| Journey to Self | |||||
A record of one woman's spiritual journey through elation and despair
"Journey to Self" is a record of one woman's spiritual journey through elation and despair. It is a journey of spiritual transformation, a path that is as real today as it was in the days of the great mystics and saints..... Written by Chiswick resident Margaret Dempsey, "Journey to Self" is written in two parts. Part one is autobiographical and details personal experiences that have happened to Margaret on her spiritual journey. "While they have happened to me they are possible for everyone because all of us, whether consciously or unconsciously are on a spiritual journey," she says. "Part one charts a journey that has taken me from Catholicism to Buddhism and to the insights and experiences that are possible through meditation. It speaks in great detail about the uncertainty of the spiritual journey and the different stages that I passed through from despair to elation to the calm, grounded and aware person I am today. "In part one I speak about a powerful experience I had on a meditation retreat in Devon which expanded my consciousness and resulted in me not feeling any stress no matter what the situation or event. The experience left me with wisdom, serenity and insight." The second part of the book consists of essays which are the result of her experiences in meditation. A couple of the essays are Buddhist in content whilst others are the result of her insights and intuitions from her experiences in part one. Author's Background Margaret was born in London to Irish parents. When she was 11 she went to a Catholic boarding school in Ireland. "As boarders we had to go to mass every morning. One morning the priest said 'God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts'. In the moment he said that I felt myself be gripped by something and I said 'I am going to be spiritual and not religious'." Since that time she has pursued a spiritual path and not a religious one. She has gone March 20, 2009
|