Spiritual Delights and Delusions: How to Bridge the Gap Between Spiritual Fulfillment and Emotional Realities

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the wedding of spirituality and unblinkered, real-world consideration expressed in 'Spiritual Delights and Delusions.' It's given me hope that these two frequently disparate realms are going to continue to converge, and for this sense alone I'm made glad.

The personal stories in this book are compelling as we follow the author as he shares about growing up in the Bronx, being shaken down by thugs in Shanghai, maneuvering along a treacherous mountains in Burma, being confronted by terrorist supporters on the West Bank, meeting the guru Mother Meera and being hugged by Amma the hugging saint. Using examples from the terrifying to the sublime, Steve shares his belief in 'spiritual realism' which insists that we must never close our eyes to the horrors of the world, yet suggests that there is a way to find stillness amidst it all. At times, it was hard to read this book because Steve demands that the reader face the violent realities of the world and his vivid examples often staggered me. Yet, having trouble just reading about these atrocities, caused me to address the question that Steve puts forth so eloquently--if you can't face the atrocities of the world, how can you ever find spiritual quietude if those realties ever visit your world. It is a question worth pondering.

Posner's book contains great spiritual and psychological truths that can be easily understood and practiced in daily life. This intriguing story of self-realization includes timeless, universal esoteric gems that hold the keys to the awakening of higher consciousness. Here is the 'Perennial Philosophy' taken to the next level.

One directly feels that this book is written with the heart, as a living witness of a search for peace which depends on an inner disposition and not on a political project. It is really wonderful, helping the reader understand how deeply the urgent need for peace can be felt. Posner has given us a precious gift.

With lucidity and genuine intimacy, `Spiritual Delights and Delusions' shows me how inner peace, far from dulling outer awareness, can help us respond more compassionately to injustice.