[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 153 (Tuesday, October 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1483-E1484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. WAYNE DYER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TIM RYAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 20, 2015

  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. 
Wayne Dyer. Dr. Dyer was an internationally renowned author and speaker 
in the field of self-development and spiritual growth. Over the span of 
his four-decade career, he wrote 42 books, 21 of which became New York 
Times bestsellers, and this wide readership earned him the affectionate 
nickname of ``the father of motivation'' among his fans.
   Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Dyer earned his doctorate 
in educational counseling from Wayne State University before serving as 
a professor at St. John's University in New York. Through his early 
work as a college educator, and as a clinical psychologist, he 
discovered the need to make the principles of self-discovery and 
personal growth available to the general public.
   After publishing a string of best-selling books on the practical 
psychology of self-improvement, Dr. Dyer felt a shift in his thinking 
that led him to explore the spiritual aspects of human experience. ``My 
purpose is to help people look at themselves and begin to shift their 
concepts,'' Dr. Dyer said at the time. ``Remember, we are not our 
country, our race, or religion. We are eternal spirits. Seeing 
ourselves as spiritual beings without label is a way to transform the 
world and reach a sacred place for all of humanity.''
   Dr. Dyer created several audio programs and videos, and appeared on 
thousands of television and radio shows over the course of his career. 
Many of his books have been featured as PBS specials, raising over $200 
million for public television stations nationwide and making Dr. Dyer 
one of PBS's most successful fund-raisers. This philanthropic spirit 
was intrinsic to Dr. Dyer, as illustrated by his charitable 
contributions to his alma mater, Wayne State University, which totaled 
more than $1 million.
   Dr. Dyer's first feature film, The Shift, was released in 2009, 
followed in 2012 by the autobiographical film, My Greatest Teacher. The 
second film dramatized a defining moment in Dyer's life, when he had 
visited the grave of his father, who had abandoned him as a young boy. 
While the intention that day had been to exact some form of vengeance 
on the man Dyer felt had sent him down a dark path of rage and 
alcoholism, at the gravesite Dr. Dyer was overcome by inexplicable 
feelings of love and forgiveness. He credited this experience with 
changing the trajectory of his life. The date of this experience was 
August 30, 1974. On the exact same day, 41 years later, Dr. Dyer passed 
on.
   Beyond this formative experience with his father, Dr. Dyer counted 
among his teachers St. Francis of Assisi, Lao Tzu, Rumi, Carl Jung, and 
Abraham Maslow.
   Despite a childhood spent in orphanages and foster homes, Dr. Dyer 
made his dreams come true. He lived to teach others to overcome their 
perceived limits and engage in their ``Highest Self.''

[[Page E1484]]

   Just before his passing, Dr. Dyer had returned from Australia and 
New Zealand, where he lectured in front of thousands of people. As a 
father to eight children and nine grandchildren, he was back home in 
Maui looking forward to spending time with his family, while gearing up 
for the launch of his upcoming book.
   While he had struggled with leukemia, Dr. Dyer was the healthiest he 
had been in years, keeping a very active schedule. His death has 
officially been attributed to heart failure.
   Dr. Dyer was a man dedicated to the betterment of others. His work 
touched countless lives, and his influence will certainly be missed.

                          ____________________