Saints and Psychopaths
Praise for SAINTS & PSYCHOPATHSBill - Great job - I love your book. WayneDr. Wayne W. Dyer, 1905 N. Atlantic Blvd. Ft Lauderdale FL  33305 Dr Wayne W. Dyer is author of the multimillion copy  best seller Your Erroneous Zones, Real Magic and Pulling your  Own Strings.****************...I personally did enjoy reading it. Ram Dass**************** Paul R. Martin & Associates PSYCHOLOGICAL &  CONSULTING SERVICES, P.O. BOX 67, ALBANY, OHIO 45710I have found Bill Hamilton's book about saints and  psychopaths to be a very necessary subject matter for those  pursuing a spiritual journey and for those recovering from  false spiritual journeys, as in the case of former victims of  destructive cults. This is a very clear and easily readable  volume that I'm sure can be very helpful for those either  pursuing a spiritual journey or for those recovering from a  spiritual catastrophe. It could help them understand how all  of us can be vulnerable to the psychopaths disguised as  spiritual gurus. Hopefully this book would alleviate the  guilt for those that have been led astray by such  psychopaths. Without society teaching us these things  repeatedly, we can all become vulnerable."Sincerely, Paul R. Martin, Ph.D.,DirectorDr Martin is one of the foremost authorities on cult recovery  and author of the book Cult Proofing Your Kids. He is also  director of the Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center which  specializes in cult recovery.******************The Zenist, POB 15061, Atlanta, GA 30307 Mr. Hamilton has  given spiritual seekers an invaluable handbook for  psychological survival. Written from the trenches, this book  speaks to the heart. Not only is it filled with first-hand  experiences and useful information, but joyfully, it is just  good reading. Ardent Hollingsworth, Publisher The Zennist******************Dear Bill: Your book is full of material based on personal  observations and many years of practice and an analysis of  independent thinkers. Many authors just compile their  material by quoting from other books. Your book is refreshing  as it considers lots of new aspects. I've loaned your book to  a number of foreign meditators and they all "gobbled it up"  within a few days. U Dharmmajiva was even thinking of  translating it into Singhalese. Mudita Bookshop / Malaysian  Buddhist Meditation Center has probably order the book from  you by now. You can see, your book is being well received by  the Vipassana community. With metta, VivekanandaThe Venerable U Vivekananda is a German monk who has spent  many years in Burma. Vivekananda is in charge of foreign  meditators at Panditarama monastery which is one of the most  important monasteries in Burma.******************Dr. Jim Dreaver 450 Pitt Ave Sebastopol, CA 95472 I also  appreciate and respect your wisdom and insight into the  nature of enlightenment. Only someone who has been on the  path a long time and has gone very deeply into self- examination and enquiry could write about this subject as  clearly as you have. It is rare to see such a thorough and  comprehensible dissertation on this "thing" called  enlightenment, which so many seek, and yet about which there  is so much confusion. I feel you have made a major  contribution to the literature of enlightenment, and I trust  that you book will reach the wider audience it deserves. Well  done! Keep up the good work, and I wish you all the best for  your retreat venture.Sincerely, Jim DreaverDr. Jim Dreaver teaches seminars on somatics to health  professionals and is the author of The Ultimate Cure: The  Healing Energy Within You********************Dear Bill- I am thoroughly enjoying reading Saints &  Psychopaths. It is a fascinating and very important book.  Most people are not at all aware of the charming, seductive,  manipulative, confusing and disorienting abilities of a true  psychopath and therefore are easy prey.... Enclosed is a  check for three more books. Thanks again for writing such a  necessary book. My best- Tom Thompson Director, Hara  Foundation 130 North Ashe Street Southern Pines, NC 28387  Phone 910.692.0995*********************When I read Saints & Psychopaths, it hit me right between the  eyes. The past year has been one of disengagement from two  folks that fall in the your category of psychopath.... So  thanks for the great timing, and for a book that tells me I  am not alone, and gives helpful advice.... Please send copies  to.... I'll probably think of some other friends and  relatives in the future. Sincerely, Dr Springs Steele  University of Scranton Department of Theology and Religious  Studies***********************Dear Bill, Thanks very much for Saints & Psychopaths. It is  amusing, interesting, relevant and chock-full-of nuts...