The Meditator's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Eastern & Western Meditation Techniques [Paperback]

David Fontana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 1998

This book is for novice and advanced practitioners alike. It describes the theory and practice of all the major Eastern and Western approached to meditation and brings together the insights provided by these spiritual traditions with those of modern psychology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Dr. Fontana's sincerity, enormous depth of both scholarship and practice of meditation all combine to make this book a beautiful companion for meditators at any stage of their spiritual journey.' Dr. Michael West, author of The Psychology of Meditation --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

David Fontana is a psychologist who holds posts at the University of Wales and the University of Minho, Portugal. For over 25 years he has studied Eastern and Western religions, meditation, dreams, psychotherapy and other techniques for spiritual and psychological development. His many books on psychology and personal growth have been translated into 21 languages. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Element Books Ltd. (November 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852303204
• ISBN-13: 978-1852303204
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,167,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Balanced and Thoughtful Overview, November 28, 2001

By 

Gordon A Walter (West Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Meditator's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Eastern & Western Meditation Techniques (Paperback)

I read this book several years ago and found it a bit confusing and even overwhelming at first. Still, it was enciclopediac and avoided the pedantry of the typical college textbook.

I recently reread the whole book (Now that I have made some progress in my own mental development and have re-read sections)and really appreciate what the author accomplished. It is a great book.....balancing comprehensiveness with personal insight, opinion and guidance. It gives enough cultural/religious context that the reader can see how the meditative technique "fits" into a philosophy of life.

Near the end the author suggests some key religious writings of relatively modern Hindus. I followed-up on this into an area that has always been overwheliming complex and confusing to me. As a result, I found a key jewel in the tradition and am greatful to the author (Fontana. That is one reason for my writing this review. The author deserves it for being a good guide to higher consciouness.

I am currently buying multiple copies for friends. It is that good as an overview.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Introduction, December 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Meditator's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Eastern & Western Meditation Techniques (Paperback)

This is a good introduction of the different practices in meditation. Some topics covered are shamanism, christian mysticism, the kabbalah, yoga, koans, zazen, kundalini, visualization and tai chi. The book first gives culture information, and then goes on to explain the meditation technique. I like the way the book describes the meditation process of each tradition - of course this is a highly subjective area, but good nevertheless. It attempts to explain what exactly you are to think about when you are meditating.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book everyone should own., August 30, 2009

By 

Ryan Cole "The Hungry Writer" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Meditator's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Eastern and Western Meditation Techniques (Paperback)

If you have any interest in meditation, I can't think of a better place to start. This is one of my essentials, always kept handy, full of practical exercises and tips, yet with enough time spent on the experience of meditation, to encourage your own practice. Really, just perfect.