In an age obsessed with “positive vibes” and instant manifestation, Harvard educated author, Ed-tech founder, and global speaker Elan Divon delivers a new message: Transformation doesn’t take root in the light. It begins in total misalignment, uncertainty, and darkness.
In his bold new book, The Initiation, Divon turns the self-help world on its head — challenging the glossy promises of books like The Secret and ‘The Law of Attraction’ and exposing the real process behind personal awakening and manifestation.
Drawing on 15 years of research, lived transformation, and work with Fortune-500 leaders and young professionals, Divon reveals that before we can manifest anything, we must endure a spiritual crucible; a rite of passage that separates us from everything foundational in our lives.
“Every great spiritual teacher, innovator, and changemaker went through a process of separating from foundational elements in their life, to find their spark and leave their mark on the world,” says Divon. “They emerged from loss, heartbreak, and mental breakdown. They had to be ‘dismembered, to remember who they truly are and create alignment with what they came here to express and achieve. They had to undergo an initiation.”
What The Initiation Reveals
Why is it that Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie, Joe Dispenza, David Ghiyam, Mel Robbins, Rhonda Byron — and countless others — experienced their greatest breakthroughs not when they were radiating gratitude, positivity and abundance, but when they were depressed, lost, or at rock bottom?
Divon calls this The Initiation — the hidden architecture of transformation — and identifies three “sacred separations” every person must go through before they can truly create the life they’re meant to live.
Packed with jaw dropping stories, practical tools, and Divon’s own personal journey, The Initiation is a guide for anyone at a crossroads — young professionals, seekers, or anyone in transition — who wants to move beyond pop-spirituality into the deeper work that actually transforms lives.
The book’s key themes include:
· The Manifestation Myth: Three things people get wrong about the law of attraction and manifestation and why it fails.
· The Three Sacred Separations: The hidden architecture of transformation and three things you must separate from to become.
· Lost Rites, Lost Potential: How the disappearance of passage rites is fueling a mental health crisis and leaving young adults unprepared for life.
· The Orphan Archetype: Why so many world-shaping founders – of nations, companies, and movements – were fatherless or motherless, and what this reveals about our soul’s initiation and the importance of mentorship.
The book was previewed at a private event at Portofino Beverly Hills in late June.
Advance Praise
The Initiation offers a roadmap for spiritual growth that can help us all unleash our potential for greatness and live in accord with our highest self. – Deepak Chopra
Elan has laid out a logical path to human growth and development that is both deeply spiritual but also practical and relatable. For a young person starting out today, or anyone that’s going through a transition in life or trying to find their calling and ‘make it’, this book provides a compelling road map. – E! Entertainment Television founder Larry Namer
In a world saturated with self-help books, Elan offers an approach and a story that is inspiring and distinctive. The connections Elan makes between religion, pop-culture, and our everyday world are mind-blowing. The Initiation is a must read that will appeal to every generation! – Tiffany Shlain Emmy-nominated Filmmaker, Founder, The Webby Awards
The Initiation
Available now in Paperback, Kindle.
ISBN: 979-8284537503
Paperback on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/m3WQV
Kindle: https://shorturl.at/7mgWY
Divon has also created a 12-part program The Initiation Collective, based on the teachings of the book.
About Elan Divon
Elan Divon is a Harvard-trained author, speaker, and founder of Divon Academy; an education technology and coaching company that equips young people with work, life, and leadership skills that companies want but schools don’t teach and technology has disrupted.
He also served as the Director of Career Development at Chapman University’s Argyros College of Business and Economics, where he helped bridge the gap between education and the modern workforce.
Over the years, Divon has trained thousands of professionals in Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Uber, Intel, and Disney and helped countless individuals land jobs, lead teams, and multiply their impact. A captivating speaker, he’s inspired audiences from CEOs and business leaders, to professionals, parents and student groups. Combining insights from anthropology, psychology, science, and spirituality, Divon’s groundbreaking approach to human development has earned accolades from notables such as NBA Board Chairman Larry Tanenbaum and wellness guru Deepak Chopra.
Previously, Divon served as Vice President, Development of Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, where he co-founded the Einstein Legacy Project; a social impact initiative celebrating genius and human potential. Under his leadership, the project launched at NASDAQ and produced the world’s first 3D-printed book, Genius:100 Visions, featuring essays from luminaries such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michael Bloomberg, Paul Allen, Nobel Laureates, artists, and scientists.
A miniature version of the book was printed aboard the International Space Station in partnership with NASA. Divon’s academic achievements include master’s degrees from Harvard and Brandeis Universities, where he graduated with distinction, and a B.A. from the University of London’s Birkbeck College. In 2010 he penned his first book, Reaching Beyond the Religious.
