam, and a couple of similar stories are not making sense to me.

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Fascinant !

Une histoire de vie qui fait beaucoup réfléchir. Pas croyable tout ce qui est arrivé à cet homme !

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Profound Indeed

What a profound journey of life and a clear demonstration of doing what you do best and let life handle the rest. So many lessons to learn from Mr. Singer’s life experiences and putting into practice will most definitely bear the fruit of beautiful life itself.

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  • PIA
  • 2015-06-04

Riveting! Superb!

If you could sum up The Surrender Experiment in three words, what would they be?

Riveting, transparent, intriguing, mind-blowing stories!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Surrender Experiment?

This made VERY aware of just how many thoughts of RESISTANCE crossed my mind. Michael's other book, Untethered Soul, made me aware of the constant chatter, but Surrender Experiment made me acutely aware of thoughts of RESISTANCE which was truly transformative. Through the stories of his own thoughts of resistance I became aware of my own... painfully aware of my own (in a good way).

What does Michael A. Singer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I actually had the paperback WHILE I was listening to the audio and loved that duo. Having the author himself read the book made it even more credible as he WAS the person in the book. His voice added even more enjoyment to the reading of the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

MANY!! Many times, Michael surrendered to a life situation that seemed utterly ridiculous to surrender to and the voice in my head said "You have GOT to be kidding me!!! Why would you just give in to that?!" Someone builds a house on YOUR land without asking you.... an irate customer demands you pull your workmen off one job and come do hers immediately. Just say yes to both??!! Huh??!! Are you kidding me right now??!!

Then the rest of the story unfolds and life not only fully supports him but over delivers leaving me shaking my head with a smile realizing the gem this book really is. I know it sounds ridiculous but ya gotta read the book to really get this folks... ya just gotta read the book. I can't even explain it here. Truly....

By chapter 34 my resistance to this level of surrender was overtaken by fascination with what may actually be possible that I have not yet tapped into. (yes it took me THIRTY-FOUR chapters to start feeling full acceptance to what he was saying). :) Suddenly I'm realizing that my own mental/internal resistance to change (and to what life put in front of me) probably had me turn down more opportunities in my life than I could ever count because the voice in my head resisted it in some way. My personal preferences won most of the time disallowing the natural flow of life. Oh man, I see this SO clearly now! Unreal.

Any additional comments?

First I should say I'm a lover of Michael's first book "The Untethered Soul" which radically transformed my life, so I pre-ordered this one and anxiously awaited. Before I got the book, I wasn't sure if I'd totally buy into the premise of "complete surrender" because I'm more in the arena of "you create your own reality" not to mention believing in parallel universes etc. etc.Michael's book is a totally different angle - life just happens, don't try to figure out why and how it's happening, you're not doing any of it, just follow life, and it'll be just fine.

So with great intrigue I was looking forward to reading it. Even though I knew his perspective on life was different than mine, I do believe in surrender - meaning it's fine to envision something but then completely let go and allow the Universe to do its thing. So even if I used Michael's viewpoint in that way, I was open to hearing what he had to share on the topic of surrendering.

I tend to take what resonates and discard what does not when it comes to *any* spiritual teacher. Love Michael Singer's work a whole lot, yet I believe we're each here to have our own unique life experiences on this earthly ride. I go within to see what life experiences my inner being wants to usher me into next. For me, unlike Michael who believes life just happens and we are NOT creating it, I'm a believer that we DO create our own reality. (much like the book Three Simple Steps by Trevor Blake and Parallel Realities of Self by Frederick Dodson).

