Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind? How to Master Everyday and Extraordinary Spiritual Experiences [Paperback]

Dennis Gersten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

Lily Tomlin once asked, "Why is it that it's called prayer when we talk to God, but when he answers back it's called schizophrenia?" Almost half of all Americans claim to have had an unusual spiritual experience and as many more have had problems handling stress, anxiety and depression.

In Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind? Dr. Gersten, a practicing psychiatrist for twenty years, recounts his experiences with his patients to answer questions about the entire spectrum of human consciousness. A doctor of the soul, Gersten clearly differen-tiates between miracles and madness, spiritual emergence and men-tal emergency--as well as the everyday stresses that affect our states of mind. Dr. Gersten demonstrates how a spiritual practice can posi-tively influence our mental health and emotional well-being. His unique, step-by-step program of meditations, breathwork, and imagery for mental fitness will enhance your peace of mind, sharpen your focus and alertness, teach you imagery techniques for gaining perspective on your problems, and strengthen your core values.

Visit the Gersten Institute at www.imagerynet.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gersten delineates the difference between mental illness and spiritual experiences [and] clarifies such states as depression, anxiety and neurosis. From--being 'in the zone' to visits from the Virgin Mary, Gersten sheds new light on sometimes murky inner States"
--Publishers Weekly

"A spiritual psychiatrist offers reassurance for those who've experienced disruptive states of mind, from paranormal experi-ences to mystical visions."        
--NEW AGE JOURNAL --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Lily Tomlin once asked, "Why is it that it's called prayer when we talk to God, but when he answers back it's called schizophrenia?" Almost half of all Americans claim to have had an unusual spiritual experience and as many more have had problems handling stress, anxiety and depression.

In Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind? Dr. Gersten, a practicing psychiatrist for twenty years, recounts his experiences with his patients to answer questions about the entire spectrum of human consciousness. A doctor of the soul, Gersten clearly differen-tiates between miracles and madness, spiritual emergence and men-tal emergency--as well as the everyday stresses that affect our states of mind. Dr. Gersten demonstrates how a spiritual practice can posi-tively influence our mental health and emotional well-being. His unique, step-by-step program of meditations, breathwork, and imagery for mental fitness will enhance your peace of mind, sharpen your focus and alertness, teach you imagery techniques for gaining perspective on your problems, and strengthen your core values.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609802003
• ISBN-13: 978-0609802007
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For Those Who Are Truly Enlightened, August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind?: A Spiritual Program for Mental Fitness (Hardcover)

I enjoyed reading this book because certain spiritual experiences have happened to me in the past year that confused me. I was glad to read that Dr. Gersten had a name for what happened to me. I agree with his view of God and how different people are on different levels and that determines the form of God we worship. I recommend this book for those people who have had or have heard about an enlightened experience. After reading this book it showed how in the dark as Westerners we are on this subject and how other parts of the world it is much more common.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The must-read book of the decade!, February 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind?: A Spiritual Program for Mental Fitness (Hardcover)

Dr. Gersten will probably change the lives of many people with this book, he's already changed mine. Nothing in self-help, spiritual psychology or alternative medicine that I have read even comes close. After reading the rehashed clichés of so many "empowerment" books, the idea that you can be a millionaire once you get empowered gets really old if you know what I mean. I was relieved to find new and exciting information I could actually use (check out his explanation of mantra meditation, you'll love it). I have never seen an angel myself, but if I thought I had, this book would be comforting. The author gets into some very cool nitty gritty stories that illustrate how to figure out if you are in spiritual crisis or just need to go on medication. For those who are on medication, you might want to read this to find out if your doctor is trying to medicate away real miracles. If you don't know whether you are seeing real angels or have an over active imagination this book tells you how to tell. Great miracle stories too.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Good Book, December 28, 2007

By 

C. L. Vash (Altadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Are You Getting Enlightened or Losing Your Mind? How to Master Everyday and Extraordinary Spiritual Experiences (Paperback)

As a psychologist who has always defined "psychiatrist" as an M.D. who practices psychology without a license, I was taken by surprise by this book. He actually knows the field of psychology and the field of parapsychology too! His underlying attitude is the most surprising, and compelling, part. Although he self-discloses several personal non-ordinary experiences, he's not selling a "spiritual" or "mystical" or "esoteric" worldview, he's just allowing for possibilities commonly associated with those worldviews, respecting people who have had experiences commonly associated with those worldviews, and offering them some very sensible suggestions. As a person, Gersten meets a criterion for maturity that resonates for me -- the ability to live comfortably with the ambiguity that surrounds us [homo sapiens] in our adolescence as a thinking species. This means that he has not collapsed into PREMATURE CERTAINTY about some unverified and currently unverifiable theory or doctrine, as too many people, including scientists and religionists, are wont to do.