The Point of Existence: Transformations of Narcissism in Self-Realization

Description

The founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization examines narcissism through a spiritual lens, presenting it as our greatest barrier to understanding our truest self In this book, the author explores the underlying spiritual understanding of narcissism. He presents a detailed map of the steps involved in working through barriers that prevent us from recognizing the most essential nature of our true identity. "Almaas is one of the most significant voices for a new and remarkably integrated spiritual vision. His work connects the personal, the universal, the psychological and the spiritual not as pieces put together, but as the inseparable mandala of the sacred that we are. I respect his work to the highest degree and commend it to anyone interested in living the life of the spirit." -Jack Kornfield, Ph.D., author ofAfter the Ecstasy, the Laundry

A. H. Almaasis the pen name of Hameed Ali, the Kuwaiti-born originator of the Diamond Approach, who has been guiding individuals and groups in Colorado, California, and Europe since 1976.He is the author of many books, includingThe Power of Divine Eros,The Unfolding Now,Runaway Realization,and the Diamond Heartseries.

"Almaas is an astute and brilliant explorer. The Point of Existence is remarkable in its thoroughness, detail and depth. In it he shows how the universal narcissism of everyday life is an incomplete stage of development which can only be overcome through realization of one's deepest most essential nature. This is a book to study, to contemplate, to live with, and to use as a guide on one's journey."-John Welwood, Ph.D., author of Toward a Psychology of Awakening "Almaas's The Point of Existence is a supremely original and unique work, of immense significance for anyone involved in a spiritual path. Its far-reaching reformulations of narcissism as the defining dimension of ordinary personality and the major barrier to self-realization offer a great promise and challenge to both transpersonal and psychotherapeutic orthodoxies. It will be studied and debated by psychologists, spiritual practitioners, and theologians for years to come."-Harry Hunt, Ph.D., author of On the Nature of Consciousness "This pioneering work renders outdated both the psychologist's traditional avoidance of deeper dimensions of experience and the mystics dismissal of psychology. The sophistication of this work is stunning and the views stimulating to our sense of what human identity is and what we can be."-Sherry Ruth Anderson, Ph.D., co-author of The Feminine Face of God