Creating Heaven on Earth The Psychology of Experiencing Immortality in Everyday Life

The art of living the "good life" requires skilful attunement to the lovely presences in everyday life. Lodged in a psychoanalytic sensibility, and drawing from ancient and modern religious and spiritual wisdom, this book provides the details, conceptual structures, and inner meanings of a number of easily accessible, everyday activities, including gardening, sport, drinking coffee, storytelling, and listening to music. It also suggests how to best engage these activities, to consecrate the ordinary in a way that points to experiential transcendence, or what the author calls "glimpsing immortality", a core component of the art of living the "good life".

CHAPTER ONE Introduction: the quest for earthly immortality CHAPTER TWO "Take time to smell the roses": the delights of gardening CHAPTER THREE "Magical myths": the passion for sport CHAPTER FOUR "Wake up and smell the coffee": the pleasures of drinking coffee CHAPTER FIVE "The shorthand of strong emotion": listening to great music CHAPTER SIX "Once upon a time there was": on storytelling CHAPTER SEVEN Conclusion: reflections on creating earthly immortality WEBSITE RESOURCES REFERENCES INDEX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Professional Practice & Development

Paul Marcus