10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

Shortly after his interview with Tolle, Harris was asked to moderate ABC’s “Face-Off.” The topic was the existence of Satan, and the guests included Deepak Chopra, a popular spiritual guru who had written several best sellers. Filming segments to be spliced into the episode, Harris interviewed Chopra and asked him about Tolle’s ideas of the ego. Chopra dismissed Tolle’s writing but seemed to agree with the necessity of being present-minded. However, like Tolle, he did not seem to have a specific way to go about this. Instead, he told Harris, “Hang around with me” (74) and learn by example. Harris remained skeptical.

Harris was surprised by the popularity of his interview with Chopra, as was David Westin, the president of the ABC News division. When Westin asked Harris about his burgeoning interest in the ego, however, Harris couldn’t fully articulate why he felt it resonated with either audiences or himself. After talking with several other people—family, friends, and colleagues—and failing to put his thoughts into an understandable narrative, Harris wrote to Chopra. He asked if he could profile him for Sunday World News, a professional way to hang around with the guru.