Christopher shares that history follows cyclical patterns, and the current polarization and conflict in society are part of a larger cycle. After periods of existential crisis there is usually greater unity and peace. Chaos and conflict may provide opportunities for more presence and participation that can raise us to a higher level of consciousness to [...]

Here he weaves a fascinating tapistry involving the ferment in the early twentieth century, including the emergence of depth psychology and a burgeoning esoteric culture including theosophy, anthroposophy, ritual magick, and – particularly – the Fourth Way movement of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. Maurice Nicoll was in the center of this world.

The late Christina Grof describes her own struggle to overcome alcoholism and suggests that the impulse that leads to addictive behavior stems from our yearning for spiritual union. Crises of spiritual opening, she says, may often look like episodes of acute psychosis and are often difficult and even painful. Unlike psychosis, however, such crises can [...]