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Spirituality Through a Highly Sensitive Lens: An Objective Look at Meditation Methods and Enlightenment
Dr. Elaine Aron, world-renowned author of the groundbreaking, internationally bestselling classic The Highly Sensitive Person, gives readers everything they need to find their path toward peace, equanimity, and simply feeling okay—no matter what’s happening in the world around them and how overwhelming it may be.
The seeker culture of the 1960s was the catalyst for what Aron sees as a quiet spiritual revolution, like a distant supernova, visible only now. Exploring new spiritual paths, more and more people were able to shift into a state of profound inner peace, clearer focus, and nearly unshakeable calm, even amid challenging times. Those paths to enlightenment worked for them. So, how do the rest of us get there?
In her most personal book yet, Dr. Aron offers the first ever objective overview of meditation methods and paths to enlightenment. Sharing practical explanations of spiritual practices as well as her own experiences from 55 years of meditation practice, she helps readers better understand the form of spirituality that suits them best. She also delves into the recent brain research regarding this state of transformation that can occur.
Highly sensitive people, with their natural depth of thinking and feeling, as well as their greater need for inner peace, are instinctively drawn to such exploration, but this is a book for everyone. With Dr. Aron's signature empathy and profound caring, as well as her attention to science, this one-of-a-kind guide will help all of us embark on our own spiritual journey.
The seeker culture of the 1960s was the catalyst for what Aron sees as a quiet spiritual revolution, like a distant supernova, visible only now. Exploring new spiritual paths, more and more people were able to shift into a state of profound inner peace, clearer focus, and nearly unshakeable calm, even amid challenging times. Those paths to enlightenment worked for them. So, how do the rest of us get there?
In her most personal book yet, Dr. Aron offers the first ever objective overview of meditation methods and paths to enlightenment. Sharing practical explanations of spiritual practices as well as her own experiences from 55 years of meditation practice, she helps readers better understand the form of spirituality that suits them best. She also delves into the recent brain research regarding this state of transformation that can occur.
Highly sensitive people, with their natural depth of thinking and feeling, as well as their greater need for inner peace, are instinctively drawn to such exploration, but this is a book for everyone. With Dr. Aron's signature empathy and profound caring, as well as her attention to science, this one-of-a-kind guide will help all of us embark on our own spiritual journey.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 22, 2026
Guys, what the…(????) 👀
Elaine N. Aron’s book “The Highly Sensitive Person” (1997) which I read in early 2021 (the same time I joined this site) played a significant role in me actually really finally becoming a proper legit bonafide book-reading person 🤓 It was also quite important in my personal development/realization 🤗💖 [enough TMI…] … // I dived deeply into her other work, eventually reading 7 books of hers thus far (6 of them 5 star rated 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟)
📘Now onto this new one 🫣😬 — well, I was so so super excited when I noticed it as a forthcoming book… thee first time I’d get to anticipate and devour one of her books as it’s released, my gosh right 💕💕💕 but nope… this was everything I didn’t know I didn’t need to know, y’know…(?!)
Look I don’t know…all I can say is either:
• she did not write this book…
• she was on some heavily medicating psycho substances…
• 😪
—
{and by the way, it’s not that the spiritual woo-woo-y stuff was too much for me to handle, not at all, in fact I’m quite into it, I have a subscription to Louise Hay’s Empower You app which is FULL of that kinda magic-thinking-y witch-y alternative-y sorta stuff — it’s just that… it nether hit the spot, nor felt genuine or cohesive or authentic… I really feel like she was possessed…🤐🤒}
I’ll give it another go in about a year or so 🤞💖
Elaine N. Aron’s book “The Highly Sensitive Person” (1997) which I read in early 2021 (the same time I joined this site) played a significant role in me actually really finally becoming a proper legit bonafide book-reading person 🤓 It was also quite important in my personal development/realization 🤗💖 [enough TMI…] … // I dived deeply into her other work, eventually reading 7 books of hers thus far (6 of them 5 star rated 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟)
📘Now onto this new one 🫣😬 — well, I was so so super excited when I noticed it as a forthcoming book… thee first time I’d get to anticipate and devour one of her books as it’s released, my gosh right 💕💕💕 but nope… this was everything I didn’t know I didn’t need to know, y’know…(?!)