So my own experiment will be a merger of expressing my desires to the Universe AND surrendering a whole lot more to whatever shows up. Different than Michael... and we'll see where that little experiment takes me. Hey, life is a playground and I'm gonna play it any way I like darnit! :)

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  • Bobby Digital
  • 2016-03-10

stick to untethered soul

I got this because I liked untethered soul so much, mostly because it reads very much like eckhart tolle's power of now. This book is about an hour or two of what you'd expect from reading untethered soul, and then it just goes into hours and hours of what feels like the authors attempt to clear his name of any suspicion regarding the incredibly boring account of the lawsuit he faced. There are about 5 straight hours of anecdotes that could have been reduced to "I did X and everything worked out better than I could have imagined." Cool story, but it could easily have been condensed to 2-3 hours tops.

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  • Caleb G.
  • 2015-06-12

The Highest Path Of Freedom

Michael Singer recounts vividly his path through life living it as it arrives. Acceptance and surrender trump personal plans and preferences. The author demonstrates, through his own journey that peace and happiness are achieved when we cooperate rather than compete with what it presents us.

Having read 'The Untethered Soul' and put its sacred truths into practice during the most challenging period of my life, I can say without hesitation that Mr Singer's life of surrender is truly liberating, the essence of real freedom and the secret to unsurpassed peace.

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  • W. Herlihy
  • 2015-07-06

I'm guessing his other book is much better.

Would you try another book from Michael A. Singer and/or Michael A. Singer?

I might read his other book, if only to find out what others enjoy about his perspective.

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael A. Singer again?

Maybe, he was easy to listen to. Fluid in his delivery.

What aspect of Michael A. Singer’s performance would you have changed?

The performance was fine. Easy to listen to

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I was disappointed. I bought the book because I'm working becoming more in tune to what the universe is telling me; to become more present in my everyday interactions.
Unfortunately, I found the author to be borderline narcissistic, interested in only himself. In this book he mentions a wife and a child, but neither one seemed to had a starring role in his life. He mentions stocks, bonds, millions, billions, and private airplanes more than his family, or any epiphanies they brought to his life. In fact, he mentions his own, physical appearance, like someone trying to seek attention, more than anything else in this book.
It was kinda creepy.
However, the author was born into privilege, he was bright, and seemed to have an inquiring mind, and strong business savvy, so good for him.

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  • Ziggy3339
  • 2015-08-22

A REAL Forest Gump on steroids inspiration for me

I'd read (and enjoyed) the author's book "The Untethered Soul". Loved it and was surprised so many people around me not interested in "this sort of thing". Drawn inexplicably towards spiritual reads (and having a completely opened mind) after a diagnosis of breast cancer I admittedly ate up a lot of books on cancer & the spiritual journey began with "Anatomy of the Spirit" by Caroline Myss.
One thing lead me to another...a few months & over 55 books later I was becoming a different person entirely. I share this review with you because it made my heart lift, encouraged me & reminded me that as long as I let go & truly trust in the wisdom of the life that made me I'd be fine. This struggle to get calm enough, centered enough is difficult after so many years of believing the "chatter" that's my mind.
The book is beautifully written, well told by the author (soothing voice), and a page turner. As an autobiography it's (an I rarely use this word) awesome. It's what I imagine surfers feel when riding on one of those massive waves with exhilaration while possessing the calm of stamina and strength. That's the tremendous life I just finished reading about.
Grateful for such a gifted share, well thought out and executed work. Head bow.

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  • Paula Watson
  • 2015-07-05

Compelling, inspiring

I read and reread The Untethered Soul and was left wondering who Michael Singer was. What life experiences led to the wisdom expressed in that earlier work? Well, The Surrender Experiment answers the question with an amazing story. I rarely read a book more than once but I will likely read BOTH of these again. They contain truth and wisdom, eloquently and accessibly expressed. I am fortunate to have discovered them.

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  • Uyen High Priestess
  • 2015-08-05

Disappointed and can't bare to listen anymore

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Another narrator who can present the material better.

What was most disappointing about Michael A. Singer’s story?

I love Michael Singer's The Unteetered Soul and was really forward to listening to his new book. However, I would think that if he narrates his own book it would be better since he should be passionate about the material, but he's not. At least it doesn't come off like he is. I was bored to tears and couldn't stand to listen to it anymore. The story doesn't pull me in either.

