| Please use these links
to view a reading list for the following topics:
Addiction and Drugs
Adolescence
Ecopsychology
Psychospiritual Practices
Shamanism, Ritual, and
Ceremony
Social and Political Involvment
Addiction
and Drugs
Alcoholism and Spirituality: A Transpersonal Approach,
Charles Whitfield. East Rutherford, NJ: Perrin and Treggett,
1985. A transpersonal view of addiction and the recovery
process in keeping with twelve step principles.
Breaking Free From Compulsive Eating, Geneen
Roth. New York: Plume/Penguin, 1984. Techniques developed
in her highly successful seminars about eating issues.
Chocolate to Morphine, Andrew Weil. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1993. An excellent overview of a very
wide range of substances; how they may be of value and
how they may be abused and harmful. Written shortly
before this authors' meteoric rise to celebrity.
Drugs, Addiction and Initiation: The Modern Search
for Ritual, Luiji Zoja. Boston: Sigo Press, 1989.
A Jungian view of the addiction process. Looks at our
culture's lack of ritual and initiation as a primary
cause for widespread addiction.
Drugs in Perspective, Richard Fields. Dubuque,
IA: Wm C Brown Communications, 1992. A quality overview
of different drugs, theories of addiction, and perspectives
on treatment. Useful as a textbook or layman's guide.
Love and Addiction, Stanton Peele and Archie
Brodsky. New York: Signet Books, 1976. Perhaps the earliest
book to show that the addiction model can also be seen
in relationship issues. The authors have since taken
strong issue with what they see as the distortion of
these ideas into use for twelve step programs for emotional
and relationship problems.
Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps,
Charlotte Kasl. New York: Harper Collins, 1992. Controversial
critique of AA from a feminist spiritual perspective.
Many useful insights and reflections on the deeper meaning
of the twelve steps with valuable suggestions for self-exploration.
The Natural Mind, Andrew Weil. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1972. Groundbreaking work on the quest for
altered states of consciousness and a sane view of drug
use and abuse.
Thirst for Wholeness, Christina Grof. San
Francisco: Harper, 1993. The author's journey of discovery
as she came to terms with alcoholism. Very powerful
transpersonal view of the recovery process and support
of AA by someone who hid her own problems while leading
others on the spiritual and transformational path.
The Truth About Addiction and Recovery, Peele
and Brodsky. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. A
very powerful and scathing critique of mainstream addiction
treatment and the world of twelve step programs.
When Food is Love, Geneen Roth. Dutton. Roth's
conception of the emotional distress that gives way
to eating issues; she draws from her own life.
Wild Hunger: The Primal Roots of Modern Addiction,
Bruce Wilshire. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield,
1998. A wild and deep philosophical journey into the
roots of addiction in our culture. Poetic, ecologically
wise, helpful in putting things in perspective.
Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of
Addiction, Linda Leonard. Boston: Shambhala, 1989.
Excellent Jungian view of addiction recovery and the
creative process.
Adolescence
Adolescence: Psychotherapy and the Emergent Self,
Mark McConville. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publisher's,
1995.
Betwixt and Between: Patterns of Masculine and
Feminine Initiation, ed. by Louise Carus Mahdi,
Steven Foster, and Meredith Little. La Salle, Illinois:
Open Court, 1987. Offers "new insights into the
basic elements of initiations and rites of passage."
Explores through various essays the vital need for rites
of passage.
Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of
Boys, Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson. New York:
Balantine, 1999. This book asks the question, "What
do boys need that they are not getting?" It provides
guidance on how we can help boys become emotionally
literate and, ultimately, more in touch with themselves
and the world around them.
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of
Boyhood, William Pollack. New York: Henry Holt,
1998. This book describes the mask of masculinity that
boys and men are socialized to wear, and how boys can
be assisted to shed this mask and become more fully
who they are.
Reviving Ophelia, Mary Pipher. New York: Ballantine
Books, 1994. Pipher writes about the difficulties of
adolescent girls in the world today. The girls themselves
give poignant accounts. Pipher "offers parents
compassion, strength, and strategies with which to revive
these Ophelias' lost sense of self."
