The spiritual path is like any other road-it's going to have its share of potholes and detours. Safe travel requires a quality rarely taught yet critically important in today's world: discernment. In Eyes Wide Open, Mariana Caplan supports us in cultivating the acute judgment and discrimination that will help us to live a spiritual life with intelligence, clarity, and authenticity.
Eyes Wide Open
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“ She unapologetically tackles the most difficult, controversial, nitty-gritty issues without hedging, flinching, or smoothing over any of the rough edges.”
— JOHN WELWOOD, author of Toward a Psychology of Awakening
“ Essential reading for those on the spiritual path, and for those who want to see effective spiritual paths developed in our culture.”
— CHARLES TART, author of Altered States of Consciousness
— JOHN WELWOOD, author of Toward a Psychology of Awakening
“ Essential reading for those on the spiritual path, and for those who want to see effective spiritual paths developed in our culture.”
— CHARLES TART, author of Altered States of Consciousness
About the Author
Mariana Caplan, PhD, received degrees in cultural anthropology, counseling psychology, and contemporary spirituality. However, she attributes the majority of her education and inspiration to years of research and practice in the world’s great mystical traditions, and to living in villages in India, Central and South America, and Europe. She is a counselor, professor of yogic and transpersonal psychologies, and the author of six books in the fields of psychology and spirituality, including Halfway Up the Mountain and To Touch Is to Live. Mariana resides in the San Francisco Bay area and teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
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This book offers an impressive look at what spiritual aspirants encounter as their spirituality matures through the lessons of human experience. There are many ways we can be misled or mislead ourselves as we pursue spiritual endeavors and "enlightenment." Caplan cautions us about these pitfalls and encourages us to confront our shadow material and our ego so that we can become more integrated. Spiritual materialism, and using spiritual practice to bypass facing our unresolved issues and human intimacy are some of the examples of how people can misuse spirituality.
This book also helps bridge the duality and non-duality perspectives and draws on transpersonal psychology, shadow work, Buddhist philosophy, developmental psychology, and other sources to help bring together psychology and spirituality to support integrative approaches to spiritual development.
Fans of Ken Wilber may appreciate the integral approach of Caplan, as there is a depth to this exploration that is lacking in a lot of "new age" spirituality and popular spiritual and psychological approaches. This is not to condemn those other approaches - they are certainly valuable and can assist spiritual growth, yet they are incomplete and lack the balance needed to guide aspirants even further along their spiritual journey. It's easy to get a false sense of mastery or enlightenment at various stages of our spiritual path - Caplan's book gives us cautions and insights to help us maintain our commitment to continued self-examination and discernment.
This book also helps bridge the duality and non-duality perspectives and draws on transpersonal psychology, shadow work, Buddhist philosophy, developmental psychology, and other sources to help bring together psychology and spirituality to support integrative approaches to spiritual development.
Fans of Ken Wilber may appreciate the integral approach of Caplan, as there is a depth to this exploration that is lacking in a lot of "new age" spirituality and popular spiritual and psychological approaches. This is not to condemn those other approaches - they are certainly valuable and can assist spiritual growth, yet they are incomplete and lack the balance needed to guide aspirants even further along their spiritual journey. It's easy to get a false sense of mastery or enlightenment at various stages of our spiritual path - Caplan's book gives us cautions and insights to help us maintain our commitment to continued self-examination and discernment.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By Ppbp
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Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
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While at one point in my life I would give praise to any book that made me feel good or validated my New Age point of view, or that of my "teachers," I am now a much more discerning, and wary, reader.....and person. After much disgust over the last few years at the market saturation of anything that sounds even remotely spiritual and satisfies the western desire to get-rich-or enlightened-quick mentality, I decided to give Caplan a read. I wasn't a huge fan of Halfway Up the Mountain, but it had so much good information and ideas in it, and fell into my hands at a critical time in my life.
Halfway through the book she references herself in relation to Halfway Up the Mountain, stating that after she wrote - and taught - on the concepts in that book, she could still see herself doing all of the things that she warns against in that book. While I'm not into the whole idea that enlightenment, awakening, of self-development is some never-ending process that is all about the journey not the destination, I really do appreciate a person who is open and mature enough to see themselves as they truly are. A very real person.
While many spiritual dogmas tell us to deny, wage a war against, or squelch our egos, Caplan takes a much different approach that is more in line with how we actually function as humans, a non-essentialist view of the ego itself, and a very illuminating analysis of the current state of western spirituality.
A great resource and absolutely perfect for anyone who feels called to explore all of their dimensions but who has been turned off by old and new age spiritual leaders, movements, and practices.... Read more ›
Halfway through the book she references herself in relation to Halfway Up the Mountain, stating that after she wrote - and taught - on the concepts in that book, she could still see herself doing all of the things that she warns against in that book. While I'm not into the whole idea that enlightenment, awakening, of self-development is some never-ending process that is all about the journey not the destination, I really do appreciate a person who is open and mature enough to see themselves as they truly are. A very real person.
