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The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity
by Jerry B. Brown Julie M. BrownReveals evidence of visionary plants in Christianity and the life of Jesus found in medieval art and biblical scripture--hidden in plain sight for centuries• Follows the authors’ anthropological adventure discovering sacred mushroom images in European and Middle Eastern churches, including Roslyn Chapel and Chartres• Provides color photos showing how R. Gordon Wasson’s psychedelic theory of religion clearly extends to Christianity and reveals why Wasson suppressed this information due to his secret relationship with the Vatican• Examines the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels to show that visionary plants were the catalyst for Jesus’s awakening to his divinity and immortalityThroughout medieval Christianity, religious works of art emerged to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for the largely illiterate population. What, then, is the significance of the psychoactive mushrooms hiding in plain sight in the artwork and icons of many European and Middle-Eastern churches? Does Christianity have a psychedelic history?Providing stunning visual evidence from their anthropological journey throughout Europe and the Middle East, including visits to Roslyn Chapel and Chartres Cathedral, authors Julie and Jerry Brown document the role of visionary plants in Christianity. They retrace the pioneering research of R. Gordon Wasson, the famous “sacred mushroom seeker,” on psychedelics in ancient Greece and India, and among the present-day reindeer herders of Siberia and the Mazatecs of Mexico. Challenging Wasson’s legacy, the authors reveal his secret relationship with the Vatican that led to Wasson’s refusal to pursue his hallucinogen theory into the hallowed halls of Christianity.Examining the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels, the authors provide scriptural support to show that sacred mushrooms were the inspiration for Jesus’ revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven and that he was initiated into these mystical practices in Egypt during the Missing Years. They contend that the Trees of Knowledge and of Immortality in Eden were sacred mushrooms.Uncovering the role played by visionary plants in the origins of Judeo-Christianity, the authors invite us to rethink what we know about the life of Jesus and to consider a controversial theory that challenges us to explore these sacred pathways to the divine.
Psychedelic Healing: The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development
by Neal M. GoldsmithPsychedelics as therapeutic catalysts for emotional and spiritual transformation • Explores the latest medical research on the healing powers of entheogens • Reveals the crucial role of tribal and shamanic wisdom in psychedelic medicine • Provides guidelines for working with psychedelics, including the author’s personal healing and recommendations for creating change on the spiritual and societal levels Banned after promising research in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, the use of psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts is now being rediscovered at prestigious medical schools, such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and UCLA. Through clinical trials to assess their use, entheogens have been found to ease anxiety in the dying, interrupt the hold of addictive drugs, cure post-traumatic stress disorder, and treat other deep-seated emotional disturbances. To date, results have been positive, and the idea of psychedelics as powerful psychiatric--and spiritual--medicines is now beginning to be accepted by the medical community. Exploring the latest cutting-edge research on psychedelics, along with their use in indigenous cultures throughout history for rites of passage and shamanic rituals, Neal Goldsmith reveals that the curative effect of entheogens comes not from a chemical effect on the body but rather by triggering a peak or spiritual experience. He provides guidelines for working with entheogens, groundbreaking analyses of the concept--and the process--of change in psychotherapy, and, ultimately, his own story of psychedelic healing. Examining the tribal roots of this knowledge, Goldsmith shows that by combining ancient wisdom and modern research, we can unlock the emotional, mental, and spiritual healing powers of these unique and powerful tools, providing an integral medicine for postmodern society.
