Publisher's Synopsis
A guide to understanding the relationship between Western psychology and the contemplative sprituality of the East-and how one's spiritual journey can be enriched by both
How can we connect the spiritual realizations of Buddhism with the psychological insights of the West? In Toward a Psychology of Awakening John Welwood addresses this question with comprehensiveness and depth, building on his innovative psychospiritual approach to health, healing, and spirituality. He covers the following topics:
What can the spiritual methodologies of the East teach us about psychological health?
What issues arise when the recognition of our larger nature challenges our very conception of individual self ?
What new directions become possible when psychological work is undertaken in a spiritual context?
How does Western psychological understanding affect our approach to spirituality?
Welwood's psychology of awakening brings together three major dimensions of human existence: personal, interpersonal, and suprapersonal in one overall framework of understanding and practice.