Eckhart TolleNYT Bestselling author of the Power of Now

Eckhart Tolle: What Do You Know for Sure?

14 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief excerpt, Eckhart Tolle reflects on Oprah Winfrey’s signature interview question, “What do you know for sure?” He explains that the only thing one can truly know is that one is conscious in the present moment. Tolle emphasizes the transformative insight of becoming conscious of one’s own consciousness—what he calls self‑conscious awareness. This shift, he notes, quiets the mind because the mind normally operates by being conscious of objects, not of consciousness itself. By recognizing that consciousness is self‑aware, the mind’s incessant chatter is halted, opening a space of presence.

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Oprah has this famous question at the end of when she interviews people. The last question that she often asks is, what do you know for sure? And of course, well, she also asked me that. I don't know what I said in that moment, but what you know for sure ultimately is it's really only Only one thing that you can know for sure, and that is that, that you are conscious right now. And it's amazing to, to, to become conscious that you are conscious. It stops the mind. It has to, otherwise you can't be conscious that you're conscious, because when you're thinking, you're conscious of something. But you're not conscious, conscious of consciousness. But all it means is consciousness has become self-conscious.