Awareness is Freedom

The author of this instructive and informative book is the leader of the Masters in applying positive psychology at the University of East London. As such, he sits at the interface between psychology and spirituality, which is not always a comfortable place to be, given that the interest of psychology is mainly in the mind as such, while spirituality implies growth and transformation. The book is effectively his own bridge between these two fields. It consists of eight lessons, beginning with the interface between psychology and spirituality itself and dealing with the concepts of personality and ego, which form our interpretation of life. Each chapter contains a validated psychological measurement tool that readers can fill in, as well as weekly exercises. He introduces meditative techniques for the wandering attention, aware and unaware thinking leading to the development of non-reactive awareness; then a discussion of the self and its patterns and the fact that everything in life is in fact neutral - it is our interpretation that gives it colour. We can move beyond ego formed patterns and uncover a more authentic self. He discusses the art of presence and mindfulness techniques, introducing the lovingkindness meditation. He reflects on impermanence and meaning and on how we engage with change before finishing with a chapter on body awareness bringing thoughts and emotions together. Of course, the value of this book lies as much in putting it into practice as in reading the information. Its strength lies in bringing psychology and spirituality together in a readable and practical format. See www.awarenessasfreedom.com