The Undefended Self: Living the Pathwork [Paperback]

Susan Thesenga (Author), Eva Pierrakos (Author), Asha Greer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

The Undefended Self is a profoundd and pragmatic guide to liveing the spiritual-psychological path toward union--with self, with others, and with the essence of life. Here we learn, through the Pathwork teachings,, and through true personal stories of conflick, crisis, and breakthrough:

the maps and processes for the hero's journey for our times

how to dismantle personal defenses safely and sanely and to anchor in our original divine nature

how meeting the unconscious dark side of human nature releases powerful new energies for creativity, love, aliveness, and awakening--and leaves us permanently changed

how to work with the invitations, tasks, and realities of each of the developmental stages of consciousness

Like such other contemporary spiritual teachings as A Course in Miracles and Conversations with God, The Undefended Self is a clarion call of hope and liberation for ourselves and for our world. The Undefended Self has been published in five languages and is read at schools of healing and transformation and in study groups around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Undefended Self is a must for all those aspiring for personal transformation and human evolution. --Barbara Brennan, author of Hands of Light and Light Emerging

Deeply moving. . . a work of courage. --John Pierrakos, M.D., author of Core Energetics

Penetrating and highlly effective guide in the psychological and spiritual search into the fundamental questions of life. --Leading Edge Review

About the Author

Susan Thesenga has taught the Pathwork throughout the United States and in Brazil. She started on this path more than thirty years ago, after meeting Eva Pierrakos, whose Pathwork teachings gave direction and meaning to Susan's lifelong spiritual search. In 1972 Susan and her husban, Donovan, founded the Sevenoaks Pathwork Center in Madison, Virginia, where they still live and work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 329 pages
• Publisher: Pathwork Press; 3 edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961477776
• ISBN-13: 978-0961477776
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming the needs and desires of the lower self, April 13, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Undefended Self: Living the Pathwork (Paperback)

Now in a newly revised and updated third edition, The Undefended Self: Living The Pathwork by teacher, therapist, lecturer and author Susan Thesenga is a practical and meaningful self-help guide that elaborates highly on the ancient wisdom of Socrates: "Know Thyself." From understanding and transforming the needs and desires of the lower self, mask self, and higher self to following a new spiritual path, The Undefended Self is a journey through the positive and negative sides of human nature toward a plateau of greater acceptance, self-esteem, and happiness. Especially recommended reading for readers aspiring toward their own enduring and personal transformation.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars helpful but does not go beyond the "personal", February 15, 2009

By 

schmunzelmonster - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Undefended Self: Living the Pathwork (Paperback)

I've worked intensively (BBSH) for two years with the process outlined this book. The most helpful thing from Pathwork was for me to know, or even assume as a given, that behind every piece of anger or sadness or else there is some repressed childhood pain. However, finding my particular story of the wounded child has not been nearly as helpful as working directly without and beyond any story, present or past. Compared to the very direct approaches of The Work (by Byron Katie) and The Sedona Method (by Hale Dwoskin and Lester Levenson), Pathwork involves still a lot of psychological analysis that can be helpful, but also keeps the emotions and the story spinning.

I personally preferred to read the lectures directly as opposed to this book. The Undefended Self is more an account of how people worked with the lectures and contains only short citations. The lectures are very powerful in bringing suppressed things to the surface, one develops a very personal relationship to these texts, they go to the heart immediately as if they were spoken directly to me. They however go very little beyond that "me" that is in the end completely made up - even when it seems very real at times. "God simply is" is mentioned about once. The lectures are a very accurate account of human psychology, if one would like to understand why life is sometimes painful - but understanding the story of "why" isn't the way out, in my experience.

I think it's worth to check out Hale Dwoskin and Byron Katie and Eckhart Tolle and whatever else you may find in addition, if one has a sense that the human psychology is a little strange and there might be something different. However, for dear friends of mine, Pathwork is for them what Sedona Method/Byron Katie are to me. More a personal preference probably, and depending on the way your psyche is knitted and glued together.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peace Healer 5, August 31, 2005

By 

Darcy Walters (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Undefended Self: Living the Pathwork (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book that allows you to explore the aspects of the self in order to discover the true sense of who we really are as people. A well written book that incorporates transformative personal stories and exercises to work through our "images" or patterns of disharmonious experiences. I highly recommend this book, and would list this as a must-have for all who are in the healing arts.