The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios: 45 Years with Shamans, Ayahuasqueros, and Ethnobotanists
by Marlene Dobkin de RiosA look inside almost half a century of pioneering research in the Amazon and Peru by a noted anthropologist studying hallucinogens, including ayahuasca • Reveals how ayahuasca successfully treats psychological and emotional disorders • Examines adolescent drug use from a cross-cultural perspective • Discusses the deleterious effects of drug tourism in the Amazon Ayahuasca is an alkaloid-rich psychoactive concoction indigenous to South America that has been employed by shamans for millennia as a spirit drug for divinatory and healing purposes. Although the late Harvard ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes was credited in the early 1950s as being the first to document the use of ayahuasca, other researchers, such as the distinguished anthropologist Marlene Dobkin de Rios, were responsible for furthering his findings and uncovering the curative capabilities of this amazing compound. The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios presents the accumulated experience of de Rios’s 45 years of pioneering field studies in the area of hallucinogens in Peru and the Amazon. Her investigation into ayahuasca--which she undertook in collaboration with more than a dozen traditional Mestizo folk curanderos, shamans, and fellow ethnobotanists--focuses on the use of this revolutionary plant in the treatment of recalcitrant psychological and emotional disorders. She also shares some of her theories that prove that the ancient Maya used psychedelic plants as part of their religious rituals, thereby demonstrating the impact of plant psychedelics on human prehistory. In addition, Dobkin de Rios examines altered states of consciousness derived from the use of biofeedback and hypnosis and discusses her current work on the deleterious effects of drug tourism in the Amazon.
Psychedelic Marine: A Transformational Journey from Afghanistan to the Amazon
by Alex SeymourA vivid portrait of both the traumas of war and the shamanic healing ceremonies of ayahuasca• Explains how our culture lacks rites of passage and how shamanic ritual can fill this gap• Reveals how ayahuasca frees your consciousness from inherited beliefs, fears, and traumatic experience, allowing healing from PTSD, alcoholism, and addiction• Details the author’s experiences in Afghanistan, sailing on the Amazon river with a shaman, and the many ayahuasca ceremonies he experienced in the jungleAfter returning from a tour of duty during the war in Afghanistan, Alex Seymour needed a way to cope with the extremes he experienced as a member of the Royal Marine Commandos, losing 7 men in his unit, and having his best friend critically injured by a Taliban bomb. Drawing upon his pre-deployment experiences with DMT and psilocybin mushrooms, Alex knew that entheogens could help him release his fears and traumas. But he also knew that simply taking psychedelics wasn’t enough--he needed ceremony, something sacred to draw meaning from his experiences, to help him reassess not only the war and his role in it, but his entire life. So he set out for the Amazon in search of the hallucinogenic brew known as ayahuasca and a shaman to guide him. The result is a crazy, page-turning adventure where he journeys deep into the jungle and himself.Alex soon finds himself deep within the jungle on an incredible adventure, sailing on the Amazon river with an ayahuasca shaman and his troop of 8 female shamanas, whose ethereal songs help guide participants during the nightly ayahuasca ceremonies. Accompanied by others seeking wisdom and a redemptive experience from their First World professional lives, Alex finds his core beliefs fundamentally challenged, replaced by the power of direct experience of the sacred, which allows him to release his fears from the war and set an inspiring path for the future.Painting a vivid portrait of both the anguish of war and the transcendent world of shamanic ritual, the author shows how young people often enlist in the military to satisfy our human need for a rite of passage into adulthood, a ritual sorely missing in our culture. He explores how ayahuasca can offer a way to help soldiers prepare for war and help combat veterans heal from war and overcome PTSD--as well as alcoholism and addiction. From Afghanistan to the Amazon, the author shows how ayahuasca frees your consciousness from inherited beliefs and fears, offering a truly transformative rite of passage.
Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine: Creativity, Ecstasy, and Healing
by Maria Papaspyrou Chiara Baldini David Luke Allyson GreyAn exploration of the connections between feminine consciousness and altered states from ancient times to present day • Explores the feminine qualities of the psychedelic self, ancient female roots of shamanism, and how altered states naturally tap into the female archetype • Discusses feminist psychedelic activism, female ecstatics, goddess consciousness, the dark feminine, and embodied paths to ecstasy • Includes contributions by Martina Hoffmann, Amanda Sage, Carl Ruck, and others Women have been shamans since time immemorial, not only because women have innate intuitive gifts, but also because the female body is wired to more easily experience altered states, such as during the process of birth. Whether female or male, the altered states produced by psychedelics and ecstatic trance expand our minds to tap into and enhance our feminine states of consciousness as well as reconnect us to the web of life. In this book, we discover the transformative powers of feminine consciousness and altered states as revealed by contributors both female and male, including revered scholars, visionary artists, anthropologists, modern shamans, witches, psychotherapists, and policy makers. The book begins with a deep look at the archetypal dimensions of the feminine principle and how entheogens give us open access to these ancient archetypes, including goddess consciousness and the dark feminine. The contributors examine the female roots of shamanism, including the role of women in the ancient rites of Dionysus, the Eleusinian Sacrament, and Norse witchcraft. They explore psychedelic and embodied paths to ecstasy, such as trance dance, holotropic breathwork, and the similarities of giving birth and taking mind-altering drugs. Looking at the healing potential of the feminine and altered states, they discuss the power of plant medicines, including ayahuasca, and the recasting of the medicine-woman archetype for the modern world. They explore the feminine in the creative process and discuss feminist psychedelic activism, sounding the call for more female voices in the psychedelic research community. Sharing the power of “femtheogenic” wisdom to help us move beyond a patriarchal society, this book reveals how feminine consciousness, when intermingled with psychedelic knowledge, carries and imparts the essence of inclusivity, interconnectedness, and balance our world needs to heal and consciously evolve.