Would you be willing to try another one of Michael A. Singer’s performances?

No. I would read his book instead.

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  • Casper P.
  • 2018-05-18

Amazing

When it comes to spiritual literature, I like stories the best. For example, by sheer statistics, since ive listened to Way of the Peaceful Warrioer probably 50 times by now, it must be my favorite. Others include Dying to be Me and Proof of Heaven.

Ayway, this book is a praticularly fascinating story. What I love about it is that Mr. Singer isn't sick, or dealing with any great adversity. He simply notices the little voice incessantly commenting on every little thing in his life. And so he decides to not let his life be controlled by it.

This means that he will follow impulses, say yes to assignments, jobs and projects he
1) doesn't want to do
2) doesn't feel qualified to do
3) feels would be risky or foolish, including physically dangerous

The journey this sets off was stunning to me. Incredible moving. It leads to fulfilling careers, a family, and a fantastic spiritual life.

As I've thought more about the story, what stands out is the benevolence of the "universe's" assignments. When I speak about "relaxing" and "not judging" to my friends, they'll sometimes say things like "well, if I were to answer every call and silly idea presented to me, I'd have nothing else to do shortly". But as Mickey's story shows, when you really trust your life to go the way it's "supposed" to go, i.e. let life guide you, rather than trying to control your life....when you do that, you're presented with wonderful, amazing, and delicious and thrilling experiences.

My own life is the best proof I can give of this approach's worth: I found my best job while minding my own business, driving a cab. I met my current wife and mother of my three children, while minding my own business at a lunch buffet at a conference.

I am done running my life. I am convinced Life does a much better job and so I leave it to Her.

This book is a great way to remember why.

Namaste.

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  • MDBookworm
  • 2015-06-06

Fantastic

I loved The Untethered Soul. Every time I bought a copy, I would end up giving it away. I was excited to experience another book by Michael Singer and listening to it gave me the freedom to enjoy it in my car etc. What I found in this book has been immensely powerful and important in my spiritual journey. The concept of surrender has been extremely challenging for me. I was actually recently really feeling like life was against me because of 10 years of health issue after health issue (I'm young), but in listening to this, I experienced a paradigm shift. What if all of this was in response to my prayer to be relieved of the bondage of self? What was good and positive about these experiences? What if I saw life as my best friend, loving me in bringing me experiences I needed? What if I stopped judging things as good or bad and just practiced deep acceptance and letting go? Wow. Thank you, Michael Singer. What were intellectual concepts have shifted to a place of moment to moment practice. I needed this and it arrived at the exact right time. Thank you, life. Help me stay the course.

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  • Shannon
  • 2016-01-10

hard to relate

i found it hard to relate to this story, due an emphasis on financial success.

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  • Lobster
  • 2019-10-16

Ne cherchez pas le côté spirituel

Du point de vue spirituel les 20 premiers chapitres sont quelque peu intéressants. Les 35 autres purement une biographie du personnage dans le monde de l'entreprise... Rien à voir avec son livre The untethered soul.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-03-10

Very thought provoking

Paired with my recent listen to “The Illusion of Money”, this book greatly aids one’s understanding of what they should be after in life.

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  • Isabel Martins
  • 2018-02-23

Amazing book

This was quite an amazing journey to go in with Michael Singer. His dedication to surrender is awe inspiring! Listening (in the audiobook) to the amazing twists and turns in his life, with the accompanying miracles that kept lifting him further has brought tears to my eyes frequently. His energy radiates through this book and I know it has shifted me, it's helping me relax into the flow and allowing state, and it will continue to help me trust more and more in my guidance. A HUGE thank you to Michael Singer for this book and for the brilliant gem that is The Untethered Soul too.

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  • Thomas
  • 2016-12-28

best discovery on audible

this book was very eye opening for me, still reading it occasionnally after 3 years. I highly recommand it.

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