Awareness Is Freedom: The Adventure of Psychology and Spirituality

by Itai Ivtzan

Overview

Awareness Is Freedom: The Adventure of Psychology and Spirituality proposes a unique combination of spiritual and psychological concepts that together lead to greater self-awareness and wellbeing. It is structured as eight lessons, each focusing on different aspects of psychology and spirituality, to support readers in their personal journey of self-growth. The psychological and spiritual theories described in the book are backed up by scientific findings that enhance the legitimacy and power of its message. The book also includes practical exercises which allow the reader to apply the ideas in an enjoyable way that will lead to self-improvement and greater satisfaction in life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782798514
Publisher:	Collective Ink
Publication date:	03/27/2015
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr Itai Ivtzan is passionate about the combination of psychology and spirituality. He is a positive psychologist, a senior lecturer, and the program leader of MAPP (Masters in Applied Positive Psychology) at the University of East London (UEL). If you wish to get additional information about his work or contact him, please visit www.AwarenessIsFreedom.com

Table of Contents

To the reader 1

Introduction 4

Lesson 1 Psychology and Spirituality 9

Psychology

Spirituality 10

Religion vs. spirituality 12

Psychology and spirituality: The meeting point 14

Psychology and spirituality: Interdependence 15

What stands is your way to living a full and free life: The concepts of personality and ego 16

Here and now exercise 1: Naming your ego concepts 18

Why must a personality/ego be created?

Psychological measurement 1: Personal need for structure questionnaire 19

An idea of your self 23

Weekly exercise 1: Discovering your ego concepts 26

Lesson 2 The Meditative Skill 29

The influence of meditation

Different kinds of meditation 33

Defining meditation

Here and now exercise 2: The wandering mind 34

Who is in charge of your awareness? 35

If you are washing the dishes, just wash the dishes 36

Meditative technique vs. meditative state 38

Breathing meditation 39

Understanding meditation 40

Weekly exercise 2: Breathing meditation 44

Meditation: Retraining your attention 46

Simplicity 47

Patience and subtle changes 48

Psychological measurement 2: Personal growth initiative scale 50

Beginning to meditate 51

Different meditation sessions 52

Lesson 3 Aware and Unaware Thinking 54

The thinking obsession

There is nothing wrong with the mind 55

Resting in your inner "home"

Aware vs. unaware thinking 56

Cultivating aware thinking 57

Here and now exercise 3: writing your thoughts 58

Ego concepts grow and shrink 59

Gradual progress 60

Breaking the attachment 61

Non-reactive attention

Psychological measurement 3: non-attachment scale 62

Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional 65

Weekly exercise 3: Observing your thoughts 66

Lesson 4 The Illusion of the Self 68

The concept of self

Trapped in patterns 69

Is there a container? 70

Separation 72

Here and now exercise 4: can you find the experiencer? 76

Attachment to the self 77

The mind fights for its existence 79

Enlightenment: An alternative to the ego formed self 80

Awareness of the layers that conceal your authentic self 82

Facing your self 83

What is the experience of enlightenment? 84

Psychological measurement 4: Compassion scale 85

Weekly exercise 4: Consciously choosing enlightenment 86

Lesson 5 Everything is Neutral 89

Here and now exercise 5: The clock experiment

Schema theory 90

Priming 91

Spirituality and schemas 93

The neutrality of life 95

Weekly exercise 5: This situation was neutral 96

Choice 98

Psychological measurement 5: Perceived autonomy in life domains scale 99

Taking responsibility 101

Opportunity 103

Lesson 6 The Art of Presence and Meditation Techniques 104

Being present

Here and now exercise 6: Walking meditation 105

Being and thinking

Meditation permeates life 106

Psychological research: Mind-wandering 107

Psychological measurement 6: Mindfulness questionnaire 108

Meditation techniques 113

Changing techniques 123

Weekly exercise 6: Meditation techniques 124

Meditation will not make you passive 125

Developing meditation 126

Lesson 7 Impermanence: This Too Shall Pass 129

Life is change

Stress: Psychological reaction to impermanence 130

Impermanence is sensed as dangerous 131

Psychological measurement 7: Personal meaning in life 132

Emotional polarity and the Authentic Self 134

The cycle of misery 135

Here and now exercise 7: Your cravings and rejections 136

Dependent and independent emotions 137

Weekly exercise 7: Engaging with change 139

Enlightenment is impermanent

Lesson 8 Freedom and Meditation - Bringing It All Together 142

Thoughts and emotions

Emotions and bodily-sensations 143

Psychological measurement 8: Body awareness questionnaire 145

Yoga, psychology, and spirituality 148

Thought, emotions, and bodily reactions: The link 152

Relevance to your spiritual journey 153

Observing? How? 155

Here and now exercise 8(A): Emotions & sensations 156

Here and now exercise 8(B): The rag-doll technique 157

The art of non-reaction

Weekly exercise 8(A): Body awareness 159

Weekly exercise 8(B): Reaction to events 161

Life-Long Exercise: Going deeper into your Authentic Self 162

Final words 164

References 167

Editorial Reviews

Awareness is Freedom provides a clear and practical course in spiritual training. It's an ideal introduction that quickly takes the reader from the shallows to the depths. Save yourself the trouble of learning Sanskrit, Pali or Tibetan in order to read the ancient sutras. Instead, I would advise you start your journey with this illuminating and accessible book. I wish I had had the opportunity to read it years ago before I wandered off to the East.

9/14/2014 - Tim Ward

Dr. Ivtzan has done a great service to humanity with this beautiful book. Here we have two of our most precious currents of thought, psychology and spirituality, each of which has transformed people's lives for the better, but which until now have remained wary of each other. However, with great skill and artistry, Dr. Ivtzan has brought these together in a 'marriage,' a union which serves to greatly enrich both partners. Moreover, Dr. Ivtzan is just the kind of wise and compassionate pastor that we need to skillfully conduct such a union, with his great depths of insight and beauty of expression. However, the most important beneficiary of this 'marriage' is the reader, who is invited to embark upon their own personal journal of transformation. Through a series of 'lessons,' including structured reflections and exercises, the fortunate reader is led gently down a path of mystery, towards realms of the self and of the universe that they may not have suspected existed. Truly, this book has the power to change your life.

2014 - Tim Lomas

Itai Ivtzan elucidates not only the meeting point between psychology and spirituality but the synergy and power of the two. Allow this accomplished scholar and meditator to offer you this clear road-map as you take this journey to your indwelling. This important book, peppered with research studies, validated psychological tests, and practical exercises, offers clear and insightful methods for you to re-discover your mindfulness and hence...your freedom.

2014 - Ryan M. Niemiec