The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning

Book Description

I Am Not Perfect is a simple statement of profound truth, the first step toward understanding the human condition, for to deny your essential imperfection is to deny yourself and your own humanity. The spirituality of imperfection, steeped in the rich traditions of the Hebrew prophets and Greek thinkers, Buddhist sages and Christian disciples, is a message as timeless as it is timely. This insightful work draws on the wisdom stories of the ages to provide an extraordinary wellspring of hope and inspiration to anyone thirsting for spiritual growth and guidance in these troubled times.

Who are we? Why so we so often fall short of our goals for ourselves and others? By seeking to understand our limitations and accept the inevitably of failure and pain, we being to ease the hurt and move toward a greater sense of serenity and self-awareness. The Spirituality Of Imperfection brings together stories from many spiritual and philosophical paths, weaving past traditions into a spirituality and a new way of thinking and living that works today. It speaks so anyone who yearns to find meaning within suffering. Beyond theory and technique, inside this remarkable book you will find a new way of thinking, a way of living that enables a truly human existence.

Customer Reviews:

One of the most important books I've read.......2007-10-06

I found this book at a retreat (Manresa) a few years ago and have purchased at least a couple dozen of these books for friends since then, with consistently enthusiastic feedback.

I really don't have the proper words to capture the meaning or importance of this book. It's a slow, intense, delicious read ... kind of like eating a very rich Belgian chocolate.

If you like this book, then you may like this one, too:
The Song of the Bird

Spirituality of Imperfection.......2007-09-23

The book was most helpful in evaluation my spirituality and I have or will give 5 copies to my relatves for their improvement.

new book1.......2007-07-21

I've read the book before. Glad to have my own copy now. Package arrived soon after ordering in good condition. Very pleased.

From AA to Zeitgeist.......2007-07-15

This is a remarkably wise book, whatever your spiritual history. From Desert Fathers and Thomas Merton to the Tao Te Ching, its scope is broad and charged with a vision of understanding that stands at the base of any effort to the growth of the soul through the five indices: prayer, observance, disciline, thought and action.

Understanding and Acceptance.......2007-05-14

Ernie Kurtz has written a comprehensive book about the acceptance of self and our human frailities that brings us into a closer relationship with a higher power and deepens our spirituality.

Sometimes over complicated and a bit confusing, but carefully
documented.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely delightful
Insight into the big question in a roundabout and gentle way
Great Book
REAL AND REALLY FUNNY
Sweet and funny

The Meaning Of Life
Bradley Trevor Greive
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Self-Help & Psychology | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Personal Transformation | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0740723367

Book Description

It's an age-old question that has stumped the great minds of history: What is the meaning of life? In his hilarious and uplifting style, best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive finally provides the answer: Figure out what you love and do it.Illustrated with playful photographs of animals, BTG's insightful prose again hits his target straight on. He muses about why we're here and our greater purpose in the grand scheme of things. His informal style provides a refreshing counterpoint to what has always been one of life's big debates. For example, when it comes to discovering your passion, BTG writes, "First, no one else will tell you about it-it's just like walking around all day with a sign on your back that says KICK ME.The Meaning of Life is a witty, thought-provoking book that makes an ideal gift for anyone who's seeking their true purpose-and wants to laugh along the way.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely delightful.......2007-01-10

Excellent selection of photographs that are well matched to the witty prose. I recommend this book for anyone who needs a cheering up and a hearty laugh.
Well done!

Insight into the big question in a roundabout and gentle way.......2006-09-17

This book is a linear commentary on the little things in life. Each page and comment has a picture of an animal that adds meaning to the comment -almost always in a make you smile or outright laugh kind of way.

It is a gentle and sensitive light hearted book that everyone will enjoy and gain something from. Of course it doesn't answer the big question, it just gives you food for thought about it.

The only minus about this book is that all the pictures are in black and white. Color would have been so much better.

Great Book.......2006-03-28

I love this book. Everytime I read it I get something else from it. My kids like it to because of the great animal pictures. I have let co-workers borrow it and they had to buy their own. Wonderful for all ages.

REAL AND REALLY FUNNY.......2006-03-17

THIS BOOK IS SO REAL, AND SO FUNNY, I AM NOW BUYING IT FOR GIFTS, ANYONE WHO READS THE ENTIRE BOOK, WILL WANT ONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS BOOK, I WILL BE PASSING IT ALONG THE WAY....

Sweet and funny.......2006-03-15

Would recommend the book for anyone looking for a lightly thought provoking ideas.

Messages from the Body: Their Psychological Meaning (The Body's Desk Reference)

Average customer rating:

The insights in this book blew me away.
My clients think I'm amazing.
When you can handle the TRUTH!!!Get This!
An astonishing important reference with the power to heal

Messages from the Body: Their Psychological Meaning (The Body's Desk Reference)

Manufacturer: Talking Hearts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0977206904

Product Description

Messages From The Body is more than a PDR from the Homeopathy Field. Illnesses and disorders are linked to beliefs and changes of beliefs about oneself, about the nature of one's relationships with others, about one's position in the social world, and about where one stands in relation to the Universe. And these, in turn, are determined by one's life experiences, by one's interventions in the world, and by one's soul history. This reference book will bring awareness from the physical into the mental! Enjoy!

Customer Reviews:

The insights in this book blew me away........2006-12-08

I thought this was a bit expensive when I sent for it. Believe me, if you are into healing yourself and others, it is the biggest bargain at Amazon!

The underlying issues beneath life and health problems are served up with uncanny accuracy. It was funny to see how my itchy ears and other minor problems have the same root as my diabetes.

Reading through this book is a total education in how many ways we can become tweaked out of balance by our dysfunctional families.
I am using the healing codes/Q codes as my healing tool now the issues are clear. I am so grateful for this book!
Pam

My clients think I'm amazing........2006-11-16

Dr. Lincoln's book gets right to the emotional/belief root of physical issues. My clients can't believe how "right on" the information is. It saves much time and allows targeted healing where it will really do some good. My application is The Healing Codes which targets only the spiritual (belief) roots of life issues.

When you can handle the TRUTH!!!Get This!.......2006-05-28

I have used this book for myself and my patients for many years.
The "Healing Lite" community sweeps the underlying cause under the carpet and eventually the patient ends up on pharmaceuticals and with traditional "talk it out" therapy...no transformation, just another level of delusion...not truly healed(becoming whole) but feeling better at least.Thus perpetuating the current scene, a nation fatter, sicker and more drugged out(legal and illegal)and spending more money on it than in the entire history of Mankind ever.
Big Business and Big Pharma wins, the species loses.
take control of your own health, trust this truth, and heal yourself!The future generations are depending on us!

