Book reviews from the Spirituality SIG

Voices in the Rain: Meaning in Psychosis. A Memoir by Marcia A. Murphy, 2010, Wipf & Stock, Eugene, OR, 199pp, pb, £23.00

Patients are sometimes referred to these days (at least in the UK) as “experts by experience”. I worry about this term, because simply having an experience does not make you an expert. In order to be an expert – even on (or by) your own experience – I think you have to have reflected deeply, asked difficult questions, and sought out the answers that are hard to come by. You need not only to be able to tell your own story, but also to have thought it through, wrestled with it, and come out the other side knowing yourself better. It seems to me that this is exactly what Marcia Murphy has done in this book. She is not only an expert on her own experience, in the sense that I have outlined, but she also tells her story engagingly, bravely, with clarity, and so as to share with her readers the hard won answers to the questions that she has asked of herself and others.

Murphy’s Memoir is actually several stories, intertwined. It is a story of being drawn into a religious cult, and the deleterious impact that this can have upon human dignity and wellbeing. It is a story of mental illness, of hearing voices, of psychosis, of receiving psychiatric treatment, and finding a pathway to recovery. It is a story of a spiritual journey, of finding a faith that is life-giving and sustaining, although only after first exploring some spiritual dead-ends.

The story of Murphy’s involvement with the cult – the “Unification Church”, or “the Moonies” – is a salutary lesson in how not all things that claim to be spiritual are healthy and nourishing. Amongst other features of harmful cults that Murphy’s story illustrates are the psychological coercion, the disempowerment, alienation from family, the subjection of the individual to the group and its leader, and the financial exploitation of members. It is in the course of involvement with this group that Murphy first begins to hear voices – voices which are almost all abusive and demeaning.

Murphy’s engagement with psychiatry, and one particular psychiatrist (referred to as “Dr Hayes”), is at first tentative. As the story unfolds, it shows how important the therapeutic relationship is from the patient perspective. Dr Hayes displays an ability to relate to his patient with patience, respect and compassion, avoiding epistemic injustice and reductionism. He prescribes medication, which is not unimportant to Murphy’s recovery, but more importantly he is able to listen well, to affirm a meaningful narrative of Murphy’s life viewed as a whole, and to value the spiritual dimension of human life and wellbeing. He does this in a positive way that contrasts starkly with Murphy’s earlier negative experiences in the Unification church. This is a story of how psychiatry can work to build wellbeing, and not merely treat an illness. At the same time, Murphy provides an honest account of the stigma and prejudice that accompanied her illness and conspired against recovery.

The spiritual journey that Murphy takes is not an easy one, but it is found through adversity and not despite it. In order to enter recovery, she first has to leave the Unification church and rebuild relationships with her family. She eventually comes to see meaning within her experience of illness. In contrast to the demonic voices that tormented her, she also hears a voice that provides hope, saying “Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved”. This journey towards Christian faith and recovery from illness is a slow one, but it is aided by her increasing recognition of the benefits of creative writing, as well as faith and spirituality. Murphy becomes an expert because she is able to reflect on her experiences, and her writing helps her to reflect.

Murphy refers to her writings as “creative non-fiction”. (See also reviews of two of her other books in this category – also on the SPSIG book review web pages). In Voices in the Rain, the narrative is enhanced by interpolated examples of the research that she has done to better understand her condition, and by conversations with clergy, medical professionals, and others along the way. Using these literary devices, she is able to reflect on her story at the same time as telling the story, and so guide the reader through the journey that she has taken in her search for meaning amidst spiritual abuse and psychosis.

I warmly recommend this book to others who face their own mental health challenges, as well as to medical professionals, mental health chaplains, and all who want to better understand the harmful effects of cults, experiences of mental illness, and the importance of spirituality to human wellbeing.

Professor Christopher C.H. Cook

Emeritus Professor, Durham University, UK

February 2025

Hearing Spiritual Voices by Christopher C.H. Cook, t&tclark, 2023, 136pp, pb, £15.99 (Open Access – pdf available for free download at Bloomsbury Collections - Hearing Spiritual Voices )

Reading Hearing Spiritual Voices by Professor Christopher Cook has been a deeply enriching and progressive experience on many levels. This journey began right from the very first page of the book.

