Every so often, a book comes along that doesn’t just tell you something new but asks you to stop, sit with it, and (dare I say) rethink how you think. Richard J. Choura’s Enrichment of the Self and Soul is one of those books.
Now, the title might sound lofty (and, truth be told, it is), but here’s the thing: Choura isn’t just stacking fancy words for the sake of it. He’s wrestling with the big questions, what it means to have a self, how we stay connected to our souls, and why deep, deliberate thought isn’t just a luxury but a survival tool in a world that feels increasingly chaotic.
One of the most striking phrases Choura uses is “raising self and thinking to an apocalyptic pitch.” At first, it sounds dramatic, like end-of-days kind of dramatic. But if you lean in, what he’s really pointing at is the idea that our deepest thinking has the power to shake us awake. It’s about pushing thought to the point where it transforms, where it stops being a background hum and becomes a clarion call. Choura quotes thinkers, poets, and even physicists to show that thought, when taken seriously, isn’t just about ideas floating around. It’s about creation, self-realization, and sometimes, if you let it, rebirth.
The book itself drifts comfortably between philosophy, metaphysics, poetry, and science. You get the sense Choura is not trying to hand you a neat “ten steps to a better self” kind of manual (thankfully). Instead, he’s drawing maps to hidden doors, some in art, some in religion, some in science, some just in the simple act of asking yourself, “What kind of being do I want to make of myself?”
And the author, Richard J. Choura isn’t writing from a detached, academic tower. He’s a thinker who clearly believes that grappling with the mysteries of the self is urgent work, not just a side hobby for philosophers. His background (he dives into psychology, philosophy, literature, even quantum physics) makes him a kind of bridge-builder, connecting worlds that normally don’t talk to each other. You can tell he’s got a reverence for the greats, Einstein, Jung, Plotinus, but he’s also trying to push past them, to make their wisdom usable for the everyday reader.
So why does all this matter? Because, honestly, most of us aren’t encouraged to think deeply anymore. We’re trained to scroll, skim, and react. Choura’s challenge, to raise thought to that “apocalyptic pitch” is basically a call to stop treating our minds like bystanders and start engaging them as creators. Not creators of content, but creators of meaning.
And maybe that’s the real transformation this book is after to remind us that the self isn’t just something we’re stuck with. It’s something we can shape, wrestle with, and yes, enrich, if we’re willing to think hard enough, and bravely enough, to do it.
Purchase Enrichment of the Self and Soul by Richard J. Choura via these links:
- Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Enrichment-of-the-Self-and-Soul-Paperback-9798893309058/5423656924
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Enrichment-Self-Soul-Richard-Choura/dp/B0CVNPNJFT/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0
- ARPress – https://authorreputationpress.com/bookstore/enrichment-of-the-self-and-soul/
- Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/enrichment-of-the-self-and-soul-richard-j-choura/1004648799