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Emotional Intimacy: A Comprehensive Guide for Connecting with the Power of Your Emotions
Emotions link our bodies, our thoughts, and our experiences at the deepest level. And the capacity to be intimate with our emotions, teaches Robert Augustus Masters, is the core skill for creating fulfilling relationships and living with awareness, love, and integrity. With Emotional Intimacy, this respected therapist and author invites us to explore:
How to create a safe space for working with our emotions
The ways that we numb our unwanted feelings, and how to revive them and welcome them back
How to identify our emotions and experience them skillfully
Resolving and healing from old emotional wounds
Steps for bringing greater intimacy into our relationships
In-depth guidance for those facing depression and loneliness
Why blowing steam can often make us feel worse, and healthier options for emotional catharsis
Navigating activity and stimulus overload, a collective emotional pandemic of our times
Individual chapters for engaging with fear, joy, jealousy, shame, grief, awe, and the full spectrum of our emotions
There are no negative or unwholesome emotions only harmful things we do with them. Through real life examples, exercises, and many useful insights, Masters provides here a lucid guide for reclaiming our emotions, holding them skillfully, and allowing them to resonate in ourselves and with others more deeply and richly.
How to create a safe space for working with our emotions
The ways that we numb our unwanted feelings, and how to revive them and welcome them back
How to identify our emotions and experience them skillfully
Resolving and healing from old emotional wounds
Steps for bringing greater intimacy into our relationships
In-depth guidance for those facing depression and loneliness
Why blowing steam can often make us feel worse, and healthier options for emotional catharsis
Navigating activity and stimulus overload, a collective emotional pandemic of our times
Individual chapters for engaging with fear, joy, jealousy, shame, grief, awe, and the full spectrum of our emotions
There are no negative or unwholesome emotions only harmful things we do with them. Through real life examples, exercises, and many useful insights, Masters provides here a lucid guide for reclaiming our emotions, holding them skillfully, and allowing them to resonate in ourselves and with others more deeply and richly.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
265 people are currently reading
1931 people want to read
About the author
Robert Augustus Masters
25 books89 followersRobert Augustus Masters was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1947. From an early age he was an avid artist, but in high school switched to the sciences, with which he stayed until he found himself at the age of 21 in a PhD program in biochemistry. Little more than a year later, only a few hours after a dream of dying, he left his doctoral studies, and began an odyssey of intense travel, initially outer, then inner.
As he did so, his passion for the arts reemerged, especially through writing. He began meditating, doing yoga, and exploring cutting-edge therapies and trainings. By 1978 he was working as a therapist and bodyworker. From the beginning his work was integral and creatively structured, combining the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Structure was not (and still is not) preset, but was (and still is) allowed to emerge in fitting accordance with individual and group needs.
In 1981 he won his first literary prize — an all-expenses paid trip for two to Hawaii — for his story of a particularly perilous Indonesian adventure he’d had 8 years earlier. This spurred him to immerse himself more fully in his writing. He also deepened his psychospiritual work, which spread worldwide in the late 1980s.
In early 1994 his life abruptly and dramatically changed, following an extremely harrowing near-death experience, which is described in his book Darkness Shining Wild. Since 1986 he had been leading an experimental psychospiritual community (also described in Darkness Shining Wild), which had gradually gone strongly awry. He had become more and more of a guru, abusing his power, not seeing that what he was leading had become a cult. His near-death experience brought this to a halt, breaking him down so deeply that he could not resurrect his former way of being. A half year later, still shaken to the core and overcome with remorse, he disbanded the community, soon thereafter beginning a very different journey, that of fully facing and working through what had driven him so far off track.
A year later he resumed his work, but in a much more compassionate, radically inclusive manner, centered to a significant degree by the practice of becoming intimate with all that we are — high and low, dark and light, dying and undying. He became a student again, completing a PhD program in psychology at Saybrook Graduate School in 1999; his dissertation received the highest award (dissertation with distinction). In 1998 he co-edited the Fall issue of ReVision: A Journal of Consciousness and Transformation (the theme of the issue being “Intimate Relationships and Spirituality”).
