Becoming Supernatural vs. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: Which to Read First?

If your primary goal is to overcome repetitive negative behaviors, manage daily stress, and understand the foundational mind-body connection, your best starting point is Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. This book provides the essential neuroscience and epigenetic frameworks required to understand how thoughts influence physical reality, offering a structured, step-by-step guide to rewiring your brain. However, if you already maintain a consistent mindfulness practice, feel comfortable with longer meditation sessions, and want to explore advanced concepts like energy centers, brain wave states, and mystical experiences, Becoming Supernatural is the more appropriate choice. Both books offer distinct pathways to personal development, and selecting the right one depends entirely on your current experience level and what you hope to achieve.

Understanding where you stand on your personal growth journey is crucial when approaching the work of Joe Dispenza. His books build upon one another, creating a progressive system of mental training and meditation. While each text is designed to stand alone, jumping directly into his more advanced material without the foundational vocabulary can lead to confusion or frustration. By evaluating the core themes, target audiences, and practical exercises of both works, you can make an informed purchase that aligns with your immediate goals.

Core Themes: What Each Book Actually Teaches

To choose the right book, it is helpful to understand the distinct philosophical and educational focus of each text. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself serves as an introductory bridge between science and self-improvement. The book is divided into three main parts: the science of change, the mechanics of the brain, and the practical step-by-step meditation process. The author utilizes concepts from neuroscience, epigenetics, and quantum physics to explain how individuals become trapped in repetitive emotional loops. The core premise is that your personality creates your personal reality, and to change your life, you must literally change your state of being by breaking the habit of your old self.

In contrast, Becoming Supernatural takes these foundational concepts and projects them into more esoteric, advanced territories. This book explores how ordinary people can do uncommon things to reach transcendent states of consciousness. Instead of focusing primarily on breaking old habits, it details how to channel creative energy, activate the pineal gland, balance the body’s eight energy centers (similar to traditional chakras), and transition through different brain wave states. The narrative shifts from basic self-regulation to achieving mystical experiences and consciously altering your physical biology through deep focus.

When reading either book, it is important to maintain a balanced perspective regarding the scientific frameworks presented. The author frequently references quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and cellular biology to explain his meditation techniques. Readers should view these concepts as a creative personal development framework rather than peer-reviewed medical, clinical, or physical science. The value of these books lies in their practical mindfulness exercises and cognitive behavioral strategies, rather than as substitutes for professional medical advice or established scientific consensus.

Target Reader: Where Are You on Your Journey?

Identifying your current level of experience with meditation and self-reflection will quickly point you toward the correct book. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself is specifically tailored for beginners or those who feel stuck in negative behavioral patterns. If you find yourself struggling with chronic stress, reactive emotional habits, or a busy mind that resists quiet reflection, this book offers a highly structured, logical entry point. It explains the “why” behind your habits before asking you to change them, making it ideal for analytical readers who need intellectual buy-in before committing to a practice.

Becoming Supernatural is designed for a different stage of personal development. It targets readers who are already comfortable with basic mindfulness, can sit in silence for extended periods, and are open to metaphysical or spiritual concepts. If you are already familiar with the idea that thoughts influence your physical state and you want to push the boundaries of your meditation practice, this book provides the advanced tools you seek. It is less about overcoming daily anxieties and more about exploring the upper limits of human consciousness and energy.

For most readers, starting with the foundational vocabulary of Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself makes the advanced material in Becoming Supernatural far more accessible. The first book establishes critical mental models—such as the difference between the analytical mind and the subconscious, and how the body acts as the mind. When you eventually transition to the second book, you will already understand the basic mechanics of mental rehearsal, allowing you to focus entirely on the complex breathwork and energy-center meditations without feeling overwhelmed by new terminology.

Practical Application: Meditations and Daily Exercises

The practical exercises in these two books require different levels of commitment, physical technique, and mental focus. In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, the practical section outlines a structured four-week meditation program. This program is designed to be cumulative, starting with simple body-awareness techniques in week one and gradually adding steps like recognition, admission, surrender, and creation by week four. The primary techniques involve guided visualizations and mental rehearsals, where you consciously practice thinking and feeling differently while in a relaxed state.

Becoming Supernatural introduces a much wider and more physically demanding array of practices. These include specific breathwork techniques designed to pull creative energy up the spine to the brain, walking meditations, and focused attention on the body’s individual energy centers. The meditations in this book often require a longer daily time commitment, sometimes lasting an hour or more, and demand a high level of physical and mental discipline. The learning curve is steeper, as you must master complex breathing patterns and learn to maintain focus on empty space rather than concrete objects.

Before purchasing either book, it is highly recommended to verify the inclusions of your specific edition. Both systems rely heavily on guided audio meditations to talk you through the exercises, which can be difficult to execute purely from memory while reading a page. Check whether your chosen physical book, e-book, or audiobook edition includes companion downloads, or if you will need to purchase the guided audio tracks separately. Many readers find that having a physical copy of the book for study, paired with official audio guides for the actual practice, offers the most effective learning experience.

Decision Framework: Which Book Should You Buy First?

To finalize your decision, consider your immediate personal development goals and your willingness to commit to a daily practice.

You should choose Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself if:

• Your primary goal is to break free from past conditioning, manage daily stress, or overcome specific negative habits.
• You prefer a highly structured, step-by-step program that guides you gradually over several weeks.
• You are relatively new to meditation and want to understand the basic mind-body connection before exploring spiritual concepts.

You should choose Becoming Supernatural if:

• You already have a consistent daily meditation habit and are comfortable sitting in silence for 45 minutes or longer.
• You want to explore advanced topics like the pineal gland, energy centers, and transcendent states of consciousness.
• You are looking for dynamic, physically active meditation techniques like breathwork and walking meditations.

Before making your purchase, take a moment to verify the format that best fits your lifestyle. If you enjoy highlighting text and studying diagrams of brain waves or energy centers, a physical book or a high-quality e-book is highly beneficial. If you prefer learning on the go, an audiobook is convenient, but you should ensure you have access to the accompanying PDF booklets to view the essential visual aids. Whichever path you choose, approach the material with an open mind and a commitment to consistent daily practice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I need to read Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself before Becoming Supernatural?

While it is not strictly mandatory to read them in chronological order, starting with Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself is highly recommended. The first book establishes the foundational vocabulary, scientific metaphors, and basic meditation skills that the author assumes you already know when you begin Becoming Supernatural. Reading them in order prevents you from feeling lost when advanced concepts like “the quantum field” or “the analytical mind” are discussed in the second book.

Are the audiobooks sufficient, or do I need the physical books?

The audiobooks are excellent for absorbing the conceptual material, but they can make practicing the actual meditations challenging. Both books contain important visual aids, including anatomical diagrams, brain wave charts, and step-by-step meditation outlines that are difficult to appreciate fully through audio alone. If you choose the audiobook format, verify that it comes with an accompanying PDF download containing these visual references, or consider purchasing a physical copy to use as a study guide alongside your listening.