Customer Reviews

Spiritual Madness: The Necessity of Meeting God in Darkness

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At a time in my life when I was going through a serious spiritual crisis, a real "Dark Night of the Soul," listening to this audiotape of a lecture given by the author proved to be a turning point for me.

This material is incredibly powerful and it takes more than one listen to begin to really absorb it all. Caroline Myss pulls no punches here. Some of her statements made me very uncomfortable, but that's when I knew I had to keep listening. Just knowing that the emotional pain and suffering I was experiencing wasn't mere "depression" but came from my desire to really change my life actually turned out to be a comfort to me.

She asks you to think about some hard questions, but also gives you practical advice on how to deal with the chaos you're experiencing. This is not a light weight "feel good" lecture, but for anyone who is really ready to take a close and honest look at their "stuff," it is truly life changing. It doesn't feel good to be in that dark place, but it does feel good to know that you are not crazy - you're in the midst of "spiritual madness."

Our culture has little to offer people in this kind of crisis. Sometimes we need some tough and honest talk about the dark side of life that few seem willing to face. This tape really opened my eyes and showed me that I had to surrender my ego's ideas of how my life should be and accept God's plan for my life instead.

Now it's some years later and I'm out of that darkness and into the light of a happy and fulfilling life, married to the soulmate that I despaired of ever finding back then.

This tape is deep and full of wisdom and truth for those who are brave enough to take it in and use it. If that sounds like you, then I highly recommend it.

The problem of suffering for someone on the path of seeking G-d is a challenging and confusing one. Caroline Myss has done something extraordinary in that she has opened the door to understanding what kinds of pain the modern seeker of G-d must encounter and why, and what to expect and what to do with it. This is all in a modern language that calms and heals the soul, and imparts extraordinary hope. This is simply one of the ten best books/tapes/teachings on the life of the spirit I have ever encountered. For those tired of the traditional religious view of "life is a valley of tears (so just put up with it)", or "your faith isn't strong enough or you wouldn't be suffering", or "you'll be rewarded in the next world", and the rest of the un-helpful messages that might have spoken to an older world or era, but doesn't speak to ours, I STRONGLY encourage you to listen to this tape, again and again and again. It is one of those RARE pearls that changes your life forever.

As a fan of Carolinen Myss and someone who has seen her speak I was conscious of her Catholic upbringing but totally unprepared for how different and overwhelmingly Judeo-Christian this material was. As a Buddhist I've always felt very included in her her language and her overall thrust. But unless someone comes to this believing that you must be humbled, that you must suffer and go into the darkness all alone to "hear God's will for you... that "it's not mine but thine" -- this will leave them wanting. It's definitely from the "no pain no gain" school of growth.

I absolutely did get some things of value. And her emphasis on the importance of gratitude and appreciation certainly resonated and was put in a way that was incredibly powerful. But I STILL had to do an adjustment since she meant gratitude to a diety... and that isn't part of how I feel the truth manifests.

I was sort of enjoying the second tape (the first was .... well... not for me)UNTIL she said (paraphrasing closely)"If I was the God of one of those people who chant or light incense or do incantations I would knock them on their butts so they would see Who was in charge."

I'm not a fan of arrogance. But I don't think one needs to BE HUMBLED in order to "get it."

I miss the Carolyn Myss who was bilingual. Unless of course this was solely for her Christian audience.

Caroline Myss has captured the true essence of "the dark night of the soul". With style and humor she produces an excellent road map for anyone stuck in their own personal spiritual journey. Even if you are not stalled along the way, you will find great insight without being preachy, suttle humor without lessening the importance and valuable tips for continuing to seek the presence and grace of God.

I have listened to the tapes three times since purchasing it four days ago. Each time you will find something new to ponder.

I have read/heard/seen most of Myss's material, and this is my favorite. She is speaking to an audience, not reading (as usual), which avoids the stale "reading" style some tapes have. Though the title implies a focus on the dark or difficult times, there is really a broad spectrum of great information regarding the spiritual path. Particularly on this tape, I think, her rigorous, conscientious, no-BS, compassionate, highly-truthful, relentless delivery shines forth.

This is my favorite work by Myss because it helped me make sense of the confusion in my world. I had thought that following a spiritual path would make my life run smoother, that I would find my daily life full of little rewards because I chose to be "spiritual." But it didn't work out that way, and Myss explains why. Now, when my life gets messy or confusing, when the very things I don't want appear, I hear the wise and kind words of Myss in her soothing voice reminding me that these situations show me the presence of the Divine in the most profound way. I'm forever grateful to her for this work.

I listened to this abridged version of the audio cassette (which is why I didn't give it 5 stars - I wanted to hear the entire lecture)and, at times, it made me very uncomfortable. I felt most uneasy when Dr. Myss suggested keeping a journal of all the lies you've told for a month - the little 'white' lies as well as any whoppers. I haven't done it yet because I'm not sure I have the gumption to see all the untruths I speak over 30 days. However, she gives an example of how to be honest without being brutal with someone - and still honor your spiritual contract of honesty with God. So I think I'll try her suggestions and THEN count the times I'm actually untruthful!

In the end, though, this no-nonsense spiritual session actually left me relieved about the way my life is going. By emphasizing that everything you do in your life (no matter how small and humble it seems) is a necessary component of your spiritual path as well as a contribution to the world at large, Dr. Myss gives sacred meaning to all the 'simple' things in life. This tape is a must for anyone who feels they're not doing anything important in life or who feels their life is worthless.

In fact, Dr. Myss points out that life is supposed to be depressing at times, that even thoughts of suicide are to be expected in life's darkest moments that are sure to come and go. And, she points out, these dark moments DO eventually leave as she gives suggestions for how to move through these hollow times and emerge stronger and more faithful than before.

I disagree with Dr. Myss on only one point. While she stresses the importance of gratitude, she states it only counts if we express gratitude during the hard times in our lives. She seems to imply that gratitude comes too easily to matter when things in our lives are going as we want them to. Personally, I believe expressing gratitude for receiving or experiencing the things we want is just as important. Too many times, people take their good fortune for granted. It seems unsual for her to say expressing gratitude doesn't count unless we're miserable when we do.

Other than that and the fact that I know it was actually a three-hour lecture whittled down to a 90-minute cassette, I find this tape an incredibly illuminating and unique take on being a spiritual being in a human form. I know I'll listen to it again and again.

If you are wondering how it might be possible to create new perspectives on the difficulties that threaten to overwhelm you, listen to these tapes! Caroline Myss offers wonderfully direct and useful advice about how you can rearrange your way of thinking about your troubles.

Caroline Myss brings together New Age and Holy Text in a practical explanation/guide for everyone. Simple to understand, entertaining to read and listen to and gut level truth give the reader something to work with. She has opened a multitude of new doors for me to explore. She brings together the threads of all the formal religions of the world, all the peoples of the world, the embodiment of God in our every day lives and spirits.

Caroline Myss hits the bullseye with this audio CD. No other lecture and information (that I've ever been exposed to) deals with the topic of "spiritual crisis" as this does! Timely, provocative, and a real life-saver. This spoke to me in volumes. I feel honored to have this as a resource.