Evolving in fitting parallel with his relationally-rooted psychospiritual work has been his writing. He is the author not only of fourteen books, but also of numerous essays. In 2000 his essay “Wrathful Compassion” won the Editor’s Award for the best article of the year in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. His essays have appeared in a number of publications, most recently Spanda Journal. His books have received critical acclaim; Christiane Northrup, Jean Houston, Ken Wilber, Harville Hendrix, and Jack Kornfield are among those who have strongly endorsed his writing. In 2008 his book Transformation Through Intimacy was a Nautilus Book Awards finalist (Silver Winner). His latest book is To Be a Man: A Guide to True Masculine Power.
As he did so, his passion for the arts reemerged, especially through writing. He began meditating, doing yoga, and exploring cutting-edge therapies and trainings. By 1978 he was working as a therapist and bodyworker. From the beginning his work was integral and creatively structured, combining the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Structure was not (and still is not) preset, but was (and still is) allowed to emerge in fitting accordance with individual and group needs.
In 1981 he won his first literary prize — an all-expenses paid trip for two to Hawaii — for his story of a particularly perilous Indonesian adventure he’d had 8 years earlier. This spurred him to immerse himself more fully in his writing. He also deepened his psychospiritual work, which spread worldwide in the late 1980s.
In early 1994 his life abruptly and dramatically changed, following an extremely harrowing near-death experience, which is described in his book Darkness Shining Wild. Since 1986 he had been leading an experimental psychospiritual community (also described in Darkness Shining Wild), which had gradually gone strongly awry. He had become more and more of a guru, abusing his power, not seeing that what he was leading had become a cult. His near-death experience brought this to a halt, breaking him down so deeply that he could not resurrect his former way of being. A half year later, still shaken to the core and overcome with remorse, he disbanded the community, soon thereafter beginning a very different journey, that of fully facing and working through what had driven him so far off track.
A year later he resumed his work, but in a much more compassionate, radically inclusive manner, centered to a significant degree by the practice of becoming intimate with all that we are — high and low, dark and light, dying and undying. He became a student again, completing a PhD program in psychology at Saybrook Graduate School in 1999; his dissertation received the highest award (dissertation with distinction). In 1998 he co-edited the Fall issue of ReVision: A Journal of Consciousness and Transformation (the theme of the issue being “Intimate Relationships and Spirituality”).
Evolving in fitting parallel with his relationally-rooted psychospiritual work has been his writing. He is the author not only of fourteen books, but also of numerous essays. In 2000 his essay “Wrathful Compassion” won the Editor’s Award for the best article of the year in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. His essays have appeared in a number of publications, most recently Spanda Journal. His books have received critical acclaim; Christiane Northrup, Jean Houston, Ken Wilber, Harville Hendrix, and Jack Kornfield are among those who have strongly endorsed his writing. In 2008 his book Transformation Through Intimacy was a Nautilus Book Awards finalist (Silver Winner). His latest book is To Be a Man: A Guide to True Masculine Power.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 24, 2014
Robert Augustus Masters is a depth psychotherapist and this book takes you into his office where in each chapter he explores the basic emotions we all experience in life. Intermingled with his descriptions and discussions of each emotion are personal exercises that help move you from the head to the heart, from thinking about emotion to experiencing it. This was one of the most difficult books for me to read because it forced me to confront and interact (in his words "become intimate") with some difficult and painful emotions in my life. I had to take a break at one point and even then did not get to every chapter. Even so the journey was greatly rewarding. This is a book I will go back to again and again as I continue to explore the inner landscape of my life.
January 9, 2019
I’m very comfortable acknowledging/embracing my inner thoughts and feelings but have difficulty expressing emotions. This book is great for those struggling with the former, less so for those needing guidance with the latter.
October 21, 2024
Practical and effective.
This book has saved me. As a very sensitive but emotionally unavailable person, I'd been struggling to manage my emotions entire my life. Through this book, I've got to know, as well as to feel, a wide range of human emotions I'd suppressed for so long, and thus I've been more comfortable to feel. Most importantly, I've learnt to be present with my expressed emotions and known how to deal with them before/when they get intoxicated.
