Divinity in Disguise: Nested Meditations to Delight the Mind and Awaken the Soul

by Kevin Anderson

WHAT IS A NESTED MEDITATION?

Divinity in Disguise introduces a
new form of writing called the "nested meditation."  The term "nested" is
used because each stanza of the meditation fits into the one that follows like
nesting dolls.

The form involves starting with a single line, and then
repeating that line and adding one new line that often shifts the direction of
the piece in surprising ways.  Each stanza serves as its own separate
meditation; the piece need not progress in a linear fashion.  Readers are
encouraged to take in each line slowly to enjoy to surprising twists, which are
achieved by subtle wordplay or punctuation changes.  This approach to
writing allows one to stumble upon surprising grace through a playful approach
to words.

Here's a sample:

I honor you.

I honor you,
my soul.

I
honor you,
my soul
companion, as you are.

I honor you,
my
soul
companion, as you are
Divinity in disguise.


Here's
another:


I have become an empty shell.

I have become an empty
shell,
a hermit.

I have become an empty shell.
A hermit
crab
crawls inside.

I have become an empty shell.
A hermit
crab crawls
inside
and calls me home.


The repetition in this form helps create
their meditative feel.  They are best read out loud slowly, so that each
stanza sinks in as a separate meditation.

Many people have found that
writing their own nested meditations is a revealing and healing experience.
 Divinity in Disguise contains meditations on God, the sacred self, the
sacred other, parenting, sex, money, work, brokenness, death, longing, joy and
more.  In addition to 76 nested meditations and accompanying brief essays
and quotations, Divinity in Disguise includes guidelines on how to write
your own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kevin Anderson, Ph.D. is a writer and
psychologist in the Toledo, Ohio area.  He is the creator of the nested
meditation form and founder of Center for Life Balance
(centerforlifebalance.net).  He speaks and conducts workshops on finding
the sacred in daily life.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

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