The Pearl Beyond Price: Integration of Personality into Being, an Object Relations Approach (Diamond Mind) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "At a certain age, very early on in life, each one of us becomes aware of himself or himself as a walking, talking, thinking, feeling..." (more)
Key Phrases: negative merging, ego inadequacy, diamond guidance, Merging Essence, Essential Self, Cosmic Consciousness (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Pearl Beyond Price is number two in the three-book Diamond Mind series. The centerpiece of Almaas's transformational object relations psychology, in it he explains how an infant identifies with its primary caregivers and ends up losing its "essence" by replacing it with an ego-based personality. Dismantling this imprisoning edifice requires recognizing it in the first place, but once exposed for the false though necessary stage of reality it is, ego tends to dissolve of its own accord. Under the gentle guidance of Almaas, the various aspects of essence begin to emerge, one of them being the centrifugal "personal essence" ("the pearl beyond price"). Through integration of concepts from all the world's religions, though most specifically Sufism, with the latest concepts of depth psychology, Almaas provides the scientifically inclined a point of departure into metaphysical realms. While the presentation is somewhat technical--and therefore of use to psychologists, counselors, teachers, parents, and other serious-minded sorts--it is completely accessible to the generally educated reader. --Randall Cohan

Review

"The work that you have in your hands is quite extraordinary in that it unfolds a comprehensive theory of personality grounded in a dimension of Being beyond our normal understandings of ego and identity. For here a knowledge of the spiritual path of transformation appears within, and is conjoined to, the modern context of western psychological process. Anyone with knowledge of the sacred psychologies at the heart of the world's religious traditions will immediately recognize the significance of this major work by A. H. Almaas."—Larry Spiro, Ph.D. "A masterpiece of integration of both the spiritual and psychotherapeutic traditions, which is essential material for anyone concerned with helping others to develop a deeper sense of personhood or to liberate themselves from the repetition-compulsion to suffer that defines the neurotic condition."—David Boadella

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Product Details

• Paperback: 506 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093671302X
• ISBN-13: 978-0936713021
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #305,144 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An integration of personal and transpersonal development, November 9, 1999

By	Dr. Peter L. Sutphen (Boca Raton, Florida) - See all my reviews

Almaas has succeded in explicating and integrating contemporary object relations theory with transpersonal development. He has articulated the development of the ego and then its transcendence in a compelling, coherent discourse. This book is of tremendous value for anyone interested in a serious inquiry into the development/realization of the Self that does not ignore the important contribution of object-relations theory to self development.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for therapists and spritual seekers, August 30, 2001

By	"tkimper" (MANCHESTER, NH USA) - See all my reviews

The founders of NLP, following Korzybski, reminded us that "the map is not the territory." Almaas speaks of the territory - the vastness and profundity of out Being - as one who lives there. He also has produced yet another superb map, with very precise descriptions of the challenges, the obtacles, the meaning of the signs along the way, and a more workable way than we have ever had of actually geting there.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truely personal touch, June 9, 2003

By	scott (orchard park, ny usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have enough appreciation of Almaas' work, you will sail through this one with a deep undestanding of how to actualize our full human potential in this lifetime. What makes this particular book stand out most, is how the personal aspect of our soul, or our "Pearl" draws one into realizing and actualizing that we CAN live a life of spiritual integrety and still function more optimally in our society, here and now. Albeit with much devotion, hard work, and pschological/emotional pain (and eventual healing toward wholeness), as Almaas points out numerous times throughout most of his books. Like most worthwhile undertakings in life, this takes hard work and requires much more than just reading and achieving an intellectual understanding, although this is the way for most of us, and is of much value, it is only the tip of the inner journey iceburg.
An inportant element to be aware of regarding this is what he calls an "embodiment" of understanding where the very fabric of our soul is impressed with the truth of this teaching. When this begins to happen to us, the potential to "integrate our personality with Being" can become actualized over time. If one is willing to do the difficult Work required to become a truely mature human being, this book and all other Almaas works will undoubtedly steer you in the direction of truth. The truth of our Real identity.