"Our evolutionary destiny is to transcend that sense of separateness, and the neurosis arising from it, by re-embracing our Divinity."
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Psyche's Yearning:
Radical Perspectives on Self-Transformation by Gillian Ross Trafford Publishing
book review by Lee Ware
Using the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros not as a lovers’ separation, but rather as a reunion of spiritual wholeness, Ross attempts to open her readers to self-transformation for the betterment of the collective. Psyche's Yearning is about the challenges that beset one on the path from personal to transpersonal consciousness, with Ross as an unassuming guide on the journey to spiritual reunion.
At the moment we birth our egos, our individual separation occurs and we enter a hellish stage of pandemonium where we are ruled not by will but by our samskaras, which Ross defines as "imprints left in the psyche from emotionally charged experiences" Thus, in our state of personal consciousness, we are forever reacting to past trauma or pleasure, tossed about by the waves and whims of our ego. Ross suggests the pinnacle of human evolution is to surpass the personal into a transpersonal state where we reconnect with divine energy and in doing so feel a deep connection with all other beings. This reunion will not only bring inner peace, but will also help to awaken others.
Ross blends her education in behavioral science with her personal spiritual experiences to guide her readers to their own sense of purpose and wholeness. However, Psyche’s Yearning is more than a guidebook for personal transcendence. It is a call for compassion as a means of healing all life. While Ross lends plenty of insight and sensitivity, some of her spiritual writing might be challenging for intellectually or secular driven Westerners. Yet, by keeping an open mind, even skeptics will find parts of her book invaluable for reducing anxiety within their hectic modern lives.