Love and the Soul: Creating a Future for Earth

well, maybe not, but without a doubt "Love and the World" is an immensely significant work in the field of depth psychology. Originally titled "Love and the Soul", Sardello's book takes an experiential look at the connection between the individual and the world. By staying within the realm of experience, Sardello allows the reader to begin the process of psychological research for him or herself. Sardello honors the original direction which Freud and then Jung trailblazed but points to the danger inherent in any exploration of soul which leaves out the world. Yet Sardello's experience of 'World' and his methodology which leads to it is what is truly groundbreaking about this work.In "Love and the World" the world is not maintained to exist 'out there' independent of the individual, and yet, Sardello avoids any hints of suggesting the relativistic/constructivst conception which denies the possibility of talking objectively about realms such as Truth, Beauty and Goodness. Sardello maintains that to truly speak objectively about soul and the world, we must enter into the creative processes which they are. It is in the creative process that we can find, through sensing the creating activity of our own 'I', the link between ourself and the world. Sardello shows how spiritual psychology demands a distinction between the ego and the 'I'. This distinction has never been articulated in depth psychology and it is for this reason that the world has always been left out. And so after we identify the 'I' as distinct, not separate, from the ego, we can then experience the 'I' as the creative, non personal, yet completely individual, activity through which the world individuates itself and from which fully conscious, world oriented love is born.How refreshing to read a sophisticated work in the field of psychology that earns that distinction by leaving theories, abstractions and in-bred language systems at the door. Like any truly improvisational art, Sardello is not content to present a system of finished concepts that can be repeated and systemized, but rather, he enters the active images of experience and from there performs language which can deepen the readers own explorations and questions. This is reflected in the poetic style which imbues each sentence of "Love and the World".So much more could be said. And that's the point. This book does not attempt to finish anything. It's sole objective is to begin creating a new foundation for psychology which is based in active practice and which leads towards capacities for experiencing the creative, soul-filled and spiritual activities which are the world.ps...my only frustration comes from what was left out of the new edition. In general not much is changed and in fact, some things are tightened up in a helpful manner. However the "Getting Started" section has been rewritten and while the new pages are a wonderful and, I believe, needed introduction to the book, the original "Getting Started" was a masterpiece. In the four or five pages of the original, Sardello wove together in a creativly condensed form all the images which live in the book as a whole. The orignial "Getting Started" also contains a few brilliant paragraphs on 'soul logic' which desribe the necessity for a new methodological approach to psychology. For these reason I would urge anyone who is still hungry after reading "Love and the World" to order the out of print original "Love and the Soul" from bibliofind.com. I hope that someday both pieces can work together in this most outstanding and potentially life changing book. Perhaps, Sardello will post the original words on his websight.

More chapters have been added from this book`s previous incarnation as "Love and the World". If you enjoyed Love and the World you need to read this book.The new chapters (six or seven) offer some of the most astonishing spiritual science/alchemy prose ever put to paper.This book goes hand in hand with Silence by the same author.UPDATE. Thank God this book is out on the Kindle. The only thing I didn`t like about Silence and Love and the Soul was the formatting and type setting which could never do justice to the contents. Hopefully that is not an issue on the Kindle.

Robert Sardello's works are always a treat, but this is a tour de force. No one is more successful at opening up a concept, exploring the guts of it, and relating it to the larger whole. Sometimes he does that briefly and deeply like a meditation, as in Silence. Other places - as here - he provides a veritable sumptuousness of insight and perspective. No wonder this title is so well-loved. He is certainly one of our most nuanced and foremost contemporary cultural commentators and psychologists.

This in-depth and incredibly well-written book exploring a subject more than any other I have read. I was able to relate experiences I have had and understood their place in my development, whereas many other books on this topic, are superficial. This is also not an easy read, but an incredibly rewarding one!

What a hopeful book for those who are willing to make the effort.

Robert Sardello is never who you expect. This parent of LOVE AND THE WORLD is no exception. He prefers ecstasy to analysis, the imaginal and magic to logic. So if you would enjoy a conversation between Rudolf Steiner and Carl Jung, you will love this book. Shine.

Love and the Soul is the most important book of our time by any author. I have reread it many times, and Sardello always takes me to deeper (and higher) places I don't remember from the last reading. The book challenges our most fundamental contemporary worldview, that everything is for me, for my benefit, even noble spiritual intention. Yet the problems with egotism, including inner work pursued as a turning away from the world, are illustrated with patience. Parts of the book are frightening in their startling identification of evils around us, especially the phenomenon of the double and the ubiquity of potentially soul-destroying radiation. I trust Sardello through his most challenging material because he writes with such integrity and none of the sentimentality of New Age authors. He confronts hard stuff. Yet the book stays true to its title and offers a vital alternative to egotism and evil; indeed, Sardello makes clear why egotism and evil are necessary to lead us toward love. We are given everything--far more than we usually notice or sense--and, rather than keep it all as "ours," must give back to the Earth, befriending every being we encounter. This text, matched with Sardello's Silence and Heartfulness, offers years of fruitful and much-needed study.

I'm afraid I couldn't get into this at all though I wanted to. Great ideas but the style bored me nearly to death.