This is an amazing book that's hard to take in with just one reading. The story is fascinating. The writing style is absolutely compelling, and the subject matter is so far out of the realms of our common experiences that it could easily be taken as fantasy.

This book is particularly interesting because it is the first in a long list of books written by the author, and the preface goes into the origins of his knowledge on the subject... Apparently T. Lobsang Rampa is a "walk-in", the spirit of a Tibetan monk that assumed control of an existing body because of the pressing need to enlighten the West to the greater world of psychic and spiritual development and of the joys of a simpler existence.

If you read the book as pure fantasy your are bound to be captivated by the extraordinary details of the harsh, disciplined lifestyle required for survival in a place so inhospitable that wood and paper are considered exotic materials. If you choose to accept the author at his word, that you are reading the autobiography of an actual Lama from Tibet, then you may well resonate with some of the fascinating trials and experiences that the monk shares about his life.

The book does not offer a lot of practical information on psychic development... The story glosses over most of the details about the specific exercises that I was hoping to learn about, but it does offer a few techniques. I found the authors descriptions of many of his psychic experiences particularly interesting as much of it matched up with my own experiences which lead me to believe that the author was writing from real experiences and really does know what he's talking about.

The actual stories that the author recalls in the book are almost other-worldly. Of particular interest is the description of the bizarre and fascinating ritual that the head monk used to artificially and dramatically open the third eye of young Lobsang Rampa when he was just a boy.

This is the kind of book that I like to re-read every few years because I get more out of it as my own experience increases. There are definitely some gems between the covers if you look in the right places... particularly if you read between the lines!