Psychology of Consciousness
THE ART OF SERENITY
The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times
T. Byram Karasu, M.D.
Simon & Schuster, 2002
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES The reader will be able to:
• Describe the use of self-validation, and tools such as 'transitional objects' in dealing with children and adults
• Recognize and work with suffering and joy
• Describe how communing with nature and solitude are important in realizing happiness
• Describe how the evolutionary process works in awareness
• Explain how significantly spiritual matters play in happiness.
T. Byram Karasu, M.D., is Silverman Professor and University Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Montefiore Medical Center, and editor or author of 12 books including Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Psychotherapy.
We all face adversity, both man-made and natural. How do we survive the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, illness, even impending death, and still find meaning in our lives? Even a "normal" life can seem empty, in spite of material possessions, success, power, and pleasure. In our search for fulfillment and meaning, we work through our past and present conflicts, cuddle our inner child, and redesign our outer adult. We attend workshops on life and secular spirituality and explore the comforts of traditional religion. We get married and divorced, experiment with drugs and alcohol, change jobs. And while our restlessness and unease may abate temporarily, the hollow feeling that there is something missing always returns.
In his profound and accessible work, "The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times, " Dr. T. Byram Karasu offers us the key to an extraordinary state of mind -- authentic, soulful happiness -- in the face of everything our life has to offer and take away. The door to this state of mind is opened by a combination of soul and spirit. It involves the soul through the love of others, love of work, and the love of community. It involves the spirit through belief in the sacred and belief in transformation. It culminates in the love of and belief in God. Brilliantly synthesizing psychology and spirituality, Dr. Karasu will guide you to explore the deepest yearnings of your heart.