Of Endings and Beginnings – A Memoir of Discovery and Transformation

Robert Speigel takes us on a roller coaster ride, the ride of his life: With great candor and the desire to find truth beyond mind he gives in to the process of exposing his cellular nucleus and goes through an unexpected transformation of the Self. This is a courageous account of one man's journey towards healing, unearthing his Shadow.
The Jewish experience takes on quite some page-turners in this account: In a way, Robert literally becomes the one who perished in the Holocaust and was reborn, with the memories etched on his hard drive. And, in the process of letting go of past beliefs and lives, he arrives at a new holistic view of himself and ourselves, past, present, and future. True enough; the Holocaust is a major player in the genetic memory of the Jewish people, here and now. It has made us, Israelis, who we are.
Robert shows us in this truly raw and groundbreaking account of his journey, the opportunity of Integration in the process of Healing.

I read this book with great delight. It was a book that I found transformative for sure, wow. I had to stop reading after the recollection scene of the soldier, it hit close to home and I needed to process more before I was ready to continue - as is the case with all transformative art, I digest it in portions and have to grow to go forward. So glad I did, what a sweet ending.

Rob takes the reader on an amazing journey through healing and personal awareness! It is an incredible, and eye-opening ride through the thoughts and awakenings of one person's healing that allows the reader an intimate look at the process of healing through heart-centered hypnotherapy and other holistic techniques. It's a down-to-earth, real look at how healing happens, even in our most doubtful and resistant self! It is a MUST READ for every person!

I loved Mr. Speigel's book! It was honest, painful, and inspiring. The stories within the book were personal and profound, particularly the past-life content. This is an important book for anyone who seeks inner wisdom, knowing and clarity. It is a beautiful and heartful piece of work. I highly recommend it!

I loved reading Rob's candid autobiography.. we have all had to deal with trauma in our lives and Rob's approach has worked for him. These are powerful messages which deserve a considered read. But it's also a touching story about coming of age, and dealing with triumph and defeat.

When I read a memoir, I imagine I will be spoon-fed a list of someone’s important life events. I expect to be mildly interested in the who’s who in their life. Perhaps I will even feel some compassion and understanding of how this person became the “great” being that they are now. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be entertained.
What I do not expect is to be surprised, challenged, and touched on a very deep level. And, this is exactly what I experienced in reading Rob Speigel’s “Of Endings and Beginnings – A Memoir of Discovery and Transformation.”
Rob seems like a regular guy. Someone who has had the ups and downs in life that we’ve all had. Tough relationships with parents, family, and relationships. Angst about our path in life, work, jobs, and friends. Finding true love and purpose in everyday life.
So, what’s so special about this memoir? Rob adds another layer to all this personal development stuff – a layer of past lives and psychic connections. What?? Okay, now it sounds wonky at best. And Rob would be the first to suggest that all this “woo-woo” is not at all comfortable for the science-based clinical psychologist that he is. If we can’t measure it, does it exist? Or is it just our crazy imagination working overtime?
The answer is: Does it matter? What difference does it make if it’s “real” or our “imagination” if these profound experiences release old tensions and shine a light on our “beloofs” (Rob’s made-up word about our false beliefs that are embedded early in our development).
Think about how often we have dreams that are just a muddle of unfinished business, and other dreams that stick with us for days, beautiful or scary, metaphorical or straightforward. Aren’t those just our minds/imaginations, too? And, who is to say that those are any less impactful than an hour with your therapist?
If you can reach that conclusion, then give this book a chance. It may just change the way you look at your own world of hurt.
This book is a beautiful gift to all of us who are seeking personal healing. There is definitely HOPE that we CAN get through it, learn from it, heal from it, AND transform.

Having taken a similar journey to Rob's with the same teachers, I loved reading his book. Although my personal narrative is uniquely mine, his path of transformation and healing totally resonated with me. For those of us grounded in the world of science, traditional therapy, and academics, it is a leap of faith to jump into the transpersonal. It can be an experience that challenges us on every level. Rob's depictions, though uniquely his, are an invitation to all to take the risk and experience the incredible rewards possible when one chooses to commit to a healing journey.

When I got Rob's book, I expected to read a story of his life with various events that I might recognize. I didn't expect a page-turner! He has written about his journey, not from the practitioner's perspective, but from a client's perspective - which makes it very personal and engaging. I really enjoyed his honesty and how he reveals his journey. Just by reading about his process, I learned ways to look at my own life and gained insights that I might use for my own development. Great read - a must-read for anyone who is in the healing profession or anyone who wants to learn more about themselves!

Being a parent myself, not only was this book uplifting and inspiring, it is written in a way that I couldn't put it down. Having a teenager that also pushes limits, it's refreshing to hear another's experience and to be reminded of how our challenges truly are our opportunities to make us stronger and more whole.
Thank you to the author for connecting his past and future journeys in a way that shows a bigger picture. There is a path to internal peace which in turn impacts the health of not only our present selves but our past and future selves too.
I highly recommend this memoir, we can all build on failure and even trauma if given the right tools. Robert sharing his story is proof of that.