With any work on spirituality, it is incredibly helpful to understand the socio-political context of the era in which the subject matter takes place. This book does just that, allowing the reader to feel as though they are traveling back in time, observing the socio-political landscape from a unique vantage point.

The author also includes a visual timeline outlining the lives and overlapping experiences of the three mystics featured in the book. I found this to be another useful tool, both for setting the scene and for readers to refer to as they progress through the text.

After establishing the historical backdrop, the author provides introductory information on each of the three female mystics—Margery Kempe, Julian of Norwich, and Joan of Arc—who will be explored in more detail later in the book. This section served as a valuable foundation, helping me prepare for the deeper content that follows. One particularly thought-provoking comment made by the author at this stage is his observation that the psychiatric interpretations and diagnoses about these mystics "must partly be a reflection on the commentators themselves."

The first mystic introduced is Margery Kempe. The author presents a comprehensive account of her life, spirituality, and how modern mental health professionals might interpret her experiences. I was especially intrigued to learn that Margery gave birth to over a dozen children in the first 20 years of her marriage.

While the book provides a fair amount of information about her life story, it offers limited insight into her more personal experiences. This is likely due to the scarcity of historical data available. However, the information we do have about her personal and business life, as well as her pilgrimages, was compelling and sparked further thoughts about her possible biopsychosocial profile.

For instance, I found myself contemplating how a capable and intellectual woman like Margery might have used spirituality as a coping mechanism in an era where societal expectations regarding fertility and motherhood were pervasive. I became particularly curious about her relationship with her children, especially considering how she managed to balance her responsibilities as a mother, her business ventures, and her long pilgrimages. I speculated that the way Jesus addressed Margery in her visions might offer clues about emotional voids she experienced early in life. I also felt sympathy—and some discomfort—for the posthumous mental health diagnoses attributed to her. At the same time, I was impressed by how she used her spirituality to navigate the challenges of devoting herself to the Divine while striving to realize her own potential and maintain her role as a supportive spouse.

The next section of the book introduces Julian of Norwich. The portrayal of Julian’s life and spirituality highlights her well-rounded personality as a mystic.

If Margery’s story evokes the psychotherapist in the reader, Julian’s story seems to bring out the psychiatrist. The author’s description of Julian's spiritual experiences led me to reflect on certain psychopathological phenomena we learn about as young psychiatrists. For example, the self-referential quality of hallucinations and sub-auditory vocalizations in patients with psychosis who experience "voice-hearing." This section prompted me to recall various phenomenological insights, which deepened my engagement with Julian’s mystical experiences.

While there is limited information about Julian’s personal life, the book offers ample exploration of her spirituality and mysticism. This section makes it almost inevitable for the reader to compare her mysticism with Margery’s. Julian’s spirituality appears to be much more abstract and intricate, likely reflecting her well-rounded and mature personality—though we know little about her life outside of her spiritual experiences. The lack of personal details about Julian left me curious to learn more about the woman behind the mystic.

The book prompts a re-evaluation of psychiatric interpretations of mystical experiences, especially with regard to Julian. In particular, I wondered what aspects of her personality might have been overlooked by modern commentators, and how much more we could understand about her if we had more biographical information.

The chapter on Joan of Arc follows, and her story feels distinct from the two previous mystics. Joan’s spirituality is closely intertwined with her patriotism, which may make her seem less universally mystical. However, her devotion to her nation and community is deeply admirable, and this made it easier for me to relate to her, especially by drawing parallels with female national heroes from my own cultural background.

The psychiatric analysis of Joan's case stands out as more colourful and varied than the previous two mystics. For example, the attribution of some of her behaviours to Multiple Personality Disorder was striking. Reading this made me feel grateful for the advancements in psychiatric knowledge that have occurred over the past few decades. Modern understanding of the internal narrator and the "inner voice" in the absence of pathology made me appreciate how we now interpret these experiences differently than earlier commentators.

While reading the author's analysis of Joan’s spirituality, I found myself particularly drawn to his examination of how nationalism shaped her mystical experiences. I suspect many readers—particularly those with a psychiatric background—will find this analysis very relatable. The author seems to anticipate the questions his readers will have, offering insights that resonate with modern readers' perspectives.

