The Catholic Mystical Tradition
by Raymond Lloyd Richmond
Category: Forgiveness

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALINGFROM EMOTIONAL WOUNDS A revised and expanded version of the 2006 First Edition. You cannot surrender your pain and suffering to God if deep in your heart you persist in clinging to psychological defense mechanisms which shield you from that very pain. There is nothing wrong with psychological defenses. In fact, they help to protect us from emotional injury. But if you cling to the defense mechanisms that were created in your childhood and carry them on into adulthood-as most everyone does unconsciously-your quest for spiritual healing will be thwarted by overwhelming resentments and conflicts. Still, God has been trying to show you that there is more to life than resentment and conflict, something so beautiful and desirable that only one thing can resist its pull: hate. So now, and in every moment until you die, you will have a profound choice between your enslavement to old defenses and the beauty of God. That decision has to come from you. You will go where you desire. Part One: The Unconscious | Victimization | Spiritual Purgation | Compunction | Healing | Four Steps to Humility | Fear | Wretchedness | Desire and Motivation | Outside the Box | Boundaries Part Two: Blame and Responsibility | Defenses and Illusions | Disasters and Trauma | Evil | Good from Evil | Love | Meeting Your Enemy in Heaven | Mercy | Pride and Honor | Refusing Mercy | Self-love | Sin | Suffering | Temperament Appendices: When You Don't Know You're Sick | Blind to Your Own Anger | Coping with Distractions | Dream Interpretation | A List of Emotions | Spiritual Fruits Index