At a deeper level of spirituality

After reading and stumbling into infinity, a startled Deepak Chopra, an India-born American physician, a holistic health and New Age guru, said "Michael Fischman's journey reveals how fears and negative emotions can be transformed into love, compassion, and higher consciousness when a student has an authentic relationship with a wise teacher." Michael Fischman launched his spiritual memoir 'Stumbling into Infinity' at Oxford Book Store on Wednesday. When it comes to the author, a former advertising executive with Ogilvy & Mather, his acute transformation can be narrated like a story. Winner of the Nautilus Silver Award, an Eric Hoffer Prize, and a Finalist in the 'USA Best Books 2011 Awards, Stumbling Into Infinity reveals the unusual chain of events that led Michael from a challenging childhood in an Orthodox Jewish household to an unexpected role as friend and helper to renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and the transformation ahead. In an interaction with The Hans India the author shared, "As someone who had an intimate seat at the beginning of a great spiritual movement, I wanted to convey some of the magic and mystery of those early years." But, he takes it beyond his original goal. "I witnessed a death at a very tender age which was that of my grandfather, and that moment raised questions in me, and I sought answers. I took up meditation for decades, but the final satisfaction was attained when I met Guruji," he added.

As Sri Sri helped Fischman navigate a doomed relationship and other difficulties, Fischman's innocent telling is hard to resist. He shares this intimate and sometimes startling account of his spiritual journey in a way that makes concepts like gurus, dispassion, and meditation easy to relate to. He even takes us into the Orthodox Jewish world of his childhood and the mystical Judaism he finds on a trip to Israel. 'Stumbling Into Infinity' joins a long tradition of spiritual memoirs that have opened readers to new experiences and ways of seeing the world by letting them live the experience with the author. It is a compelling narrative that blends remarkable experiences with an inner struggle and search for meaning.