Customer Reviews

Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path

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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.

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. I don't want to put words in Jed McKenna's mouth (if said mouth actually does exist :), but I would say this book would fit as a good guide for the person who wants to really be a mature adult and is ready to open their eyes.

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.

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.

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 into the left brain where they can be compartmentalized and studied. Mariana Caplan does this with no loss of "truth" or instruction.

For example, while there are many "we musts" in the book, along with "to do" lists (and "to be" lists), and many intellectual discussions and points, there are also pointers for growth and for making one's way along one's spiritual path. She says, "When we are willing to be where we are rather than where we wish we were, there is great possibility for growth and for attracting the help we need."

Caplan's writing style is highly organized and you can feel her behind each word. She recounts lots of funny, interesting, sad and "object lesson" stories, with a multitude of quotations from people you want to hear. She tells stories on herself. Her personality is evident, which is a good thing. I shook my head with a smile as she paints the picture of standing outside in the pouring rain in India about to enter a dwelling. Searching for some wisdom she turns to one of the group and asks her to speak some wise words. I would think the wisdom would be in getting in out of the rain! The tale eventually shows the importance of changing one's mind thereby changing one's life. But I wonder if her friends thought: "Oh, that's so Mariana!"

Not willing to dodge two spiritual bugaboos, Caplan takes on the challenge of what to do with the ego and what is the value of delving into one's psychology. She begins by asking a good question about the ego: "Why are people afraid of having an ego that is too big but not one that is too small?" She goes on to write an excellent and comprehensive chapter about the value of ego and concludes, as many of her eastern spirituality cohorts do not, that the ego is a necessity. In short, "The ego must be simultaneously strengthened and disidentified with." Frankly, I would not have recommended this book had she not revealed this.

She extols psychological work -- after all, that is her speciality -- but she is honorable and truthful: "psycological work helps unravel the complex strands that constitute our personal psyche -- patterns and wounds that, if not tended to, can impede our growth and block our perception of spiritual realities." She provides plenty of anecdotes and observations to this end.

I was amused to see her dis "The Lazy Man's Guide To Enlightenment,"
apparently believing Thaddeus Golas thought there would be no effort
to it. Not so. The title was a joke. LMG was offered as a primer to the beginner. I read it and reread it for 20 years before I was able to put some of its teachings into everyday practice.

You will benefit from Caplan's comprehensive and well-written book. If you are someone who likes things intellectualized, you will love this book, feel comfortable with its organization and ideas. But you
will also be exposed to just the right amount of emotion and right brain stories that bear out the points. And occasional poetry and pain. She acknowledges that, "The spirutual path is a one-way road full of potholes, challenges, and both pleasant and unpleasant surprises -- particularly as we attempt to navigate the dark, murky, and unruly waters of the psyche." After reading this book, you will have attained most of the discernment you will ever need for your own path.

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 the magic and mystery of a spiritual journey comprised of rich experiences and teachings from a variety of sources. Regretably, that path was shaken after losing faith in a spiritual teacher in whom I'd placed entirely too much influence and power - a not-entirely unusual occurence, as Dr. Caplan points out.

I credit Eyes Wide Open with gently guiding me back to exploring the realm of spirituality by incorporating some very sound priniciples into my practice. The first of which is one I'd initially dismissed, in my attempt - I now realize - at what Dr. Caplan refers to as "spiritual bypassing". Although others appear to take issue at the importance of blending psychology with spirituality, I am learning how very crucial this is, for how can one take on a greater understanding of - and appreciation for - the universe without first applying those vital lessons to ones self? No matter what term we may use to identify the darker forces present within us, shaped and ingrained from our earliest experiences as sentient beings, to the protective mechanisms to subvert or supress them, they remain unconscious yet powerful influences in our lives. Recognizing, identifying, and most importantly, feeling these emotions provides greater freedom, compassion and understanding - not just of ourselves individually, but collectively and universally.

The dangers of falling prey to extremes of such realization is adeptly explored in Dr. Caplan's warnings on "spiritually transmitted diseases" and New Age dogma. Continuously and effectively throughout the book, Dr. Caplan advises using discernment to wisely navigate such obstacles in finding a path that will ultimately provide a pure and compelling foundation for continued growth. Personally, I recognized many people I've encountered during my spiritual education and how I've actually been practicing discernment more recently without being consciously aware of doing so. Another important feature of self-realization, as Dr. Capalan underscores, is that while uncovering the unconscious may be a frightening prospect at times, it is ultimately liberating and powerful in itself.

As for my involvement with a less-than noble spiritual teacher, I recognized the pattern Dr. Caplan describes of "mutual complicity". With guidance provided in this book, I've gradually learned to accept my role in the relationship and to replace the shame I harbored with feelings of understanding and forgiveness (directed more toward myself and out of compassion for some core wounds I've gradually uncovered), allowing for greater growth as I renew my determination to pursue a path along which she has bestowed the strength and insight I now embrace.

I encouraged my husband, who is not as deeply versed in either spirituality or psychology, to read Eyes Wide Open but he expressed some difficulty navigating the more in-depth explanations of the subject matters, so much so that he was unable to complete the book. I'd therefore conclude readers who gain the most from this book are more experienced seekers than novice - as a result, such an audience who could potentially have gained benefit may be left feeling somewhat adrift.

