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Universal Human: Creating Authentic Power and the New Consciousness

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The author of the legendary #1 New York Times bestseller The Seat of the Soul shows us step-by-fascinating-step how to create a life of love and where that now leads.

Internationally acclaimed author and teacher, Gary Zukav, shares a new vision of power and hope in this time of extraordinary transformation. Universal Human gives us new tools to grow spiritually and shows us how to transform everyday experiences of hopelessness, emptiness, and pain into fulfillment, meaning, and joy. It points us toward a startling new destination—a species that is beyond culture, religion, nation, ethnic group, and gender, a species whose allegiance is to Life first and all else second—and shows us how to get there. Universal Human examines our disintegrating social structures and the new social structures that are replacing them. It shows us a new creation story— our new creation story—as we create it with our choices, our deeds, and our words.

A new human consciousness is replacing the old human consciousness. Authentic power—the alignment of the personality with soul—is replacing external power, the ability to manipulate and control. Zukav explains that the potential of a new era of humanity based on love instead of fear is upon us, but only we can bring it into being. Universal Human shows us how. It is a book that you will never forget.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2021

178 people are currently reading
1884 people want to read

About the author

Gary Zukav

26 books847 followers
Gary Zukav is the author of The Dancing Wu Li Masters, winner of The American Book Award for Science; Soul Stories, a New York Times bestseller; and The Seat of the Soul, a New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Publishers Weekly #1 bestseller. His books have sold millions of copies and are published in sixteen languages. He is a graduate of Harvard and a former U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer in Vietnam.

Gary's gentle humor, sensitivity, and deep insights have endeared him to millions of readers and listeners. Through Genesis: The Foundation for the Universal Human, he participates in retreates, programs, and other events supporting the creation of authentic power and the experience of spiritual partnership.

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5 stars
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75 (26%)
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22 (7%)
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12 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
110 reviews
September 13, 2021
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I felt that this book was overwritten. The premise can be summed up by the following: Evolved people play nice with each other and make the world a better place by being better people. All of which I agree with. My problem with the book is that it tried to overcomplicate the issue by labeling people as "five-sensory", "multisensory" and "universal". Of course, labeling people as "different" is not good according to the author, and is something "five-sensory" people do. I think the book would have been better if it had been pared down. My copy was 288 pages. We don't get to "universal" humans until page 225 so most of the book is about something other than what the title suggests. There was a lot of talking in circles and describing what used to be as compared to what it. That could have been cut in half and the book would have been better. I hope next round his editor is more forceful with cutting out the chaff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jenna.
36 reviews
December 21, 2021
This novel awakened something in me, I know that sounds very stereotypical but it did. I recommend everyone to read this book at least once (I am currently on my third) it will cause you to not only see the world differently but how you see yourself and your own emotions. This novel will show you the ways to connect to your self and be the controller of your life. It takes you through the new way of life and consciousness and how to create authentic power.
Profile Image for Tammy Cook.
110 reviews2 followers
August 24, 2021
I liked about 70% of the ideas put forth in Universal Human by Gary Zukav. The other 30% seems to me a bit inauthentic. The simple message that we struggle to believe is that love wins. My primary concern with this long and tedious text is the irrelevance of evil. It is not consistently initiated by fear. Psychopaths experience no fear, yet they exist as one-tenth of our population. The chapters on COVID were a disappointment. We are clearly witnessing the harsh results of inaction and pie-in-the-sky thinking on that issue.