The last chapter and conclusion of the book offer significant contributions to a psychiatrist's professional development. Here, the author makes a compelling case for the unique position of psychiatry among the medical disciplines, particularly in its connection to the emerging field of medical humanities. He suggests that hearing spiritual voices can serve as a "living laboratory," where the intertwined effects of biology, psychology, social context, and spirituality can be observed and studied. This idea struck a particular chord with me, prompting me to reflect on other female mystics, such as Rabia of Basra, Hildegard of Bingen, and Marguerite Porete. It was interesting for me to make the comparison of Rabia and Hildegard who both received reverence and recognition respectively in 8th Century Arabia and 12th Century Germany. The recognition particularly Julian received and Marjorie perhaps partially enjoyed feels similar to that. Unfortunately both Joan and her compatriot Margaurite met tragic ends in the same geopraphy in 14th and 13th century. This pushed me to think about what national/cultural/socio-political factors must have been at play at the time for their tragic sacrifice.

While the earlier chapters of the book are a progressive learning and reflective exercise, the last chapter and the conclusion are significant contributors' to a psychiatrist's professional development and awareness.

The author's exploration of what psychiatry can learn from these mystics is one of the most intellectually stimulating parts of the book. For me, the most fascinating aspect was the sixth point he raised, about spirituality and phenomenology, and how psychiatry can incorporate an understanding of spiritual experiences into mental health care.

The author also examines the ongoing tension between the medical science of psychiatry and the broader humanities, particularly in terms of spirituality and religion. For psychiatrists who are curious about the future of their discipline, this section offers challenging questions about whether psychiatry can remain separate from the growing demand for personalized care—care that will inevitably involve considering the spiritual aspects of patients' lives.

In summary, while I would have appreciated more detailed exploration of the neuroscience of phenomenology, Julian's personal life, and the geographical and cultural comparisons between mystics in different parts of medieval Europe, I understand that this book is focused on understanding these three mystics through a psychiatric lens. Overall, it has been both a fascinating read and a valuable opportunity to reflect on the bio-psycho-socio-spiritual dimensions of human experience. The book also prompted me to think about the historical, political, and cultural contexts that have shaped interpretations of behavioural and emotional presentations over the centuries. The book allowed me to have an immersive “laboratory” experience into the historic evolution and development and future possibilities for my profession.  For the psychiatrist reader all these happen while looking at the challenges and the future choices that await the medical science of Psychiatry. This is the main contribution to a psychiatrist’s professional development that the book facilitates, and  I believe this is an important part of what the author wants to bring to the attention of psychiatrist .  Therefore in my opinion the book wholly achieves its purpose.

Dr Ömür Miles

November 2024

October 2024

Among the abundance of self-help books on wisdom, this work by fellow psychiatrist Dr Sunil Raheja is a breath of fresh air. Drawing on his own personal reflection as well as clinical experience Dr Raheja has written a book which is both engaging and deeply thought provoking. He humbly offers himself and his life experience as an instrument to analyse the subject of wisdom; just as a psychoanalyst uses their own emotional experiences to understand and help others.

His initial premise is that wisdom is defined by answer to four profound questions about the nature of wisdom. He draws a helpful distinction between a quest and an adventure in the search for wisdom; and I found his use of insightful quotes especially attractive as they come from a diversity of authors ranging from Theodore Roosevelt to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

He begins with a reflection on the Wisdom for the Heart and emotional experience before exploring the Wisdom of the Mind. In the latter he particularly focusses on historical examples of human success which in their time were predicted to become total failures. Such failures to discern wisdom offer a chilling lesson about some of our current assumptions regarding human success in the future.

The author warns especially about our apparent failure to consider or address what he sees as the biggest modern time threat to humanity; that ours is the most informed but crucially least reflective civilization of all time. He then offers a pensive exercise on the consequences of this unique status. What struck me most in this section was the author’s suggestions on how to deal with stress and also his reflections on the book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying-A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing death and dying” by Bronnie Ware.

The second half of the book is dedicated to suggestions about developing wisdom. This section is especially strong about the nature of the ego; and the value of seeing ego and pride on a spectrum. I especially valued the warning signs of an impending out-of-control ego, using quotes and anecdotes about world famous personalities and philosophers.

