The Psychology of the Yogas explores the dissonance between the promises of the yogic quest and psychological states of crisis. Western practitioners of yoga and meditation who have embarked upon years-long spiritual quests and who have practiced under the guidance of a guru tell of profound and ongoing experiences of love, compassion and clarity: the peaks of spiritual fulfillment. However, after returning to the West, they reported difficulties and crises in different areas of their lives. Why did these practitioners, who had apparently touched the heights of fulfillment, still suffer from these crises? The author explores the psychological theory of yoga and its concrete yogic psychological methods such as 'cultivating of the opposite' (pratipaksa bhavana), transforming it to 'imagining the opposite', a practice aimed at healing negative habitual tendencies. These methods are extracted from an in-depth study of the Yoga of Patanjali and the Tibetan-Buddhist Ati-Yoga of Longchenpa - the Dzogchen. The works of Patanjali (3rd century) and Longchenpa, (14th century) provide a profound psychological framework for understanding the human psyche. These methods are effective but at times difficult to implement. However, as demonstrated through a case study Western psychology can effectively undo habitual tendencies in a manner which may complement yoga practice, enhancing the integration of one's spirituality and psychology.

This second Lent resource from the author of The Naturalist and the Christ explores Christian understandings of "salvation" in a five-part study course based on the film The Way. Starring Martin Sheen as a bereaved father, this soulful and uplifting film observes a group of pilgrims walking the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. As it follows their journey of inner transformation, the course examines biblical accounts and images of salvation - past, present and future - and addresses the questions: What are we saved from? What are we saved for? Who can be saved? What do we have to do to be saved? How are we saved?

Unseen presences. Apparitions. Hearing voices. Although some people would find such experiences to be distressing and seek clinical help, others perceive them as transformative. Occasionally, these unusual phenomena give rise to new spiritual paths or religious movements. Revelatory Events provides fresh insights into what is perhaps the bedrock of all religious belief--the claim that otherworldly powers are active in human affairs. Ann Taves looks at Mormonism, Alcoholics Anonymous, and A Course in Miracles--three cases in which insiders claimed that a spiritual presence guided the emergence of a new spiritual path. In the 1820s, Joseph Smith, Jr., reportedly translated the Book of Mormon from ancient gold plates unearthed with the help of an angel. Bill Wilson cofounded AA after having an ecstatic experience while hospitalized for alcoholism in 1934. Helen Schucman scribed the words of an inner voice that she attributed to Jesus, which formed the basis of her 1976 best-selling self-study course. In each case, Taves argues, the sense of a guiding presence emerged through a complex, creative interaction between a founding figure with unusual mental abilities and an initial set of collaborators who were drawn into the process by diverse motives of their own. A major work of scholarship, this compelling and accessible book traces the very human processes behind such events.

A penetrating interpretation of St. Teresa of Avila's central teaching on prayer, by a widely-praised and best selling author.

What are the mysteries at the heart of Christian faith? Why do they matter? How can they transform our lives? Debra Rienstra answers these questions and many more in her evocative exploration of Christian life and faith. So Much More is a gesture of welcoming friendship for people who are new or newly returned to Christianity those who are searching, lurking, longing, or learning. Anyone who wishes to understand Christianity better will welcome this genuine, heartfelt account of basic Christian beliefs and practices. Readers will find fresh explorations of Christianity s foundational themes, such as incarnation, grace, suffering, and hope. Throughout this encouraging and passionate book, Debra Rienstra connects ancient articles of faith to contemporary concerns: our longing for transcendence, our desire for integrity, and our hope for intimacy with God.

