Customer Reviews

The Thirst for Wholeness: Attachment, Addiction, and the Spiritual Path

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This book written by Christina Grof, a transpersonal psychologist provides an inside view of addiction and a unique perspective on addiction as a search for wholeness. The most stiking aspect of this book and where I feel the most value lies is in the author's vulnerability in sharing her own struggle with addiction.

I don't necessarily agree with all of the ideas in this volume. However, I found Christina's courage and deep sharing to be inspiring. Whether you agree with Grof's specific interpretation of addictive psychology or not, her words illuminate the challenges of the human condition in a poignant way.

While I rated this book a 4 other people I have shared it with who are struggling with addictions thought it was either the best or one of the best books they have read on this topic. All of them found it to be meaningful and many were extremely grateful to find it after having read some of the other more popular books written about this area.

The last section of the book talks about the promise of healing and spiritual maturity. It also speaks about recovery as a spiritual path. More importantly, it considers the challenges along the way and includes the personal experiences of the author.

If you are struggling with an addiction you will find a lot of encouragement and empathy between these pages. This author truly understands what it is to be addicted, the deep dynamics involved and how to get untangled from these dynamics through a spiritual approach.

Everyone I know is addicted to something: control, power, self-centeredness, alcohol, drugs, food, sex, beauty, body image, jobs, other people...the list goes on and on. The world is not an easy place in which to "be". The reality is that we are living in a world full of broken people "where men who are fractions imagine themselves to be complete," as Joseph Campbell wrote. We live in an age where man is more profoundly a stranger to his own soul than at any other time in history.

On the other hand, millions of individuals are undergoing life altering transformations, thanks to the many tools for self exploration available today. One of those tools is this book. Grof, like few other authors, gets to the root causes of society dis-ease: the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness. This book is not about religion, but instead is a soulful description of the spiritual journey.

If you are a counselor, you need this book. If you are searching for healing from any type of addiction, or feel a stranger inside your own skin, you need this book. On some level, we could all benefit from embracing the message contained within its pages.

Our entire journey through life is a heroic journey toward home -- our True Self. As T.S. Eliot writes,

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

I inhale this type of book (psychology, mindfulness, recovery)- love them- but I just could NOT get into this one. I tried 3 or 4 different times to read it, and just put it down. I am not sure of the exact reason, perhaps the author seemed miles away, or the information just wasn't interesting. I can't put my finger on it. But I wouldn't recommend this book to someone looking for inspirational reading on addiction....it's too much work.