To many readers, the term ?spiritual enlightenment" conjures up visions of red-robed monks or long-bearded gurus living on remote mountaintops. Enlightenment, according to conventional wisdom, is unattainable for ordinary people living in the modern West. Psychologist Steve Taylor admits that he once shared that simplistic notion but gradually revised his thinking after researching mystical experiences and interviewing people who claim to have had them. To his surprise, Taylor found that normal modern-day people from different faiths and walks of life really have reached modes of higher consciousness (or wakefulness, as Taylor calls it). In fact, these experiences are more common than we realize.
Drawing on his knowledge of different religious traditions, Taylor set out to find the common features of these awakened states and how the rest of us might also achieve wakefulness. The result of his inquiry is The Leap, a cross-cultural investigation of spirituality, belief, and the inner workings of the human mind. Taylor begins his discussion with some biographical sketches of great artists and thinkers who have attained awakened states (Walt Whitman, William Blake, D.H. Lawrence, Richard Jeffries, William Wordsworth, and others), comparing their insights to those of his interview subjects.
In the course of The Leap, Taylor covers several other aspects of mystical experience:
* The different types of wakefulness ? natural, gradual, and intentional
* The difference between fraudulent spiritual teachers and the genuinely awakened
* The sometimes disorienting effects of spiritual awakenings on those who undergo them
* How different theories of consciousness explain (or try to debunk) mystical experiences
Above all, Taylor reminds us that we don't have to join an ashram in a distant country to attain enlightenment, but that we can find it where we are right now.
Industry Reviews
"Life always gives you what you need, and right now it has given you this book to use as a guide or companion through challenging times. It contains a great deal of precious wisdom, expressed in the straightforward, clear, and down-to-earth language that Steve Taylor is so good at."
- from the foreword by Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth
"A wonderful synthesis of modern research and timeless wisdom that makes the mysterious process of spiritual awakening more comprehensible than ever before."
-- Peter Russell, author of From Science to God
"This book is both insightful and inspiring. Building on the foundations of his previous books, Steve Taylor's expertise and profound understanding of awakened states shine through and culminate in his proposition of an evolutionary leap that awaits humankind. For anyone who is interested in or has experienced an awakening, this book is not to be missed, as Taylor eloquently conveys an in-depth understanding of this fascinating phenomenon. It's an excellent book that everyone should read."
-- Dr. Penny Sartori, author of The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences
"It's high time we got clearer on what enlightenment is and isn't. The Leap is readable, important, and long overdue. It offers a thorough portrait of this long-mysterious state with care and love."
-- Dr. Robert K. C. Forman, author of Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up to Be and Mysticism, Mind, Consciousness
"In The Leap, Steve Taylor takes a radically new approach to spiritual awakening, suggesting that the experience is more common than one might suspect, is not bound to any religious or spiritual tradition, and may be playing an essential role in human evolution. The Leap is filled with provocative statements, some of which you may agree with and some you may disagree with -- but you can be sure that this is a book you will never forget. It establishes Steve Taylor as a major spiritual author and teacher, whose lucid and articulate writing will evoke wonder and wisdom among readers."
-- Stanley Krippner, PhD, Alan Watts Professor of Psychology, Saybrook University
"A wonderfully detailed demystification of awakening within and without traditions that is a pleasure to read and offers hope for our dangerous times."
-- Claudio Naranjo, author of Healing Civilization and designer of the SAT Programs for personal and professional development