The Psychedelic Sacrament: Manna, Meditations, and Mystical Experience
by Dan Merkur• Reveals the secret teachings from the Judeo-Christian traditions that promote the use of psychedelic substances to enhance religious transcendence.• Explains how special meditations were designed to be performed while partaking of the "psychedelic sacrament".In The Mystery of Manna, religious historian Dan Merkur provided compelling evidence that the miraculous bread that God fed the Israelites in the wilderness was psychedelic, made from bread containing ergot--the psychoactive fungus containing the same chemicals from which LSD is made. Many religious authorities over the centuries have secretly known the identity and experience of manna and have left a rich record of their involvement with this sacred substance. In The Psychedelic Sacrament, a companion work to The Mystery of Manna, Dan Merkur elucidates a body of Jewish and Christian writings especially devoted to this tradition of visionary mysticism. He discusses the specific teachings of Philo of Alexandria, Rabbi Moses Maimonides, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux that refer to special meditations designed to be performed while partaking of the "psychedelic sacrament." These meditations combine the revelatory power of psychedelics with the rational exercise of the mind, enabling the seeker to achieve a qualitatively enhanced state of religious transcendence. The Psychedelic Sacrament sheds new light on the use of psychedelics in the Western mystery tradition and deepens our understanding of the human desire for divine union.
Psychedelic Shamanism, Updated Edition
by Jim DekornePsychedelic Shamanism presents the spiritual and shamanic properties of psychotropic plants and discusses how they can be used to understand the structure of human consciousness. Author Jim DeKorne offers authoritative information about the cultivation, processing, and correct dosages for various psychotropic plant substances including the belladonna alkaloids, d-lysergic acid amide, botanical analogues of LSD, mescaline, ayahuasca, DMT, and psilocybin. Opening with vivid descriptions of the author's personal experiences with psychedelic drugs, the book describes the parallels that exist among shamanic states of consciousness, the use of psychedelic catalysts, and the hidden structure of the human psyche. DeKorne suggests that psychedelic drugs allow us to examine the shamanic dimensions of reality. This worldview, he says, is ubiquitous across space, time, and culture, with individuals separated by race, distance, and culture routinely describing the same core reality that provides powerful evidence of the dimensional nature of consciousness itself. The book guides the reader through the imaginal realm underlying our awareness, a world in which spiritual entities exist to reconnect us with ourselves, humanity, and our planet. Accurate drawings of plants, including peyote, Salvia divinorum, and San Pedro, enhance the book's usefulness.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Psychedelics and Spirituality: The Sacred Use of LSD, Psilocybin, and MDMA for Human Transformation
by Thomas B. RobertsReveals how psychedelics can facilitate spiritual development and direct encounters with the sacred • With contributions by Albert Hofmann, Huston Smith, Stanislav Grof, Charles Tart, Alexander &“Sasha&” Shulgin, Brother David Steindl-Rast, and many others • Includes personal accounts of Walter Pahnke&’s Good Friday Experiment as well as a 25-year follow-up with its participants • Explores protocols for ceremonial use of psychedelics and the challenges of transforming entheogenic insights into enduring change Modern organized religion is based predominantly on secondary religious experience--we read about others&’ extraordinary spiritual encounters with God but have no direct experience ourselves. Yet there exist powerful sacraments to help us directly experience the sacred, to help us seek out the meaning of being human and our place in the universe, and to help us see the sacred in the world that surrounds us. In this book, more than 25 spiritual leaders, scientists, and psychedelic visionaries examine how we can return to the primary spiritual encounters at the basis of all religions through the guided use of psychedelics. With contributions by Albert Hofmann, Huston Smith, Stanislav Grof, Charles Tart, Alexander &“Sasha&” Shulgin, Brother David Steindl-Rast, Myron Stolaroff, and many others, this book explores protocols for ceremonial and spiritual use of psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and MDMA, and the challenges of transforming entheogenic insights into enduring change. It examines psychoactive sacraments in the Bible, myths surrounding the use of LSD, and the transformative ayahuasca rituals of Santo Daime. The book also includes personal accounts of Walter Pahnke&’s Good Friday Experiment as well as a 25-year follow-up with its participants. Dispelling fears of inauthentic spirituality, addiction, and ill-prepared encounters with the holy, this book reveals the potential of psychedelics as catalysts for spiritual development, a path through which faith can directly encounter God&’s power, and the beginning of a new religious era based on personal spiritual experience.
