Awakening to Awe: Personal Stories of Profound Transformation

by Kirk J. Schneider

Awakening to Awe is a self-help meditation on an alternative and growing spiritual movement. This is a movement comprised of people who refuse the "quick-fix" model for healing, whether that model entails popping pills, indulging in material comforts, or adhering to doctrinal dogmas. By contrast, the movement about which Schneider writes is composed of people who have developed the capacity to experience the humility and wonder, or in short, awe, of life deeply lived. In particular, this book highlights the stories of people who through the cultivation of awe have transformed their lives. For example, readers will discover how awe transformed the life of an ex-gang member into a beloved and productive gang mediator, an ex-drug addict into a communally conscious healer, and a sufferer of stage three cancer into a contemplative and spiritual seeker. The book will also inform readers about the challenges and joys of awe-based child-raising, education, humor, political activism, and aging. Drawing on the philosophy of Schneider's earlier work, the acclaimed Rediscovery of Awe, Awakening to Awe tells the down-to-earth stories of a quiet yet emerging revolution in the transformation of lives.

Genres: Psychology

224 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

KIRK J. SCHNEIDER, PH.D. is a leading spokesperson for contemporary existential-humanistic and existential-integrative psychology. Dr. Schneider was a 2022 Candidate for President of the American Psychological Association (APA), a cofounder and current president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (an award-winning psychotherapy training center), and a two-term Member of the Council of Representatives of the APA. He is also past president (2015-2016) of the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) of the APA, recent past editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2005-2012), a founder and frequent presenter/facilitator of the bridge-building dialogue approach the Experiential Democracy Dialogue and a trained moderator for the conflict mediation group Braver Angels. Dr. Schneider is also an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University and Teachers College, Columbia University and an Honorary Member of the Society for Existential Analysis of the UK and the East European Association for Existential Therapy. He received the Rollo May Award for “outstanding and independent contributions” to the field of humanistic psychology from the Society for Humanistic Psychology, APA and is a Fellow of seven Divisions of the APA (5, 9, 32, 42, 12, 29, and 24). His work on existential-integrative psychotherapy has been featured in a special issue of the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration (March, 2016), as well as The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy and the APA’s forthcoming Handbook of Psychotherapy. Dr. Schneider has published over 200 articles, interviews and chapters and has authored or edited 14 books including The Paradoxical Self, Horror and the Holy, Rediscovery of Awe, Awakening to Awe, The Spirituality of Awe, The Polarized Mind, The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology, Existential-Humanistic therapy, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy, The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy, The Depolarizing of America: A Guidebook for Social Healing and his latest volume (February, 2023) Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World. Dr. Schneider’s work has been featured in Scientific American, the New York Times, USA Today, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Forbes Health, Psychology Today, BBC World News and many other health and psychology outlets. For more information on Dr. Schneider's work visit https://kirkjschneider.com.

Reviews

[Olena Bidovanets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Пречудова книга екзистенційного психотерапевта про те, що повнота життя приходить через переживання усіх емоцій і різних, іноді безмежно болючих, подій.

💫Найболючіші моменти - це і є моменти найбільшого росту.

💫Адже коли все чудово, ніколи не прийде думка, що може бути інакше

💫Життя - це важливе питання, яке вимагає від людини певної пригоди, здатності залежати від іншої людини і мужності безперервно йти все глибше і глибше, шукати якісь свої відповіді на питання щодо всього нашого існування.

[Bhodicrates · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this four out of five in the arbitrary scale because the roughly first 130 pages are great.
The political injection in the last chapters was to me, both needless and jarring.
Schneider gives a phenomenon a name, recognition, and thorough elaboration.

[N T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. The author was in serious need of a good editor. Interesting cases but disorganized analysis.