Unit X. Healing Ideas

Unit X. Healing Ideas

CONTENTS

1. Healing ideas
2. Role of Love
3. Role of the Body
4. Return to Nature
5. What is Needed

Materials needed: Journal, drawing materials, post-it notes

Exercises:

Integrating healing concepts

Healing Ideas

Here I would like to do a quick summary of some of the healing principles and practices we have been using, so you can review them all in one place.

Mindfulness

This practice which entails simply paying complete attention to whatever you are doing in the moment without allowing your mind to wander is a basic Buddhist and Christian practice. It is the basis for Tolle’s work on the power of Now. It disciplines the mind and ego and brings them under control of the Higher Self.

Paramitas

The paramitas are transcendental activities that are related to the spiritual journey. They come from the Buddhist tradition and are called skillful means because they help us deal with the reality of how things are, how to surrender to things as they are and help us to understand life.

1. Generosity/Kindness - The Divine One gives you what you need rather than what will please your ego. It also means cutting through or willingness to part with any precious things I want to hold on to such as resources, ammunition, etc. Parting and giving, not wanting to possess anything for myself; [renunciation]. Giving material goods, fearlessness and the Dharma.

2. Discipline/Morality- This is based on loving self, acknowledging natural purity, being properly related to earth. It also means proper conduct; sticking with simplicity; not borrowing or buying anything unnecessary; not looking for improvement; staying with what you are; appreciation of loneliness and being simple, straightforward, naked, lonely; renouncing ego-centered motivations; wholesome activity; acting for the benefit of others.

3. Patience/Stability - The Divine One prefers to work with sentient beings to save them from confusion. Therefore, we have nothing to lose. Working with the territory, your space becomes a no-man’s land. It is free ground so is not subject to demands; therefore, you can afford to wait. You have forbearance but are not tolerant of abuse. You have a sense of timelessness. You are efficient, direct and persevering; focused. It also means wrathlessness, willingness to continue, forbearance, not being resentful especially with the results of # 1 and 2. You bear injury from others and difficult circumstances for the sake of practice; and you have fearless receptivity to profound teachings.

4. Exertion/Delight - This means taking delight in and working hard with whatever presents itself. Delight, the approach of sanity, is to open your eyes to the totality of the situation, not siding with any point of view. You delight in what is and work with it. It also means a sense of not giving up, continuing [persistence] in practices; delight in practices. One must give up being too casual about the path, not losing heart, letting go of other preoccupations, not afraid of challenges, finishes what begins, and refuses to turn back.

5. Meditation/Awareness- This means a state of total involvement without center or fringe; awareness without a watcher; stable awareness. Everything is simplified into one situation. It also means mindfulness of body, mind, and speech; subdued thinking, stabilized thought process, to cut distractions and to develop some sense of groundedness. Meditative stabilization, benefitting others by relying on samadhi.

6. Knowledge/Clarity (prajna) - this is transcendental or direct knowledge. It is a sharp, precise, biting aspect of space that cuts through any subtle attitude, sense of virtue, manipulation, or sense of fixed concepts. It also means clear perception of the phenomenal world, qualified by sunyata/emptiness; understanding the teachings; knowing what will benefit others.

7. Skillful Means/Confidence - This is the perfect application of method. It is fully stepping out of spiritual materialism; beyond expectations. It is Prajna plus absence of “me” and “that.” It is total confidence without a reference point, total lack of inhibition, not afraid to be, not afraid to live. You accept yourself as a warrior who dares to Be. It also means letting go of struggling and searching and allowing appreciation of the beauty of things as they are to arise naturally in ourselves.

8. Vision/Inspiration/Aspiration - This is inspiration, a vision of how future developments might occur. The pregnant present contains both past and future. We give up keeping track because territory is irrelevant. We wish to share our discoveries with others.

9. Power/ Strength - This is the confidence to leap, a further expression of the confidence of skillful means. There is no reference point, you simply do it. There is no journey, path becomes an evolutionary process in which further complete, enlightened power begins to develop. One is not subject to or enslaved by any other entity, a natural strength arises.