I suppose the author would say these thoughts are a reflection on my own fears. It is possible they are. Even so, some fear is necessary to nudge us onto a path of freedom. I do hope we are evolving into better humans. I just cannot ignore the tragedy of those who will never receive that chance because we were too focused on ourselves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Marla.
36 reviews30 followers
May 10, 2021
I began my seeking journey with Seat of the soul and at the time I have to admit it was beyond me. So I am happy to report after 25 plus years of seeking I can finally keep pace with Gary. Gary brings hope in uncertain times. And looking at fear being the opposite of love was a huge a-ha moment for me! It’s a very worthwhile read for those aha moments that Gary provides. I do however believe Gary got a little caught up in the old vs the new idea and wished he would of laid out the new path a bit more. I believe we are rubber banding backwards to fly forward. Only time will tell. It’s a rare find that someone writes something new in this arena, so I recommend you check it out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
110 reviews
December 5, 2021
PLEASE READ! THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR EVOLUTION. Universal Human is incredibly insightful and important. What is a universal human? A multi sensory soul who seeks authentic power. Throughout the book Gary explains the concept and provides examples of a universal human within the context of what it is not: namely, a 5 sensory personality that seeks external power. It is very helpful that this is explained within the context of religion, politics, economics, culture and gender (amongst others). Some will be put off (or worse) by Gary’s views on the major organized religions, which he sees mostly as organizations that are built around and seek external power. But if that does put you off (or worse), that is in essence part of his point. Gary also explains the distinction between a personality and a soul, which is at its essence, a critical distinction between those that are universal humans and those that are not. I wish all people would read this book as it’s so important in the effort to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering in our global village. The book reads as a meditation / prayer at times which I found very effective in communicating the central themes.
Profile Image for Marianne Pestana.
164 reviews12 followers
December 3, 2021
What does it really mean to be in your authentic power? While this term is a keyword in today's self-help groups with little direction, this book provides the roadmap on how to step into your authentic power on a daily basis. This book is a must-read for the spiritual thinker who is looking for the next level.
Profile Image for Mark Wenz.
330 reviews5 followers
September 11, 2023
I have the same criticism of this book that I had for Seat of the Soul: Who/what are your sources, Gary Zukav? How have you acquired such esoteric knowledge?

That being said, the content resonates with me. I would like to believe that we as a human race are evolving to a new level of consciousness, and that our crumbling institutions will be replaced by preferable replacements. I bask in the possibility of being pure energy that is a manifestation of Life itself, and that I have the opportunity to participate in a revolution of consciousness. These are attractive ideas.

That also being said, I have one other major criticism of the book (in addition to the lack of transparency regarding Zukav's sources), and that is Zukav's style. He repeats himself frequently, and the book is wordier than it needs to be. Thankfully, the chapters are short, so the repetition isn't too irritating, but I became exhausted by the repetition of the terms "external power," "authentic power," "align the personality with the soul," "fear," "love," and the "heart"--especially the first two terms.

On the positive side, some of Zukav's analogies and metaphors are not only effective but also creative and unique.

I would like to evolve into a Universal Human, so I thank Gary Zukav for his vision. If you're interested in evolving spiritually, this is a resource that I would recommend picking up. Grade: B+
Profile Image for Cheryl.
1,332 reviews122 followers
September 2, 2021
“As you breathe, you inhale oxygen which is created for you by the plant kingdom, and as you exhale you give the plant kingdom carbon dioxide which it uses to create oxygen, and so it goes. The sharing is endless. That which appears to be sharing is giving, and that which appears to be giving is sharing because the two cannot exist apart. As you develop the ability to share without second agendas, your sharing becomes like light from the sun or warmth from the sun. The sun has no hidden agendas. It has no requirements. It gives and gives and gives. Its sharing is complete.”

This is veering into the mumbo jumbo woowoo category, but I liked the challenge to conventional thinking, and there may be some resonance for me with the idea that we are more multi sensory than just the 5 physical senses. His arrogance is fairly off putting as he makes some blanket statements that reverse millennia of wisdom like denigrating mindfulness, but replaces it with heartfulness, so who can be truly mad, I want to be heartful and mindful like most people. I hope most people want that. Eventually we will overtake the world, so that is good. The path there is not at all clear, but I like the sense of it possibly being there in a world where doom and gloom dominate the philosophies and morals of our day.

Love is blissful. By love I mean gratitude, appreciation, caring, patience, contentment, awe of the universe, and more. Every form of love feels good.

Your emotions bring your attention to your next step in creating authentic power. They are your spiritual GPS. Most people think of emotions, especially painful emotions, as obstacles to spiritual development. Nothing could be less true. Your emotions are your avenues to spiritual growth. They reveal your road map to fulfillment, joy, and love moment by moment.

A belief system that causes you to contract—for example, that tells you the universe is dead, random, frightening, or merciless—generates a background of fear in your life. Every belief system that includes fear—such as fear of abandonment, rejection, or punishment—does the same. Your belief system that causes you to expand does the opposite. For example, a belief that the Universe is alive, compassionate, and wise opens you. When you adopt a belief system like this, the love in it infuses your actions and words the way that fear permeates them when your belief system includes fear. Love fills your awareness, and you become freer to create with intentions of love.

