Shadow on the Path : Clearing the Psychological Blocks to Spiritual Development [Paperback]

V. J. Fedorschak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

With wisdom and compassion he focuses on the shadow of spiritual teachers, on the shadow of their students, and on the interplay between the two. His own positive experience leads him to credit teachers with using the shadow as a powerful tool, where others see them as overpowered by their shadow.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mr. Fedorschak's subject is an important one, and also because all too often spiritual seekers, in their search for light, have tended to avoid the dark. -- Claudio Naranjo, M.D., Author of The Psychology of Meditation, The Healing Journey and many others.

VJ Fedorschak has written a valuable overview, which I can wholeheartedly recommend to all spiritual practitioners. -- George Feuerstein, Ph.D. Director, Yoga Research and Education Center, Author of Holy Madness, The Yoga Tradition and 30 other books.

About the Author

VJ Fedorschak received a master's degree from Rutgers University graduate school and worked as a city and regional planner. Twenty-five years ago he joined a spiritual community. Today, as a certified psychotherapist, he specializes with clients who wish to bring a balanced psychological foundation to their spiritual work. Fedorschak lives with his wife and two children in northern Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Hohm Press (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934252815
• ISBN-13: 978-0934252812
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,617,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lack of Reviews? Hmmm...., May 5, 2004

By 

Dirty Aghori (Everywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow on the Path : Clearing the Psychological Blocks to Spiritual Development (Paperback)

The Shadow lurks, unpopular as ever. In the spiritual scene, great emphasis is placed upon spiritual experiences and rhetoric abounds, however, how many are actually willing to engage the problematic shadow as it obstructs our true progress? People who have been involved with a teacher or group can go for years without looking at their chief weakness, or shadow, and when it rears it's ugly gargoyle face they may end up leaving the Work, or projecting much of their own negativities onto the path, or their Teacher.
This is an excelleant book!
It looks closely at the Shadow and it's various ways of manifesting along different stages of the way. The author builds a solid foundation for his exposition by starting with an examination of psychoanalytic notions of the ego, in the works of Freud, Jung, Reich and Miller, and progresses to notions of ego in different spiritual traditions. It is a useful fusing of psychology and spirituality that illuminates and reminds us as to what the nature of the spiritual path is about. Where Ken Wilber proposes "orienting generalizations" in his developmental scheme from birth to transpersonal existance, Fedorshak gets into the more specific gritty details of the contours of the gradations of the path and the pitfalls of shadow encounters in individuals, as well it's manifestations in groups, spiritual communities and spiritual teachers. This is a much neglected area of crucial concern to all of us seriously concerned with soul making and desiring spiritual help from others, as well as the issus arising when considering spiritual communities and teachers. A book to be studied seriously.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you for this book., May 30, 2010

By 

D. Sarason (Redcrest, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shadow on the Path : Clearing the Psychological Blocks to Spiritual Development (Paperback)

I just really wanted to thank V.J. Fedorschak for writing this book. I came across it at the perfect time and recognized myself throughout the book. It is so nice to know that what I am going through is not actually unique but well-documented. Very informative and compassionate. Thank you for your service!!