Wayne Walter Dyer (born May 10, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan) is a popular American self-help advocate, author and lecturer. His 1976 book Your Erroneous Zones has sold over 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all time.[1] It is said to have "[brought] humanistic ideas to the masses".[2]
Wayne Dyer | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1970s-present |
| Subject | psychology, spirituality |
| Website | |
| http://www.drwaynedyer.com/ | |
Biography
Dyer spent much of his adolescence in an orphanage.[3] He received his D.Ed. degree in counseling from Wayne State University. He was a guidance counselor in Detroit at the high school level and a professor of counselor education at St. John's University in New York.[3]
He first pursued an academic career, publishing in journals and running a successful private therapy practice, but his lectures at St. John's, which focused on positive thinking and motivational speaking techniques, attracted students beyond those enrolled. A literary agent persuaded Dyer to package his ideas in book form, resulting in Your Erroneous Zones; although initial sales were thin, Dyer quit his teaching job and began a publicity tour of the United States, doggedly pursuing bookstore appearances and media interviews ("out of the back of his station wagon", according to Michael Korda, making the best-seller lists "before book publishers even noticed what was happening"[4]), which eventually led to national television talk shows including Merv Griffin, The Tonight Show, and Phil Donahue.[3]
Dyer proceeded to build on his success with lecture tours, a series of audiotapes, and regular publication of new books. Dyer's audience was not limited to business as with Dale Carnegie or Stephen Covey, and so his message resonated with many in the New Thought Movement and beyond . He often recounted anecdotes from his family life, and repeatedly used his own life experience as an example. His self-made man success story was a part of his appeal.[3] Dyer told readers to pursue self actualization, calling reliance on the self as a guide a "religious" experience, and suggested that readers emulate Jesus Christ, who he termed both an example of a self-actualized person, and a "preacher of self-reliance".[2] Dyer criticized societal focus on guilt, which he saw as an unhealthy immobilization in the present due to actions taken in the past. He advocated readers to see how parents, institutions, and even themselves had imposed guilt trips on them.[5]
Although Dyer resisted the spiritual tag, by the 1990s he was altering his message to include more components of spirituality, in Real Magic, and higher consciousness, in Your Sacred Self.[3] Currently, his focus is on interpretations of Tao Te Ching and has many US speaking engagements.[6]
Personal life
Dyer lives in Maui, Hawaii. He has been married twice, having seven of his eight children by his second wife, Marcelene.[1]
Religious beliefs
"My belief is that the truth is a truth until you organize it, and then becomes a lie. I don't think that Jesus was teaching Christianity, Jesus was teaching kindness, love, concern, and peace. What I tell people is don't be Christian, be Christ like. Don't be Buddhist, be Buddha like."[1]
"Religion is orthodoxy, rules and historical scriptures maintained by people over long periods of time. Generally people are raised to obey the customs and practices of that religion without question. These are customs and expectations from outside the person and do not fit my definition of spiritual."[7]
Controversy
Since 2000, he has appeared several times on PBS during their pledge drives. Although PBS' local station managers believe that he is a popular speaker and successful in helping their stations raise money, some PBS viewers found the appearances disturbing in the sense "that PBS might be seen as lending its prestige to Dyer's spiritual views and aligning itself with his teachings".His beliefs are very close to Prajapita Brahmakumaris[8]
Bibliography
- Counseling Techniques That Work published June 1, 1975 by American Counseling Association ISBN 0-911547-26-6
- Your Erroneous Zones published August 1, 1976 by Harpercollins ISBN 0-06-109148-0
- Pulling Your Own Strings published April 1, 1978 by Hay House Inc ISBN 0-308-10336-X
- Group Counseling for Personal Mastery (1980)
- The Sky's the Limit published September 1, 1980 by Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-671-24989-4
- Gifts from Eykis : A Story of Self-Discovery published February 1, 1983 by Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-671-46066-8
- What Do You Really Want for Your Children published September 1, 1985 by William Morrow & Company ISBN 0-688-04527-8
- The Awakened Life - 6 tape/CD audio book
- Happy Holidays! (1986)
- Real Magic: Creating Miracles in Everyday Life published August 1, 1992 by Harpercollins ISBN 0-06-016678-9
- Everyday Wisdom published October 1, 1993 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-076-2
- How to Be a No-Limit Person published November 1994 by Simon & Schuster Audioworks ISBN 0743561635
- You'll See It When You Believe It: The Way to Your Personal Transformation published April 1, 1995 by Harpercollins ISBN 0-06-093733-5
- Your Sacred Self: Making the Decision to Be Free published April 1, 1995 by Harpercollins ISBN 0-06-017786-1
- A Promise Is a Promise: An Almost Unbelievable Story of a Mother's Unconditional Love and What It Can Teach Us published August 1, 1996 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-348-6
- Manifest Your Destiny: The Nine Spiritual Principles for Getting Everything You Want published April 1, 1997 by Harpercollins ISBN 0-06-017528-1
- Wisdom of the Ages published November 1, 1998 by HarperCollins ISBN 0-06-019231-3
- There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem published September 1, 2001 by Harpercollins ISBN 0-06-019230-5
- 10 Secrets For Success And Inner Peace published May 1, 2002 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-56170-875-5
- It's Never Crowded Along the Extra Mile published September 1, 2002 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1401901727
- Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact With God Through Meditation published December 1, 2002 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0131-X
- The Caroline Myss & Wayne Dyer Seminar published May 1, 2003 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1401902618
- Staying on the Path published September 30, 2004 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0349-5
- The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way published February 1, 2004 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0215-4
- Incredible You! published November 15, 2005 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0782-2
- Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling published February 1, 2006 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0721-0
- Being in Balance: 9 Principles for Creating habits to Match Your Desires February 2006 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-1038-6
- Everyday Wisdom for Success published April 15, 2006 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1-4019-0552-8
- Making Your Thoughts Work for You published February 15, 2007 by Hay House Inc ISBN 1401911897
- Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao published July 31, 2007 by Hay House Inc ISBN 978-1-4019-1184-3
- Living The Wisdom Of The Tao: The Complete Tao Te Ching and Affirmations published March 1, 2008 by Hay House Inc ISBN 978-1-4019-2149-1
- Excuses Begone (Tentative 2008 Release)
See also
References
- ^ a b c Wayne Dyer Interview
- ^ a b Dan P. McAdams (2006). The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live by. Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b c d e Dan Coffey (2002). St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. Gale Group.
- ^ Michael Korda (2001). Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999. Barnes & Noble Publishing.
- ^ Henlee Huxlee Barnette (1982). Exploring Medical Ethics. Mercer University Press.
- ^ Boca Raton News, November 13th, 2002.
- ^ There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem
- ^ PBS The Ombudsman Column, March 24th, 2006