Look I don’t know…all I can say is either:
• she did not write this book…
• she was on some heavily medicating psycho substances…
• 😪
—
{and by the way, it’s not that the spiritual woo-woo-y stuff was too much for me to handle, not at all, in fact I’m quite into it, I have a subscription to Louise Hay’s Empower You app which is FULL of that kinda magic-thinking-y witch-y alternative-y sorta stuff — it’s just that… it nether hit the spot, nor felt genuine or cohesive or authentic… I really feel like she was possessed…🤐🤒}
I’ll give it another go in about a year or so 🤞💖
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Elaine Aron is best known for having uncovered the Highly Sensitive trait, but in this book she pivots to discuss something that matters regardless of sensitivity: the possibility of reaching a heightened state of mind through meditation and other processes. Whether you call it enlightenment, awakening or something else, this mental state has been proven to exist via EEGs and other scientific measurements. Aron first discusses how the subject arrived in the West during a "supernova" of Eastern gurus reaching out while inhabitants of the West also traveled East for knowledge. She breaks down some of the best-known approaches for finding awakening, stressing that no one path is the best for everyone (Aron herself is a long-time follower of TM). She also goes into the research that's been done on awakened individuals and those seeking enlightenment.
This book is an excellent left-brained overview of the subject of awakening/enlightenment. Aron is clearly partial to TM but does her best to look at all the options even-handedly. She doesn't provide instruction for how to start working with specific meditation types, and in fact often stresses that beginners should seek out an experienced teacher rather than trying to learn on their own.
A couple of interesting details stood out. First, while Aron mentions other types of meditation, she focuses on Vedanta, Buddhism and some of their offshoots, including some highly Westernized options. This makes sense in the context of the book's goal, because many other types of meditation don't have the specific intention of taking one to enlightenment. For example, Qi Gong is a terrific meditation method but its goal is to improve health, not to awaken. In fact, it's an offshoot of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and specific forms may be prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat a patient's related ailment. I'm not as familiar with the other meditation styles she mentions, but the seeker of enlightenment would be wise to investigate carefully before adopting those paths to make sure they are headed where they want to go.
Second, Aron mentions that studies done on high-performing athletes, artists and professionals show brain states similar to those found in awakened subjects. This sounds an awful lot like Flow State, which does indeed resemble the sensations described by enlightened subjects (if you're not familiar with Flow State, there's an excellent summary by a UC Davis researcher at https://www.ucdavis.edu/curiosity/blo...). It would be interesting to know if anyone's done research directly comparing Flow State with enlightenment.
Finally, be aware that Aron digs into some potentially uncomfortable topics during her discussion of "cleaning up," meaning the work done to resolve old traumas often arising in childhood. Anyone who's experienced such traumas -- which is probably most people -- should be prepared for an emotional response to this part of the book.
Overall, this is a great choice for anyone considering meditation, who's tried it without success or who just wants to know what this enlightenment business really means.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy for feedback.
This book is an excellent left-brained overview of the subject of awakening/enlightenment. Aron is clearly partial to TM but does her best to look at all the options even-handedly. She doesn't provide instruction for how to start working with specific meditation types, and in fact often stresses that beginners should seek out an experienced teacher rather than trying to learn on their own.
A couple of interesting details stood out. First, while Aron mentions other types of meditation, she focuses on Vedanta, Buddhism and some of their offshoots, including some highly Westernized options. This makes sense in the context of the book's goal, because many other types of meditation don't have the specific intention of taking one to enlightenment. For example, Qi Gong is a terrific meditation method but its goal is to improve health, not to awaken. In fact, it's an offshoot of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and specific forms may be prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat a patient's related ailment. I'm not as familiar with the other meditation styles she mentions, but the seeker of enlightenment would be wise to investigate carefully before adopting those paths to make sure they are headed where they want to go.