While many spiritual dogmas tell us to deny, wage a war against, or squelch our egos, Caplan takes a much different approach that is more in line with how we actually function as humans, a non-essentialist view of the ego itself, and a very illuminating analysis of the current state of western spirituality.
A great resource and absolutely perfect for anyone who feels called to explore all of their dimensions but who has been turned off by old and new age spiritual leaders, movements, and practices.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
If you've ever wondered why some people who seem spiritual fall into terrible errors, or if you've ever wondered why some spiritual teachers can talk the talk better than they can walk the walk, or if you're personally trying to follow a spiritual path and have those days where you catch yourself doing something that makes you feel like a complete hypocrite - you probably need this book.
Ms. Kaplan works with the reader to illuminate how we can stop dichotomizing our spirituality and our humanity, and how we can tell when a spiritual teacher has gone off track due to that dichotomy. Her focus on discernment is tempered with compassion. The only criticism I would have is that the writing can be a little didactic at times, but the subject matter and the focus is such that this is only a minor complaint. The book is definitely worthwhile for anyone who wants to seriously follow any spiritual path.
Ms. Kaplan works with the reader to illuminate how we can stop dichotomizing our spirituality and our humanity, and how we can tell when a spiritual teacher has gone off track due to that dichotomy. Her focus on discernment is tempered with compassion. The only criticism I would have is that the writing can be a little didactic at times, but the subject matter and the focus is such that this is only a minor complaint. The book is definitely worthwhile for anyone who wants to seriously follow any spiritual path.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I had this book waiting patiently on my coffee table while I procrastinated reading it. Why? Because the topic: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path, seemed a bit dry. I was wrong. This is a great book that not only helps you develop that discernment, but takes you through various steps that open your mind and encourage spiritual development themselves.
The writing is clear, compassionate, intelligent, and based on an obviously wide frame of reference. I looked forward to Caplan's unique way of pulling me into spiritual topics I thought I had studied, only to find she had a new, and welcome, perspective. She got me thinking, and I always value anyone who can do that.
My only quibble, and it is minor, is the physical set-up of the type. I found the pages a bit too dense with it. Of course, if I had a Kindle, I imagine I could make it a bit larger and that would help me read more quickly. As it turned out, I got over my initial issue and thoroughly enjoyed this illuminating read.
The writing is clear, compassionate, intelligent, and based on an obviously wide frame of reference. I looked forward to Caplan's unique way of pulling me into spiritual topics I thought I had studied, only to find she had a new, and welcome, perspective. She got me thinking, and I always value anyone who can do that.
My only quibble, and it is minor, is the physical set-up of the type. I found the pages a bit too dense with it. Of course, if I had a Kindle, I imagine I could make it a bit larger and that would help me read more quickly. As it turned out, I got over my initial issue and thoroughly enjoyed this illuminating read.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit of needed skepticism
While spirituality can be an incredibly powerful force in our lives, too much of it can be toxic. In this book, the author gives us a solid set of ideas and tools for being able to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lupa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read
Brilliant, timely, necessary. Will dispel confusion and delusion in spiritual seekers of any tradition. Read more
Published 11 months ago by MEM
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spiritually Transmitted Diseases---HA!!!!!
Eyes Wide Open is a really insightful, funny and well written book. I laughed out loud on several occasions and love the author's candid view through the lens of her vast... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Linnzi Zaorski
4.0 out of 5 stars
A multi-discipline look at the spiritual path
The book started a little slow for me but I really appreciated Mariana Caplan's use of multiple spiritual philosophies to help make sense of things you may encounter on the... Read more
Published on January 5, 2011 by The Dude Abides
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not Helpful and Misleading
This book is not, in my opinion, filled with spiritual insight or "deep" concepts to be studied. Upon scrutinizing it, I find it to be no more than a multitude of articulate... Read more
Published on November 10, 2010 by peachlovehope
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important for any spiritual seeker
Mariana Caplan's book is an important addition to the life of any dedicated spiritual seeker. It is important and concise advice for discernment on the often thorny spiritual path.
Published on September 30, 2010 by LF
5.0 out of 5 stars
Left Brain Spirituality/Right Brain Understanding
This review gets that title because while spirituality and its practices and components generally originate in the right brain, Eyes Wide Open so excellently manages to drag them... Read more
Published on August 29, 2010 by Zoeeagleeye
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spirituality: Past, Present & Future
Mariana Caplan wrote the book on spirituality for which I've been longing. Having been raised more on the cultural tradition of religion, I found myself in recent years opening to... Read more
Published on June 26, 2010 by Susan
5.0 out of 5 stars
A useful guidebook for spiritual seekers
I read Mariana's earlier work "Halfway Up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment" many years ago and found it to be a helpful guide for understanding the... Read more
Published on June 24, 2010 by Milarepa
4.0 out of 5 stars
A solidly written book outlining potential pitfalls on the spiritual...
I am glad that the author wrote this book. There isn't much out there like it, that I'm aware of. Jed McKenna takes on "faux spirituality" in his Enlightenment Trilogy, but it was... Read more
Published on June 22, 2010 by Eleanor