In the chapter titled “Removing Our Idols” the author reflects on the different types of idolatry that are active in our modern age. In "Developing Wisdom", he explores the tension between the Western emphasis on individual authenticity with more negative aspects of individuality. He gently suggests that we challenge our own desires for individual meaning, purpose and legacy in a search for wisdom.

In the later chapters such as Defining Wisdom with the Divine, there are refences to Biblical stories. To the non-dualist reader, the author's dualist narrative during his reflections may feel somewhat unsettling and alien at first; until one starts replacing some of the phrases with their own e.g Fear of the Lord being replaced by "Uneasiness with the unpredictability of the Unity/Universe/Brahman/Al-Wahid. Similarly in the section on Meeting Wisdom in Person, the author offers a core philosophy of Christian faith. Readers from other faiths and/or students of mystical and esoteric philosophies may bring their own interpretations to this concept, such as the esoteric view on "The Office of Christ" as a sacred role which has been held by different people across millennia at a time ( e.g. Siddartha Gautama in the years BCE and By Jesus of Nazareth following that).

In the last chapters of the book the author revisits in greater detail the four profound questions introduced at the beginning of the book. At times referring to his own life, he first takes us on a sample quest of sense-making about one’s own self. In this chapter the author additionally uses concepts and terminology that people from a range of faiths can make sense of. He concludes with practical points and suggestions; again using examples from lives of historical personalities who, by and large, managed to complete their own quest.

From the SPSIG perspective the author’s reflections on faith were surprising and thought provoking. He describes his experiences of different faiths and his eventual finding a Christian faith. For those of us who were fortunate enough to grow up in multifaith nuclear and extended families this section will have eureka moments. It is enlightening to understand the misconceptions we can have about other faiths and sombre to realize how hard it can be to correct those misconceptions. It was also a reminder of the importance of family relationships in the journey of faith; both positive and negative.

In summary this is an insightful, hopeful and encouraging book about reaching towards the point of self-determination and purpose guided by one’s own spirituality. There are valuable reflections, examples and suggestion for people of all faiths and none (as long as the reader signs up to modifying the occasional dualist Biblical narratives and concepts with their equivalents in the reader’s own spiritual philosophy or faith). For me reading this work was an invaluable privilege and I believe can and will help readers in their own quest for developing wisdom.

1. That it should go beyond its “materialist assumptions” to bring “psychospiritual considerations within its epistemological remit” (p3)
2. That psychosis should not be considered psychopathological and primarily biological in origin.

3. That psychotic experiences should not be considered fundamentally incomprehensible.

1. The psychiatric view of psychosis
2. A history of the psychospiritual within psychiatry
3. A content analysis of attempts to distinguish the psychospiritual from the psychopathological

4. An argument that the psychospiritual and the psychopathological are indistinguishable

As the authors of this book make clear in their introduction, belief in life after death is a feature of most of the world’s faith traditions and is widespread in the general population in most countries around the world. There is evidence that such beliefs are beneficial to mental wellbeing (Flannelly et al., 2012, Bradshaw and Ellison, 2010, Ellison et al., 2009). They may also be beneficial in terms of reducing despair during terminal illness, although this effect appears to have more to do with the underlying spirituality than with the belief in life after death per se (Mcclain-Jacobson et al., 2004). Belief in life after death is thus an important element of spirituality, and also something that psychiatrists and other health professionals should be interested in, but what is the evidence that such beliefs are well founded? Many scientists may either feel sceptical about this, or else assume that it is not a matter amenable to scientific investigation. After all, researchers cannot speak to people who have crossed over into the afterlife and returned to tell their story. Or can they? The authors of this book offer reviews of extensive empirical evidence from three lines of investigation: studies of mediumship, near death experiences (NDE), and reports of memories of a previous existence (referred to in the book as “cases of reincarnation type”, thus CORT).

Two examples of mediumship are considered in the book in some detail: Leonora Piper (1857-1950) and Chico Xavier (1910-2002). The authors offer some interesting details about each, including evidence that they were able to provide accurate information about deceased people with whom they claimed to have contact, which they could not have obtained other than through direct contact with the deceased individuals themselves. The possibility of fraud is considered and excluded. However, a quick search online reveals how controversial both of these cases were, and continue to be, especially that of Leonora Piper. More recent studies, including a meta-analysis of controlled quantitative research are considered, and other alternative explanations excluded. Arguably the more recent research provides better evidence. For me, however, the fundamental problem is that the most convincing studies provide evidence that mediums knew things that they could not have known by normal, or scientifically explicable, channels. This is not the same thing as proving that personal existence continues beyond death.