Psychiatric Medication and Spirituality: An Unforeseen Relationship
by Lynne VanderpotChallenging an exclusively medical approach to mental health and illness, this book considers the impact psychiatric drugs can have on spirituality. In the last thirty years, a dramatic rise in medication as a treatment for mental illness has occurred in tandem with increasing numbers of people entering treatment with a spiritually-oriented understanding of their suffering. The unforeseen result is that some people taking psychiatric drugs are engaging with them in ways that can have a profound impact on the course and outcome of treatment. Based on interviews with people on psychiatric medication who regard spirituality as significant in their lives, this book reveals how medication can be perceived as both helpful and harmful to spirituality. The author argues that spirituality must be considered in debates around psychopharmacology.
The Psychiatric Study of Jesus: Exposition and Criticism
by Albert SchweitzerFor His Doctoral Thesis, Schweitzer Chose To Write On Recent Medical Treatises Which Showed, At Least To The Authors' Satisfaction, That Jesus Was Mentally Diseased. The Book Was Published In German In 1913.“Work of a major prophet....Dr. Schweitzer demolishes the published theories that Jesus was mentally abnormal....His uses of his sources are a delight to follow.”—St. Louis Star-Times“It is a monument to the many-sided genius of one of the truly great men of this century. English-speaking people throughout the world will be grateful for this translation.”—Quarterly Review of Biology“The very brevity of this small volume reflects the genius of Albert Schweitzer....At no point does the author appeal to the authority of revealed religion. He meets naturalists on their own grounds....The smooth translation and Introduction by Charles R. Joy and the instructive Preface by Dr. Winfred Overholser enrich the reader’s comprehension and enjoyment of this classic essay”—Dr. Gordon W. Allport, Harvard University“No one is better qualified to speak of the revolutionary personality of Jesus than Schweitzer.”—Boston Herald“Terse, lucid exposition.”—Washington Star
Psychiatry and the Spirit World: True Stories on the Survival of Consciousness after Death
by Alan Sanderson• Explains the author&’s practice of psychiatric spirit release, centered on the spiritual and psychic aspects of emotional disturbance • Offers profound accounts of the survival of the spirit after death, from ancient times to the present day, including near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, reincarnation, and dreams • Examines evidence for mediumship, clairvoyance, telepathy, and the psychic aspects of heart transplants After a twenty-year break from practice, Alan Sanderson returned to clinical psychiatry at age fifty-nine and soon realized that many of his patients were plagued by troublesome earthbound spirits, some of whom had been attached across lifetimes to multiple incarnations as well as multiple hosts. By talking with these attached spirits and persuading them to leave their hosts, Dr. Sanderson found remarkable success in the treatment of his patients. Now, more than 30 years later, Dr. Sanderson shares his extensive research on the afterlife, the survival of consciousness after physical death, and paranormal phenomena related to the spirit world. He explains his practice of psychiatric spirit release, centered on the spiritual and psychic aspects of emotional disturbance, and shares case studies complete with full accounts of treatment sessions. He offers first-hand accounts of the survival of the spirit after death, from ancient times to the present day, and explores end-of-life experiences, including what is witnessed by the living people in the room, as well as profound accounts of near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, and reincarnation. He examines evidence for mediumship, clairvoyance, telepathy, and the psychic aspects of heart transplants. He also details cases of remote healing, further proving the existence of connections beyond the material world. Presenting a wealth of evidence, as well as suggestions for new treatment possibilities for mental health problems, Dr. Sanderson offers a comprehensive examination of spirit existence and the survival of consciousness after death.
