Customer Reviews

Forty Days

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MICHAELA OZELSEL deserves our credit on revealing us to the most private moments that she experienced during her taking a 40 days Sufi retreat. Several books on various Sufi practices are available but most of these books talk about the descriptive and/or prescriptive side of these practices. This book details a witnessing of thoughts, feelings, and events that Dr. Ozelsel experienced herself. This book is unique as it exposes to the reader firsthand experiences (away from theories on this subject) of this Sufi practice. In the second half of this book Dr. Ozelsel tries to map her experiences in the light of contemporary multi-disciplinary scientific knowledge. This second half is just like looking into traditional and sacred practices from scientific looking glass. This book is very original and it is hard to putdown till one completes the diary portion of this book.

This is an account of the mystical experience of a western trained psychologist who underwent the 40-day seclusion practiced by many sufi orders. What we usually find in the sufi literature are the accounts of sufi sheikhs on their seclusions, which are typically shrouded in allegorical discourse. That's why this is an interesting book. Although the later part of the book where she tries to put her mystical experience in a scientific perspective is misconceived, to say the least.

I read this book while observing the fast of Ramadan. The first half of the book wherein the author takes us on a day by day account of a spiritual retreat, seemed oddly in sync with what I was experiencing with the privations that Ramadan imposes upon those who observe it. I found the whole of the author's experiences eloquent and instructive.

The second half of the book was a scientific analysis of the experience that was both eloquent and heroic. I say heroic because there are truly no scientific concepts that can properly encompass the spiritual and mystical experience. Yet the author achieves this.

In this day and age when Islam is maligned with such irrational vehemence, this book is a welcome addition to a pantheon of literature both ancient and modern.

An excellent book written by a German academic who decides to undertake a 40 day retreat, in Islam called a halvet, which involves being locked in a room (or cave) with little food. The purpose is to get closer to God, to know yourself better. I did a series of reviews of the book for a Sufi blog and found the book to be fascinating, as Michaela prayers, reads, and sees herself better and grows closer to God. A great book for those who want to understand Sufism more.

I had a class in New Religious Movements. We had to pick a movement and do an analysis paper on it. Mine was the Sufi Order International. So in order to better understand Sufism I got this book which describes a woman's 40 day fasting and isolation as she goes through mental and physical changes.

It was very helpful when trying to understand a few aspects of Sufism.