An astonishing important reference with the power to heal.......2006-03-15

Each entry in this book is fascinating and a revelation. It is light years beyond other body books, and will soon be on everyone's shelves, including doctors of all types, holistic and traditional. If you are interested in medicine, healing or the nature of life, this is a must-read, a must-have guide.

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date

Average customer rating:

Fascinating book
Maya Cosmogenesis 2012
2012 Research starts here
The real End Times on 2012
Fascinating

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date
John Major Jenkins , and Terence McKenna
Manufacturer: Bear & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mayan | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1879181487
Release Date: 1998-08-01

Book Description

While researching the 2012 end-date of the Maya Calendar, John Major Jenkins decoded the Maya's galactic cosmology. The Maya discovered that the periodic alignment of the Sun with the center of the Milky Way galaxy is the formative influence on human evolution. These alignments also define a series of World Ages. The fourth age ends on December 21, 2012, when an epoch chapter in human history will come to an end. Maya Cosmogenisis 2012 reveals the Maya's insight into the cyclic nature of time, and prepares us for oue own cosmogenesis--the birth of a new world.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating book.......2007-09-27

Cosmogenesis 2012 is a compelling book about the meaning of the Mayan and Mesoamerican calendric images. It reveals evidence as to why the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 along with explanations as to what this could entail for humanity. I recommend it for anyone interested in the end date of 2012.

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012.......2007-03-09

This work of Jenkins was all and more than I thought it would be. I share his path to where we are going in 2012. I would purchase any work of Jenkins as I know I would not be disappointed.

2012 Research starts here.......2007-02-18

John Major Jenkins has looked into the question of why the Maya ended their 13-baktun cycle in the Gregorian year 2012, and has researched the matter in incredible detail, and comes to conclusions that result from detailed study of many archaeological and specialist works. His study shows that the Maya deliberately targetted this point in time as the end of the cycle, and the evidence is found in king-accession rites, mythology, architecture, and the ball-game.

As you will know if you've read other reviews, the reason is the alignment of the winter solstice sun with the galactic equator - an event that happens only once in a cycle of precession - around 26,000 years. This IS NOT the "alignment of the solar system with galactic centre" or any of the other misrepresentatations of his work that have appeared.

This work stands whether or not anything noticeable happens in the years around 2012 - the fact is, that the Maya predicted that something would happen around 2012. This has become evident since the publication of this book, since the Tortuguero prophecy entered the public domain. In April 2005, the existence of Tortuguro monument 6 was revealed, (though known to a few specialists before that). The stela gives the end-date 4 Ahau, 3 Kankin, 13 Baktun (a combination of 3 calendars that gives the 21 December 2012 date) and gives an accompanying prophecy of the return of the Nine Gods.

The real End Times on 2012.......2007-01-23

I will make the boldest prediction of all... and when the time comes, you will remember this. Great spirits have come to me... great spirits... They have revealed their predictions and they have revealed their secret names to me. Remember this well on 2102. The named spirits were Jackson Danniels, James Beehm, Jonathon Wocker, and the ancient Russian sage, Stolly Chanaya... And here is what they said - in telepathic visions to me: On January 1, 2012, this is what will happen:

"The year 2011 will now be 2012." And later that year, many peoples will predict the end times will again visit in 2039 and that they never really meant 2012... it was a telekinetic typo....

Fascinating.......2006-11-30

Full of interesting facts about the Mayan civilization, how they saw the earth and their brilliant understanding of the Universe. I now understand how the complex calendar works. As to the prophecy, yet again, we can only wait and see!

Reclaim Your Family From Addiction: How Couples and Families Recover Love and Meaning

Average customer rating:

Reclaim Your Family From Addiction: How Couples and Families Recover Love and Meaning
Craig Nakken
Manufacturer: Hazelden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Drug Dependency | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Accessories:

ASIN: 1568385196

Book Description

What happens to the "we" of a family when one member opts for the blind and single-minded "me" of addiction? In an instructive, reassuring way, Craig Nakken explains just how families and couples who have spent years building a life together can lose their cohesive identity and meaning in the wake of addiction. The perfect starting point in the healing process, this book also reminds us that recovery is possible--for individuals, couples, and whole families--if only we know what to do. With histories, personal stories, and the latest research, the book helps readers chart their own way out of the hell of addiction and back to the fullness of family by using principles that restore the "we" of lasting, loving relationships. Craig Nakken, M.S.W., author of The Addictive Personality and Men's Issues in Recovery, lectures, trains, and specializes as a family therapist in the treatment of addiction. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Practicing the Presence: The Inspirational Guide to Regaining Meaning and a Sense of Purpose in Your Life

Average customer rating:

The Secret to life
YAWN
An Inspiration beyond time
Thy Grace Is My Sufficiency...
The way back to God.

Practicing the Presence: The Inspirational Guide to Regaining Meaning and a Sense of Purpose in Your Life
Joel S. Goldsmith
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0062503995

Book Description

The celebrated guide to the awareness of the devine and transcedental in our daily lives. This modern spiritual classic is one of the three books. Goldsmith felt contained the essence of all his teachings.

Customer Reviews:

The Secret to life.......2007-09-09

I felt the book showed the secret to the spiritual life we all wont to live in this time frame we have. Great Book it will change your life

YAWN.......2007-05-29

I have studied metaphysics for years and I am increasingly careful about becoming too engulfed in theory and not enough practice. This book is not for those new to new thought its way too heavy. Bottom line practicing the Prescene starts with awarness of the Presence right where you are, your conscious mind being the Spirit of God within you. This book just beats around the bush and comes from a standpoint of supplicaton rather than inductive. I would recommend any Ernest Holmes book as an alternative.

An Inspiration beyond time.......2007-03-10

Anyone who has been on the spiritual path and has dedicated there lives to finding the truth about God should read this book. If you are serious and want to accomplish true Self Realization this book should be in your library.

Thy Grace Is My Sufficiency..........2006-10-03

I know a lot of sincere people who are very religious and yet they seem to be so unhappy and so unfulfilled. One even "confessed" to me, "Y'know, John, I believe in God, but I often wish that God was right here to help me go through with what I'm going through..."

I was completely shocked but then I remembered what it was like to believe in God and yet feeling like God was not around when I needed God. It wasn't because God wasn't there, it was because I had this belief that God's Life and my Life were two completely different things. It really blew my mind the first time I walked into a metaphysical church and heard this New Thought practitioner say with complete sincerity and yet with complete humility, "There is One Life and that Life is God and that Life is my life now..."

