Description

Explains why we are drawn to charismatic leaders what we unconsciously give away to them and how to reclaim our inner spiritual authority

Explores how to recover from spiritual abuse or betrayal by a teacher or group including breaking free of denial projection and dependency using psychology and shadowwork

Extends MeToo into the spiritual domain and tells the stories of contemporary clergy and spiritual leaders who acted out their shadows in destructive ways leaving their followers traumatized and lost

Within each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves to awaken to our unity with all of life Yet no matter the spiritual path we choose we inevitably encounter our own shadow those unconscious aspects of ourselves that we suppress or deny or the shadows of our teachers and their secret desires about money sex and power Meeting the shadow can derail the journey but according to Connie Zweig PhD we can learn to recover from loss of faith and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity

Calling on us to expand our vision of religious and spiritual lifeand our vision of awakeningto include the human shadow Zweig examines the yearning that sets us on the spiritual path showing how it can lead to ecstatic transcendent experiences or to terrible suffering by projecting it onto an authoritarian teacher priest or guru who abuses power She tells the stories of renowned teachersSufi poet Rumi Hindu master Ramakrishna and Christian saint Catherine of Sienawhose lives unfolded as they followed their spiritual yearning And she tells the cautionary tales of contemporary teachers of Buddhism Hinduism and Catholicism who acted out their shadows in devastating ways leaving their followers traumatized and lost She explains how meeting the shadow is a painful but inevitable stage on the path to a more mature spirituality She describes how to use spiritual shadowwork to separate from abusive teachers reclaim inner spiritual authority and heal from betrayal

With guidance for both inspired and disillusioned seekers the author explores how to navigate the narrow path through the darkness toward the light rekindle the flame of longing and once again engage in fulfilling spiritual practice