Second, Aron mentions that studies done on high-performing athletes, artists and professionals show brain states similar to those found in awakened subjects. This sounds an awful lot like Flow State, which does indeed resemble the sensations described by enlightened subjects (if you're not familiar with Flow State, there's an excellent summary by a UC Davis researcher at https://www.ucdavis.edu/curiosity/blo...). It would be interesting to know if anyone's done research directly comparing Flow State with enlightenment.
Finally, be aware that Aron digs into some potentially uncomfortable topics during her discussion of "cleaning up," meaning the work done to resolve old traumas often arising in childhood. Anyone who's experienced such traumas -- which is probably most people -- should be prepared for an emotional response to this part of the book.
Overall, this is a great choice for anyone considering meditation, who's tried it without success or who just wants to know what this enlightenment business really means.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy for feedback.
May 25, 2026
Inspiring and informative, this book was not at all what I expected it to be. That's because of my narrow Christian view of spirituality as derived from God, or the Holy Spirit. That is not the meaning of the term in this book. Rather, spirituality here refers to the non-theistic wholeness type of spirituality. A connection with all.
Most of the book focuses on meditation. It describes different types of meditation and emphasizes there is no one ultimate type of meditation nor is there one ultimate path that leads to enlightenment. We each have our own journey and the book emphasizes that each persons's journey is unique to that person. What works for one does not necessarily work for another.
The purpose of the book is to give the reader some substance and definition of this kind of spirituality and the path toward enlightenment. It discusses steps that can be taken, ways of triggering spiritual development and signs to look for or hallmarks of achievment along the way.
The chapters that define and discuss meditation can be dry for those of us who are not all that interested in getting that detailed, but those who are at least somewhat familiar with various forms of meditation would probably understand a lot more than I did. There were too manu unfamiliar terms, unpronounceable words and it really did not matter all that much to me to learn all of this in-depth information.
As I said, I come to this from a Christian perspective and while Dr Aron does include Christian prayer and meditation, it is more like a footnote to the more well-defined meditation practices that have come from the East. That's okay because I have a well-developed sense of spirituality that has a great deal of depth. More than the average, I would say.
It was interesting for me to learn that much of what I have experienced in my spiritual life aligns with the signs of enlightenment Dr Aron talks about in her book. I would never have called these developments along my path as markers of enlightenment. I see them as by products of my ever growing, ever changing spiritual walk.
Most of the book focuses on meditation. It describes different types of meditation and emphasizes there is no one ultimate type of meditation nor is there one ultimate path that leads to enlightenment. We each have our own journey and the book emphasizes that each persons's journey is unique to that person. What works for one does not necessarily work for another.
The purpose of the book is to give the reader some substance and definition of this kind of spirituality and the path toward enlightenment. It discusses steps that can be taken, ways of triggering spiritual development and signs to look for or hallmarks of achievment along the way.
The chapters that define and discuss meditation can be dry for those of us who are not all that interested in getting that detailed, but those who are at least somewhat familiar with various forms of meditation would probably understand a lot more than I did. There were too manu unfamiliar terms, unpronounceable words and it really did not matter all that much to me to learn all of this in-depth information.
As I said, I come to this from a Christian perspective and while Dr Aron does include Christian prayer and meditation, it is more like a footnote to the more well-defined meditation practices that have come from the East. That's okay because I have a well-developed sense of spirituality that has a great deal of depth. More than the average, I would say.
It was interesting for me to learn that much of what I have experienced in my spiritual life aligns with the signs of enlightenment Dr Aron talks about in her book. I would never have called these developments along my path as markers of enlightenment. I see them as by products of my ever growing, ever changing spiritual walk.
May 15, 2026
As a highly sensitive person I was excited to read this book. As someone fairly ‘novice’ to meditation and mostly uneducated or willfully ignorant to religion and spirituality, I was hoping this book might make the idea more palpable to understand the meditation/spirituality connection. I’ve read one meditation book previously: “Meditation for Fidgety Sceptics” by Dan Harris, which I enjoyed reading and doing the provided meditations. It was my first real step into practicing meditation more consistently. With this practice, I started writing songs. I’ve also read “The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People
How to Reclaim Your Power from Narcissists and Other Manipulators” - WRITTEN BY
Shahida Arabi MA & Andrea Schneider LCSW which I found thoroughly helpful and insightful.