I still pick up this book to re-read each chapter (especially part two) whenever I have any strong emotions I find hard to deal with, and this book's always helped me befriend with all emotions I've ever feel and go through my emotional mess.
This book has saved me. As a very sensitive but emotionally unavailable person, I'd been struggling to manage my emotions entire my life. Through this book, I've got to know, as well as to feel, a wide range of human emotions I'd suppressed for so long, and thus I've been more comfortable to feel. Most importantly, I've learnt to be present with my expressed emotions and known how to deal with them before/when they get intoxicated.
I still pick up this book to re-read each chapter (especially part two) whenever I have any strong emotions I find hard to deal with, and this book's always helped me befriend with all emotions I've ever feel and go through my emotional mess.
August 26, 2023
I embarked on the journey of reading Emotional Intimacy as part of a breathwork course I am taking. If this sounds strange, it’s because deepening into the rhythm of the breath is a somatic experience- an invitation to turn towards the many textures of our frequently suppressed emotional landscape.
This is not my first foray into the work of Robert Augustus Masters. I’ve also read Bringing Your Shadow Out of the Dark which piqued my interest, but did little to wow me. Emotional Intimacy in contrast took me two whole months to complete, but was much more illuminating in my opinion.
One of the most fascinating things I learned was the distinction between feeling and emotion, ”Where feeling is reaction, emotion is adaptation. So feeling is instantaneous, non-reflective (there’s no time for reflection!) arising, but emotion is all about how we handle that feeling.”
Feeling may an automatic knee-jerk reaction, but emotion has a cognitive component, a free will element. We can choose what we do with it. For example, we may become angry, but it’s up to us to decide if we will take that anger into the territory of aggression and lash out with its burning force.
He also talks about how to tune into your emotions and identify them, and openly share them with your partner in the container of relationship whilst maintaining mutual empathy and connection.
”Without vulnerability, we maroon ourselves from our emotional riches and depths— and when that happens we block ourselves from authentic connection with others.”
Finally, Augustus Masters painstakingly breaks down the various indicators of nearly every emotion imaginable- from shame to self-doubt, schadenfreude to awe. No stone is left unturned. This part of the book was a little more tedious to get through, but also very eye-opening at times; the chapters on fear and depression were standouts to me.
While Emotional Intimacy doesn’t exactly make for breezy, topical reading- it certainly isn’t afraid of meeting the raw, heavy edges of the human condition- I wholeheartedly recommend it for those brave enough to expand their understanding of the breadth and depth of emotions, thus carving out more space for greater embodied intimacy in relationship and with oneself.
This is not my first foray into the work of Robert Augustus Masters. I’ve also read Bringing Your Shadow Out of the Dark which piqued my interest, but did little to wow me. Emotional Intimacy in contrast took me two whole months to complete, but was much more illuminating in my opinion.
One of the most fascinating things I learned was the distinction between feeling and emotion, ”Where feeling is reaction, emotion is adaptation. So feeling is instantaneous, non-reflective (there’s no time for reflection!) arising, but emotion is all about how we handle that feeling.”
Feeling may an automatic knee-jerk reaction, but emotion has a cognitive component, a free will element. We can choose what we do with it. For example, we may become angry, but it’s up to us to decide if we will take that anger into the territory of aggression and lash out with its burning force.
He also talks about how to tune into your emotions and identify them, and openly share them with your partner in the container of relationship whilst maintaining mutual empathy and connection.
”Without vulnerability, we maroon ourselves from our emotional riches and depths— and when that happens we block ourselves from authentic connection with others.”
Finally, Augustus Masters painstakingly breaks down the various indicators of nearly every emotion imaginable- from shame to self-doubt, schadenfreude to awe. No stone is left unturned. This part of the book was a little more tedious to get through, but also very eye-opening at times; the chapters on fear and depression were standouts to me.
While Emotional Intimacy doesn’t exactly make for breezy, topical reading- it certainly isn’t afraid of meeting the raw, heavy edges of the human condition- I wholeheartedly recommend it for those brave enough to expand their understanding of the breadth and depth of emotions, thus carving out more space for greater embodied intimacy in relationship and with oneself.