10. Wisdom/Non-identity - this implies a non-identification with teaching, path or technique because you have become the path and are completely programmed by the Buddha’s way. Wisdom embodies all of the previous nine paramitas. You have naturally settled into the situation; it is self-contained.

Shunyata principle. This is not a paramita, but is a basic Buddhist principle. It means you are empty of holding back or maintaining yourself. You give up any idea of “me” and “mine.” You are able to see things as they are - common sense. You give up the whole thing, i.e., all your agendas.

The Buddhist Precepts

1. You do not take a life.
2. You do not take anything that is not given to you.
3. You do not lie.
4. You do not indulge in sexuality.
5. You do not use alcoholic beverages.

The intention, application and fruition of intention and application have to be fulfilled in order to break a precept.

The Eightfold Path

1. Right View - you see the situation as it is without conceptualization or prejudging.

2. Right Intention - you are not inclined toward anything other than what is [acceptance]. There is no need to reduce or intensify life situations.

3. Right Speech - This means truth telling. “It is so” rather than “I think it is so.” [telling it like it is]

4. Right Morality/Discipline - you constantly lead a straightforward life without introducing new complications. You give up projections and engage complete simplicity.

5. Right livelihood - you make money by working; cause and effect; take responsibility for earning what you need to live.

6. Right Effort - you provide space, a natural openness. You see a situation precisely as it is. You are present fully with delight.

7. Right Mindfulness - you are aware of the whole environment, trust what you are doing, and are not threatened by anything.

8. Right Samadhi/Absorption - you are completely involved in a non-dualistic way, one with your living situation as it is. You are Being as it is.

Another Version

1. Right Knowledge - Self-knowledge
2. Right Motive/Thought - desirelessness
3. Right Speech - to express spiritual knowledge
4. Right Action - start from within and go outward
5. Right Livelihood - duty which makes spiritual pursuit possible
6. Right Effort/Mindfulness - perseverance in right pursuit
7. Right Concentration - control lower mind & reveal intuition of Higher Mind
8. Right Meditation - true self-transcendence for spiritual service to humanity

Healing Attitudes (Fields, et al, 1984)

1. Hope, positive expectancy
2. Non-judgment, equanimity [acceptance]
3. Forgiveness, let go of negativity [allowing]
4. Compassion, focus on others
5. Renunciation of possessions and pride
6. Willingness to heal, will
7. Faith, surrender
8. Love & laughter, positive feelings empower immune system (pp. 192-8)

Another set of right attitudes can be found in the Yamas of Raja Yoga. These were presented in an earlier guidebook, but I will list them for review:

1. Non-violence
2. Truthfulness
3. Non-theft
4. Continence
5. Non-dependence, non-greed

The Niyamas are:

1. Purity
2. Contentment
3. Austerity and self-discipline
4. Self-examination and self-study
5. Surrender to the Divine

Healing Prinicples (Arrien, 1993)

1. Balanced Diet - this includes thoughts, attitudes & beliefs, what feed senses,     starving heart, spiritual diet - comfort with silence and aloneness; i.e., what I     bring in to myself.

2. Humor, joy, laughter - connect to the Divine child, play.

3. Music, sound, chanting - speaks to non-rational empowerment.

4. Touch, love, caring, support systems - nurturing, affection, inclusion, power,     affection.

5. Creative purpose - The inner child; creativity; something that has passion, heart     and meaning is a reservoir of healing energy, it ties in with one’s life purpose;     The healing energy of the Divine child re-ignites life myth/purpose. Interests,     hobbies.

6. Self-esteem, self-love, trust and respect - self-valuing, need for control means     lack of trust and self-esteem.

7. Recognition of the supernatural - this is faith and awareness of something larger     than we; it has a strong feeling component.

8. Environment, especially nature - two hours/day outdoors (air, light, beauty).

9. Movement - exercise, walking, breathing, inner psychological movement and     change. (p. 69, and notes from workshop)

Gap vs Unity Consciousness (Arrien, 1987)

Compare the behaviors of someone in the grip of separation with those of someone in a state of Unity Consciousness.   The special circumstances reflect the fact that nothing is absolute.

