Eckhart Tolle
Born 1948 · Age 77
German-born spiritual teacher and bestselling author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, known for teachings on presence and consciousness.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Ulrich Leonard Tölle in Lünen, Germany
Ulrich Leonard Tölle was born in Lünen, a small town north of Dortmund in the Ruhr region of Germany.
Refused formal education (period)
Refused all forms of formal education between the ages of 13 and 22, pursuing his own creative and philosophical interests.
Moved to Spain to live with his father
At age 13 Tolle moved to Spain and later largely refused formal education between ages 13 and 22.
Received spiritual books by Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken
At 15 he was heavily influenced by a gift of five spiritual books by the German mystic Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken.
Moved to England and taught languages
At 19 he moved to England and taught German and Spanish for three years at a London language school.
Attended the University of London
After teaching, Tolle attended the University of London (studies in philosophy/psychology/literature cited in sources).
Enrolled in postgraduate program at University of Cambridge
Tolle enrolled in a postgraduate program at Cambridge University to work toward a doctorate.
Experienced spiritual awakening and abandoned doctoral studies
One night in 1977 he experienced a life-changing 'inner transformation' (awakening), after which he stopped doctoral studies and began a period of intense presence and solitude.
Lived in deep presence; sat on park benches and lived simply
For about two years after his awakening he spent long periods sitting in a state of deep bliss on park benches (Russell Square), stayed with friends, in a Buddhist monastery or slept rough on Hampstead Heath.
Began working as counselor and spiritual teacher
Former Cambridge students and acquaintances sought him out; he began counseling and teaching spiritually; students continued to come over the next five years.
Moved to Glastonbury (approx.)
Tolle moved to Glastonbury, a center of alternative living (exact year not specified; placed in the period after Cambridge studies and prior to settling in Vancouver).
Relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia
After several visits to the West Coast of North America, Tolle settled in Vancouver in 1995.
Met partner Kim Eng in Vancouver
In Vancouver he met his partner Kim Eng (relationship noted following his move).
Published The Power of Now (first edition)
Tolle's first book The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment was published by Namaste Publishing.
The Power of Now republished by New World Library
The Power of Now was republished on a large scale by New World Library, increasing distribution.
Growth of teaching materials & online offerings begins
After republishing of The Power of Now and rising popularity, a range of materials, recorded meditations and later online streaming of monthly group meditations expanded (timeline of growth around late 1990s–2000s).
Oprah Winfrey recommends The Power of Now
Oprah recommended The Power of Now in her magazine O., significantly boosting its profile.
The Power of Now reaches NYT Best Seller list
In August 2000 the book reached The New York Times Best Seller Advice, Miscellaneous and Hardcover list.
Published Practicing the Power of Now
Published Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now.
The Power of Now reaches #1 on bestseller lists (approx.)
Approximately two years after hitting the NYT list, the book reached number one (sources note top placement by ~2002–2003).
Published Stillness Speaks
Tolle's second book Stillness Speaks was published in 2003; he stated he did not intend to create an organization or ashram.
Published A New Earth
Tolle published A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.
3.5 million copies of A New Earth shipped after Oprah promotion
In the four weeks after Oprah's announcement, 3.5 million copies were shipped.
Oprah selects A New Earth for her book club (Jan 2008)
Oprah selected A New Earth for her book club in January 2008, leading to massive sales increases.
A New Earth ranks #1 on NYT list many times in 2008
By the end of 2008 it had been ranked number one on The New York Times Best Seller list 46 times.
Partnered with Oprah to produce A New Earth webinars
Tolle and Oprah produced a series of webinars (each focused on a chapter), including discussions, silent meditations, and viewer participation via Skype.
Third Oprah webinar attracts over 11 million viewers
The third webinar in the Oprah series attracted more than 11 million viewers.
Published Milton's Secret (children's book)
Milton's Secret: An Adventure of Discovery through Then, When, and The Power of Now was published (listed as 2008 in publications).
The Power of Now translated into 33 languages (by 2008)
By 2008 The Power of Now had been translated from English into 33 languages (per Wikipedia).
Described by NYT as 'most popular spiritual author' in the U.S.
In 2008 The New York Times described Tolle as 'the most popular spiritual author' in the United States.
Started streaming monthly group meditations (site/material expansion)
A separate website streamed video of monthly group meditations and sold a range of spiritual guidance materials (growth of digital teaching presence in late 2000s).
Estimated North American sales numbers reported (by 2009)
By 2009 estimated North American sales were ~3 million copies for The Power of Now and ~5 million for A New Earth.
Published Guardians of Being (picture book, illustrated by Patrick McDonnell)
Tolle published the picture book Guardians of Being in 2009, illustrated by Patrick McDonnell.
Webinars accessed 35 million times by October 2009
By October 2009 the Oprah/Tolle webinars had been accessed about 35 million times.
Appeared with the Dalai Lama at Vancouver Peace Summit
Tolle appeared alongside the Dalai Lama at the Vancouver Peace Summit in September 2009.
The Power of Now appeared on Paperback Advice best-sellers list 102 weeks
By July 2011 The Power of Now had appeared on the list of the 10 best selling Paperback Advice & Miscellaneous books for 102 weeks.
Included in Watkins' Spiritual 100 list (ongoing top-five placements)
In 2011 Watkins Review ranked him first, and he has been included in the top five every year since (per provided sources).
Ranked #1 in Watkins' inaugural '100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People'
Watkins Review (Watkins' Mind Body Spirit) ranked Tolle first in its inaugural list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.
Explained reason for changing his name to 'Eckhart' (interview anecdote)
In a 2012 interview he said he saw the name Eckhart in a dream and a psychic friend later called him Eckhart, prompting his name change (to honor Meister Eckhart in some reports).
Milton's Secret adapted to film (2016)
The children's picture book Milton's Secret was adapted into a film in 2016, featuring Donald Sutherland and Michelle Rodriguez.
Claimed award: Order of the Sacred Treasure (reported)
Some sources report Tolle was awarded the 'Order of Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon' by the Emperor of Japan in 2017 (note: this claim appears in secondary sources included in provided material).
Featured in Kendrick Lamar's album 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'
Tolle and his teachings take a central role in Kendrick Lamar's 2022 album; Tolle narrates some tracks and is positioned as Lamar's spiritual teacher.
Reported partnership with Oprah to create a weekly podcast (reported by secondary source)
Some sources in the provided material state that in 2023 Tolle partnered with Oprah again to create a weekly podcast series (secondary source claim).
Official site claims translations into 52 languages (as of 2025)
Eckhart Tolle's official site (copyright 2025) states his books have been translated into 52 languages.
Oprah selects A New Earth for her book club again (Jan 2025)
AP News reported that Oprah Winfrey selected A New Earth for her book club for a second time in January 2025 — the only book to be chosen twice in the club's history.
Key Achievement Ages
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