(Not  to mention fruits and flakes) I think you've done a good job  in this rather dicey field. Keep it up!Lama Surya Das 72 Properzi Way Somerville, MA 02143 Phone 617  628-1702Lama Surya Das is the founder of the Dzogchen Foundation and  of several meditation centers and monasteries in the United  States. He is one of the more highly regarded meditation  teachers in the West, and is the organizer of the annual  meeting of interdenominational meditation teachers with the  Dalai Lama.************************Hello Bill, I am enjoying your book immensely and can whole  heatedly recommend it, however it usually sells itself. Thank  you for writing such a timely and valuable book, not just  regarding psychopaths, but also for the information you give  about teachers and enlightenment.Jean Green, Manager Noble Truth Bookstore KSK Buddhist Center  751 Airport Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505) 471-5336************************Dear Bill, All right! Thanks for the book. Let's hope it's  going to be a winner--and it should be, as you have some  excellent material in there. For one thing, it is unique--so  far as I know, and I do try to keep up with the literature-- in that you present a very frank discussion of the problem of  the "embarrassment of enlightenment." That is something that  needed to be said. The concept of enlightenment as loss is  new to me, but made a strong impression because afterward I  thought about it and realized that it must be so:  enlightenment cannot be anything but loss because it is by  letting go, giving up, that we get there. Yes, very good.Yours in the Dhamma, Al Reed 1566 South Dover Court Denver,  Colorado 80232***********************Thanks for Saints & Psychopaths. I enjoyed your insight on  "atta" being a denial in Buddhism of the essence of the  unchanging Hindu "soul", rather than a stream of  consciousness we give that name to. Terry Gustafson, 7125 W  27th Ave, Wheat Ridge, Colorado***********************BACKCOVER: Saints and Psychopathsby William L. HamiltonIf you have a true saint for a teacher, then you have a real  possibility for spiritual attainments,including  enlightenment. If your teacher is a psychopath, then you may  become a programmed puppet,and you risk being sexually or  financially abused. You also may lose your job, your family  and possibly even your sanity.There are more psychopaths pretending to be saints than there  are real saints. This book will provide you with some  understanding of what a psychopath is, what a saint is and  how to tell the difference. It is also a sharing of what Mr.  Hamilton found in his own search for inner peace and ways to  develop his unrealized potential. He provides a candid view  of his experiences with a psychopathic teacher and a  psychopathic wife which richly illustrate the type of  behavior we should all watch out for. This book is more than  just a warning to watch out for false spiritual teachers. Mr.  Hamilton draws on the experience of the Snowmass  Contemplative Group which is a group of advanced  contemplatives from many different religious traditions. They  have developed an eclectic understanding of enlightenment  from all religious traditions. Mr. Hamilton extends and  refines this view with his knowledge of Buddhist teachings  which he believes provide the most detailed understanding of  enlightenment. He cites scientific studies of enlightenment  which takes it beyond the realm of mystical experience and  develops it into a Western psychological concept.Saints and Psychopaths provides inspiration to explore the  possibilities we all have for spiritual development and self- discovery. It is a highly recommended guide book for  spiritual seekers. William L. Hamilton has been meditating  since 1971 and has done over seven years of intensive  meditation practice in meditation centers and monasteries. He  has studied under some of the greatest meditation masters in  the world. He has been teaching Buddhist vipassana meditation  since 1985.In addition to teaching he has founded audio  cassette production facilities for several nonprofit  organizations including the Hanuman Foundation, Insight  Meditation Society, and Insight Recordings. He now spends  most of his time writing, teaching and developing a  meditation retreat center.