	Gap (separation)	Special Circumstance	Unity consciousness

1.	Fear & distancing	Fear as warning	Love, expansion
2.	Pretense	Pretending as a way of developing new parts	Authenticity
3.	Covering up	Low visibility to deepen humility and compassion	Full Presence
4.	Lying	Withhold information inapproriate to reveal	Truth/Right Speech
5.	Laziness	Relaxation	Productivity
6.	Narcissism	Healing, self-renewal, contemplation	Service
7.	Irresponsibility	Learning to let go and to feel more participation	Responsibility

Table 6-9. Gap/Separation vs Unity Consciousness

Healing Concepts (Achterberg, 1990)

These kinds of love are doorways to healing and contribute to a balanced view of wellness:

1. Healing is a lifelong journey toward wholeness.
2. Healing is remembering what has been forgotten about connection and unity and nterdependence among all things living and nonliving.
3. Healing is embracing what is most feared.
4. Healing is opening what has been closed, softening what has hardened into obstruction.
5. Healing is entering into the transcendent, timeless moment when one experiences the divine.
6. Healing is creativity and passion and love.
7. Healing is seeking and expressing self in its fullness, its light and shadow, its male and female.
8. Healing is learning to trust life.

Self-examination and Inner Work

This whole series of guidebooks is based on Kundalini Yoga as taught by Swami Radha. It is all self-examination and inner work. In Yoga, the corresponding niyama is Swadhyaya or self-study and study of sacred texts. You could also see Jnana Yoga as self-study since it is the path of knowledge, study and learning. Inquiry into our motivations and behaviors will be ongoing as long as we are in bodies because that is the basic position of separation. However, the more debris we can clear away, the less painful life will be and the closer we will come to union with the Beloved.

Active Imagination is a very useful tool in accessing the unconscious. It is like a waking dream in that the conscious mind is able to participate. If you have been following along, you may have a copy of Inner Work by Robert Johnson (1986). He goes into detail about how to use active imagination and dreams. Twilight Imaging (Progoff, 1975, ch. 6) is a variation on this theme.

Visualization is also a variation of active imagination that is usually guided by someone else. Or it is possible to use tapes for this purpose. This is a journey into the unconscious and/or imagination in which one is an active participant or observer depending upon the reason for engaging in it.

In all forms of inner work, the best way to approach it is to see it as a lifelong commitment to the spiritual journey. The reason for doing it is to retrieve all of the repressed material in the unconscious and memories of one’s past life, so it can be integrated into the whole person, a process called individuation by Carl Jung the first westerner who discovered it. Because it overcomes basic separation, it is necessarily healing.

Exercise: Integrating Healing Concepts

Print out this unit to this point, so you can have all the information in front of you. Put each idea on a sticky note so you can move them around. Then begin to arrange them in a pattern that is meaningful to you. See if you can determine the basic underlying ideas of healing that is inherent in them. Strive to get them down to 10 or less. Then either diagram them, make a hierarchial diagram or make a collage that will summarize the healing principles. Feel free to add to this list any that I have missed, and I am sure there are many. This is for your own benefit, so be sure you have all the ones that are meaningful to you.

Next, identify some part of yourself that is in need of healing. Write a short description of the problem in your journal indicating what it is, when it began, what you see as the triggers of it, how you experience it and how long it has been going on. Note whether you think the cause is spiritual, psychological, energetic or physical, i.e., at which level of your person did the issue first manifest itself? Add any other relevant data.

Then compare your healing ideas with your healing need. Do you see some promising approaches to dealing with the problem?

In the long run, no one can heal you but yourself. Even most physical ailments have spiritual and psychological antecedents. Remember that problems that are not resolved on the level at which they originate, will come down to the next level and the next until they are finally addressed. Consider also whether you are nourishing your body properly. If some nutrient is missing, the problem could be generated on the physical level. I have found that doing research to understand what my body needs in the way of vitamins, minerals, etc. has enabled me to maintain vibrant health in my aging years. Furthermore, there is an explosion in the field of energy medicine and bodywork that addresses the energy body. So we now have therapies for each of the levels of the person:

Body	Therapy

Physical body	Conventional medicine, naturopathy
Etheric/energy body	Bodywork, homeopathy, herbal medicine, cranio- sacral therapy, massage, Hatha Yoga, pranayama, etc.
Mental (Manas) body	Psychotherapy, Logotherapy, pratayahara, etc.
Buddhic (Vijnana) body	Inner work, active imagination, dream work, visualization, Kundalini Yoga, Transpersonal psychotherapy
Spiritual (Atmic) body	Self-examination, dream work, Yoga Sutras, meditation, journaling, Divine Light Invocation, prayer, Eastern traditions, contemplation, etc.

Table 6-10. Healing Therapies

The literature in Transpersonal Psychology is full of information on the newer forms of therapy that take the spiritual journey into consideration beginning with Carl Jung and Assagioli. It also cross-references practices from the eastern traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc. Imagery in Healing by Jeanne Acterberg (1985), Transpersonal Psychotherapy by Seymour Boorstein (1996), Getting in Touch by Christine Caldwell (1997), The Stormy Search for the Self by Christina and Stanislav Grof (1990), Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom by Sharon Mijares (2003) Shadows of the Sacred by Frances Vaughan (1995), Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh (1999), The Ego and the Dynamic Ground by Michael Washburn (1995), No Boundary by Ken Wilber (1981), and Romancing the Shadow by Connie Zweig & Steve Wolf (1997) would be some good places to start.

There are newer books, I am sure. However, please try to avoid do-it-yourself books as they are usually not grounded in genuine research. Look for academic degrees or spiritual lineages when reviewing authors of books. And, when you examine the books, look for documentation of the information being offered. Channeled material is interesting but it has come through a single human mind which may have colored or distorted it. So beware. Also, be careful of those who make their living giving workshops and quick fixes. Some are genuine, of course, but there are a whole lot of self-appointed and self-made pseudo gurus out there. So look for dependable training and background. And remember, the ego will be attracted to quick fixes because it knows they won’t threaten its control. There is simply no easy way Home. It takes time, effort, pain, commitment. . . and also help.

[The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA has been accredited by the Western States Accreditation team. It is a graduate school that offers master’s and doctoral degrees. Their work is of very high quality and they have pioneered research in transpersonal psychology. So this is a source of training in psychotherapy that takes spirituality as a major partner. And it is also a place where one can go for information about research and teachers in the field.]

The Role of Love

Love is where it all began and love is where it ends. We all know that, on some level, which is why we all hunger and thirst for it. If we had not had experience of it before we were born, we would not know to miss it. Our souls remember where they have been and where they are going. And it is not just romantic or sexual love we are seeking though they are enjoyable in themselves. It is the searing, burning ecstasy or rapture that sets the soul on fire that draws us and compels us to set foot upon the spiritual path. This love is unconditional, unrelated to who our egos and personalties have become. It is love for who we really are, given by One who knows who we are with all our imperfections, warts and shadow selves. We yearn to be enfolded in those loving arms and to cry our hearts out for the pain and losses we have suffered in this lifetime. Knowledge of this love and hope for reunion with it is what keeps us enduring life in the world in a body that is frail and vulnerable.

David Loy (2004) wrote an article in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology about the “God-Shaped Hole” in our modern world that is the result of losing touch with the sacred in our lives. Because we have lost our connection to the Divine One, we experience an empty hole both in ourselves as individuals (according to Almaas, 1999) and in our planetary communities, particularly those societies that are addicted to consumerism and modern secularism. This is loss of love and we all grieve for it. We are addicted to stress and it is killing us. Loy says we go to war because it gives us a sense of identity and a meaning for life to which we can all commit ourselves. Can you feel the horror of this?

In addition to being the prime mover, love also performs other roles in our lives. It serves as a container to hold the polarities. As such, it serves as the balance point we saw in our triads. Love holds partners together and enables them to create a relationship that is like the third partner and which binds them together. Love does the same thing for friendships and communities, for any human interaction if the players are aware of its potential and able to use it. Love unites the ego and the soul if the ego permits it. It unites the soul and the Beloved. Love is the energy of the universe, and we can draw upon it whenever we are in need.

Love dissolves opposites into Oneness. This is symbolized by the Seal of Solomon that is one of the symbols of the fourth chakra. You will remember this as the two triangles intertwined, one pointing upward and the other downward. In this process, love enables transcendence to the next level of Being. In the fourth chakra, we celebrate the union of the individual soul, that has come into balance on a lower level, with the Beloved, and that creates a new unitive state. And so it goes. Notice the double triads in Fig 6-4.

Love neutralizes aggression and violence. Jesus was the master who taught us this by his example. Because of his great love, he was able to heal others. And he was also able to demonstrate the value of it for transcendence and resurrection. He, and Gandhi, both submitted themselves to human violence and, by doing so, enabled all of us to understand that while aggression and violence are temporary and tied to the conditions of the times, love is forever and unconditional, not dependent upon circumstances. Jesus taught that God is Love, and I think he meant for us to take that statement literally. God manifested in Jesus’ life as love and can manifest in our lives as Spirit or Christ-Consciousness if we seek the connection.

Finally, love comforts, encourages, supports and nurtures us. It offers itself to us in whatever form we are able to recognize and in many forms that we do not recognize. So, if you are feeling unloved, examine your expectations of it. Somewhere beyond our fears, blinders and dirty mirrors is the Love of all loves. Reach out for it, and you will find it.

The Role of the Body

To choose to be born into a human body is to choose to experience duality and,
   therefore, the separating influence of judgment. The relative world of form is
   made of the fabric of separation. If it was not, all would be homogeneous, un-
   bounded oneness. To live in time and space is to live and breathe the ever-
       changing world of diversity and relativity. (Phillips, 1997, p. 124)

It has only been in the last few decades that the body has begun to regain its original role in our conceptualizations of reality. We have been brainwashed by the Christian church for two centuries to believe that the body is sinful and should be abused in order to free the soul. For years, monks imposed pain upon their bodies believing that doing so would neutralize their sinful yearnings. Church-imposed celibacy is based upon the belief that sexuality is sinful. This teaching goes back to the myth of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. However, it is not sexuality that disconnected us from the Divine One, but ego. It is as if there was a basic confusion between ego and sexuality. The fact that the myth scapegoated women is perhaps sin of a much higher order.

We are now beginning to realize that the body is given to us as a cherished gift within which to experience life on earth. It contains the senses that enable us to perceive the beauty of our surroundings and to partake of the pleasures of good food, exercise, scholarship, and all the other goodies with which we are surrounded. None of these pleasures should detract from our spiritual journey if we have a valid commitment. It is addiction to pleasure that is a culprit. And we have seen that the origin of addiction lies in the Hole of separation.

The body also enables us to reproduce ourselves and enjoy the rigors of parenting. Sexual contact itself can be one of the most splendid experiences of connection if it is engaged within a committed relationship that protects our vulnerability and promotes trust.

The body is the temple of the soul and carries it throughout the world wherever it needs to be to fulfill itself. Within the channels and chakras of the subtle body are the connecting links to the Beloved that the soul can employ for its purposes. Spiritual practices base upon these links can take us directly Home when given enough repetition. The body vibrates in its own rhythm and each person has his/her own unique signature frequency. Mantras can tune these frequencies and raise them toward divine union and identification.

Disease in the body is a sign of disharmony and imbalance. It needs to be addressed at its source, so it can be healed. When the soul is ready to leave the earth plane, the body is released as if it were an old coat that is no longer needed. And, if the work is not completed, another body may be given for that purpose.