With the research on NDEs, the emphasis moves away from showing evidence of persisting memories, skills, and personality traits of a deceased person to arguing that the perception like experiences of the person having the NDE are veridical. Notably, this includes reports of out of body experiences (OBEs) in which details of procedures, or of environmental observations, are accurately recalled after the event, even though they could not have been physiologically perceived (due to lack of brain activity, or because they were not observable from the bodily location of the person concerned). Again, alternative explanations are considered and excluded. Given that these are “near” death experiences, rather than cases of confirmed death and resurrection, (and admittedly the distinction here might be subtle) it is difficult to know whether or not this evidence says anything about “life after death”, except in the very short-term post-mortem. It certainly seems to argue for the possibility of out of body experiences (OBEs), which are a slightly different, albeit related, phenomenon.

Finally, the now vast literature on CORT is summarised, admirably succinctly, in just 8 pages. As with previous sections, the possible alternative explanations are considered and excluded. I’m not sure that I can further condense the summary that the authors provide without losing something of the overall outline of the literature, but essentially there are many accounts of individuals (usually children) who claim to remember past lives. Moreover, investigation into the alleged memories reveals an historical basis for the existence of the allegedly reincarnated person, usually with evidence of veridical memories and persisting skills and personality traits that would support the contention that this is the same person, now reincarnated. In particular, rigorous research has been undertaken in the past by Ian Stevenson, himself a psychiatrist. Whilst belief in reincarnation is widespread worldwide and has had some limited support within Christianity and Islam, it is not generally believed in by Christians, Muslims or Jews. Whilst this is – potentially – the strongest evidence presented within the book the counterarguments are dismissed far too readily. (See, for example, (Edwards, 1996) for a general critique of this literature). The implications here for clinical psychiatry are especially important – for example where patients believe that they have suffered PTSD in a past life with symptoms that now impact upon present wellbeing.

The book is short and generally quite readable (although I found the philosophy sections somewhat over-condensed). I wish more had been said about comparative religious perspectives, theology, and clinical relevance, but this was clearly difficult within a book of this length. The book is very focussed on scientific evidence and the empirical scientific method is not the only way of knowing things. However, it fills an important gap in the literature and is a commendable achievement, notwithstanding these limitations of scope. It is always a good sign to get to the end of a book wanting to know more – which this reviewer certainly did!

Book review by Christopher CH Cook, Durham University

Edited by Alexander Moreira-Almeida, Marianna de Abreu Costa, Humberto Schubert Coelho. New York; Springer, 2022. 85pp. ISBN 978-3-031-06055-7

References

Bradshaw, M. & Ellison, C. G. (2010) Financial Hardship and Psychological Distress: Exploring the Buffering Effects of Religion. Social Science and Medicine, 7, 196-204.

Edwards, P. (1996) Reincarnation: A Critical Examination, Amherst, NY, Prometheus.

Ellison, C. G., Burdette, A. M. & Hill, T. D. (2009) Blessed Assurance: Religion, Anxiety, and Tranquility among Us Adults. Soc Sci Res, 38, 656-67.

Flannelly, K. J., Ellison, C. G., Galek, K. & Silton, N. R. (2012) Belief in Life-after-Death, Beliefs About the World, and Psychiatric Symptoms. Journal of Religion and Health, 51, 651-662.

Mcclain-Jacobson, C., Rosenfeld, B., Kosinski, A., Pessin, H., Cimino, J. E. & Breitbart, W. (2004) Belief in an Afterlife, Spiritual Well-Being and End-of-Life Despair in Patients with Advanced Cancer. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 26 , 484-6.