That simple statement brought tears to my eyes. I had been so brainwashed to think and feel and even act as though I was this completely unworthy, undeserving, sinner; that God the Living Spirit wanted nothing at all to do with my life, but all of the sudden I came face to face (or was it soul to soul?)with the beautiful Truth that my life was/is/and will always be the Life of God. It is what animates me, it is what heals me, restores me, renews me, and blesses me in every moment. To get to this point of knowing and feeling that God is Present as Presence, one must learn to sense this Presence, to feel it within every fiber of their being, and the only way we can learn to know that this presence is Present is to get still and when we get still enough to know and feel that this life is all around us and within us, we can be like the Psalmist and say from the depths of our soul, "Be still and know that I am God..."

Our "I AM" is God Itself. Our "I AM" guides us, directs us, leads us out of the wilderness of being alone and afraid and into the green valley of plenty and abundance. This plenty and abundance is already present within us. we do not ask to become rich, we ask God to see the riches that are already within us. we do not ask God to heal us, we ask God to show us how we are already whole and holy beings living in a Whole and Holy universe. Truly, God's Grace is our sufficiency and that everything we could possibly want, need, or desire is already present and we just have to be willing to let it flow through us, as us.

This book makes you realize that our purpose here is be that place/that space of Love, of Peace, of Goodness. We must not allow our vision to become clouded with thoughts of war, hatred, poverty and lack. We must put our attention and our focus on Heaven rather than hell...on God rather than sin...on Peace rather than war. This book will help you to remember that in each and every moment, God is and it is through this simple yet powerful awareness that God is always present where miracles take place. Miracles are supposed to happen. Miracles are our birthright.

If you are new to this way of thinking, welcome! Welcome to Life! Welcome to a new way of thinking, a new way of feeling, a new way of being in the world but not of the world. And if you have been in New Thought for awhile and haven't yet read this book, do your heart, your mind, your soul a true gift and allow yourself to remember why you are really here -- to Live and to abundantly well.

Peace and Blessings...

The way back to God........2006-07-22

After Years of orthodox Christian teaching, Joel Goldsmith opens up the new teachings of the prophets and Jesus, showing us the way back to God and how we can live it!
John 6 v35 - 41
John 5 v19 - 47
Matthew 11 v25 - 30
For those who wish to start a study along these lines Joel's book 'Practicing the Presence' gives a good insight to his teachings.
See also 'The Journey back to the Fathers House'.... by the same author.

The Power of Kabbalah : This Book Contains the Secrets of the Universe and the Meaning of Our Lives

Average customer rating:

A wonderful book!!!
Where do I FIT IN to the SELF AWARE universe
The Power of Kabbalah
Simplified Kabbalah
The Book for YOU

The Power of Kabbalah : This Book Contains the Secrets of the Universe and the Meaning of Our Lives
Yehuda Berg
Manufacturer: Jodere Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Wicca | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Witchcraft | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Magic | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Alchemy | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 158872008X

Amazon.com

At first glance, The Power of Kabbalah seems like an overly simplistic spiritual instruction manual. The language and anecdotes are rabbi-style cozy and the format is exceptionally approachable: one-to-two-page essays. But read a few pages and you're hooked into an experience that immediately promises enlightenment (and eventually delivers it). Although the Kabbalah has its roots in Jewish mysticism, this non-dogmatic manual is applicable to all spiritual seekers. Like Wayne Dyer's bestselling book The Power of Intention, this is actually a book about manifesting the life you want through understanding the laws of spiritual energy and attraction. "To fulfill its giving nature, the infinite force of Energy created a receiver—-in Kabbalah it's called a Vessel," author Yehuda Berg explains. You guessed it, all of us earth souls represent the Vessel, and our spiritual task is to stop resisting the giving nature of Energy and let our Vessels fill up and runneth over.. This is an obvious choice for students of Jewish mysticism, but it's an equally appropriate book for anyone looking for ancient traditions to support contemporary spiritual discussions about the laws of attraction. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Shrouded in secrecy and centuries ahead of its time, the insights and revelations of Kabbalah and its teachings were denied to all but a chosen few. Branded as mysticism, fanaticism, and heresy, every sort of taboo was attached to the teachings in an effort to keep them secret.

Through it all, Kabbalah was and continues to be the original technology of life - the science of the soul, the chemistry of fulfillment, the physics of spiritual transformation. Power of Kabbalah is nothing less than a user's manual for the universe we live in: a practical, powerful set of principles and instructions for getting from where you are right now to where you truly want to be - emotionally, spiritually, financially, creatively, and in all aspects of your life in the real world.

The Power of Kabbalah brings the reader this wisdom in a way no other Kabbalah book is able to. In a uniquely practical, easily accessible, and insightful manner, it reveals not only what life is about, but the actions you can take right now to create the life you want and deserve. For the first time, the secret teachings of the ancient Kabbalists are brought to bear on the real-world issues that you face every day - in your career, with friends and family, and in your innermost personal thoughts.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful book!!!.......2006-08-02

This is a very interesting book. I actually like the first version a little more. The updated book now being sold is slightly different, but the underlying message is still the same.

I therefore recommend this book to anyone looking for spiritual answers. You may not agree with everything in this book and that's OK. Take whatever you get from this book and simply make it yours. You don't have to become a follower of Kabbalah to put some of the ideas into practice.

Try it. You may like it!

Also recommended: "What Did Jesus Really Say, How Christianity Went Astray: [What To Say To A Born Again Christian Fundamentalist, But Never Had The Information]" by Peter Cayce

Where do I FIT IN to the SELF AWARE universe.......2006-07-06

I devoured this book in a couple of days, excellent.Very easy reading and Berg has amazingly simplified Kabbalah.

I have always believed that a good teacher can take a difficult subject and make it simple so that even a novice, like myself, could understand it and that is what Yehuda Berg has done in this work. I have always believed that this subject was "out there" and from the "dark side" so I never researched this area.

I try not to be into dualism (us agianst them) or any set religous sect were my group is IT and everyone else is wrong so I enjoy how Berg helps the readers from all walks of life and backgrounds understand that the Kabbalah is for all mankind!

I have been reading a lot of books on quantum physics and the subatomic stuff we are all made of and I have been plagued with the BIG QUESTION: Where do I FIT IN and HOW DO I APPLY THE INFO to get results in Life. Why am I HERE and WHERE AM I going!?
Well, this publication has been very helpful in assisting me in these areas and getting POSITIVE RESULTS!! I will definitely be researching more of Yehuda and Rav Berg's teachings. Highly recommended!!