Within the Nag Hammadi Library, thought to have been written during the first two centuries c.e., are ancient texts written by a group who called themselves the Gnostics. June Singer has recast the wisdom found in these texts into a book of hours, the traditional framework for an ongoing meditative practice. Its purpose is to enable readers to maintain an awareness of the presence of the divine mystery within the everyday world.A Gnostic Book of Hours is divided into eight offices or prayers for different parts of the day: matins (midnight), lauds (daybreak), prime (beginning of the workday), terce, sext, none (the little hours during the work day), vespers (sundown) and compline (retiring to sleep). For each office, Singer has selected a text for each day of the week. She annotates and interprets the ancient text and makes it relevant to today's readers. There are many paths to the holy, writes Singer, and each of us must find our own. Each path leads through differing labyrinthine ways. Yet all come to the same center, the kingdom within. There the nameless One who is called by many names awaits us. "A complete program for daily meditation. "A perfect tool for serious spiritual seekers. "Brings ancient mystical texts into context for contemporary readers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the legitimacy of the principle, "The per accidens necessarily implies the per se," as it is found in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Special emphasis will be placed upon the function of this principle in the proofs for God's existence. The relevance of the principle in this latter context can be seen at once when it is observed that it is the key to the solution of the well known "prob lem of infinite regress. " The investigation of the principle in question will be divided into two Parts. A preliminary examination of the function of the principle will be made in Part I: Domains Other Than That of Creature-God. The domains to be considered in this Part are those of accident-substance, change, and knowledge. Employing what is learned of the function of the principle in these areas of application, Part II: The Domain of Creature-God will analyze the role of the principle in the proofs for God's existence. This latter Part will constitute the greater portion of the book, since the domain of creatures in their relation to God is the most significant application of the principle in the writings of St. Thomas. In the course of this investigation, relevant analyses by St. Thomas' commentators - both classical and contemporary - will be considered. Finally, in light of the insights offered by St.

SELF-TRANSFORMATION"Only a handful of visionaries have recognized that indigenous wisdom can aid the transition to a sustainable world. John Perkins's wonderful story of life among the shamans brings great insight for an industrial civilization consuming and polluting itself toward catastrophe." --EDGAR MITCHELL, SC.D., Apollo astronaut, founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and author of Raising Lazarus and The Way of the Explorer "Shapeshifting is an engaging saga of one individual's transformation from global businessman to on-the-ground conservationist and healer." --MICHAEL BALICK, PH.D., author of Plants, People, and Culture "John Perkins's wondrous storytelling creates a journey so captivating that it shifted me beyond time and space. A compelling book for anyone!" --STEPHAN RECHTSCHAFFEN, M.D., cofounder of the Omega Institute and author of Time Shifting Many indigenous cultures practice shapeshifting. Native American hunters take on the spirit of their prey to ensure a successful hunt; Asian medicine men "ingest" a sickness to heal the one afflicted; Amazon warriors become jaguars to soundlessly travel the jungle. Those who shapeshift understand that all of life is energy and that by focusing your intent you can change energetic patterns, rendering a new form. Shapeshifting can occur on three levels: cellular--transforming from human to plant or animal; personal--becoming a new self or leaving an addiction behind; and institutional--creating a new business or cultural identity. Since 1968, master shamans in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas have been training John Perkins to teach the industrial world about the powerful techniques involved in shapeshifting.His groundbreaking book takes you to deserts and jungles, mountains and oceans, medical research centers and corporate board rooms to learn the step-by-step methods of this practice that integrates ancient and modern techniques to bring about profound healing. JOHN PERKINS is the author of the bestselling Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Shapeshifting and his other books follow his life and adventures after Hit Man. John has applied shapeshifting techniques to his successful career as a management consultant, president of a U.S. energy company, and as founder of The Dream Change Coalition, an organization that inspires executives to clean up pollution, reshape corporate goals, and form Earth-honoring partnerships with indigenous cultures. He is also the author of The Stress-Free Habit, Psychonavigation, and The World Is As You Dream It.