Psychic: My Life in Two Worlds
by Sylvia BrownePSYCHIC is the intimate, first-person, unapologetic, no-holds-barred story behind the story that Sylvia, at the age of 72, is finally ready to tell. In PSYCHIC, Sylvia will reveal the little known truths behind her three failed marriages, including the physical abuse, bankruptcy and legal troubles. While the press had a field day writing about it at the time, Sylvia remained quiet...until now. Sylvia will discuss her painful transitions and the financial and emotional damage inflicted by her husbands. And as an almost parenthetical lesson for all of us in forgiveness and compassion, she'll describe the experience of moving husband Dal Brown back into her house to take care of him when she learned that he was alone and in failing health. Then there are Sylvia's own physical challenges, from a series of painful hip surgeries to her relatively recent discovery that she'd suddenly gone blind in one eye, so that, at the age of 72, when she'd concluded that a limping, one-eyed woman was done when it came to romance, no one was more shocked than she when the real Mr. Right finally, impossibly showed up.
Psychic: My Life in Two Worlds
by Sylvia Browne“I have known Sylvia for twenty years, and I have the greatest respect for her. People seek her out for her much celebrated intuitive skills, however, I have sought her out for her friendship and kindness. I applaud her for the peace and solace that she has brought to so many.” — Montel Williams “An amazing woman, an amazing life, and a book I couldn’t put down. Sylvia is a true inspiration.” — Jeanne Cooper, star of The Young and the RestlessReaching deep beneath the surface of her life—then and now—renowned psychic and #1 New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Browne (The Other Side and Back) candidly discusses details of her professional and personal experiences that she’s never publically revealed before.
Psychic Healing: Using The Tools Of A Medium To Cure Whatever Ails You
by Sylvia BrowneSylvia Browne now gives us a marvelous book on self-healing. Largely made up of actual research trance transcripts from her guides, this book is a must for those who have chronic physical problems but who cannot find relief from conventional medicine. It’s not meant to replace this type of treatment, though, but to augment it. Sylvia also discusses her innovative and proven methods of healing relating to cell memory and morphic resonance. Sylvia is one of the few deep-trance mediums in the world today, and the information that comes from her guides not only covers healing methods that give us the tools to heal ourselves and become more spiritual, but also gives us insights into preventive methods that ensure health and well-being so that we can live happier and healthier lives.
The Psychic Home: Psychoanalysis, consciousness and the human soul
by Roger KennedyThe Psychic Home: Psychoanalysis of Consciousness and the Human Soul develops, from a number of different viewpoints, the significance of home in our lives. Roger Kennedy puts forward the central role of what he has termed a ‘psychic home’ as a vital psychic structure, which gathers together a number of different human functions. Kennedy questions what we mean by the powerfully evocative notion of the human soul, which has important links to the notion of home and he suggests that what makes us human is that we allow a home for the soul. As an illustration of this concept he explores how it can help to understand a vital element of William Wordsworth’s development as a poet. The word soul is both abstract and yet also powerfully emotive. Kennedy shows that it can be approached from a number of different angles, from psychoanalysis, philosophy, religion, sociology, literature and neuroscience. The Psychic Home, discusses the mysteries and complexities of the soul, and aims to evoke some restoration of its place in our thinking. It illustrates how the word soul and similar key words, such as spirit and inwardness, express so much that is essential for humans, even if we cannot be too precise about their meanings. Insightful, enlightening and broad reaching, The Psychic Home brings the concept of the soul centre stage as an entity that is elemental, an essence, irreducible, and what makes us human as subjects of experience. It will be essential reading for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, neuroscientists, philosophers and those interested in spirituality and religion.
