Beauty, Wonder, and the Mystical Mind

Beauty, Wonder, and the Mystical Mind spreads before the reader a rich word picture of the spiritual realm. Wilson Van Dusen describes the mature mystic, enumerating the characteristics of those whose lives are shaped by the experience of God. He explains how religion fits within the context of culture and how mysticism fits--or does not--within the context of religion. He also compares the mystical to the aesthetic, noting the similar ways in which art and epiphany move and elevate the experiencer. Believing that all have the potential to experience God, Van Dusen opens the mystical realm to the reader with his warm and accessible style. Writing from lifelong personal experience in the spiritual dimension, he offers a singular interpretation of the history of major religions and their regard for mysticism. An especially useful chapter introduces a simple, effective practice with an icon to help us "shut off the whirl of events so we can come to experience our own center, which happens to be also the center of the universe." In every field, some books rise above the rest to become classics. Wilson Van Dusen's is such a book. He writes with refreshing clarity, even luminosity, knows the territory, defines his terms, and maps the mystical path for those awakening to the journey. --Dan Millman Author of The Laws of Spirit Wilson Van Dusen, Ph.D., as chief psychologist at Mendocino State Hospital for many years, was praised for his work with the mentally ill using original methods involving spiritual concepts. Van Dusen was also instrumental in the creation of the acclaimed humanistic psychology department at Sonoma State University, the first such program at a traditional university. He is the author of The Country of Spirit: Selected Writings, The Presence of Other Worlds, The Natural Depth in Man, and Returning to the Source: The Way to Experience God.