'Eat, Pray, Love' Author Liz Gilbert Tackles Self-Help Charlatans, Divinity and Oprah

Jan. 10, 2010 — -- Liz Gilbert, author of the mega best-seller "Eat, Pray, Love," is so wildly popular that her followers have sometimes been referred to as the "cult of Liz."

That "cult" has some pretty high-profile members, including Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton and

ABC News' Dan Harris spoke with Gilbert recently.

Harris: Do you still meditate?

Liz Gilbert: Sometimes, and badly. I think if people want a meditation teacher they should certainly look to somebody other than me.

Harris: There's an amazing scene in your book where you talk about being "pulled into the wormhole of the divine" where you talk about sitting in "God's palm." Why would you not want to go back there?

Gilbert: Because I'm not a monk. It was really clear to me, even in that moment, that if you want this all of the time, this extremely poignant and pungent esoteric experience, this must be what you dedicate your life to, and now you know how. I don't belong in a monastery, you know. I belong in the world. I'm a stuff doer. I'm not a monk.

Although Gilbert is not as strict in her practices as she once was, she does believe the techniques she used to achieve inner peace in India continue to help her today and can help others, "create space for themselves."

Gilbert: I also think it's important that we not lie to people and tell them that they can do that [meditate] at least 24 hours a day.

Harris: But you can do it 10 minutes a day.