Psychic Intelligence: Tune In and Discover the Power of Your Intuition
by Terry Jamison Linda JamisonThe Psychic Twins have amazed audiences all over the world with their eerie predictions that have proven to be true, including the events of 9/11, the Times Square Terrorist incident, natural disasters and more. They've also worked with countless clients who report that their predictions later came to be true. Although the Twins have an undeniable gift in this area, we all have psychic capabilities-- and in this book they show you how to strengthen your own, look into your future, and change your destiny. In PSYCHIC INTELLIGENCE, Terry and Linda Jamison explain, step-by-step, how to dissolve the blocks that can prevent you from using and trusting your own intuition. By exploring what they call the Four Clairs: clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance, you will be able to tap into these feelings and in turn:--Create strong and worthwhile relationships, including finding true love--Attract wealth and abundance-Know when to make a career change, and what the new path should be--Experience vibrant health--Discover your authentic self and life's purposeNow, at a time of real economic and social uncertainty, when hope is needed and so many are feeling confused and fearful, PSYCHIC INTELLIGENCE will show readers that we all have the power to tap into and control our own destiny.
Psychic Photography: The Visual Proof (True Encounters with the World Beyond #1)
by Hans HolzerProfessor Hans Holzer carefully examines historic photographic evidence of ghosts and paranormal activity, explaining which images contain convincing proof and which may be trickeryFor more than a century, psychic researchers have amassed a body of photographic evidence of the afterlife. Indeed, according to professor Hans Holzer, photography gives us one of the greatest tools in documenting souls that continue to exist among us after death. Here Holzer looks at the evidence of ghosts revealing themselves to us on film, and shares examples of psychic photographs, many of which were taken during séances.
Psycho-spiritual Care in Health Care Practice
by Bob Heath Dr Rachel Freeth Gavin Garman Guy Harrison Isabel Clarke Prof William West Steve NolanMeeting the psychological and spiritual needs of patients is vital to supporting their wellbeing in health care settings. To develop an effective, holistic and inclusive approach to care within predominantly medical health care models, practitioners across health care disciplines must work collaboratively to understand the complex, significant relationships between their patients' medical, therapeutic and spiritual requirements. Bridging the gap between care disciplines, the book presents an innovative vision of patient wellbeing enriched by a synthesis of psychological, spiritual and medical approaches. Prominent practitioners from a range of disciplines including nursing and psychiatry demonstrate how their psycho-spiritual approaches meet the individual needs of patients, adapting to their emotional, spiritual and religious requirements. Accessible and enlightening, this book offers significant practical insight into the role of psychologically informed spiritual care.
Psychoanalysis and Buddhism
by Jeremy D. Safran"What a wonderful book! Jeremy Safran has assembled an absolutely stellar group of writers and has himself contributed an illuminating introduction. The essays are riveting and the book is the rare edited collection with real thematic unity. If you think you might have an interest in the intersection of psychoanalysis and Buddhism, this is the place to start. If you already know you're interested, once you look at the table of contents you'll find (at least I did) that you want to let Psychoanalysis and Buddhism displace whatever you were going to read next."--Donnel B. Stern, PhD, author of Unformulated Experience and editor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis and Religion (The\terry Lectures Ser.)
by Erich FrommSocial psychologist Erich Fromm probes deep into the roots of religion to find its humanistic essenceIn 1950, Erich Fromm attempted to free religion from its social function and to develop a new understanding of religious phenomena. Rather than analyzing what people believe in--whether they're monotheistic, polytheistic, or atheistic--Fromm presents an idea of what religion means in secular terms. In his timeless and straightforward style, Fromm unmasks the alienating effects of any authoritarian religion. He reveals how a humanistic religion is conducive to one's own humanity, and explains why psychoanalysis does not threaten religion. Whether you're a believer or a long-time atheist, Fromm's erudite analysis of religion is sure to reshape your concept of spirituality. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erich Fromm including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.
