What is psycho spirituality? These pages are an exploration of that question – a search to integrate the insights of the human science of psychology with the wisdom of spiritual and faith traditions.
What it means to see Jesus
In this NYT book review of Robert Hudson’s Seeing Jesus: Visionary Encounters from the First Century to the Present you’ll find descriptions of visions and visionaries across the centuries. The book is more devotional than analytical and concludes with the hope that we will find the spirit of Christ in the faces of our neighbors. Where’s the psychology in this spirituality? Cognitive psychology is replete with studies showing the importance of visual imagery in problem-solving, memory, and reasoning. Should spiritual images be any less important in helping one develop their own spiritual sensibility?
A consoling vision of death
I am awestruck and comforted in by this article. It has given me concepts to more richly imagine what might be going on in the minds of those with whom I have sat vigil while they lie dead or dying…. When this imagination gives way to inquiry, I am reminded of the complex literature on near death experiences- a literature that continues to grapple with faith and science. My muse in this area is a student whose dissertation on near death experiences I am currently chairing. Her name is Bettie Williams. Look for her dissertation here in 2022-23. In contrast to most of the literature in this area, her research involves interviews of people who have had a negative near-death experience. For a more immediate read you might like:
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giftsofaffliction.com 