The Power of Kabbalah.......2006-06-14

Kabbalah is a well of healing wisdom that runs unfathomably deep, capable of filling innumerable volumes of medical journals if all of its secrets were unraveled and translated to written word.( from the book " A Book of Healing" by Kabbalist Rav Berg). Check the website: Www. Kabbalah.com

There have been many reported incidents throughout history when collective scanning of Zohar prevented bloodshed. Historian Jay Sands points out that in Morocco circa WWII, the Nazis demanded the deportation of 250,000 Sephardic Jews. At the time, Morocco had no army to defend itself, yet the King refused the Nazis' request. And for some inexplicable reason, they simply turned around and left. To this day, scholars have no idea why these people escaped the horrors of the Holocaust, but when you ask a survivor from that period, as I have, you learn that there were five places in Casablanca that chanted Zohar 24 hours a day in relay teams. Many of the people said they didn't even know what they were chanting, but they knew there was power to it.

Together we can create the same miracle. Before you scan, take a moment to visualize the entire area filled with Light. Even if you've never been there, you can see on a globe or map where that Light needs to be. Then begin to scan The Zohar to manifest the vision.

If you have taken a class at the Centre or read a kabbalah book, you've learned that the one thing we are all after is Light. Happiness, security, balance, clarity -- these are the attributes of the Light...

...and it is Light that is so desperately needed right now in the Middle East.

Shalom!

Simplified Kabbalah.......2005-11-03

This is the best introduction to Kabbalah available. It is easy to read and understand. This is a practical guide to Kabbalah that will "kick-start" your practice. Not for the advanced reader or student. In this book, there is just enough explanation of the mystical qualities of the richness of the Hebrew languange, enough practical guide to living in a Kabbalistic way, and just enough guidance to the 72 Names of G-d. Just enough for the beginner without anything fancy. Great beginners book. Highly recommended.

The Book for YOU.......2004-07-07

I rarely come across with books (of this importance) that inspire and tricker that special emotion in me. This book did it and I am eternally Thankful for Yehuda Berg for writing this excellent introduction to Kabbalah and its secrets. Not only that, but he asks you to test these simple, yet very profound, principles and prove them to be so in your own life. Are you fed up with people telling you what to believe about your existence and power within you? I am talking about the power that is accessible to you and able to fulfill your life.

Don't just read this book and accept it from its face value. Rather, experiment with what this special book has to offer and the door to 99% of universe is opened for you. That means, you are living the teaching true. I would say to you as my friend that come out from the cemetry of dead and face the light; with this book it is possible.

You know what truly is the acid test of truth? It is that you are given the tools and can try to disprove the author. Well, he gives you the tools. Try to disprove him; and in so doing, you will be prove these eternal principles valid in your life.

Unfortunately, much of the wisdom of kabbalah has been hidden for ages. People were, until now, denied the access to this wonderful information. Now, since our society allows us greater freedom, it is possible for people like Yehuda Berg to come forward and explain the mystery.

I was a bit sceptical when buying this book -- because I have already read scores of books on the subject of mysticism. Yet this book, though elementary, has all the crucial main points that you need to know.

Amazon.com

It's not every day you hear a physicist ask what happens when we die. Evan Harris Walker, sparked by the early, tragic loss of his love, does just that and more in The Physics of Consciousness, a book in the same vein as Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics, but with a firmer grounding in scientific understanding. Walker marries the traditions of Southern literature--a longing for the past, a resignation toward the present, and a determined optimism about the future--to a technical explanation of the limits of materialism; a weird synthesis, certainly, but charming and engaging nonetheless. Since his primary topic is consciousness, Walker turns to neuroscience and Buddhism (its spiritual equivalent) for inspiration. His quantum-mechanical approach to synaptic transmission and "the speed of consciousness" are difficult to evaluate and seem a bit overstretched, but his discussions of the history and current events of physics are lucid and ironically lend weight to his antimaterialistic arguments. Is this, as he hopes, another step toward 21st-century religion, or just another New Age reinterpretation of the spooky world of the ultrasmall? Don't bet on either--The Physics of Consciousness will jog your brain in new ways and, if nothing else, you'll find a new appreciation for how little we really know about ourselves. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

How quantum physics will explain the nature of reality and the human mind. For decades, neuroscientists, psychologists, and an army of brain researchers have been struggling, in vain, to explain the phenomenon of consciousness. Now there is a clear trail to the answer, and it leads through the dense jungle of quantum physics, Zen, and subjective experience, and arrives at an unexpected destination. In this tour-de-force of scientific investigation, Evan Harris Walker shows how the operation of bizarre yet actual properties of elementary particles support a new and exciting theory of reality, based on the principles of quantum physics-a theory that answers questions such as "What is the nature of consciousness, of will?" "What is the source of material reality?" and "What is God?"

"A breathtaking journey into the very atoms of the brain...In his rare fusion of intellectual ambition with emotional urgency, Walker exposes the emptiness of a science that avoids the ultimate questions." -Booklist

Customer Reviews:

Phyiscs and Consciousness.......2006-07-05

Physics and consciousness are hot topics in the quantum community and this book goes on to correlate between the outside reality (physical) and the inside reality (spiritual) It gives you a new way of looking at reality and to understand that different planes of realities exist. This is an excellent book.

Regards,
Enigma Valdez

Thoughtful, but sometimes misleading........2006-04-03

Evan Harris Walker has written an entirely different book than you may have expected from reading the title. Certainly, the book discusses all of what is included in the title, but with a trifle more sophistication than I had expected. Readers who are not already familiar with thinking about Quantum Theory and philosophy of mind will probably find the book a rough ride. While Walker takes pains to explain the concepts, his are not certainly not the clearest available.

What is unnerving to me about this book is the lack of respect paid to the unwitting non-specialist reader. Walker argues for a specific interpretation of quantum theory, an interpretation from which the rest of his argument laregly hangs, but fails to duly note the capriciousness of his philosophical choices. The fact is that his interpretation is based on an intuition, one that he tries to force down the reader's throat via an emotional and tragic tale from his past. He uses the story, which is weaved throughout the narrative, to cultivate the appropriate emotional response from his reader so that his interpretations and philosophical presuppositions look inevitable. He is quite masterful actually, but the uninitiated reader will probably not be able to see through the rhetoric.

Walker's intuitions are certainly well argued for in this book and, if they match your own, you will probably find this book to be a powerful confirmation for what you already believed. However, please be aware that Walker's interpretations and opinions are not necessary conclusions from science and are not the only consistent approaches to interpretation. This book is, then, an exploration in the justification of a faith via various lines of evidence from science, philosophy and experience. Recommended to the experienced reader.

The Nature of Consciousness and the Meaning of Life.......2006-03-25

The Nature of Consciousness and the Meaning of Life
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.
December 20, 2005
Copyright(c) Michael J. Vandeman, 2005

"Consciousness is not to be found among physical objects", E. H. Walker, p.147

I think that there must be very few books that live up to the promise implicit in their title. It is very tempting to exaggerate, in order to get people to buy the book. (By contrast, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, one of my favorite books, does discuss leaves of grass, but also a lot more!) As far as I can tell, Evan Harris Walker's The Physics of Consciousness: Quantum Minds and the Meaning of Life discusses neither the physics of consciousness, quantum minds, nor the meaning of life.

