Freeing the Soul from Fear
Robert Sardello is considered a leading philosopher on the soul, having inspired both Thomas Moore's and James Hillman's writings. Once again he departs from common spiritual assumptions in this intelligent and smoothly written handbook,Freeing the Soul from Fear. One of the more popular attitudes toward the soul is that it's a permanent element of the human being, Sardello explains. As a result, current spiritual guidance often discusses how to reconnect with our impermeable souls through meditation, honoring suffering, and returning to a sense of enchantment.As important as this reconnection is, Sardello believes that it does not go far enough. Rather, we should recognize the soul as a vulnerable entity and commit to strengthening its core. And what weakens a soul the most? Fear. Fundamentally, it contracts the soul's ability to love. And above all else, love comes from the soul--"an experience through which another person, or a spiritual being, or God lives within us," Sardello explains. Chapter by chapter, Sardello examines how perennial fears (such as money, relationships, and death) as well as contemporary fears (Y2K, terrorism, and time collapse) affect the soul. He then offers concrete suggestions for overcoming soul-debilitating fears through love and imagination.--Gail Hudson