Authentic power is the alignment of the personality with the soul, which means the alignment of the multisensory personality with the intentions of its soul. As we begin to understand harmony as an intention of the soul, we see that harmony is simply a reflection of that which is. Little in the Earth school appears harmonious to five-sensory perception because it is the domain in which personalities come to learn the difference between love and fear so that they can choose love instead of fear. The entire Universe is harmonious, or balanced, but in ways that are beyond the human experience.

Meditation for five-sensory humans could be called mindfulness, for it fills the mind with awarenesses and understandings. Meditation for multisensory humans would more accurately be called heartfulness, for it fills awareness with the experiences of the heart.

We are all becoming artists, and the art that we are creating is our lives.
The Earth school is the studio, and the life of the artist is the work.
Profile Image for Chirag Donga.
124 reviews
June 22, 2024
There are many how-to-books, but there are fewer how to books that address meaning, purpose and fulfillment. This book is one of them. Gary Zukav is one of my favourite authors since I read his bestseller book- " The Seat of the Soul".
This book throws light on basically two aspects: love and fear. As new collective consciousness is being arise, there is a spiritual transitioning from fear-based approach to love based inclusive approach. The author keeps insisting on creating authentic power by choosing multi-sensory actions rather than typically five sensory actions that humanity had performed historically. Indirectly he mentioned that we should prefer a responsible choice that creates consequences for which we are willing to assume responsibility. Strangely it is opposite to structured thinking. Multi-sensory humans see animals, plants and minerals as part of life. They keep touch with nonphysical teachers as many spiritual books suggest by keeping their intention clear.
There is also consideration of evolution from five sensory perspective. As it was not negative but limited in nature. For example, Electricity did not make candle power negative. Candles served their purpose at the appropriate time. It beautifully describes how the intellect thrills at new inventions, connections and possibilities as the intellect was more important to five sensory humans than strength, speed and endurance.
It also suggests some new pathways to evolve further from multisensory humanity into universal humanity. Due to that race, gender, nation and patriotism might not exist once transition is effective. Awareness of emotions rather than external power is the key as this process is still going on.
Best lines to cherish: " The choice between love and fear is called temptation".
644 reviews
July 24, 2025
Trite, Repetitive, and Surprisingly Superficial.

As someone who was genuinely curious about the evolution of consciousness and has heard Zukav talk on YouTube, I found Universal Human to be a huge disappointment. Thought it presents itself as a profound exploration of spiritual transformation, what you get is a repetitive, meandering shallow reasoning that rarely offered up anything concrete, with depth or insightful.

The central idea—that humanity is shifting from five-sensory to multi-sensory perception, and that we must align with our "authentic power" to evolve—is repeated ad nauseam without any real development or substance. Instead of clarity or practical guidance, the book drowns in vague platitudes and circular reasoning. It often feels like the same sentence is rewritten dozens of times with slightly different words.

Worse still, Zukav seems unwilling (or unable) to meet readers where they are. There's a dismissive undertone, as though disagreement or even confusion is proof of a lack of enlightenment. That kind of spiritual superiority is both alienating and, frankly, discourteous to readers who came to the book in good faith and awakenings of their own. In short: Universal Human promises transformation but delivers a shallow echo chamber of half-formed ideas and spiritual jargon. It’s disappointing.

This review also appears in https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/....
Profile Image for Ben.
2,737 reviews233 followers
May 20, 2023
New Age BS

Brace yourself for a review that's going to rock your chakras!

Okay, let's be real. This book is definitely not for me. It dives headfirst into the realm of new age spirituality, pushing boundaries and challenging conventional thinking. If you're looking for a book that fits neatly into a specific genre or adheres to traditional beliefs, you might find yourself scratching your head in confusion.

Zukav's work can best be described as an unconventional exploration of human consciousness and the power that lies within us all. It delves into esoteric concepts, drawing on a mix of ancient wisdom and modern psychology to create a unique perspective on personal growth and spiritual evolution. You'll find yourself pondering topics like energy, intuition, karma, and the interconnectedness of all things.

Now, I must admit, this book can get a little weird at times. It takes some truly outlandish leaps of "faith" and presents ideas that might leave you feeling skeptical or bewildered.

While it's true that Universal Human can be challenging to digest, it also offers some brief moments of profound insight and introspection.

I, on one hand, prefer more grounded and biblically/scientifically rigorous approaches to personal development, which left this book to make me feel disconnected and even frustrated.

So, dive in only if you dare!