January 3, 2022
If I had to describe this book in a totally factual sense. Dr. Masters does an expert job of explaining, in a plain-spoken way, the mechanics of our emotions - what they feel like, the language we use to describe the emotion, why people feel the emotion, and how people can practice expressing the emotion in a more healthy way.
But that factual explanation doesn't do it justice. Dr. Masters makes the compelling case for living a life of compassion, empathy, and careful self-exploration, regularly enlightening the reader about the kinds of power they risk giving up if they live their life without them.
Never in my life have I devoured a book like I have this one. The pages of my paperback are covered in notes, highlights, recaps, discoveries, and all kinds of reminders. (The notes, which I transcribed to my laptop, total more than 20 pages.) It made me learn, it made me cry, it made me understand myself and others better.
If you have interest in better understanding emotions, Dr. Masters' work should not be missed. Directly from his final chapter:
"Emotion connects body and mind, surface and depth, past and present, intention and action, impulse and reflection, containment and expression, biochemistry and biography, the personal and the interpersonal in an organic flow that invites our awakened participation.
Given that there is no getting away from emotion, we might as well do whatever it takes to make wise use of our emotions, and this begins with developing intimacy with them. Such an undertaking asks much of us and gives back much, much more - bringing us into an ever-deepening wholeness, a life as richly alive and embodied as it is compassionately awakened."
But that factual explanation doesn't do it justice. Dr. Masters makes the compelling case for living a life of compassion, empathy, and careful self-exploration, regularly enlightening the reader about the kinds of power they risk giving up if they live their life without them.
Never in my life have I devoured a book like I have this one. The pages of my paperback are covered in notes, highlights, recaps, discoveries, and all kinds of reminders. (The notes, which I transcribed to my laptop, total more than 20 pages.) It made me learn, it made me cry, it made me understand myself and others better.
If you have interest in better understanding emotions, Dr. Masters' work should not be missed. Directly from his final chapter:
"Emotion connects body and mind, surface and depth, past and present, intention and action, impulse and reflection, containment and expression, biochemistry and biography, the personal and the interpersonal in an organic flow that invites our awakened participation.
Given that there is no getting away from emotion, we might as well do whatever it takes to make wise use of our emotions, and this begins with developing intimacy with them. Such an undertaking asks much of us and gives back much, much more - bringing us into an ever-deepening wholeness, a life as richly alive and embodied as it is compassionately awakened."
October 9, 2025
A true emotional awakening
The pages hold valuable insights into the wide spectrum of emotions and the ways they mix shining a light on the parts of ourselves we often tuck away and never properly meet. This is a book to approach when you’re genuinely searching for a deeper understanding of yourself: your triggers, your reactions, and how to build more meaningful connections with both your inner world and the people whose lives touch yours.
This isn’t a book to skim through. It demands your full presence and rewards rereading, often revealing the exact message the universe feels you’re ready to receive. The exercises at the end of each chapter can feel daunting at first, especially if your confidence is low, but with time they become a beautiful mirror. There’s no right or wrong - just discovery.
While I didn’t personally walk away feeling deeply transformed, I recognise that the book is powerful for those ready to dive into this kind of work. It’s both a guide and a gentle invitation to meet yourself more honestly.
The pages hold valuable insights into the wide spectrum of emotions and the ways they mix shining a light on the parts of ourselves we often tuck away and never properly meet. This is a book to approach when you’re genuinely searching for a deeper understanding of yourself: your triggers, your reactions, and how to build more meaningful connections with both your inner world and the people whose lives touch yours.
This isn’t a book to skim through. It demands your full presence and rewards rereading, often revealing the exact message the universe feels you’re ready to receive. The exercises at the end of each chapter can feel daunting at first, especially if your confidence is low, but with time they become a beautiful mirror. There’s no right or wrong - just discovery.
While I didn’t personally walk away feeling deeply transformed, I recognise that the book is powerful for those ready to dive into this kind of work. It’s both a guide and a gentle invitation to meet yourself more honestly.
December 6, 2020
I'd say everyone should read the first 7 chapters. There's a lot of groundwork there for understanding our emotions and how to relate to them. As for everything after chapter 7... I'd say that will all be relevant to different people. Post-chapter 7, this book wasnt anything new to me, but I can see it being beneficial.
