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Spiritual Bypassing

When Spirituality Disconnects Us from What Really Matters

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Spiritual Bypassing

By: Robert Augustus Masters PhD
Narrated by: Robert Augustus Masters PhD
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About this listen

“A wonderfully significant and important book.” —Ken Wilber, The Integral Vision
“A timely and penetrating analysis of spirituality’s shadow.” —Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism without Beliefs

A spiritual teacher and integral psychotherapist offers a first-of-its-kind study on how we use—and abuse—spiritual beliefs and practices, revealing how to identify and move beyond what holds us back from living life fully.

Spiritual bypassing—the use of spiritual beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs—is so pervasive that it goes largely unnoticed. The spiritual ideals of any tradition, whether Christian commandments or Buddhist precepts, can provide easy justification for practitioners to duck uncomfortable feelings in favor of more seemingly enlightened activity. When split off from fundamental psychological needs, such actions often do much more harm than good.

While other authors have touched on the subject, this is the first book fully devoted to spiritual bypassing. In the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa’s landmark Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Spiritual Bypassing provides an in-depth look at the unresolved or ignored psychological issues often masked as spirituality, including self-judgment, excessive niceness, and emotional dissociation. A longtime psychotherapist with an engaging writing style, Masters furthers the body of psychological insight into how we use (and abuse) religion in often unconscious ways. This book will hold particular appeal for those who grew up with an unstructured new-age spirituality now looking for a more mature spiritual practice, and for anyone seeking increased self-awareness and a more robust relationship with themselves and others.

©2010 Robert Augustus Masters, PhD (P)2015 North Atlantic Books
Buddhism Eastern Personal Success Spirituality
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Critic reviews

"This is a wonderfully significant and important book, and is highly recommended. Its contents are truly mandatory for this day and age." —Ken Wilber, author of The Integral Vision

"This timely and penetrating analysis of spirituality’s shadow provides a much-needed counterpoint for those who tend to get blinded by its light." —Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism without Beliefs

"There is much wisdom and good information in this book. Robert joins a growing number of wise teachers who understand that the personal and the universal must be combined to bring true and genuine spiritual awakening." —Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

What listeners say about Spiritual Bypassing

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Fantastic book read by author

I find the author’s work deeply profound, whole and real. I am so grateful to have come across it. The only downside with this particular version is that the author reads his own work a little quickly for me, hence the 4 star on performance.

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Deeply Insightful

I have to say this is a rather intense book and well worth the read. In provides a very honest framework that enables you to understand that spirituality and psychoanalysis run parallel paths.

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A very important book

Anyone who views themselves as spiritual or is engaged in spiritual practice should listen to this book. It is so valuable for illuminating potential pitfalls.

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Deep insights, relentlessly narrated

I can only listen to short sections of this book at a time - the narration has a pressure and relentlesness to it that requires full, focused attention, and leaves me tense and uneasy. It's a shame, as the content of the book offers deep insights and learnings, and brings about a level discussion on an important subject - how many forms of spritiuality are actually just forms of wishful thinking, blaming, and not wanting "to be with" the real issue at hand. A paper copy may be more appropriate for a topic that will resonate deeply with many listeners, and awaken uncomfortable yet neccessary realisations about their own practices. And it is that "truthful" nature of the book, why it may serve the reader better to abe able to ingest it in their own time as and when they are ready to open to learn more.

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Truth served up cold with plenty of humour. AJ

If you’re able to distance yourself long enough from your ego, through whatever means and humble or at least open minded enough to face some unspoken truths, then this book is for you.

It doesn’t as most of his other books do, have any direct questions for you to work on your issues.

However, it is the perfect start for anyone willing to honestly bring their hidden issues into the limelight from behind the curtain of their new age or old age religious practices or way of life.

Listen to this book and give yourself an honest no-holds-barred appraisal. Ask yourself the questions you’ve been possibly avoiding all of your life and be accountable to yourself.

It’s certainly more liberating to come from behind someone else’s spirituality and live in the true essence of who you are than it is to hide behind it following and avoiding your own.

Either way, you won’t regret one word or paragraph as it will certainly resonate whether you like it or not and believe me, in the end you will like it.

If you can handle these truths you will certainly be ready for his other book “transforming through intimacy” another powerful life changing read, whether your in a relationship or not.

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Excellent

Excellent book with so much interesting information to absorb. A great insight into spiritual bypassing and its many manifestations.

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An experienced voice that highlights what chasms must be crossed along the path.

A deeply profound audio book, which pulls no punches yet with no judgement either. explaining what spiritual bypassing is, the elements and consequences and normalising it as something we all tread as avoiding it on the personal awareness journey ould itself be a spiritual bypass.

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