Ophelia Speaks, Adolescent Girls Write About Their
Search for Self, Sara Shandler. New York, Harper
Collins 1999. Written when the author was 17 years old
and inspired by Pipher’s Reviving Ophelia, this
became a bestseller itself. Offers the voices of adolescent
girls speaking candidly on their lives and the issues
vital to them.
Ophelia’s Mom Speaks, Women Speak Out About
Loving and Letting Go of Their Daughters, Nina
Shandler. New York, Crown Publishers, 2001. Inspired
by her daughter’s book, this one shares the voice
of the mothers.
Treating the Unmanageable Adolescent, Neil
I. Burnstein. Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson Inc.,
1996. Helpful, well-written, practical book about working
with teens.
A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American
Adolescence, Patricia Hersch. New York: Balantine,
1998. The author, a journalist, provides an insightful
picture of modern adolescence. A must for parents and
therapists of teenagers.
Ecopsychology
The Dream of the Earth, Thomas Berry. San
Francisco, Sierra Club Books, 1990. Beautifully written
poetic philosopy; a call to re-envision who we are in
relationship to the eco-system. Berry is one of the
most respected visionaries of our time.
Ecopsychology, ed. by Theodore Roszak, Mary
E. Gomes, and Allen D. Kanner. San Francisco: Sierra
Club Books, 1995. The must-read book on the field of
ecopsychology, bringing together some of the best writings
by several ecologists, psychologists, activists, and
social thinkers.
Green Psychology, Ralph Metzner. Vermont:
Park Street Press, 1999. Essays from one of our most
visionary explorers/researchers on consciousness, individual
and social reality, and all things green.
Nature and Madness, Paul Shepard. San Francisco:
Sierrra Club Books, 1982. Shepard looks at the disjunction
between modern Western culture and the rest of the history
of the human species, pointing to essential features,
such as rites of passage and a sense of ecological belonging,
which we will need to re-integrate into our culture
if we are to survive.
Race, Poverty & the Environment: A Newsletter
for Social and Environmental Justice, Carl Anthony
and Luke Cole. San Francisco: Earth Island Institute.
The authors examine the connections between social oppression
and environmental degradation, demonstrating the need
for social reconstruction in order to have any meaningful
environmental improvements.
Sacred Land, Sacred Sex, Rapture of the Deep: Concerning
Deep Ecology and Celebrating Life, Delores LaChapelle.
Silverton, Colorado: Finn Hill Arts, 1988. A vast book
of incredible scope, looking at how we got ourselves
into the current mess. It also describes new ways of
knowing that we must learn to access if we are going
to build a more sustainable world.
The Spell of the Sensuous, David Abram. Vintage
Books, New York, 1996. Abram elucidates indigenous ways
of knowing from his experiences in Bali and Nepal. He
explores our modern culture's disconnection from the
body and the natural world, and offers possibilities
for re-connection.
Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of
all Beings, ed. by Joanna Macy, Patricial Fleming,
and Arne Naess. Philadelphia: New Society, 1988. A critical
book by two of the leading proponents of Deep Ecology.
Psychospiritual
Practices
Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore. New York: Harper
Collins, 1992. A
classic. Moore asks the question, "What makes for
a meaningful life?"
His perspective is refreshing and inspiring.
The Elixir of Enlightenment, A.H. Almaas. York
Beach, Maine: Samuel
Weiser, Inc., 1984. A guide to working through our barriers
to our
essence.
Essence, A.H. Almaas. York Beach, Maine: Samuel
Weiser, Inc, 1981. One
of several books by a well-respected teacher who blends
Sufi wisdom and
Object Relations psychology.
The Four Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior,
Teacher, Healer,
and Visionary, Angeles Arrien. NY: Harper Collins
Publisher's, 1993. "A
treasure of practical wisdom for anyone on the path
to wholeness. . . .
An inspiring, creative synthesis of shamanic teachings
by an authentic
cross-cultural practitioner." –Frances Vaughan
A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose,
Eckhart Tolle. New
York: Dutton Publications, 2005. Tolle writes from his
own experience,
perhaps the most lucid view around of what life is about;
the nature of
Presence, how we suffer, and how we can wake up.
Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, Joseph Goldstein
and Jack Kornfield.