He also seems to subtly shit on medications and therapy at times, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, pretty good though.
He also seems to subtly shit on medications and therapy at times, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, pretty good though.
March 17, 2025
Very important book. Really puts emotions to words. However as a non-native English speaker I found the author's writing style very tough to read, sentences took me many rereads so reading the book took ages.
October 25, 2024
Only got 1/4 through this book but it got hard to keep going. Author had one main good point about “no real bad emotions” and how “negative emotions are necessary to the human experience and inspire necessary change…”. Rest of the book was pretty bad recommendations. No author, I’m not going to learn an adult tantrum routine.
Not reading this anymore. I tried, Dammeon.
Not reading this anymore. I tried, Dammeon.
April 1, 2023
Emotion Handbook. Describes the layers of emotions from different approaching emotions. An intellectual description of emotions and feelings like never described before.
April 11, 2022
I was really, really excited about this book, but was unfortunately a bit let down.
The book is, however, an excellent introduction to emotional intimacy and, if it's not something you've thought carefully about or read about, I would recommend it. It's accessible, the majority of its frames and values are solid, and it provides numerous practices (that can be repetitive, but still useful). I'm seriously thinking about assigning it to my younger sister in her homeschooling curriculum (with an explanation of my critiques).
For some reason, I expected that, because Masters is a psychologist, that the book would be fairly scientific. From reading, it was clear that I made the erroneous assumption that he was an academic psychologist; he is definitely more of a practitioner. Consequently, the book was significantly less scientific than I would prefer and, even instead of being fairly theoretical, the book reads more like a self-help book consisting just of advice from a long-term therapist. Which, in the author's defense, is what it is marketed as, I just didn't pick up on that.
That said, the advice was largely sound and well-thought out, with a few exceptions. First, the way he differentiates between shame and guilt does not align with my understanding of the scientific or theoretical definitions largely held-to in academic fields. It's really just a question of terminology, as the way he differentiates is still useful in an applicable context and easily transferred to the academic definitions (at least as I'm familiar with them). I was also slightly skeptical of his differentiation between envy and jealousy (but I'm much less familiar with the academic literature on those). I also can't quite put my finger on why, but the way he talked about gender and emotional intimacy felt... odd or insubstantial to me. More so, he did not even remotely address cultural or racial differences in handling emotions or emotional intimacy (despite a fairly unsubstantiated claim that emotional intimacy transcends cultural definitions and takes). Basically, I would've liked for him to address the systemic challenges with emotional intimacy. Finally, and perhaps most problematically, his depiction of depression, anxiety, and other mental-health related challenges felt extremely invalidating. In short, he doesn't buy into the medical approach to mental health and felt emotional intimacy should overcome depression, anxiety, and even trauma. He didn't even acknowledge this as a controversial take, and as per his usual, had zero science to back up his argument.
Additionally, his advice and suggested practices were largely repetitive. If you haven't spent much time thinking about emotions, his first couple chapters present and excellent frame and the first several of his chapters exploring specific emotions are useful to think through. As his advice seems decently based in Buddhist philosophy (despite his aversion to non-attachment, that while I think I agree with, wasn't particularly nuanced), it might be more useful to read the first few chapters (up to Emotion and Language), read the chapters on the main emotions, and then move on to Thich Nhat Hanh.
I get that I should trust his take because of his expertise as a career-long practicing therapist, but I want him to use evidence to back up his reasoning. And now that I'm finished writing my review, I am rethinking my earlier recommendation of it as an intro text.
The book is, however, an excellent introduction to emotional intimacy and, if it's not something you've thought carefully about or read about, I would recommend it. It's accessible, the majority of its frames and values are solid, and it provides numerous practices (that can be repetitive, but still useful). I'm seriously thinking about assigning it to my younger sister in her homeschooling curriculum (with an explanation of my critiques).