Psychoanalysis and Religion in the 21st Century: Competitors or Collaborators? (The New Library of Psychoanalysis)
by David M. BlackWhat can be gained from a dialogue between psychoanalysis and religion? Freud described religion as the universal obsessional neurosis, and uncompromisingly rejected it in favour of "science." Ever since, there has been the assumption that psychoanalysts are hostile to religion. Yet, from the beginning, individual analysts have questioned Freud's blanket rejection of religion. In this book, David Black brings together contributors from a wide range of schools and movements to discuss the issues. They bring a fresh perspective to the subject of religion and psychoanalysis, answering vital questions such as: How do religious stories carry (or distort) psychological truth? How do religions 'work', psychologically? What is the nature of religious experience? Are there parallels between psychoanalysis and particular religious traditions? Psychoanalysis and Religion in the 21st Century will be of great interest to psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic therapists, psychodynamic counsellors, and anyone interested in the issues surrounding psychoanalysis, religion, theology and spirituality.
Psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism: A Realizational Perspective
by Seiso Paul CooperIn this book, Cooper brings together psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism by offering a comprehensive and integrated model, described as "The Realizational Model", that is consistent with the core concepts of Soto Zen Buddhism and psychoanalytic practice. Focusing primarily on Soto Zen Buddhism as presented in the original writings of the Japanese scholar monk Eihei Dōgen (1200-1253), and supported and elaborated by relevant contemporary scholarship in relation to the writings of the British psychoanalyst, Wilfred Bion (1897-1979), this book addresses the issue of how can one understand, assimilate, and integrate conceptions of the human mind that originate in the 13th and 20th centuries, as they are visited and inflected by the unconscious preconceptions of a 21st-century perspective. Expressing authentic Buddhist tradition within the frame of psychoanalytic thinking, and supported by online guided audio meditations that accompany the text, this work offers a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective of invaluable clinical significance. Case material garnered from 35 years of psychoanalytic practice as well as examples from daily life support the abstract concepts discussed in the text, rendering it equally relevant for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, as well as students of Zen wishing to explore its practical applications.
Psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism (Condor Bks.)
by Erich FrommThe renowned psychoanalyst and New York Times–bestselling author of The Art of Loving unites philosophy from the East and West. In 1957, social philosopher and psychoanalyst Erich Fromm invited Daisetz T. Suzuki, the most famous Zen Buddhist master in the Western world, to a seminar at his new home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Their discussion was one of the highlights of Fromm&’s life, and the paper Fromm presented (and later expanded into a book) was a watershed work. Fromm demonstrates his mastery of the philosophy and practice of Zen, perfectly articulating how Zen tenets fit into the ideas of psychoanalysis. In this text, he creates new perspectives on both systems of thought. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erich Fromm including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate.
Psychoanalysis as a Spiritual Discipline: In Dialogue with Martin Buber and Gabriel Marcel
by Paul MarcusThe great existential psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger famously pointed out to Freud that therapeutic failure could "only be understood as the result of something which could be called a deficiency of spirit." Binswanger was surprised when Freud agreed, asserting, "Yes, spirit is everything." However, spirit and the spiritual realm have largely been dropped from mainstream psychoanalytic theory and practice. This book seeks to help revitalize a culturally aging psychoanalysis that is in conceptual and clinical disarray in the marketplace of ideas and is viewed as a "theory in crisis" no longer regarded as the primary therapy for those who are suffering. The author argues that psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy can be reinvigorated as a discipline if it is animated by the powerfully evocative spiritual, moral, and ethical insights of two dialogical personalist religious philosophers—Martin Buber, a Jew, and Gabriel Marcel, a Catholic—who both initiated a "Copernican revolution" in human thought. In chapters that focus on love, work, faith, suffering, and clinical practice, Paul Marcus shows how the spiritual optic of Buber and Marcel can help revive and refresh psychoanalysis, and bring it back into the light by communicating its inherent vitality, power, and relevance to the mental health community and to those who seek psychoanalytic treatment.
Psychoanalytic Approaches to Myth (Theorists of Myth)
by Daniel MerkurThis book surveys the history of psychoanalytic treatments of myths variously as symptoms of psychopathology, as cultural defense mechanisms, and as metaphoric expressions of ideas that may include therapeutic insights.