Woven throughout the book is a very charming and entertaining thread devoted to describing Walker's relationship with his high school sweetheart, Merilyn Ann Zehnder, and her tragic death from leukemia. I enjoyed this glimpse into the author's life, but I don't see how it contributed to fulfilling the book's promise. I suppose it gave some "human interest" to a book that otherwise could be too taxing on the brain, or served as a dramatic device -- interrupting the physics thread and creating suspense.

For me, by far the greatest value of the book was the fascinating and very detailed recounting of the history of physics -- especially the description of particle physics and quantum mechanics. It's comforting to know that quantum mechanics and relativity are an accurate reflection of the world -- all of it! It's also fascinating to watch humanity (who, according to Reg Morrison (The Spirit in the Gene), are genetically predisposed to spirituality or religion) be forced to relinquish one myth after another to the persuasive power of science. Walker's writing is lucid and generally easy to understand -- quite a feat, considering the difficulty of the subject matter and the fact that its essence can be expressed only in mathematical form! For me the book brought together numerous disparate bits of physics that I hadn't fully grasped or integrated. For that, I am very grateful.

Walker then takes a giant leap and asserts, without citing any evidence, that consciousness is different from anything ever studied or described by physics -- it's "special". He seems to assume that this is so obvious that it doesn't need proof, but, on the contrary, not only does it require evidence, but it is actually false, which derails the rest of his arguments. Remember, he has just finished describing the fact that current physical theories describe the entire universe (at least since it was 10-43 seconds old), from subatomic particles to galaxies, with enormous precision! So it is illogical to suddenly claim that there is something -- consciousness -- which is not described by those equations! (And yet, he later contradicts himself by equating consciousness with a quantum mechanical "tunneling" of electrons.) That consciousness is "special" is an assumption. If it falls, then the rest of the book -- and probably all other writing and thinking about consciousness -- also falls.

Here are some of Walker's statements in support of this assumption: "Science is incomplete and must be greatly expanded if it is to meet the challenge of this data." (p.159) "If we approach what is in those equations [of physics] exclusively in terms of those ideas physicists have put there, we will see that there are some things that are missing and that cannot be derived from the things that have gone into those equations. The equations have positions and intervals, quantities and forms, and they describe responses. But feelings are not there, nor is pain, C#, or the colors we see in the budding red rose. 'Motives' are there, but emotions are not. Conscious being is not in these equations. [That is an assumption! In other words, he is begging the question, not answering it.] If consciousness is to play its role in physics, it must be included in its own right, on its own terms. [That's funny -- ethics, philosophy, art, music appreciation, and government are also not in those equations, but no one has ever suggested that we need to expand physics in order to explain them!]. ... It will be necessary to introduce something new into physics on its own terms. This is how it has always been in physics when we have wished to understand something totally new. This is how we must do things now." (p.176) "Consciousness is something that exists in its own right and has its own identity. It is distinct from all other objects, processes, energies, and realities that physics or science as a whole reveals." (p.178) "Consciousness is nonphysical. ... It is real and nonphysical." (p.182) "The classical machine cannot have consciousness, and it cannot have any identity of its own." (p.253)

Walker then describes his theory of the functioning of the synapse, and argues that consciousness is the quantum mechanical "tunneling" of electrons across the synapse: "There, in those minute switches, at the miniscule intersynaptic cleft -- that is where the quantitative link between mind and brain is to be found." (p.194)

He then goes on to make the absurd assertion that nothing exists until it is observed by a conscious observer! "Only our observation of the object [a die thrown onto a craps table] leads it to take on one out of all its possible orientations and come to rest with one of its six faces up." (p.270) "We have seen matter and space as the natural consequence of nothing more than the fact that conscious observers exist." (p.331) In order to understand this assertion, we need to think about quantum mechanics and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Heisenberg showed that when one tries to measure either the location or momentum of an object, the act of measuring itself disturbs the object, so that one can determine either characteristic to arbitrary precision, but not both. This is not simply a defect in our equipment! This is the fundamental nature of matter! For example, if we shoot an electron at a phosphorescent target, until it hits the target and creates a flash of light, it has no position, but exists only as an infinite set of possible locations and momenta, with varying degrees of probability.

But it is not the observer that determines where and how the die will land! It is the table and the forces of gravity and electromagnetism! The observer enters the picture only after the die has settled into its final resting position. This is Walker's means of injecting (human, or at least animal) consciousness (and, ultimately, meaning and God) into physics. It fails. (However, I wish that Walker had spent more time on this matter, since it is the crux of his argument. I had trouble following the part that centered on Bell's Theorem, where supposedly quantum mechanics triumphs, and belief in concrete reality has a stake driven through its heart. This section (Chapter 8) was intriguing, but very difficult to understand.)

In mathematics there is a tool called "reductio ad absurdum". One makes an assumption, and then argues logically from that assumption to arrive at a conclusion that is "absurd" (obviously false). That proves that the assumption upon which the argument was based must be false (for example, one can assume that a number exists which is zero divided by zero; from this one can "prove" that 1 = 2). Thus, in the present case, the assumption that consciousness exists as something "special", not describable by physics, is false: it leads to absurd conclusions.

The other serious error that Walker makes is that he identifies consciousness with wakefulness. The state of being awake, which, according to my physiology text, is controlled by the brain's reticular activating system, is only one meaning of "conscious" ("having mental faculties undulled by sleep, faintness, or stupor: awake" (Webster, p.238)). The more important use of the word is being conscious of something: "aware of and responding to one's surroundings" (Compact Oxford English Dictionary). Wakefulness is a necessary (except possibly for dreams), but not a sufficient, condition for being aware of something. Although I am awake, I am rarely aware (conscious) of the traffic outside my house, nor even the temperature of my own skin. I am very good at focusing on one thing, and ignoring everything else. (No wonder we men are so often accused of being "insensitive"!)

