The Ever-Transcending Spirit: The Psychology of Human Relationships, Consciousness, and Development

by Toru Sato

The quality of our life is really just a reflection of the quality of our internal state of mind. Our internal state of mind is a reflection of where we are in our maturation process. Where most of us are in our maturation process is a reflection of where we are in the process of evolution. Open your hearts and take a fascinating tour that illuminates the common thread to the meaning of our existence. Scholars of the arts, social sciences, and natural sciences have been studying the human mind, its development, and its evolution for many centuries. Discover the commonalities of what these people have found and rediscover the simple beauty of life. This book provides us with exceptional insights concerning why we are the way we are, especially in the realm of human relationships, consciousness, and development. It also provides us with insights about how we can break out of our shells and take the next step in our relationships and personal development so that we can make a positive contribution to the process of evolution.

Genres: Psychology, Spirituality, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 2003

Reviews

[Marge Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful book. I learned about how some people "suck" energy from me; how when I get off the phone from talking with them, I feel exhausted, depleted and so tired that I can become depressed. I learned to recognize when that is happening to me which allows me to end the conversation before I am completely exhausted. I also learned that when I talk to certain other people, we share our energy and when the conversation has ended, I feel renewed and ready to take on anything that comes my way.

I learned about internal conflict. The more our basic needs and wants in infancy and early childhood are left unsatisfied, then more internal conflict we experience.

The development of the self-system. Although every response we make is guided by our self-system, every experience including the response and its consequence modifies the self-system as well. I learned why I function the way I do.

The blame game. We blame other people, we blame our circumstances, and we blame certain events in our life to avoid taking responsibility for our behaviors, our development, and our happiness. By blaming other people and things, we are refusing to develop our awareness of how we relate to the world. By blaming others, we escape the responsibility to improve any situation.

This short book is well worth reading.

[Madi Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gets right into it starting off how we give and receive energy from certain individuals allowing us to fill or drain our life’s. “Matter off perception than a matter of reality” the root of unhappiness is internal conflict. We are only unhappy when what we desire does not match what has, is, or could happen. ( Carl Rogers theory). When we take control or let go of what we desire we can be at peace. Complete transcendence is not giving energy to everything but letting things be. Great short read although it took me a long time to finish. Will definitely regift, not a book I will keep.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book which I read this summer didn't inspire me as much as the second. Toru frames relationships in terms of an energy exchange, similar to the way Redfield describes in "The Celestine Prophecy." By applying major psychological models to this construct, Toru makes an elegant structure around human relationships. Intellectual but not inaccessible, this book is interesting and not overly long.