A while ago, I happened upon a guy named Burt Goldman, who had a bunch of rather unusual videos on YouTube (you’ll see some of these in this section of my site). He kind of reminded me a little of Jack Klugman from the 1970’s sitcom The Odd Couple. But, he’s really just Burt Goldman, a fellow in his mid-80’s – in fact, he’s about my dad’s age.
(2023 UPDATE: We were informed of Burt’s passing at the age of 93, on 5/20/20).
He was talking about something he called “Quantum Jumping,” which sounded, to me, like some bizarre sport like “bungee jumping,” so of course I had to look! Now, I’m NOT going to get into Quantum Jumping in THIS article – there’s more about that here – much, much more. (Note: If you want to “jump” right to my review on the product: Click here for my Quantum Jumping Review)
Here, in this particular article, I’d really like to just talk a little about Burt, because this is a man who absolutely fascinates me.
In numerous videos and posts, I read Burt’s (and others’) stories about how in his late 70s he became an accomplished painter, photographer (“photo painting”) and author. Frankly, and this is my own opinion, this man looks like he’s in his 60s. There is no way Burt looks like he’s in his mid-80s.
Anyway, Burt Goldman didn’t just happen upon all this. He has studied yoga and meditation, remote viewing and also hypnosis, among other things. One of the things that caught my eye first about Burt (who is sometimes affectionately called the “American Monk”) is that he met with and studied the teachings of one of my own personal favorite teachers, Paramahansa Yogananda. He also studied Jose Silva’s techniques, and wound up co-writing a book with him.
But, it was probably his mention of Paramahansa Yogananda that initially gave him this credibility in my own eyes. Notice I said, “initially.” That’s because after I started to actually read Burt’s stuff, and watch some of his videos, I thought, “You know something, I think this guy is onto something and I want to try it.” (Incidentally – or perhaps NOT so incidentally, Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi was one of Steve Jobs’ favorite books. He read it over and over… Just sayin’…)
Anyway, he actually was a monk with Self-Realization Fellowship early on, and it was his students that bestowed the title “the American Monk” upon him.
One of the things that has also impressed me about Burt since I’ve immersed myself in his work is that he has used himself as a “guinea pig” in a sense, in that he has tested everything he’s studied on himself. I do the same – for example, you have no doubt seen some of my photos throughout this site of my books, tapes, cds, dvds, notebooks, etc. These are all resources that I have acquired and used over the years. To be sure, some methods “resonate” (think “being on the same wavelength”) with me a little more strongly than others, but that’s ok! That’s one reason why there are so many resources out there to begin with.
I kind of liken it to religion. There are oodles of religions out there, and some people gravitate to one, some to another, etc. And others, still, will try one religion after another and never quite find something that appeals to their nature.
So it’s the same thing with self-development or visualization tools.
For some reason, the minute I watched Burt on an introductory video, I loved him and his style. I know that part of it is that he studied under the beloved Swami Yogananda, which, as I said, was an instant “plus” in my book. I knew that he knew “stuff” that many other teachers may not have been exposed to.
The fact that he is no longer a practicing monk in the Self-Realization Fellowship does not matter to me. What matters is that he learned things that you just don’t forget when you have studied the teachings of this amazing Yogi.
It is possible that another reason I am really enjoying Burt and his materials is the no-nonsense manner in the way he comes across. Burt is not promising the moon. He openly says, about his methods, that, “hey, this may not work for you. It works for a lot of people, but it might not work for you.”
He emphasizes that this is not a “magic wand” and that there IS no “magic wand.”
I believe that it’s “trust.” There is a real credibility factor and trust that I have for Burt.
What he does deliver is an extremely enjoyable manner in which to explore an “alternate you” that exists in a dimension that is not necessarily visible to us using our physical senses. The method involves investigating ourselves as we might appear in a “parallel universe” – one in which we are not hampered by the limitations we perceive in THIS particular reality where we currently find ourselves.
I guess that the best way I can explain how I have come to understand this is that his methods help me reach a very deep part of my subconscious mind where everything is possible.
And THAT, my friend, is extremely exciting to me!
Again, I intend to write a number of other pages about Burt Goldman, our “American Monk” and share some personal insights as well.
I love what he says at the end of the video where 3 students visit Burt (you can also watch that video below at your leisure) “Nothing takes place until you take an action; until you take one foot and put it in front of the other. The longest journey, I’m sure you’ve heard this a thousand times, ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’ Until you take that first step, you’re not going anywhere. The first step is Quantum Jumping.”
For now, whaddaya say you “meet” Burt in this video?
PS: If you REALLY can’t wait, and just have to go see what this Quantum Jumping is all about before I have a chance to talk to you more about it, check out the Quantum Jumping Program at Amazon.