A third serious error is that Walker identifies consciousness with something that takes place in a very specific location: the nerve synapse. This would imply that organisms without nerves cannot be conscious. However, Donald Griffin (Animal Thinking) has argued convincingly that thinking (complex decision-making) goes back as far as single-celled organisms, which are aware of chemicals in their environment and respond appropriately -- approaching or avoiding them based on whether they represent food, mate, or threat. Green plants detect (are aware of) sunlight and turn their leaves so as to maximize the energy they receive. Humans are genetically 98.6% identical with chimpanzees, so it is unlikely that so important a characteristic as consciousness could be present in humans but not in chimps. But we also share a large percentage of our genome with all animals, and in fact with all living things! Since consciousness (awareness of things and events outside the organism) is so integral to all life, it most likely is not simply a matter or nerve synapses, and probably is an essential feature of all living things: "All living beings, not just animals but plants and microorganisms, perceive. ... Mind and body, perceiving and living, are equally self-referring, self-reflexive processes already present in the earliest bacteria". (Margulis & Sagan, p.32) "Life ... is awareness and responsiveness; it is consciousness and even self-consciousness." (ibid., p.177) "Mobile microbes make selections -- they choose." (ibid., p.179) "The gulf between us and other organic beings is a matter of degree, not of kind." (ibid., p.182) "Thinking and being are the same thing." (ibid., p.188)

So how can we determine what consciousness is? Obviously, the laws of physics that apply within living organisms are identical to the laws that hold outside them. Walker admits that the laws of physics apply to the entire known universe. ("Life is less mechanistic than we have been taught to believe [we obey probabilistic quantum mechanics, rather than the deterministic Newtonian physics]; yet, since it disobeys no chemical or physical law, it is not vitalistic [i.e., there is nothing "magic" or "special" about life]." (Margulis & Sagan, p.178)) But this implies that there is nothing "special" about life -- nor about consciousness! And it implies that anything that can happen inside a living organism can also happen outside living things (if a distinction between living things and nonliving things even makes sense) -- including consciousness! The splitting of H2O into hydrogen and oxygen takes place in green plants, but it can also happen outside them. Every event that can happen within a living organism can potentially (given the right conditions) also happen outside them. In fact, if we assume that life and consciousness are "special", then (by reductio ad absurdum) it follows that they don't exist! No wonder they are so hard to define and describe! It is hard to define something that doesn't exist (such as, for example, God). ...

So what is consciousness? Simply the registering of an effect. A scale is conscious of weight. It is not conscious of (able to measure) anything else. If it could be arranged so as to weigh itself (I don't know if that is physically possible), then it would be self-conscious (in that one dimension). We are also capable of being conscious of weight. I can feel pressure on my skin from a weight resting on top of it, and I can also hold the weight in my hand and feel the strain on my arm muscles. These are just two possible ways of being conscious of weight, neither of which is the same method used by the scale. I am also conscious of light, which the scale is not. But I am not conscious of ultraviolet radiation, although a bee and a UV meter are. A robot is conscious, but not of enough things to survive on its own -- not enough to survive in this rough-and-tumble world. Humans are visually conscious of the movement of distant objects, but we are nowhere as perceptive as birds. Of course, being conscious of more dimensions doesn't make one superior, except in the narrow sense of those dimensions. Bacteria are undoubtedly superior in their consciousness of chemical nuances. In any case, there are obviously many ways to be conscious, not just one, just as there are many different ways to store information. Consciousness is not a fundamental constituent of reality -- nor anything new or unitary.

To show how life and non-life (whatever they are, if they even exist!) shade into each other, look at a couple of examples. Frogs in Canada freeze solid every winter and thaw out again in the spring. While frozen, they are neither alive (they don't meet any of Margulis and Sagan's criteria, since they are doing absolutely nothing) nor dead (death is, by definition, final). Okay, maybe you believe that the frozen frogs are alive, and doing something, although you don't know what. The frogs don't contain much extra energy, so if they were doing anything, all their stored energy would get used up, and they would have none left to allow them to awaken in the spring. If that example doesn't convince you, then look at the seeds stored in the pyramids for 3,000 years. Dead, or alive? Since they were able to germinate upon being given water, they couldn't have been dead, according to Margulis and Sagan and every other biologist. But they can't have been alive either, because if they were doing anything during those 3,000 years, all of their tiny store of energy would have long since been exhausted. Viruses and prions are two more examples of life shading into non-life; viruses are not considered alive, but they perform some of the same functions as living things, such as reproduction. In other words, it is not possible to detect the difference between life and non-life: i.e., there is no real difference! Life is an indefinable state of matter, kind of like (but even less definable than) the liquid- vs. solid state of water.

Thus, the real mystery is not consciousness; the real mystery is how humans can miss what is "hidden" in plain sight -- right in front of our noses! Obviously, we can't know directly whether any other organism is conscious. We can only infer that from its behavior. That goes for our own friends and family, pre-verbal or dumb (unable to talk) humans, animals, plants, bacteria, etc. Bacteria and protists (e.g. protozoa) act as if they are conscious. Or perhaps I should say that we sometimes act like them -- turning our faces toward the sun, sniffing out attractive smells from the kitchen, reacting instinctively to environmental hazards. Try this experiment: turn on the television, but turn off the sound. You will be amazed at the things you become conscious of (the mole on an actor's nose, the blond hair and brown eyebrows, the funny way people move, etc.), that you had been forced to ignore due to trying to follow (be conscious of) the (verbal) story. Meditation is another experiment in consciousness. Try meditating on the self-conscious scale. ... It's no wonder that no one has discovered what consciousness is. If consciousness is a white horse (or nothing special at all), but you insist that it is a green dragon, you can look all you want, but you will never find it. ...

Two more things remain to be discussed: will, and the meaning of life. On page 333 Walker admits: "But for all this terror, there is one thing that is worse: the thought that all the suffering and all the pleasure of life have no meaning." I don't see how the meaning of my life, or any life, depends on the existence or importance of consciousness. While life has no single, canonical meaning (else we would long ago have discovered what it is!), each person's life has -- to them -- the meaning that he or she chooses to give it. (Of course, we get some ideas from others, past or present.) The same goes for morality and ethics: what is moral is what we think (based partially on input from others) is moral. Science and physics have little to do with any of this, except to keep us honest. Science can only tell us what is, never if it should be. Therefore it cannot be blamed for any alleged decline in morality. I suspect that "immorality" is like a recessive gene -- impossible to eliminate. We also can't depend on evolution to "improve" humankind. Evolution is like justice: blind. It only ensures the survival of those who survive -- not necessarily those with any given characteristic (including alleged "fitness", whatever that is).

Then what about free will? (Walker simply refers to "will", and sidesteps this question.) The fall of Newton's deterministic physics, and the triumph of "probabilistic" quantum mechanics, implies that our behavior is neither predetermined nor predictable. (That's nice! It would be pretty boring, otherwise!) The "butterfly effect" rules. But this also doesn't imply that our behavior is under our own control. And since it is apparently decided at a molecular (hence quantum) level, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle prevents us from ever knowing causation for certain. In other words, we probably don't have free will, but we have no way of ever knowing for sure, and we feel that we have free will, so ... who cares? (Well, the criminal justice system may care, thinking that people should only be held responsible for what they deliberately do. But it's impossible to know for sure, and ... nature (evolution) doesn't care.)
In spite of centuries of thought and research into human-, animal, and plant behavior we still don't know why people commit murder -- or much else. Can you resist eating that cookie? If humans were rational, no one would smoke, right? I know that I am irrational, because no matter how often I see people behave irrationally, I still continue trying to treat them as if they were rational, by reasoning with them!