1.6/5
Profile Image for Connie Darlene Dunn.
10 reviews
November 18, 2022
After having read several titles from Gary Zukav, I’m a bit underwhelmed by this read. There was a moment where he was the industry leader and before his time when he first brought forth the multi-sensory being and structures of the soul, a number of years back. Now, this all sounds the same to me.

While I am highly supportive of Zukav and grateful to him for his teachings, there was nothing new to say. He demonstrated that by repeating himself a lot.

If you are new to spiritual new age reads then you might love this. If you’ve read a thousand books on the subject at the time many authors chose this style about 20 years ago, you may be a bit bored….that or it may be a refreshing reminder. It’s a matter of perspective.

12 reviews
July 7, 2021
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads. I found two sentences in the book worth re-reading. “Behind everything you do lies intention. You are always in motion, and the direction, intensity, duration, and everything about the motion is determined by your intention.”

I have a secret to tell you. Ever single human being alive is multi sensory. There ARE more then 5 senses.

It would be great if we all loved instead of feared but there are many other books on the shelves that can point you in that direction without a bunch of “Earth School” jargon written by scientists, psychologists, researchers, etc.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1 review
July 2, 2021
Having read Seat of the Soul before I was at this stage of consciousness, but found it to be very helpful in my Journey, I was more than delighted to see what Gary Zukav has produced in this particular time of Universal Consciousness! I can't find the words to express how powerful this book is, in it's bare-bones Truth. Thank you, Gary🙏
Profile Image for Taylor.
9 reviews
May 28, 2022
I've been reading this book for a while, but it has been somewhat hard to get through due to the repetitive nature of the text. I find my mind wandering while reading it and sometimes have to re-read the sentences for them to make sense, if at all.

While this is not my type of genre, I think the overall message of the novel is a great one.
Profile Image for Joshua.
7 reviews
January 12, 2023
Woke circumlocution

I really wanted to like this. It began slow with several words repeating every few sentences such as "five-sensory" and "multisensory". Later came the wokeness and an attempt to cast the protests and rioting of 2020 in a positive light. I have not read his first book and still plan on it. Maybe it has more substance than this vapid navel gazing refuse.
4 reviews
January 29, 2023
A great and insightful read into the nature of the new human consciousness. Gary presents several new and challenging ideas combined with other philosophies and guidance that come to the similar conclusions.

There isn't much in the way of actionable content, but the concepts and perspectives that come out of the book are well worth the read.
Profile Image for Chuck.
73 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2023
The middle section seemed a little preachy for me and in the spirit of full disclosure I did skip a bunch of those chapters. But the Parts 1 and 3 were fantastic. It would be groundbreaking new to this type of reading. Mr Zukav does a really good job of presenting core spiritual concepts in an approachable way.
96 reviews2 followers
March 31, 2024
I love Zukav’s premise that humans are evolving from five-sensory beings to multi-sensory beings to universal humans. However, I felt that this book could have been condensed into about a quarter of the length, as he repeated himself over and over. I enjoyed Seat of the Soul and Spiritual Partnership much more. That being said, his hope for humanity left me feeling inspired!
1 review
September 16, 2021
Evolving Humans

Excellent presentation of key issues to better understand why we are here and how we can impact change to foster the direction of our world. I liked the format with short chapters presenting major principles.
Profile Image for Manisha.
Author 6 books51 followers
December 6, 2022
Overall a nice read!
I would divide my book reading experience in three parts. The first part was good. The middle part was a bit boring. The last few chapters became pretty interesting. They felt quite spiritual and resonated with my personality.
Profile Image for Ezgi.
Author 2 books9 followers
October 25, 2025
I really love Gary Zukav’s teachings. This one was no different. Especially the first part touched my heart and soul. It gets a little repetitive in the second half but i see it as a mantra you keep telling yourself.
730 reviews9 followers
April 13, 2021
This was challenging but hopeful.
510 reviews95 followers
June 9, 2021
Love this book. Will be rereading this one.
Profile Image for L E.
271 reviews14 followers
Read
June 19, 2021
Thank you Goodreads for my free copy. I am going to need to digest this for a bit before I give a proper review.
577 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2021
A good read! If you like this one read The Seat of the Soul too!
Profile Image for Diane.
1,144 reviews
August 10, 2021
Mr. Zukav has done it again in explaining the basics. Interesting when he spoke about our social structure and how it is failing and changing. An enjoyable book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews

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