In a society where raging narcissism dominates the moral landscape, the virtue of humility is often dismissed as irrelevant. Not only is humility vanishing from contemporary culture, but we are also witnessing how destructive a lack of humility has become among our churches and ministry leaders. And yet, Richard Foster, the founder of Renovare, insists that humility is central to the journey toward character formation and spiritual transformation. For this reason he decided to spend a year studying the virtue of humility. Using the Lakota calendar as a framework, Foster provides us with a look into the insights he gathered from sources ranging from Native American culture to Julian of Norwich to Scripture to personal friends. By engaging with both the spiritual classics and Foster's own experiences, Learning Humility provides profound insight into what humility can look like in our current cultural climate. Join Richard Foster on the journey toward a life of humility, which he says leads us into "freedom, joy, and holy hilarity."

The great poets help us look carefully and deeply at the world. When we do this, we find that God is there. This is the powerful spiritual truth that drives Twenty Poems to Nourish Your Soul, an extraordinary celebration of the poet's craft that opens the attentive reader's heart to the world of the spirit.

A guided tour of spiritual autobiography that grants readers new insights and appreciation of the genre The genre of spiritual autobiography has flourished ever since Augustine essentially invented it in the fourth century. In Our Hearts Are Restless, Richard Lischer-himself the author of two spiritual memoirs-takes readers on a guided tour of the genre, examining the life writings of twenty-one figures from the expected (Thomas Merton) to the surprising (James Baldwin); from the sublime Julian of Norwich and Emily Dickinson to the outrageous Anne Lamott. Lischer is a perceptive reader and an engaging guide in the art and craft of spiritual writing. Our Hearts Are Restless shows readers how history's most brilliant spiritual writers have sought and found a pattern of meaning in the face of tragedy, conflict, and the responsibilities of daily life.

For years Howard Storm lived the American dream. He had a fine home, a family, and a successful career as an Art Professor and painter. Then, without warning, he found himself in hospital in excruciating pain, awaiting an emergency operation. He realised with horror that his death was a real possibility, but as an atheist he was convinced that his demise would mark the end of consciousness. Storm was totally unprepared for what was to happen next. He found himself out of his body, staring at his own physical form. But this was no hallucination; he was fully aware and felt more alive than ever before. In his spirit form, Storm was drawn into fearsome realms of darkness and death, where he experienced the terrible consequences of a life of selfishness and materialism.However, his journey also took him into regions of light where he conversed with angelic beings and the Lord of Light Himself, who sent him back to live on earth with a message of love. "My Descent into Death" is Howard Storm's full story: from his near death experience in Paris to his full recovery back home in the States, and the subsequent transformation of his life. Storm also communicates what he learned in his conversations with heavenly spiritual beings, revealing how the world will be in the future, the real meaning of life, what happens when we die, the role of angels, and much more. What he has to say will challenge those who believe that human awareness ends with death.

Olga Bogdashina argues persuasively that, contrary to popular belief, spirituality plays a vital role in the lives of many people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Drawing on interdisciplinary research from fields as diverse as psychology, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, neuroscience and religion, as well as first-hand experiences of people on the spectrum, she shows how people with ASD experience their inner worlds and sense of self, and how this shapes the spiritual dimension of their lives and vice versa. She presents a coherent framework for understanding the routes of spiritual development and 'spiritual giftedness' within this group, offering insights that will inform understanding of how to support and nurture spiritual wellbeing in people with ASDs. This book gives a voice to both verbal and non-verbal individuals on the autism spectrum whose spiritual experiences, though often unconventional, are meaningful and profound. It is essential reading for all those interested in the spiritual wellbeing of this group, including pastoral carers and counsellors, ministers of religion, spiritual leaders, parents and carers and individuals on the autism spectrum.

With the current paradoxical climate of increasing secularization and the rise of fundamentalism across the world, there is no better time to search for fresh insight and guidance from the Qur'an. The Heart of The Qur'an is a well-researched commentary on Surah Yasin. It is written in simple English and is complete with diagrams and illustrations to create an engaging read. It will take you on a captivating journey exploring diverse topics, including tenets of faith, political issues, spirituality, and social affairs, in a smooth and coherent manner. The commentary is profound and inspiring, it masterfully highlights the nuances of the Qur'ān’s language and repeatedly draws the reader’s attention towards practical changes they can make in their lives.