This paper would be incomplete without discussing the purpose of life -- something Walker skipped, even though he is obviously interested in it. The purpose of life is to have fun! I mean, what else could it be?! (Of course, that excludes hurting wildlife or other people, even if you happen to think that that's fun.) And I certainly had fun reading this book, and thinking about it. ...

(...)

A great reference for quantum physics in real life.......2006-02-02

I was given this book by a friend several years ago, along with another book on quantum physics. This book stood out because of the approach Walker took to presenting his material. I had many insights into quantum physics as it relates to my own life while reading this book (three times so far), but the gem of the book in my opinion is contained in the appendix. I come back to Walker's insights into consciousness as presented in the last part of the book, and in the appendix many times to refresh my understanding of how quantum physics applies to my daily experience in life. This is particularly interesting when looking at how events affect my consciousness, and has given me insight into how to apply quantum physics in my daily life. Outstanding book to read, but if you have only a passing interest in quantum physics, you may want to prepare yourself to take more of an interest in the subject, as this book will be much more rewarding if you do.

Double fantasy.......2006-01-08

In this insightful work, "The Physics of Consciousness" Evan Harris Walker concludes that "Consciousness is Reality." Many philosophers and scientist have suggested that consciousness can never be explained because of its subjective nature, but Walker disagrees.

Methodically quantifying the various processes involved in information exchange in the brain in terms of "bits", Walker is able to extrapolate approximations of the speed and capacities of the information being manipulated in neural activities.

With this information in hand, Walker proceeds to treat the mind/brain activities in Descartean fashion, maintaining that in order to fully understand the relationship between the part and the whole, a dualistic notion of mind and matter must be entertained. The dualities of wave vs. particle, and observer vs. observed in the strange quantum world of state vector collapse, give us a clue as to what transpires in the brain.

Walker contends that the 24 trillion synapses in the brain delineate the transition point beween mind and matter. Most have rejected quantum effects across the synapses because of the relatively large distances and energy it takes to make the leap, but these individuals have not taken into account several known facets of quantum physics such as the principles of tunneling, indistinguishability, and state vertor collapse.

Walker says that the mind itself consists of two parts--consciousness and "will". Consciousness does not have to be a part of a living entity, but is a factor in all quantum events in nature. The "will", which defines what we are, is the catalyst that collapses the wave function into one discrete, non-local event from a myriad of possibilities. According to the principles established by Bell's non-locality theorem, this state vector collapse travels out into the universe at large, and always maintains a link to our individual and collective minds. As a bonus, Walker has answered another mystery as deep as consciousness itself--the nature of time. Time is real and asymmetrical. It is the irreversibility of the state vector collapse that gives time its arrow.

This is without exception the most satisfying and believable description of the naure of consciousness I have read to date. This work is a bit difficult at times for the non-scientist, but in the end patients pays off. With great effort he has made the concepts of the principles of "indistinguishability" and "non-locality" understandable, and he has brought us to a definitive link between mind, time, and nature.

Even so, I found his distinctions between consciousness, thought, and "will" a bit confusing if not contradictory at times. But he has something very important to say about the nature of mind. And, as a result of his thorough understanding of quantum theory, he has come closer than previous scholars to finally nailing down the nature of consciousness.

Running parallel to his main thesis is a delightful reminiscence of his high school lover who died after graduation in the summer of 1952. Excerpts from his diary and rememberances of the lost love of days gone by, make Walker's work both a scholarly and endearing tale.

This review by David Kreiter Author of "Quantum Reality: A New Philosophical Perspective"

Stop Being Mean to Yourself: A Story About Finding The True Meaning of Self-Love

Average customer rating:

To all of YOU who have written a review for this book
Simple but enlightening
Don't Waste Your Money
Stop being a rich whiny woman!
An inner and outer travel diary

Stop Being Mean to Yourself: A Story About Finding The True Meaning of Self-Love
Melody Beattie
Manufacturer: Hazelden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Self-Esteem | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1568382863

Amazon.com

Using the unlikely backdrop of Northern Africa, Melody Beattie (author of Co-Dependent No More) blends the genres of travel adventure and spiritual quest. Traveling mishaps such as being led unknowingly into the souk of Cairo (rumored to be a clandestine marketplace of no return), become metaphors for learning how to let go of fear while still honoring your instincts. Interrogations at border crossings symbolize the self-examination we must endure before crossing over to a new stage of enlightenment. Fortunately, this is not a U.S.-centric travelogue. In war-ravaged Algiers, Beattie diligently pursues the truth of its people rather than her own reactions to poverty and terrorism. Despite its pop-psychology title, this is a book of impressive depth, exploring the global challenge of loving thy neighbor as well as thy self.

Book Description

In this wonderfully practical book, Melody Beattie gives you the tools to discover the magnificence and splendor of your being. -- Deepak Chopra, M.D. Beckoning readers toward a spiritual territory beyond even that of her revolutionary best-seller Codependent No More, Melody Beattie conducts us through teeming Casablanca, war-torn Algeria, and the caverns of Egypt's great pyramids as she embarks on a new kind of journey of the soul. An enlightening blend of travel adventure and spiritual discovery, filled with new ideas for overcoming the pitfalls of guilt and self-doubt, Stop Being Mean to Yourself is a compassionate tour guide for the troubled and the heartsick, for those who seek a happier place in the world. A tale that is at once modern and timeless, rich with the promise of personal discovery, it is a book about learning the art of living and of loving others -- and ourselves. As full of suspense and excitement as it is of hope and encouragement, it is as rewarding for its pure reading pleasure as for the wisdom it imparts. About the Author:Melody Beattie is the author of numerous best-selling books, including Codependent No More, Beyond Codependency, The Language of Letting Go, A Codependent's Guide to the Twelve Steps, and Journey to the Heart. Beattie's writing draws on the wisdom of Twelve Step healing, Christianity, and Eastern religions. Click here to read a one-to-one conversation with the beloved author of Codependent No More, The Language of Letting Go book and journal, Playing It by Heart, and 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact.

