Books regarding 'Spiritual Awakening'?

[Ceasefire]

Quick summary: I've been feeling out of sorts lately. Crying at the drop of a hat, feeling restless and apathetic, generally feeling lonely in the very core of my being... It's been suggested that perhaps I'm having a 'spiritual awakening' and although I'm unsure if this or is not the case, I'm willing to give anything a shot to get over this wretched feeling.

 

Anyone have any book suggestions relating to any of the above? Spiritual or not?

[TMedina]

Could it be Seasonal Affective Disorder?  For some reason, it never bothered me until I moved to the Pacific NW.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/definition/con-20021047

[Ceasefire]

It could very well be! Living in the upper Midwest where Winter hits seemingly too soon every year does have me feeling very blue, but usually I just get sad. This feels like depression on a different level than I have ever felt it. I am definitely willing to give things a try to get over it though, starting with opening the blinds. =)

[mitch_dee]

I recommend lots of hugs, preferably from a large individual that possibly goes by the name of mitch_dee

 

in other words:

 

[Hong WeiLoh]

If it is SAD, there's a quick, easy fix: move to California. We have no idea what this "winter" thing is, not having had much in the way of rain or snow the past 2 going on 3 yrs.

ETA: Try Dan Millman. He's a great author on the subject of "spiritual awakening", though none of the books I've read on the subject (and that's a rather large number from varying spiritual systems) mention random crying, loneliness, or emptiness. That sounds more like major depression to me. :/

[Leimanu]

I'm re-re-rereading The Alchemist.  Simply written and powerful sentiments. 

[Ambisagrus]

If you're of the Christian persuasion, the Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross is a classic. A more contemporary presentation is offered by Gerald May.

 

If you're more of a Buddhist leaning reader, Buddhist Boot Camp is a capably written primer and deals with the fundamental problem of suffering.

 

If you're more of a Pagan, check out Witchvox.org -- I'm not sure of a good book, but they have great boards.

 

If you're more of a Pragmatist, I can recommend David Suzuki's The Sacred Balance. It's not so much about spiritual awakening as it is about inherent sacredness in the world.

 

I hope one of those routes is helpful!

[Twilight]

Breakfast at the Victory by James P. Carse. I read it in a 4th year religious studies class and loved it.

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I read it in high school and it still sticks with me.

[adamant]

I'm re-re-rereading The Alchemist.  Simply written and powerful sentiments. 

I was going to suggest the Pilgrimage.

[Leimanu]

Pilgrimage is good too.  Those are the only two Coehlo books I've read.  The Alchemist has stuck with me more.

[adamant]

Pilgrimage is good too. Those are the only two Coehlo books I've read. The Alchemist has stuck with me more.

I've only read the pilgrimage so far. I'll put the alchemist on my list.

[Reika]

Here's a few books that are on my must have list as far as inspirational awakenings are concerned. They help you look at things with a different perspective. Certainly books that have influenced me and the way I feel and see the world around me.

 

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah - Richard Bach

In Illusions, the unforgettable follow-up to his phenomenal bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach takes to the air to discover the ageless truths that give our souls wings: that people don't need airplanes to soar...that even the darkest clouds have meaning once we lift ourselves above them... and that messiahs can be found in the unlikeliest places--like hay fields, one-traffic-light midwestern towns, and most of all, deep within ourselves.

 

Superbeings - John Randolph Price

Learn how to tap the unlimited power within, just like THE SUPERBEINGS. They are people just like us, with one crucial difference--they have reached the point of mastery where they are no longer bound by the ills, limitations, and problems of this world. This book will demonstrate, step-by-step, how you, too, can be well--spiritually, mentally, emotional, physically and financially -- how you, too, can become one of the SUPERBEINGS.

 

Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives - Dan Millman

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is based on the story of Dan Millman, a world champion athlete, who journeys into realms of romance and magic, light and darkness, body, mind, and spirit. Guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates and tempted by an elusive, playful woman named Joy, Dan is led toward a final confrontation that will deliver or destroy him. Readers join Dan as he learns to live as a peaceful warrior. This international bestseller conveys piercing truths and humorous wisdom, speaking directly to the universal quest for happiness.

 

The Quantum and The Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers where Science and Buddhism Meet - Matthieu Richard

Matthieu Ricard trained as a molecular biologist, working in the lab of a Nobel prize—winning scientist, but when he read some Buddhist philosophy, he became drawn to Buddhism. Eventually he left his life in science to study with Tibetan teachers, and he is now a Buddhist monk and translator for the Dalai Lama, living in the Shechen monastery near Kathmandu in Nepal. Trinh Thuan was born into a Buddhist family in Vietnam but became intrigued by the explosion of discoveries in astronomy during the 1960s. He made his way to the prestigious California Institute of Technology to study with some of the biggest names in the field and is now an acclaimed astrophysicist and specialist on how the galaxies formed.

 

The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for An Age of Anxiety - Alan W. Watts

We spend too much time trying to anticipate and plan for the future; too much time lamenting the past. We often miss the pleasures of the moment in our anxious efforts to ensure the next moment is as enjoyable. Drawing from Eastern philosophy and religion, Watts argues that it is only by acknowledging what we do not and cannot know, that we can find something truly worth knowing. In order to lead a fulfilling life, one must embrace the present—live fully in the now.

 

Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Persig

One of the most important and influential books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better. Here is the book that transformed a generation: an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest, undertaken by a father and his young son. A story of love and fear -- of growth, discovery, and acceptance -- that becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions, this uniquely exhilarating modern classic is both touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence . . . and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

 

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Life of Pi is a masterful and utterly original novel that is at once the story of a young castaway who faces immeasurable hardships on the high seas, and a meditation on religion, faith, art and life that is as witty as it is profound. Using the threads of all of our best stories, Yann Martel has woven a glorious spiritual adventure that makes us question what it means to be alive, and to believe.

 

The Power of Now - Ekhart Tolle

It's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light.
In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, "the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death."

 

And a few that aren't so directly related, but I have always found inspiration in:

 

Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk's outrageous and startling debut novel that exploded American literature and spawned a movement.

THE FIRST RULE about fight club is you don't talk about fight club.

Every weekend, in the basements and parking lots of bars across the country, young men with whitecollar jobs and failed lives take off their shoes and shirts and fight each other barehanded just as long as they have to. Then they go back to those jobs with blackened eyes and loosened teeth and the sense that they can handle anything. Fight club is the invention of Tyler Durden, projectionist, waiter, and dark, anarchic genius, and it's only the beginning of his plans for violent revenge on an empty consumer-culture world.

 

Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help ... and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.
In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword-- to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed ... or that their time has run out.
This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.

 

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

Stranger in a Strange Land is the epic saga of an earthling, Valentine Michael Smith, born and educated on Mars, who arrives on our planet with “psi†powers—telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis, teleportation, pyrolysis, and the ability to take control of the minds of others—and complete innocence regarding the mores of man.

 

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist

 

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever he the same...

 

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

When The Fountainhead was first published, Ayn Rand's daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, Objectivism, won immediate worldwide interest and acclaim. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him. This edition contains a special afterword by Rand’s literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from Ayn Rand’s own notes on the making of The Fountainhead. As fresh today as it was then, here is a novel about a hero—and about those who try to destroy him.

 

 

[Artinum]

I don't know how spiritual it would be, but I can recommend Scott Adams' "God's Debris" for a very thoughtful philosophical journey.

It's nothing to do with Dilbert, by the way.

[cassie0825]

The Red Book by Sera Beak

 

Anything by Danielle LaPorte 

[Companion]

I still like Siddhartha after all this time.

[Steppinon D'Arrows]

What are the circumstances surrounding these feelings? Why not make records of every time these feelings come about and make note of things like hunger level, weather, thoughts, previous events leading up to this, etc. so that you could pinpoint what is really the cause and thusly figure out what to do?

[justtrish]

First I'd like to say that you owe it to yourself to find out if your symptoms have a physiological origin and not take the word of those who are NOT medical professionals and have little to no understanding of how the body works.  It sounds like you might be depressed and there are nutritional deficiencies and/or hormonal imbalances that can trigger depressive-like symptoms.  So see a doctor first, please.

 

That being said, this happens to be a favorite field of mine, so I can offer some additional suggestions:

 

How to See Yourself As You Really Are by Dalai Lama XIV
Like the two wings of a bird, love and insight work cooperatively to bring about enlightenment, says a fundamental Buddhist teaching. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we each possess the ability to achieve happiness and a meaningful life, but the key to realizing that goal is self-knowledge.

I am the Word: A Guide to the Consciousness of Man's Self in a Transitioning Time by Paul Selig
The channeled Guides of I Am the Word provide a concise and immensely powerful program in self-awareness that can ease negative complexes and align your existence with its highest purpose.  In a series of enticing, irresistibly practical dialogues, the Guides of I Am the Word identify the emotional "boulders" that displace our authentic selves and consume our potential. The Guides provide to-the-point psychological and existential insights, along with self-developing exercises and affirmations, which begin to strip away residues of fear, self-doubt, and self-suffocating habits.

Awakening to the Spirit World: The Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation by Sandra Ingerman
Today, practicing shamanism doesn't mean you have to live in a rain forest or a desert. Thanks to a modern renaissance of shamanic spirituality, practitioners from all walks of life now use powerful indigenous techniques for healing, insight, and spiritual growth.

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thích Nhất Hạnh
In the rush of modern life, we tend to lose touch with the peace that is available in each moment. World-renowned Zen master, spiritual leader, and author Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations that usually pressure and antagonize us.

Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change by Pema Chödrön
Is it possible to live well when the very ground we stand on is shaky? Yes, says everyone's favorite Buddhist nun, it's even possible to live beautifully, compassionately, and happily on shaky ground—and the secret is: the ground is always shaky. Pema shows how using a traditional Buddhist practice called the Three Vows or Three Commitments is a way to relax into profound sanity in the midst of whatever non-sanity is happening around us. Just making these simple aspirations can change the way we look at the world and can provide us with a lifetime of material for spiritual practice.

[Companion]

The Untethered Soul