Edited by Sarajane Aris (SMN), Hilary Garraway and Hannah Gilbert. Shoreham-by-Sea; Pavilion 2021. 344 pages £35 paperback. ISBN: 978-1-914010-62-0

This handbook is essential reading for health and social care professionals, service users and carers, as indicated in its subtitle. It is a revised and extended edition, following up on Spirituality and Mental Health edited by Peter Gilbert in 2011 and incorporating a new emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. Spirituality is increasingly recognised, as the foreword notes, ‘as an integral part of wellbeing and psychological health.’ The pandemic along with the effects of social media have exacerbated mental health issues across the life cycle, but especially among young people. The introduction asks where we are now, giving an overview of the current context and including chapters on integrating spirituality into mental-health services, African psychology and finding meaning and purpose. The editors propose that spirituality may well become 'The heart of and foundation for our mental health and well-being.’ I found the article on African psychology of special interest, in the light of colonisation as a global system of white supremacy, resulting in an evacuation of an all-pervasive spirit entailing interconnectedness and communal group connection, which we urgently need to rediscover.

The 28 chapters are arranged in four parts, including spirituality across the life-cycle, therapeutic practice and 14 themes and journeys covering a huge range of topics embracing spiritual crises, faith, psychotherapy, research, spiritual competencies, visions, compassionate leadership, caring, spiritual training, burnout, spiritual care, eco-spirituality, new spiritualities and the transpersonal. Many well-known authors are featured, and the book will surely put spirituality and spiritual care firmly on the agenda. Some authors propose spiritual reflections, and there are comprehensive references at the end of each article. In the final chapter, the editors summarise key themes and threads such as connectedness and the collective, the language of spirituality, diversity and inclusion, compassion and the whole person. They call for a process of reclaiming our inner knowing, transcending separateness and celebrating our shared humanity. They also highlight a few areas not covered in detail, such as bodywork and multiple faith perspectives. They conclude with some questions and reflections to explore on an individual and collective level, including expanding our awareness into more subtle realms so as to become part of the necessary spiritual transformation. As a whole, the book represents the depth dimension of life and healing, and deserves the widest possible readership.

Revd. David Lorimer, Programme Director, Editor, Paradigm Explorer.

1. Creating inner safety
2. Being present
3. Loving myself
4. Stepping back and accepting
5. Empowering myself
6. Connecting
7. Discovering inner peace and wholeness

Each chapter has a similar format. It begins with the rationale for the tool and introduces key relevant concepts. The main aspects of the tool are then described. Practical encouragement and tips are offered to help the reader experience the tool in practice. A major feature of the book is the reference to a library of audiotapes on the Janki Foundation’s website.

These are high quality guided practice recordings that can be used to help develop the reader’s use of the tools. Each chapter also includes a few so-called “rescue remedies” to be used as quick ways to recover calm in difficult situations. There are helpful quotes from people who have used the tools - many of them referring to how the practices have helped them during the pandemic. Each chapter ends with appropriate positive affirmations.

Horatio Clare is a lecturer, journalist and travel writer, he here provides us with a vivid description of his journey through manic breakdown into recovery, both from the inside and through the observations of friends and family. The first part begins as an adventure story; on a family holiday in Italy he realises that he is part of a great conspiracy, everywhere he looks he sees hidden communications and secret signs. Aliens have landed, humans will have to work together, he has an important role to play. Back home he frightens his family and alienates his friends. His psychotherapist says he needs a psychiatrist. Clare hears noises and interprets these as spies using hidden access tunnels to complete their secret missions. He is reviewed by mental health services and manages to talk his way out of going to hospital. He begins to literally tear down the walls and ceiling of the flat. Eventually he is sectioned.

Clare spends a month in hospital, describing the characters there, all of whom seem to have been triggered into illness by cannabis. He finds visits to the local art gallery to be healing. After this he is then discharged to his flat in town and ongoing therapy.

Gradually he repairs his relationship with his family. Then he decides to stop taking his medication, but without telling his wife. She has made it clear that stopping his meds would mean the end of their relationship. He remains stable, and after a year it becomes apparent that he is off the meds, and his wife accepts this, the gamble seems to have paid off.

In the second part of the book Clare considers the impact of big pharma on psychiatric decision making, and looks at alternatives to the current system; I felt there was a tinge of grandiosity in his writing style here. He speaks to friends and revisits some of the people with whom he interacted whilst he was unwell, one of the ward support workers, the social worker who sectioned him. He begins to understand their point of view better.

Horatio Clare argues that sectioning people is often the right thing to do, that families should not hesitate to go this route when necessary, and that it should be easier to get people the care they most desperately need. At the same time he is highlighting the damage done by cannabis, and questioning the prevailing view of long term medication being appropriate in bipolar disorder. He learns about describing, and Open Dialogue and advocates for these approaches.

This book should become a classic, it is very readable, well written and contains clear descriptions of the way Clare’s mind was working and how he was able to interpret every experience as further evidence for his delusions. He does not shy away from describing the ensuing damage to his relationships, and his flat.

Mental Health professionals can learn from his story how an educated, articulate person can be completely caught up in a delusionary system and behaving in a very disturbed manner, and yet argue their way out of mental health detention. The author crashed his car into a dam, stripped naked and was found wandering by police, and yet still avoided being sectioned.

Alison J Gray, FRCPsych.

Andrew Powell was the founding chair of the Spirituality in Psychiatry Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which is celebrating the 20^th anniversary of its founding this year. Over those years it has provided a deeply valued forum for those psychiatrists with an interest in spirituality. This book is a collection of 17 papers and talks given by Andrew between 2006 and 2017, several of them given at conferences organised by the Spirituality in Psychiatry group. It is a welcome sequel to “Ways of the Soul” which included papers from the previous decade. Both collections draw richly on Andrew’s experience of working clinically as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, as well as his understanding of psychoanalytic and Jungian psychology, quantum physics, anthropology and comparative religion.

Each paper is complete in itself and although many of them were originally addressed to clinical audiences, they are refreshingly jargon-free and so are accessible to anyone interested in the subject matter.

The overall focus of the book is the question of what it means to be human and the challenges we all face both on a personal and collective level. Indeed one of the chapters is the transcript of a dialogue addressing this very question. Andrew brings a broad bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective to his reflections on being human. He sees our bodies as providing a vehicle and opportunity for an evolving partnership between the ego and the soul. The ego helps individuals to grow and survive in the physical world. The soul co-habits with the ego for the purpose of gaining experience and so must share in the ego’s experience of pain. The soul is seen as the particular manifestation of the all-encompassing Spirit (which may be called “God” or “Supreme Consciousness”) in an individual form. Both ego and soul need each other and when working in partnership can become the perfect instrument for creating heaven on earth. However, the ego’s innate tendency to separate and divide and see the world through its own lens, means that it is often unaware of and disconnected from the soul.

At an individual level, Andrew sees the disconnection between ego and soul as a key factor in mental health problems. At a collective level this disconnection has led to a profound sense of alienation and has led to untold destruction of our fellow human beings and Nature. Helping individuals and groups to re-establish a healthy connection between ego and soul has been Andrew’s life work.

The more clinically orientated chapters describe ways of helping others listen to and converse with their soul. With the help of remarkable anecdotes and case stories, Andrew provides glimpses both of his own journey and those of the patients he has supported. He offers examples of ways in which a clinician can invite the patient to go deeper, such as using a question like: “What would your heart say if it could speak?” He also devotes significant passages to the importance of forgiveness, which is ultimately seen as a quality of the soul which balances the ego’s tendency to retaliation. From this perspective, forgiveness does not need to be forced or pushed. Helping someone connect with their soul brings forth the quality of forgiveness naturally.

The chapters examining our collective human situation give a particular emphasis on how, over the last 300 years, especially in so-called Western culture, humanity has become increasingly enthralled by scientism. This is an ideology which particularly appeals to the ego with its explanatory and technological power. Whilst science has brought extraordinary benefits to humanity, scientism has led to a narrow materialistic worldview with little room or respect for spiritual perspectives. Consequently, many in today’s world have a deep prejudice towards matters of the soul. Inevitably, modern mental health care has been shaped by a similar prejudice. Andrew draws on some of the findings of quantum physics and transpersonal psychology to address this narrow worldview and to show that it is no longer in step with modern scientific and psychological research. Fittingly, the final chapter of the book is entitled: “Prejudice – can we live without it?” The chapter and book ends with Andrew’s answer to his own question which is “yes, we must, if there is to be a future for humanity.”