For some reason, I expected that, because Masters is a psychologist, that the book would be fairly scientific. From reading, it was clear that I made the erroneous assumption that he was an academic psychologist; he is definitely more of a practitioner. Consequently, the book was significantly less scientific than I would prefer and, even instead of being fairly theoretical, the book reads more like a self-help book consisting just of advice from a long-term therapist. Which, in the author's defense, is what it is marketed as, I just didn't pick up on that.
That said, the advice was largely sound and well-thought out, with a few exceptions. First, the way he differentiates between shame and guilt does not align with my understanding of the scientific or theoretical definitions largely held-to in academic fields. It's really just a question of terminology, as the way he differentiates is still useful in an applicable context and easily transferred to the academic definitions (at least as I'm familiar with them). I was also slightly skeptical of his differentiation between envy and jealousy (but I'm much less familiar with the academic literature on those). I also can't quite put my finger on why, but the way he talked about gender and emotional intimacy felt... odd or insubstantial to me. More so, he did not even remotely address cultural or racial differences in handling emotions or emotional intimacy (despite a fairly unsubstantiated claim that emotional intimacy transcends cultural definitions and takes). Basically, I would've liked for him to address the systemic challenges with emotional intimacy. Finally, and perhaps most problematically, his depiction of depression, anxiety, and other mental-health related challenges felt extremely invalidating. In short, he doesn't buy into the medical approach to mental health and felt emotional intimacy should overcome depression, anxiety, and even trauma. He didn't even acknowledge this as a controversial take, and as per his usual, had zero science to back up his argument.
Additionally, his advice and suggested practices were largely repetitive. If you haven't spent much time thinking about emotions, his first couple chapters present and excellent frame and the first several of his chapters exploring specific emotions are useful to think through. As his advice seems decently based in Buddhist philosophy (despite his aversion to non-attachment, that while I think I agree with, wasn't particularly nuanced), it might be more useful to read the first few chapters (up to Emotion and Language), read the chapters on the main emotions, and then move on to Thich Nhat Hanh.
I get that I should trust his take because of his expertise as a career-long practicing therapist, but I want him to use evidence to back up his reasoning. And now that I'm finished writing my review, I am rethinking my earlier recommendation of it as an intro text.
August 1, 2022
This book has a lot of words, but really doesn't say anything. Many definitions, using the word intending to be defined. I unfortunately learned nothing from this book.
September 13, 2019
This book was a tough read for me. Each chapter walks you through different emotions. It explains about how to understand them as well as how to work with them.
There's a lot of information to process here. During my reading of it, I had to read a chapter or two and sit with the insights over a series of days before continuing on.
If you struggle with not understanding or having words for your inner emotional landscape this book can help a lot. It can also help you learn how to work with those emotions to channel them into productive outcomes.
I highly recommend it.
There's a lot of information to process here. During my reading of it, I had to read a chapter or two and sit with the insights over a series of days before continuing on.
If you struggle with not understanding or having words for your inner emotional landscape this book can help a lot. It can also help you learn how to work with those emotions to channel them into productive outcomes.
I highly recommend it.
May 4, 2017
worthwhile read. Can be a little long winded but honestly helps one to not only know the emotional landscape a little better but I think also feel it a little better. Highly encourage people to read it.
June 14, 2024
This book was recommended to me from a psychologist who said that a colleague had suggested it to her. In fact the person who recommended it had never read it and after my experience, I suspect she never will.
The writing and syntax of this book is so poor that it is very difficult to follow and understand. The text is repetitious and moves between gibberish and word salad.
The author is so self absorbed that he makes repeated and unequivocal (also unsupported) statements that emotional intimacy is the only way to happiness. I was not surprised to learn that he was a cult leader “in a previous life”.
In my reading history, I had previously only left 2 books unfinished, this is the third.
If I could give this zero stars I could very honestly do so. It was a very frustrating experience.
The writing and syntax of this book is so poor that it is very difficult to follow and understand. The text is repetitious and moves between gibberish and word salad.
The author is so self absorbed that he makes repeated and unequivocal (also unsupported) statements that emotional intimacy is the only way to happiness. I was not surprised to learn that he was a cult leader “in a previous life”.
In my reading history, I had previously only left 2 books unfinished, this is the third.
If I could give this zero stars I could very honestly do so. It was a very frustrating experience.