Boston: Shambhala, 1987. A wonderful introduction to
Vipassana
meditation, a technique taught by the Buddha, but non-sectarian
in
practice, as brought over to the West by two leading
meditation
instructors.
The Wisdom of Insecurity, Alan Watts. New York:
Vintage Books, 1951. A
classic by one of the earliest proponents of Eastern
thought in
America.
Shamanism,
Ritual, and Ceremony
Betwixt and Between: Patterns of Masculine and
Feminine Initiation, ed. by Louise Carus Mahdi,
Steven Foster, and Meredith Little. La Salle, Illinois:
Open Court, 1987. Offers "new insights into the
basic elements of initiations and rites of passage."
Explores through various essays the vital need for rites
of passage.
Dance of the Four Winds: Secrets of the Inca Medicine
Wheel, Alberto Villoldo & Erik Jendresen. Rochester,
Vermont: Destiny Books, 1995. A story of a man's journey
to Peru in search of self-knowing and deep healing.
Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit,
Tom Cowan. San Francisco: Harper, 1993. "Yeats
refers to 'fire in the head' as characterizing a visionary
experience--Cowan pursues "this theme in a lyrical
cross-cultural exploration of shamanism and the Celtic
imagination that examines the myths and tales of the
ancient Celtic poets and storytellers and outlines techniques
used to access the shaman's world."
Flowers of Wiricuta, Tom Soloway Pinkson.
Mill Valley, CA: Wakan Press, 1985. Pinkson describes
his own initiation into the healing tradition of the
Wuichol Indians of Mexico.
Fools Crow, Fools Crow's word told through
Thomas, E. Mails. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska
Press, 1990. Account of Frank Fools Crow, a spiritual
and civic leader of the Teton Sioux.
The Four Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior,
Teacher, Healer, and Visionary, Angeles Arrien. NY:
Harper Collins Publisher's, 1993. "A treasure of
practical wisdom for anyone on the path to wholeness.
. . . An inspiring, creative synthesis of shamanic teachings
by an authentic cross-cultural practitioner." –Frances
Vaughan
The Fruitful Darkness, Joan Halifax. San Francisco:
Harper, 1993. Halifax's life experience of "years
of practicing, working, and living with the traditions
of Buddhism and Shamanism."
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell.
Princeton University Press, 1949, 1973. "This classic
study traces the story of the hero's journey and transformation
through virtually all the mythologies of the world,
revealing the one archetypal hero in them all."
Medicinemaker, Hank Wesselman. New York: Bantam
Books, 1998. A tale of the mystic encounters on the
shaman's path.
Of Water and the Spirit, Malidome Somé.
Somé, born to the Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso,
provides a wondrous glimpse into the spirituality of
his native culture. Also educated in the West (with
PhD's from the Sorbonne and Brandeis), he is uniquely
able to provide a bridge between vastly different cultural
paradigms.
Secrets of a Talking Jaguar: Memoirs for the Living
Heart of a Mayan Village, Martin Prechtel. Tarcher/Putnam,
New York, 1998. Martin describes his initiation as a
Shaman into the Mayan tradition of knowledge and healing.
A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with
Don Juan, Carlos Casteneda. New York: Washington
Square Press, 1971. Castaneda's further relationship
with Yaqui don Juan.
Shakti Woman: Healing our Fire, Healing our World,
Vicki Noble. NY: Harper Collins Publisher's, 1991. "For
women who seek to regain their lost connection to Nature,
power, and to their own bodies, Shakti Woman is both
guide and inspiration." –Marija Gimbutas
Shaman the Wounded Healer, Joan Halifax. London:
Thames and Hudson, 1982. Wonderfully illustrated exploration
of the age-old practices of shamanism.
Shamanic Voices, Joan Halifax. New York: Arkana/Penguin
Group, 1991. Halifax has collected a large number of
accounts of shamans about their initiatory experiences,
journeys, position as a link between the people of their
community and "the timeless, ineffable cosmos of
which each person is a part."
Soul Retrieval, Sandra Ingerman. San Francisco:
Harper, 1991. Ingerman relates the "dramatic results
of combining soul retrieval with contemporary psychological
concepts;" she uses case studies from her years
of teaching and practice; "illustrates what psyche
or soul damage is and why it is a common yet little
understood cause of psychological dysfunction."
The Way of the Shaman, Michael Harner. Harper:
San Francisco, 1980, 1990. Classic handbook on practical
shamanism--"what it is, where it came from, how
you can participate."
Social
and Political Involvment
Being Peace, Thich Nhat Hanh. Berkeley: Parallax
Press, 1987. An inspiring, and enlightening application
of zen mind to social and political reality by one of
the world's most respected meditation teachers.
By Life's Grace: Musings on the Essence of Social
Change, Fran Peavey. Philadelphia: New Society
Publishers, 1994. Penetrating and politically savvy,
humorous and deeply serious essays on social action.
Creative Work, Harmon & Harman. Institute
of Noetic Sciences, 1990. A look at what we mean by
work, and how individuals and society can rethink work
and transform the world.
The Dream of the Earth, Thomas Berry. San
Francisco, Sierra Club Books, 1990. Beautifully written
poetic philosopy; a call to re-envision who we are in
relationship to the eco-system. Berry is one of the
most respected visionaries of our time.
Ecopsychology, ed. by Roszak, Gomes, &
Kanner. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1995. A collection
of essays by environmentalists aware of the need for
psychological work, and psychotherapists and inner explorers
aware of the need for ecological activism. This is the
first text for studying ecopsychology.
The Essential Ghandi (Anthology of his writings
on his life, work and ideas), ed. by Louis Fischer.
New York: Vintage Books, 1983. An anthology of Mahatma
Ghandi's writings on his life, work and ideas. Ghandi's
life and words have influenced historical movements
on every continent.
Green Psychology, Ralph Metzner. Vermont:
Park Street Press, 1999. Essays from one of our most
visionary explorers/researchers on things green, consciousness,
and individual and social reality.
The Healing of America, Marianne Williamson. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1997. An inspiring call for active
participation in the American social and political system
to revive the revolutionary and democratic vision.
How Can I Help, Ram Dass.
Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution,
ed. by Stanislav Grof. State University of New York,
1988. Eighteen essays by eminent consciousness explorers
on the causes and possible solutions to our current
human–caused threats to survival.
I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches that Changed
the World, Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. by James
Washington. San Francisco: Harper, 1992. Reading these
speeches, one gets a deeper sense of why this man has
been so honored.
In the Footsteps of Gandhi: Conversations with
Spiritual Social Activists, Catherine Ingram. Berkeley:
Parallax Press, 1990. A collection of moving personal
interviews with activists including: Thich Nhat Hanh,
Cesar Chavez, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Janna Macy,
Joan Baez, and others.
Killing Rage, Bell Hooks. New York: Henry
Holt, 1995. Hooks helps us see through denial and look
at racism and sexism in America from the viewpoint of
an African American woman. She takes us on a path of
seeking the healing power within the inevitable rage.
The Lost Gospel of the Earth, Tom Hayden.
San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1996. Many will be
surprised at the deep, spiritual vision of this long–time
activist and politician.
My Name is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western
Civilization, Chellis Glendinning. Boston: Shambhala,
1994. A penetrating look at the costs of modern civilization
to the Earth and to the human psyche.
Race Matters, Cornel West. New York: Vintage
Books, 1992. "Cornel West is one of the most authentic,
brilliant, prophetic and healing voices in America today.
We ignore his truth in Race Matters at our personal
and national peril." (Quote from Marian Wright
Edelman who says it like it is).
Staying Alive, Roger Walsh. Boulder: New Science
Library, 1984. Written with special emphasis on the
nuclear threat felt in the 80's, Walsh emphasizes the
need for psychological wisdom in resolving our pressing
social problems. Easily as relevant today with our continued
nuclear issues and multiple environmental threats.
Warriors of the Heart, Danaan Parry. New York:
Sunstone Publications, 1989. One of the great warriors
for peace and reconciliation, Parry shares some of the
lessons learned from years of work helping warring groups
hear each other.
We're All Doing Time, Bo Lozoff. Hanuman Foundation,
1995. Lozoff has devoted his life to teaching spirituality,
especially to those in the prison system. This collection
of teachings and letters to and from prisoners is an
inspiration to those on both sides of the prison walls. |