My overall response to this book is one of warmth and hope. Having worked in the same field, I was struck by the courage in Andrew’s professional work which comes through in these papers. He was exploring ways to help people connect with their soul which would have been frowned upon by some colleagues. He was exploring a pathway to healing that not many psychiatrists had trodden. It is worth remembering that the origin of the word “courage” is from the French word for heart “coeur” and this book does indeed have plenty of heart. This heart-centredness is blended with clarity of thought which many readers will value, whether or not they are clinicians.

The book is also a timely exposition of the centrality of love and its importance in any situation in which one is in a position to help another human being. Andrew reminds us that in the face of inevitable suffering we always have at our disposal “the best medicine known to humankind – the healing power of love”.

The title of this book derives from an ancient Indian philosophical concept: “Atmadeepo Bhava” which literally means “Be your own Light”. It is the culmination of the author’s many years of working in mental health services in India and UK.

It describes a model of humanistic psychotherapy based on the author’s clinical experience of trying to help people with a wide range of mental health problems. It is described as a “Self-therapy” which, although particularly influenced by the work of Victor Frankl, Abraham Maslow, Narayana Surya and Carl Rogers, is also personal and distinctive.

The therapeutic model is presented in a self-help format and is clearly addressed to those wanting help, rather than to professionals. The language is relatively jargon-free, practical and refers to theory lightly.

The focus is on what each individual (and those close to them) can do in the here and now to help ameliorate the individual’s psychological suffering. To this end, a range of practical exercises are suggested, not in a prescriptive manner, but rather as tools for each individual to try out for themselves. The approach is underpinned by a deeply spiritual worldview drawing on the author’s own spiritual practice and ancient Indian sacred texts.

Seven major modules

The book describes seven major modules, which the reader is encouraged to work through in whatever order suits them. These modules cover Health, Forgiveness, Self, Connections, Will-power, Relationships and Living with Family. Four additional short modules are presented exploring Time, Negotiation, Creativity and Connecting with the “Common Person”.

A quarter of the text is devoted to the module on Health. The author likens health to a cube or room with six sides: physical, mental, cultural, social, material and spiritual. Interestingly, he also adds a section on philosophical health which he likens to the atmosphere within the room. He addresses each of these areas, with a particular emphasis on personal responsibility.

The module on forgiveness considers both forgiveness of self and other. It offers practical advice on how to deal with painful memories and persistent feelings of anger and guilt.

The module on Self considers the distinction between Self and Other and the importance of balancing the needs of both. It emphasises the intimate relationship between loving self and loving other. There is an interesting section on the pro-self and anti-self tendencies in all of us, which are part of the human experience.

Neither group of tendencies can be completely eliminated. The author notes that the anti-self tendencies have been alluded to in various cultural and religious texts. He refers to the idea of the “Six Enemies” described in ancient Indian texts as obstacles faced by any person on the spiritual path. These are lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and envy. In the author’s view, the root problem underlying each of these is greed and practical suggestions are offered to control greed.

The module on will-power identifies this quality as the real power behind all our projects, large and small. The practical suggestions advocated to strengthen will-power include self-generated “deprivation exercises”, which may raise eyebrows amongst some readers.

The remaining three major modules focus on nurturing connections with fellow human beings (especially those close to us), to Nature and also to things that serve us well in our homes and workplaces.

In the final section of the book, the author widens his already broad lens and considers how we may all contribute to creating a healthier civilisation characterised by respect for Nature, a true balance of masculine and feminine roles, multiculturalism, a more spiritual and less materialistic approach to life and care for each other.

Conclusion

In summing up, the author again draws on ancient Indian sacred texts in which the three major manifestations of the Supreme Being are described: Satyam – Truth, Shivam – Welfare (sometimes translated as Goodness) and Sundaram – Beauty. Our task as human beings is to strive to manifest these qualities in our lives. For the author, it is striving for welfare of self and other, through service, which is the key for us. “You, I and other fellow beings will therefore achieve our respective places under the Sun if we continue to walk the path of ‘Love Self and Love Others.’”

The book could be a useful tool in working with patients who are looking for a self-help guide and perhaps particularly with those who have an interest in spirituality. It reflects the warmth, humanity and care of the author. I was left feeling that those patients, past and present, who worked with the author were fortunate to work with him.

Dr Partha Choudhury is happy to share his contact details in case any one wish to contact him: choudhp@yahoo.com  & telephone +44 (0) 7435425926