Soul without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within [Paperback]

Byron Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

Whether we call it the inner critic, superego, or just plain nag, most of us have a "judge within" who's constantly on our case. A comprehensive guide to understanding how the inner critic works, this book offers practical, positive suggestions for breaking free of it. Using straightforward language and examples from everyday life, Byron Brown shows:



   •  Where the inner judge came from
   •  How it operates
   •  Why it trips us up
   •  Why we believe we need it
   •  How to develop awareness of it
   •  How to disengage from it
   •  The "soul qualities" we can develop to weaken its influence




Each chapter begins with an episode of the "Frank and Sue story," dramatically illustrating how the inner critic works; each chapter ends with a simple exercise designed to help the reader move along the path of self-discovery.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With Foreword, introductory quote, and chapter-end quotes by noted spiritual teacher A.H. Almaas, the reader is alerted to the fact that the author is a student of the Diamond Approach, yet the work stands perfectly well alone without previous introduction to the Ridhwan School. Focusing on the development and structure of the superego, Brown explains how its supposed moral guidance is more than suspect, exposing it as the harsh, purely mental, often untruthful critic it is. Assisting the reader through steps designed to encourage recognition of the endless tirade of blame, criticism, and comparison heaped upon the self by the superego, he provides 30 simple practices to increase self-awareness, decrease incessant judgment, and release this overrated mental projection's stranglehold on heart and soul. --Randall Cohan

From Publishers Weekly

Brown, a disciple of the Diamond Way Approach, a "modern spiritual path based on self-understanding," encourages readers to rediscover their life spirit by silencing their inner critics in this dense and rather ponderous guidebook. Chapters alternately muse on soul characteristics such as compassion and explain how the self-defeating superego, which the author calls "the judge," can be identified, understood and finally disengaged. Inexplicably, Brown never refers to the many classic and contemporary thinkers who have written brilliantly on these topics (a bibliography lists only eight books, four by Diamond Approach founder A.H. Almaas, who also provides the book's foreword). Reading this book is thus a little like sitting at the Indy 500 and watching someone try to reinvent the wheel. Painstaking explications of commonly understood concepts, frequent restatement and a hectoring tone ("The fact is, you do not recognize yourself as soul. You do not know the source of your own aliveness") make for laborious reading. Some of Brown's insights?particularly about the ways bodily awareness can both signal and halt the self-judgment cycle?are helpful, but fuzzy generalities far outnumber practical suggestions, while stories that might ground the book in actual experience are often unintentionally funny: "Frank observed the hairs sticking out of his nostrils and wished his fingers didn't enjoy scraping the inside of his nose so much."
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157062383X
• ISBN-13: 978-1570623837
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most sophisticated book I've read on this topic., September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Soul without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within (Paperback)

This book provides incredibly detailed information on the workings of the inner critic, and helps build awareness and a solid skill set for disarming it. It is very well organized; each chapter introduces a topic and then gives you exercises to work with the material. It had a very powerful impact on me, equivalent to a week-long spiritual retreat.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth it, September 19, 2003

By 

theworld (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soul without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within (Paperback)

It seems like a repeat of so many topics that speak about mindfulness. If you've read a few books on Zen and mindfulness, then you're probably easily bored with new authors finding new ways to say, "pay attention!" This book steps away from the rest by using the ideas of Almaas and essence. This is a very useful book to read slowly and repeatedly. It does not contain any miracle methods for killing the superego, but it has lots of simple and useful exercises to explore the depth of your judge.
I especially recommend this book to shy people.

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personally and professionally meaningful, June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Soul without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within (Paperback)

Personally and as a mental health therapist this is one of the most effective presentations I have read with regard to recognizing, confronting, and changing unhelpful and ineffective intra- and interpersonal patterns. If one is 'ready, ' for a personally fulfilling joruney, this text will serve as a welcome guidepost. Thanks Byron Brown.