Customer Reviews:

To all of YOU who have written a review for this book.......2005-06-01

I am writing to all of you who have written a review about this book, and especially to Melody Beattie. To the person who mocked about Melody's inner civil war, or you're already a god or you will never ever hope to KNOW what an inner civil war is. And to the rest of you, this book is not about traveling through Nothern Africa, it is about INNER travel, if you were trying to read an action-packed James Bond or Indiana Jones story, you guys picked the wrong book. This is not a fiction book, it is a book about how to find your inner deamons, your fears, face them and come through truly successfuly. This is a "self-help" book, and should be rated accordingly. I lived an inner civil war myself, and Melody greatly helped in making me understand how everything lies in subtleness, awareness, in trusting the universe. In trusting yourself, in listening to yourself for once! Hence the name of the book. This certainly was one of the pivotal steps in helping me change my life. This book is for people WHO needs it, otherwise you'd be bored to hell, of course. Every kind of book, song, movie, painting, etc... has a porpuse and is meant for certain kind of people. Just stop for a moment and THINK before you rate a book...before you rate anything. It is NOT about "if I liked it or not", it is about "does it work?" This book is not a novel, it is a tool for those who need it. It didn't work for you because you didn't need it. I needed it, and guess what, it worked. It really did. THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH MELODY, YOU REALLY HELPED SOMEONE BE MORE CONSCIOUS, MORE AWARE AND A BETTER PERSON. I ONLY WISH I COULD CONTACT YOU TO TELL YOU THIS PERSONALLY. GOD BLESS YOU, AND YOUR DAUGHTER. -Rafael Romo, Mexico City.

Simple but enlightening.......2003-01-06

The title of this enlightening read caught my eye, for the very fact that many of us, at some time, treat ourselves worse than do others. In Stop Being Mean to Yourself, Melody Beattie finds a unique way towards unraveling the reasons why this may be so. Beattie reaches the reader at the level of the solar plexus - an area of the body to which she refers several times as she recounts her 1996 journey through Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. While one may never see Giza's pyramids, Melody's "leap of faith" in that exotic locale helps the reader to vicariously experience her inner transformation, which is really what this book is about.

Cairo and Giza are areas of the world wherein the 'ancient' rubs shoulders with the 'modern'. While being guided through the marketplace called the "souk", Melody observes a man using a stick to hit (thus identifying for the benefit of those in his vicinity) any thieves or "bad guys" among the crowd. It occurs to her at that moment that she has been "walking without a stick" all these years - she has never been able to protect herself from those who would do her harm, much less identify them. This revelation displays a yearning for intuition that could have protected her earlier in life and now comes too late to do so.

Symbolism permeates her tale. There are references to living in a psychological "box" and being tossed about as in a "vortex" - she makes good use of these images in describing some very disturbing episodes. What emerges, in the end, is Melody's realization that her pain-filled life has had a greater purpose after all - in her new awareness, she can now help others in their quest for meaning and fulfillment.

Don't Waste Your Money.......2002-08-20

I am seldom pushed to write a book review, especially a negative review, but this book has compelled me to write one.

I haven't read any other books by Ms. Beattie, but I doubt that I will. This book was empty, shallow, and very disappointing. Her trip to the Middle East was barely a trip, rather a few layovers, hardly enough to feel at one with the people or the land and cultures. She overnighted in Paris, spent a day in Casablanca, where she got scared at the marketplace, then bailed out in Algeria when a blackout interrupted her hot bath. One doesn't get a sense of how long she was in Cairo, but it wasn't long before her good night's sleep was interrupted by pounding in her hotel. Back to the U.S. to write this uninspiring book.

Don't waste your money.

Stop being a rich whiny woman!.......2002-04-17

This is a mediocre travelogue at best. Too often the author comes across as another rich spoiled american abroad. The narration is inherently funny as she often mispronounces common words. I didn't feel a lot of sympathy for her as she comes across as way too flighty and too new agey. I would not recommend this too highly.

An inner and outer travel diary.......2002-02-12

It is often difficult to internalize the concepts discovered by others in their search for enlightenment. Although there were (often creepy) parallels between her experiences in North Africa and my own, as well as similarities in the lessons we have learned, I often found it hard to resonate with Ms Beattie as she told her story. I do appreciate her analogy of spiritual growth to that of a computer game...we just keep going to higher levels.
Although I will probably never re-read this book, I will keep it in my office for my clients to borrow. Perhaps it will strike a chord with someone.

Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places (Studies in Jungian Psychology By Jungian Analysts)

Average customer rating:

Strengthened with literature and poetry
Book review
Let it be peace among havoc
A life saver!!
The Deeply Authentic Life

Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places (Studies in Jungian Psychology By Jungian Analysts)
James Hollis
Manufacturer: Inner City Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Emotions | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychoanalysis | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Behavioral Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0919123740

Customer Reviews:

Strengthened with literature and poetry.......2007-06-06

I have read several of this author's books. I found this book to be his most compelling book. Each chapter can be taken separately if you like and I like to wonder back through, re-reading different chapters to get a closer study. More than most psychology writers and even Jungian writers, Mr. Hollis adds beauty to his work with his extensive and well taken quotes from literature. I will never pass my copy on to a friend or to the used book dealer. Worth noting also is that this was one of his earlier books and I believe it introduces much of what he covers in later books.

Book review.......2007-05-31

I have read meanwhile several books of James Hollis. I have bought all of them, but I am not through with all yet.
I am sorry that I have never met a person with his view in my whole life.
I enjoy reading his books, because they are profound and because they are written in a style that gives you the impression as if Dr. Hollis is sitting in front of you and talking to you in person. It is as if there is a genuine and wise friend in front of you, who understands life with all its ramifications and who teaches you about it. I prefer reading his books over talking to people.

Let it be peace among havoc.......2007-05-06

Soothing reading. Thanks,James. I'm just about to finish reading all of your books. Please, write some more.

A life saver!!.......2004-01-20

This book brought me back from the depths of despair! I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone experiencing extreme guilt, grief, loss, betrayal, doubt, loneliness, depression, despair, obsession, addiction, anger, fear, angst or anxiety. The book goes through every one of these topics in great detail. It explains their causes, symptoms, and ways of overcoming them. It explains the opportunity for growth that is inherent in our struggles, providing inspiration and hope when it is most needed. I will warn that the author uses some vocabulary that non-psychologists won't know. Just keep your dictionary handy. It's well worth the effort.

The Deeply Authentic Life.......2003-05-17

For those of us who struggle with uncommonly difficult fates -- and the attendant uncommonly difficult mother, father and other nearly autonomous swollen complexes -- James Hollis is among the few unsentimental Jungian analysts who writes with an integral awareness of object relations theory and the DSM and the paradoxes of individuation and an authentically lived life of integrity. "Consciousness broadens and enriches us, though it may be dearly paid for." Good case and dream studies and a discerning teacher. An unfortunately melodramatic title, but recommended.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books