Return to Nature

In order for us to survive as a species, it is imperative for us to recognize that the Earth is the source and mother of all life. There has to be an end to the destruction of our natural resources and the animal and plant life we seem to feel are ours to desecrate. When God gave us dominion over the earth, it was meant to be a stewardship through which we cared for the other life forms that give themselves for our welfare, not as inanimate objects that are mutilated and wantonly destroyed. At the Ashram, we had a dinner blessing that thanked all the life forms that gave themselves so we could eat. It is a sobering thought that other beings must die in order for us to live. We would do well to keep that thought in mind and renew our reverance, awe and respect for the support that makes our lives possible. When we cut down trees, we might want to think about what it will be like to suffocate to death since trees are one major source of the oxygen we take for granted. When we pollute our streams and oceans, we are assigning ourselves a slow death due to poisoning. Carbon monoxide gases are destroying the ozone layer which protects us from the harmful rays of the sun that cause cancer. We know all these things. Why do we not act upon them?

In addition to our absolute dependence upon the health of the planet, we need to recover the sense of unity with all earthly forms that is necessary for our souls’ health. I feel a deep sense of grief most of the time because of what our “other” brothers and sisters are suffering at our hands. And don’t kid yourself, animals and plants both suffer just as we do. Even minerals respond to kindness and other emotions. Masaru Emoto (2004) has shown us how molecules of water are physically affected by words, thoughts and feelings.

What is Needed

We need a new, more credible story about ourselves and the meaning of life that provides the grounding our souls need in order to be whole and healthy. It might as well be the truth. And, if you are on a spiritual journey, that is part of what you are seeking. There is something that bridges body, mind, spirit and nature. It is intelligent. This is so obvious to me especially whenever I notice the intricasies of design in my growing plants or the unconditional love of my animals for me. Just the fact that the sun comes up every day and the seasons revolve is reason to believe that there is a higher power that is governing life on earth. Life itself is so intricate that I cannot imagine it evolving solely through trial and error. Rather, it is more like natural selection and evolution were the tools used by a Divine Creator. Though I have my moments of doubt and confusion, as we all do, the evidence is there right before our eyes. What humanity has managed to create is nothing in the path of a hurricane or tornado or a tsunami. And, when lightning strikes, we are reminded that we are not really in charge. Our arrogance is immense and needs to be curtailed.

We need to teach our children to value the world, not only because it is our home and the source of all we need, but also because it is an integral part of ourselves and of Being ItSelf.

We need to provide education for everyone in how to engage in intimate relation-ships successfully, so they can provide us with the support and love we need to be happy and to lead bountiful lives. We also need to train those people who would become parents, so they do not pass on the dysfunctionalities they were given by their parents. There is plenty of information on how to do both of these things successfully. It is a mystery to me why we do not give it to those who so desperately need it. There is no defensible reason why the “sins of the parents” must be passed on to their children.

Those of us who are on the spiritual path have probably learned how to be with other people in a loving way that is respectful of their personhood and souls. I have seen this knowledge passed on in child-rearing with astonishing results, so I know it is possible. And I have seen books on parenting and intimacy that could be used as texts in high school courses. I have taught courses in the Psychology of Intimacy and Human Relations, so I know the materials are out there. It is a mystery to me why they are not more widely used to prepare young people for a peaceful life in the world. Perhaps that is why not - we don’t really want peace in the world because war is more profitable. Is that true for you?

Who You Are

Man [and woman are]. . divine in origin, nature and ultimate destiny. Jesus,
   who realized the Christos-Light in himself, taught all who would listen that
   the Light is within each one. The human being and the highest manifest deity
   are one in ultimate essence, and both as a sempiternal Unity constitute the
   luminous veil over the unknowable Absolute. – Elton Hall (1983, p. 73)

You are a luminous, sparkling center of Light. You are bigger than you know with your energies extending out to about fingertip length all around your physical body. This is why, when you stand close to someone, you can feel their auras and that gives you information about what they are feeling and thinking. You are a soul manifesting itself in the physical world, but also in the energetic, mental and spiritual worlds of which you are also a part. If you educate your eyes, you can learn to see yourself and others in this light.