Spirituality through a Highly Sensitive Lens had some interesting insights, but I struggled through most of the book to really understand the different types of meditation and remembering which acronym was for which practice, they really did differ and the nexus to spirituality. I guess this was just over my cusp of interest or knowledge. I did find some interesting points on attachment styles which helped explain a lot of my “fall in love too easily” patterns and needing the attention of authority figures, as well as the statistics on elite athletes and police officers having enlightenment without meditation.
I think this would be perfect for those who are a bit more dedicated to the meditation practice.
I did save a quote I read near the end of the book: “Wisdom says I am nothing. Love says I am everything. Between the two my life flows.” - Sri Nisargadatta”
How to Reclaim Your Power from Narcissists and Other Manipulators” - WRITTEN BY
Shahida Arabi MA & Andrea Schneider LCSW which I found thoroughly helpful and insightful.
Spirituality through a Highly Sensitive Lens had some interesting insights, but I struggled through most of the book to really understand the different types of meditation and remembering which acronym was for which practice, they really did differ and the nexus to spirituality. I guess this was just over my cusp of interest or knowledge. I did find some interesting points on attachment styles which helped explain a lot of my “fall in love too easily” patterns and needing the attention of authority figures, as well as the statistics on elite athletes and police officers having enlightenment without meditation.
I think this would be perfect for those who are a bit more dedicated to the meditation practice.
I did save a quote I read near the end of the book: “Wisdom says I am nothing. Love says I am everything. Between the two my life flows.” - Sri Nisargadatta”
May 5, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
This is another basic introduction into the history and varieties of meditation. What makes this one shine are some intentional turn by the author to make it personal as well as provide a framework for the direction meditation could take you. Within each chapter are personal sections:
what about you? - Elaine gives a check-in space for the reader to reflect on current and past assumptions which may or may not conflict with the research she has provides as well as a few reflection questions.
What about me? The author provides a personal touch into her own experience.
Where we are now, where we are going - this was my favorite section, in fact, after the first chapter it became my first read before reading the whole chapter.
The chapters on awakening and stages of enlightenment were refreshing without being judgmental.
Finally, even if you’ve read several books on meditation I’d recommend this one for two reasons. One, it is concise on various methods pulling in several sources without becoming wordy. Two, the author gives a plethora of books for further exploration both within the chapter and in the notes.
This is another basic introduction into the history and varieties of meditation. What makes this one shine are some intentional turn by the author to make it personal as well as provide a framework for the direction meditation could take you. Within each chapter are personal sections:
what about you? - Elaine gives a check-in space for the reader to reflect on current and past assumptions which may or may not conflict with the research she has provides as well as a few reflection questions.
What about me? The author provides a personal touch into her own experience.
Where we are now, where we are going - this was my favorite section, in fact, after the first chapter it became my first read before reading the whole chapter.
The chapters on awakening and stages of enlightenment were refreshing without being judgmental.
Finally, even if you’ve read several books on meditation I’d recommend this one for two reasons. One, it is concise on various methods pulling in several sources without becoming wordy. Two, the author gives a plethora of books for further exploration both within the chapter and in the notes.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What is "spirituality?"
What is meditation?
Is it a religious practice or not?
How does meditation affect a highly sensitive person?
The author explains the differences and similarities of various meditation methods and what results they may obtain. Although the title seems to restrict who the book is for, it is actually for everyone. Ms. Aron goes into great detail about sensitivity as well as other character traits and how they might affect approaches to meditation. The author is personal and caring with her writing. This book includes much food for thought.
What is meditation?
Is it a religious practice or not?
How does meditation affect a highly sensitive person?
The author explains the differences and similarities of various meditation methods and what results they may obtain. Although the title seems to restrict who the book is for, it is actually for everyone. Ms. Aron goes into great detail about sensitivity as well as other character traits and how they might affect approaches to meditation. The author is personal and caring with her writing. This book includes much food for thought.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The author's books on the highly sensitive person have made such a difference in my life. Her newest on spiritually adds an incredibly helpful dimension to her work. Highly recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Really enjoyed and learned from this book. Give it a try
April 26, 2026
💯💯💯💯💯
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews