Balancing Heaven and Earth

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View books by Robert A. Johnson, Jerry M. Ruhl.

A transformative experience - Rated
This is less a review than a hymn of gratitude. For me, this book is one of the "slender threads" Johnson talks about, a serendipitous opportunity that, grasped, changes your life. If you, like he, have experienced "the Golden World," you are likely to sob as I did at his description of it and his yearning to return to it. Johnson is an old soul, an introvert, a solitary by nature, who wrestled with his destiny for decades.

His memoir gives me hope for my own struggles, and I believe this will hold true for many, many readers. I have rarely been so moved by a book; perhaps the only other I have found so affecting was Matthew Fox's collection of Meister Eckhard's thought.

If you are seeking the light in any way or form, don't miss it.

Possibly the best work in Johnson's compendium. - Rated
As a student of depth psychology, particularly Jungian, I have read all of Johnson's work and this most personal work is the one that has affected me the most deeply. By revealing the details of his life's journey, Johnson gives the reader insight into how it looks to "follow your bliss." Sometimes the call we receive is not an easy one and Johnson poignantly shares his struggles with this as well. But remaning true to the "still small voice" and allowing his ego to be used in service to the Self (God) has resulted in a life that is both rich in texture and joyful in experience. This book is a treasure and one to be savored at that!

Fresh insight amidst today's psychobabble from a true legend - Rated
I had no idea who Robert Johnson was until I picked up his book. Here is a man who studied at the Jung Institute, with Krishnamurti, and was going to Ashrams in India in the 50s before that sort of thing was "en vogue." His observations on life, dreams, the spiritual world (or Golden World, as he calls it), shown through the lens of his interesting life, are refreshingly clear, vivid-feeling, and important. He is somewhat reclusive, and it shows--as anyone who is alone and meditative becomes humble and ego-less. This is a great person--a gem who has much to teach us about ourselves.