You are a self-moving and self-motivating center of manifestation of Being in the world. As such, you are a godself. Your humanity is divine as well as human. Again, this is what Jesus taught us. And, as divine beings, our task is to learn how to respect ourselves and to conduct our business in the world in a manner that honors this identity. Most of us carry a load of shame and inferiority because we think we do not measure up to some standards that were set for us before we reached the age of consent. But that is the real myth. That is not who you are. You are Divine Light, a Light-Bearer by design. So there is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect just as you are with all your imperfections and so-called faults. We need to reconceptualize how all this works. We are here to learn some lessons about life in the world. If we measured up to some fantastic standard of excellence, we would not need to be here. So it is all right to not be perfect. However, this is no excuse to abuse, blame or hurt others. Remember that love is the source of all our energy. It takes effort to contort it. We could just relax and let it do its work . . . what a joy that would be!

Since Spirit is Divine Love, you can think of yourself as an envoy of Love. Consider it your challenge to bring love into the world, to clear the way for love to find its way to everyone. We all need it. Recall that love is a circular energy. If it is not returned or given to someone else, it slows its vibration and may become an obstacle. We give love and it returns to us. That boomerang effect is true for all forms of feeling energy.

In this unit, I have tried to give you some ideas about healing that may be new to you. Or, if they are not new, perhaps this will be a reminder of what you already know about yourself.

References

Achterberg, J. (1985). Imagery in healing: Shamanism and modern medicine. Boston: Shambhala.

Achterberg, J. (1990). Woman as healer. Boston: Shambhala.

Almaas, A. (1999). Diamond heart, Book Three: Being and the meaning of life. Berkeley: Diamond Books.

Arrien, A. (1987). Cross-cultural values and transpersonal experience . Teaching module. Palo Alto, CA: Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Global Program.

Arrien, A. (1993). The four-fold way: Walking the paths of the warrior, teacher, healer, and visionary. New York: HarperCollins.

Boorstein, S. (Ed.) (1996). Transpersonal psychotherapy, 2nd Ed. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Caldwell, C. (1997). Getting in touch: The guide to new body-centered therapies. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.

Emoto, M. (2004). The hidden messages in water. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond words Publishing.

Fields, R., Taylor, P., Weyler, R. & Ingrasci, R. (1984). Chop wood, carry water: A guide to finding spiritual fulfillment in everyday life. Los Angeles: Tarcher.

Grof, C. and Grof, S. (1990). The stormy search for the self: A guide to personal growth through transformational crisis. Los Angeles: Jeremy Tarcher.

Hall, E. (1983). “Gnostic theogony.” In The Gospel according to Thomas with complementary texts. New York: Concord Grove Press.

Johnson, R. (1986). Inner work: Using dreams and active imagination for personal growth. New York: HarperCollins.

Loy, D. (2004). “Terror in the God-Shaped Hole: A Buddhist Perspective on Modernity’s Identity Crisis.” The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 36, (2), 179-201.

Mijares, S. (2003). Modern psychology and ancient wisdom: Psychological healing practices from the world’s religious traditions. New York: The Haworth Integrative Healing Press.

Phillips, R. (1997). Windows to the soul: Healing the emotional body. Glorieta, NM: Deva Publishing.

Progoff, I. (1975). At a journal workshop: The basic text and guide for using the Intensive Journal process. New York: Dialogue House Library.

Vaughan, F. (1995). Shadows of the sacred: Seeing through spiritual illusions. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.

Walsh, R. (1999). Essential spirituality: The 7 central practices to awaken heart and mind. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Washburn, M. (1995). The ego and the dynamic ground: A transpersonal theory of human development. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Wilber, K. (1981). No Boundary: Eastern and western approaches to personal growth. Boulder: Shambhala.

Zweig, C. & Wolf, S. (1997). Romancing the shadow: Illuminating the dark side of the soul. New York: Ballantine Books.

This completes Unit X. Healing, the final unit of Return to Spirit, Book VI: Balance. So far I have managed to stay on a two-year cycle of publication of this series. However, the next book is not yet titled and I must live the content before I can write about it. Therefore, it may be a while before it makes its appearance. Meanwhile, I wish you many blessing, love and light. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Hiranya.

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