Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology

"A rich book covering many areas of human experience. . . .

Gerald G. May draws on his psychiatric practice to examine how personal willpower continually collides with the deeper impulse toward spiritual surrender. The text assesses how modern coping, happiness, and growth mentalities attempt to manage human emotion, contrasting that driven effort with the quiet discipline of willingness.

Tracing insights from ancient Eastern and Western contemplative traditions, May investigates the roots of...