World traveler Mariana Caplan is a professor of yogic and transpersonal psychologies. Her most recent book "Eyes Wide Open" offers us the wisdom, awareness and the tools to develop discernment.
Caplan's chapter on spiritual materialism and spiritual bypassing is illuminating. She says the ego can try to acquire and apply the teachings of spirituality for its own benefit. Spiritual materialism is the attachment to the spiritual path as a solid accomplishment and possession. It's thinking we are developing spiritually when we are actually strengthening our egocentricity. Given our global materialistic culture it is inevitable that it would infiltrate our approach to spirituality.
Spiritual bypassing uses spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep personal and emotional challenges to shore up a shaky sense of self, belittle basic needs and feelings in the name of enlightenment. The ego by-passes rather than works through the wounded, confused and damaged aspects of ourselves. The goal is to allow the ego to manage and guide us along the spiritual path without egoic identification and dominance. There is a fine line between fear based neurotic detachment and spiritual non-attachment.
Being conscious includes being present with everything that exists on all levels of experience and emotion. Spiritual teachers can have a certain degree of realization in some areas but remain imbalanced in their psychological or sexual development. Those who haven't dealt with their psychological issues attract students with similar tendencies. A spiritual codependency or mutual complicity develops.
Crisis, depression, sickness and breakdown are often a part of the spiritual journey. When we awaken the light within us it illuminates our unresolved issues. Neurosis can lead to enlightenment because at its core lies a storehouse of buried energy that has limitless capacity to transform. A nervous breakdown becomes a "nervous breakthrough." All mystical journeys involve descent, a "trial by fire,"a regression in the service of transcendence. When we manage our hell realms we gain the power to live in truth, authenticity and integrity. When we acknowledge our shadow all opposites collapse into a field of continually changing experience. We learn to identify with the larger bodies of humanity, with the earth, it's creatures and the cosmos. At the highest level of healing, the body is transformed into prayer through the actions of daily life.
When we say "yes" to all experiences, choose the life we are given, commit to a life of service and thank God for what we have all resistance to ourselves and life dissipates.
Discernment, the cultivation of acute judgment and discrimination, helps us see life's lessons more quickly and clearly, turn challenges into opportunities and avoid unnecessary obstacles. We'll know we have learned discernment when we can say on our deathbed "I have lived a good life, have gained self-awareness and fulfilled my purpose on earth."
Many of us suffer a poverty of spirit and spiritual alienation. We have lost touch with our deeper spiritual nature and forgotten that we have forgotten. Discernment is a transformation tool, a journey of descent into our psyche to penetrate broader and deeper aspects and dimensions of ourselves, to turn internal and external poisons into medicine and ordinary experiences into the extraordinary.
Her chapter on the complexity of the ego's mechanical loop structure of thought-emotion-manifestation is helpful. As our identification with the ego lessons we discover a new freedom. Most thoughts are a result of familial, cultural and karmic conditioning, they are repetitive and habitual and think themselves. We are not our thinking. It is not the ego that causes suffering but our relationship with it.
Our egoic, cultural and psychological conditioning causes us to distort reality through projections. Becoming conscious allows us to withdraw false projections, frees up energy and allows clearer perception. What irritates us about others can lead to a clearer understanding of ourselves. Suffering can be reduced through conscious attention, spiritual practice and discerning knowledge.
Caplan's book is a reminder that we have received a love letter written by the Divine in the form of our lives. Will we receive it? How will we respond?

This is a quick and easy read. It wasn't as on-topic as I would like for it to have been. I would have hoped that more of the meat of the book had been about discernment. However, as a general spiritual primer with a focus on discernment it worked.

If you are looking for a light read about gaining insight and judgment on your spiritual path to Awakening and Enlightenment, this is not the book for you. The author introduces a plethora of learned teachers, authors and their concepts. The reader will encounter a glossary of terms and concepts.

Doctor Mariana Caplan is a teacher and Eyes Wide Open is a textbook that is not an easy read. Her 12-Chapter, 289-page book requires patience, concentration and study to appreciate and absorb the spiritual and psychological concepts and warnings that the author puts forth.

Doctor Caplan points out that while many believe they are enlightened and ready to teach the path to others, most overestimate their knowledge and ability and do a disservice to students. Enlightenment is rare, temporary and only the beginning on one's spiritual journey. Like all humans, the enlightened are subject to setbacks of human frailty.

The author explains the need for a relationship between Psychology and Spirituality and the clash of Eastern and Western world culturally based perspectives of the two.

As the title suggests, Eyes Wide Open, Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path provides the reader with warnings and pitfalls people should be aware of and prepared for on their spiritual journey. I recommend it to those with background in Psychology and Spirituality studies, but it may be a little over the heads of a novice.

Spiritually transmitted disease is a wonderful way to explain what is happening in the so called *enlightenment of soul.* This particular section in the book made me happy. It was refreshing to read the truth about how the message is getting out there, how it is being distorted and especially how it is not being *processed* correctly.

There is so much involved in learning higher consciousness. There are books, DVDs, CDs, lessons and courses to take....mind boggling by itself, just trying to *find the correct path to take.* A lack of awareness gets people hopping down the wrong road...How does one choose and how does one swim in this deep water? We live in a time where awareness and intuition is severely lacking or completely nonexistent. People can't remember what they had for lunch two hours earlier, never mind, embarking on a mission which usually takes a lifetime. Have you packed enough food and water for the trip? Got a sturdy pair of shoes?

As always, it's a *lose the EGO,* *keep the humbleness* issue which is the most difficult theme to latch on too......Everything which has been learned from birth needs to be *unlearned* before we move forward. If you can find a teacher who helps you with this part, you've got someone who can help you with the *wide open spaces.*

I highly recommend this book and hope that those who delve into this world, will appreciate the wisdom unfolding from these pages.