Apparently it is common practice these days for authors to post sections of their upcoming book as blog entries and then, when the book is finally published, they remove those blog posts and offer the final thing in its completion.
After considering this for some time, I’ve decided that this could be a good idea. I think it is about time that I more publicly admit that I’m writing another book, and it occurs to me that publishing rough pieces of it in blog posts will not only help me flesh out ideas, get feedback, but also help me feel some sense of motivation and accountability that some day there will actually be a complete book. Someday.
After my first book had not one but two anti-climatic releases that basically did the publishing industry version of a balloon getting punctured and briefly whipping around the room until whimpering out with a pathetic hum and a hiss – it has taken me a long time to get back on the horse. I have obviously never stopped writing – blog posts and poetry are evidence of that – but the flopping of my book in 2006 was a pivotal life challenge for me that did not sit lightly. The idea of writing and putting out another book to possibly find the same fate has caused me quite a bit of healing and thought.
At this point though, I have realized in the past couple years that even if only a dozen people read this next book, it is simply that a part of me needs to write one. Writing it, itself, is a way that I answer questions, figure things out, and make sense of things. This time, thank goodness, I have no illusion or need for this to make any money or serve any other external purpose. I am trying to answer some large questions, to find out if I can actually compile this into a book that makes sense as a whole, and maybe – just maybe – even contribute to the conversation between spirituality and psychology for a few people. Even if it doesn’t, this is to me like a huge canvas or enormous art project that has a loose vision but is still taking form. And I’m the one who is curious how it might turn out. If no one else, I am the one that wants to read this book; whatever it may be.
Hopefully it will be less verbose than this preamble, but I do like to explore ideas. What this book is “about”, loosely, is the intersection of spirituality and psychology, or rather, the fact that there ought to be none. Simply put: spirituality and psychology are obviously the same thing. Why have we made them separate? How do we truly, thoughtfully, and practically reconcile them?
Having done a significant amount of schooling and reading in this field, it has been dismaying and strange to see that thus far the field of ‘spiritually integrated psychotherapy’ – although yes, it is a thing which excited the student in me – it is actually more of a code word for “how to consider religious ideas and experiences when doing psychotherapy”. I remember vividly going to a talk from a man who was supposedly the leader in this field and realizing: this guy doesn’t even have a clue what spirituality is. He is just some religious guy talking about the fact that therapists should have awareness of, and consider religious perspectives that inform and shape a person’s experience. His huge insight was to consider that ‘sacred moments’ could truly occur in therapy. Really? That’s the leading edge? To think that next door, in the school of social work, where most of the other therapists were studying or down the road at the other university, where pure psychology was taught – that even this was a taboo consideration! Unbelievable.
I’m hoping to put forth a truly spiritually integrated psychotherapy – one that doesn’t recognize these are different forces, but fluidly knows them and works with them in one spectrum, one actually holistic model of humanity. Its admittedly a large task. But I’m a ‘big picture’ thinker, and my mind is always looking for the ever-larger synthesis of ideas.
The Working title of my book is “Awakening Therapy: Towards a unified theory of psyche and spirit”. Might be a bit grand of a title but that’s what I’ve got for now.
In this book, I address the shortcomings of both the bottom-up psychological approach to personal growth and healing, and the often impractical or bypassing problems that arise out of the top-down, “spiritual” approach to growth and healing. To me, it only makes sense if we know them as one and the same.
The ‘psychological approach” is crippled by its lack of understanding of our true spiritual nature, and fails us systemically by not recognizing that the movement towards spiritual understanding is the larger picture of what we’re doing here. It thereby also misses the power source that makes easy and efficient even the common healing work that has been the domain of therapy for so long.
Likewise, when lofty “spiritual” paths get lost in religiosity, jargon, and disembodied, ungrounded concepts of enlightenment or other worldliness, it leads us astray, causes problematic and often destructive belief systems, and creates even more fracturing in the mind by bypassing and ignoring the physical and psychological nuts and bolts of life.
Tragically, in this way the ideas that are meant for our greatest joy and healing can end up getting us further mired in confusion and suffering. I see it regularly, and know it intimately as I had to go through years of spiritual bypassing myself.
There is a saying: Be the person that your younger self needed.
Well, in this I’m trying to write the book that my younger self wanted. Something wise and intelligent and deeply, uncompromisingly speaking the truth of our nature, without being woo-woo, stuck in religious or cultural trappings, and without needing to exclude any aspect of life.
My hope is that it could help even a few people, particularly some of the young therapists out there – which there is a total flood of – that are “into spirituality” – but when you ask them what that means, they say they do yoga and write daily affirmations and teach mindfulness. It is a great start! But what is the real context for the mind? I hope and pray for the next generation of therapists to be deeply wise and awakened beings that can help shape this world and repair some of the damage of confusion. We can do this. One idea, one breath, one person, one word at a time.
So, in the next while I’m going to post segments of what I’m working on. It might be out of order and it might be obviously in need of editing. I have decided that instead of publishing perfectly honed articles, it is better to get things out there as I work out the kinks. Besides, I can always delete or edit them later! I have found that getting people’s feedback and response to other posts has been a wonderful energizer and help to these writings.
We’ll see.
As always, please don’t hesitate to email me with your thoughts and feedback.
And as always, be good to yourself.
There is nothing and no moment that is not sacred.
