Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy

Sacred Mirror: Amazon Kindle Edition

"Whether they call it an approach, a wisdom, a therapy or an understanding, each of the authors in this book have found a unique way to describe their understanding and experience of nondual wisdom and psychotherapy. Like a many faceted diamond, each expression shines forth to illuminate an important aspect of this approach. It is the whole jewel however that can inspire the reader into their own inquiry and understanding, born of their own spiritual and psychological development and philosophy into this nondual approach. Practitioners, teachers, and students have the potential to become richer and wiser in the process."
--Ray Greenleaf in Journal of Transpersonal Psychology

How is modern psychotherapy impacted when it is approached from the presence and understanding of the unconditioned mind? What happens when therapists are able to function as a sacred mirror for their clients’ essential nature, reflecting back not only the contents of awareness—thoughts, feelings and sensations—but awareness itself? Informed by their direct experience as well as by nondual teachings from both eastern and western wisdom traditions, the authors take a fresh look at what psychotherapy can be. These seminal essays will challenge and inspire readers to approach psychotherapy in a new way—as a potential portal for experiencing their deepest nature as free and joyful beings.

Seasoned clinicians, Dan Berkow, Stephan Bodian, Dorothy Hunt, Sheila Krystal, Lynn Marie Lumiere, Richard Miller, John Prendergast, John Welwood, Jennifer Welwood and Bryan Wittine, and innovative western spiritual teachers, Adyashanti and Peter Fenner, explore critical issues at the interface of psychology and spirituality from a nondual perspective.

“This collection of essays is the best presentation that I have ever read of both the theoretical reasons for introducing nondual spiritual understanding into psychotherapy as well as descriptions and instructions on how to do it.”
Seymour Boorstein, author, Transpersonal Psychotherapy and Clinical Studies in Transpersonal Psychotherapy

“...introduces us to the most expansive of all human possibilities—the wisdom of the unconditioned mind. This is groundbreaking work, and of compelling interest to all psychotherapists exploring the potentials of Self.” Stephen Cope, LICSW, author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self

“There is the vital necessity to acknowledge the depths of the Eastern traditions and appreciate the pragmatic concern about the condition of the samsaric self that psychotherapy primarily addresses.... I believe every psychotherapist should explore experentially such a teaching. The Sacred Mirror would be an excellent start for a conceptual understanding. There is a wealth of insights in The Sacred Mirror that point the way forward for psychotherapists and spiritual seekers...” Christopher Titmuss, author of An Awakened Life

"There is a new paradigm of enlightened thought emerging everywhere today. The Sacred Mirror brings that paradigm to the practice of psychotherapy. Practiced by a master of non duality, psychotherapy takes on many of the qualities of a guru relationship, artfully interwoven with the psychodynamic understanding and the skillful means of the trained therapist. Mastery of non duality is abundantly apparent in the writing of the ten revolutionary psychotherapists who have contributed to this book. The Sacred Mirror is indispensable reading for everyone who is interested in transpersonal and integral psychology." Jeffrey Eisen, author of Oneness Perceived

John J. Prendergast, Ph.D. is an adjunct assistant professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Peter Fenner, Ph.D. is senior lecturer in philosophy at Deakin University.
Sheila Krystal, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist integrating the spiritual dimension and psychotherapy via meditation, hata yoga, Jungian dream work, Reichian body work, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction by John Prendergast
2. Nonduality and Therapy: Awakening the Unconditioned Mind by Peter Fenner
3. Love Returning for Itself by Adyashanti
4. The Sacred Mirror: Being Together by John Prendergast
5. A Nondual Approach To EMDR: Psychotherapy as Satsang by Sheila Krystal
6. Double Vision: Duality and Nonduality in Human Experience by John Welwood
7. Being Intimate with What Is: Healing the Pain of Separation by Dorothy Hunt
8. A Psychology of No-thingness: Seeing Through the Projected Self by Dan Berkow
9. Welcoming All That Is: Nonduality, Yoga Nidra, and the Play of Opposites in Psychotherapy by Richard Miller
10. Deconstructing the Self: The Uses of Inquiry in Psychotherapy and Spiritual Practice by Stephan Bodian
11. Healing Trauma in the Eternal Now by Lynn Marie Lumiere
12. Jungian Analysis and Nondual Wisdom by Bryan Wittine
13. Dancing with Form and Emptiness in Intimate Relationship by Jennifer Welwood
Selected Bibliography
About the Contributors
Index