October 20, 2025
This book is definitely a self help book for those who struggle with emotions. Let me say, the first hour and a half of listening is quite boring and it was really hard to listen to and understand. However as I got into the later half of the book WOW my mind was blown by how easy everything discussed was to understand. I love the practice parts of the book because you can stop and self ponder.
The voice is smooth and easy to listen to. And very open to realistic parts of feeling emotions in all the ways and big and small and ignoring part of emotions. I hope that makes sense. It takes how you act or react, or don’t with emotions and shows you how that is helpful or hurtful and how to adjust so you are at peace with yourself. I love this!
The voice is smooth and easy to listen to. And very open to realistic parts of feeling emotions in all the ways and big and small and ignoring part of emotions. I hope that makes sense. It takes how you act or react, or don’t with emotions and shows you how that is helpful or hurtful and how to adjust so you are at peace with yourself. I love this!
April 15, 2019
I'm a professional coach and it was Daniel Goleman EQ that got me into the neuroscience and diving deeper. Honestly, that stuff was good but NOTHING compared to Robert Augustus Masters. For over a decade I've been devouring Personal Development with extra interest in EQ. I've gotten so much the last years from Roberts teachings. As a coach I love sharing the insights here that are endless with my clients and they too have gotten great results from 'turning in' to emotions rather than turning out (or tuning out). AdrianCahill.com
December 23, 2025
The book’s message of sitting with your emotions is great.
As someone who used to shut down and suppress all of his emotions this book is great. But I’ve been reading a lot of books on emotion and this one didn’t describe each emotion in the greatest of detail. The setup of the book just isn’t that great, the author crams a bunch of emotions in at the end, and it disturbs the flow.
The practices and meditations that the book gives are somewhat helpful but they just seem like psychotherapeutic practices from the author.
As someone who used to shut down and suppress all of his emotions this book is great. But I’ve been reading a lot of books on emotion and this one didn’t describe each emotion in the greatest of detail. The setup of the book just isn’t that great, the author crams a bunch of emotions in at the end, and it disturbs the flow.
The practices and meditations that the book gives are somewhat helpful but they just seem like psychotherapeutic practices from the author.
December 30, 2025
Difficult to summarise but i highly recommend this book. I'll carry many of the lessons and exercises and messages in it and apply it to my practices in future. This is what I'm working on. I do think some chapters were short, going over different specific emotions I think it was more overview than depth but this is a big subject and something like envy or guilt probably needs a whole book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2019
The most profound information on emotional intimacy and literacy I've ever come across. This book contains a treasure-trove of knowledge and practices that will forever transform your emotional relationship with self and others. A must-read!
October 30, 2020
This book is a straight-forward breakdown of emotions.
This is simply one of the best self-help or psychology books out there.
Being able to accurately observe emotions is a tool that most do not have and absolutely need.
This is simply one of the best self-help or psychology books out there.
Being able to accurately observe emotions is a tool that most do not have and absolutely need.
May 13, 2020
A bit deeper analysis than I expected, and actually wanted. Still an interesting read.
August 19, 2020
Excellent for understanding emotions more clearly, and for getting in touch with your own more deeply.
September 8, 2023
It wasn't quite the right book for me as I looked at different ways of expressing intimacy in a relationship rather than connecting to one's emotions
February 26, 2024
Although the book has some interesting exercises, some of the theories don't sound based on science as it conflicts with other authors.
October 16, 2024
This book includes some good information but it’s incredibly boring.
January 6, 2025
I got two things from this book.
1. The idea to embrace negative emotions (which is intriguing to me.
2. A guide to meditation (which I may try)
Everything else is crap.
1. The idea to embrace negative emotions (which is intriguing to me.
2. A guide to meditation (which I may try)
Everything else is crap.
November 4, 2019
It's a helpful text, but is a little slow and abstract (not enough actual examples) for me. Other books, like Mind Whispering, were more helpful for me.
January 24, 2014
Excellent book
A bible for emotional strength and rerenewal
A bible for emotional strength and rerenewal
December 23, 2014
Amazing book on how to presence and skillfully work with the full range of human emotions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews