“The conquest of the fear of death is the recovery of life’s joy. One can experience an unconditional affirmation of life only when one has accepted death, not as contrary to life but as an aspect of life.” –Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
I am often asked to recommend books on grief, usually because people know I have written about the journey through grief and about communication with the other side.
Grief is a personal journey, but it is a universal walk filled with emotions, pain, questions, fears, and is a journey most people are forced to take at various times throughout their lives. I have hoped to present in my spiritual writings not only my own spiritual experiences, but those of others in hopes of lending credibility to the belief that consciousness survives the death of the physical body.
Grief may take many forms. As we go through it, we discover that it comes in all shapes and sizes and is capable of doing many things. It will attack us when least expected, may devastate us, immobilize us, shock us, bring up guilt feelings, keep us awake at night, drain us, make us angry, fill us with regret, make us think we are a little crazy, encourage us to withdraw, bring up many fears, make us forgetful, confuse us, bring deep sorrow, tempt us to lose faith. It can also persuade us to lash out at God, question the purpose of our life, depress us, try to take away meaning, make us feel hopeless, make us insecure, discourage us from moving through it, make us reluctant to speak about our feelings, intensify our sexual feelings when we do not want to even think about sex, make us feel powerless, makes us believe we are winning the battle before hurling us backward three steps–and overwhelm us in a variety of other ways.
Grief will have its way with you and me, but we can also learn from it and discover that we can take from it strength, new understandings, courage, peace, contentment, joy, deeper faith, love, empathy, spiritual enlightenment, honesty, deeper and more meaningful relationships, healing, growth, creativity, among many other things.
Grief can come not only from the loss of a loved one, but from the loss of a pet, a divorce, a job, a home, financial loss, relationship challenges, and each of those experiences can bring pain and sorrow, and may require time to emotionally heal.
Here is a list of books that may help on your journey, through grief, in preparation for grief, or for spiritual understanding that live lives on, and "living" can go on.
Grief is a personal journey, but it is a universal walk filled with emotions, pain, questions, fears, and is a journey most people are forced to take at various times throughout their lives. I have hoped to present in my spiritual writings not only my own spiritual experiences, but those of others in hopes of lending credibility to the belief that consciousness survives the death of the physical body.
Grief may take many forms. As we go through it, we discover that it comes in all shapes and sizes and is capable of doing many things. It will attack us when least expected, may devastate us, immobilize us, shock us, bring up guilt feelings, keep us awake at night, drain us, make us angry, fill us with regret, make us think we are a little crazy, encourage us to withdraw, bring up many fears, make us forgetful, confuse us, bring deep sorrow, tempt us to lose faith. It can also persuade us to lash out at God, question the purpose of our life, depress us, try to take away meaning, make us feel hopeless, make us insecure, discourage us from moving through it, make us reluctant to speak about our feelings, intensify our sexual feelings when we do not want to even think about sex, make us feel powerless, makes us believe we are winning the battle before hurling us backward three steps–and overwhelm us in a variety of other ways.
Grief will have its way with you and me, but we can also learn from it and discover that we can take from it strength, new understandings, courage, peace, contentment, joy, deeper faith, love, empathy, spiritual enlightenment, honesty, deeper and more meaningful relationships, healing, growth, creativity, among many other things.
Grief can come not only from the loss of a loved one, but from the loss of a pet, a divorce, a job, a home, financial loss, relationship challenges, and each of those experiences can bring pain and sorrow, and may require time to emotionally heal.
Here is a list of books that may help on your journey, through grief, in preparation for grief, or for spiritual understanding that live lives on, and "living" can go on.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: On Death and Dying;On Children and Death; Death: The Final Stage of Growth.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler: On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss
John Edward: One Last TimeGuggenheim, Bill, and Judy Guggenheim. Hello From Heaven!C.S. Lewis: A Grief Observed
Marty Tousley: Finding Your Way through Grief: A Guide for the First Year, Second Edition;Children and Pet Loss: A Guide for Helping.Raymond Moody: Life After Life Raymond Moody, with Paul Perry: Reunions;Glimpses of Eternity.
Morse, Melvin, with Paul Perry. Closer to the Light;Transformed by the Light; Parting Visions.
Norman Vincent Peale: The Power of Positive Thinking.Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.: Love, Medicine and Miracles;
Peace, Love and Healing.
James Van Praagh: Talking to Heaven; Reaching to Heaven;
Healing Grief.Linda Pendleton: A Walk Through Grief: Crossing the Bridge Between Worlds;
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler: On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss
John Edward: One Last TimeGuggenheim, Bill, and Judy Guggenheim. Hello From Heaven!C.S. Lewis: A Grief Observed
Marty Tousley: Finding Your Way through Grief: A Guide for the First Year, Second Edition;Children and Pet Loss: A Guide for Helping.Raymond Moody: Life After Life Raymond Moody, with Paul Perry: Reunions;Glimpses of Eternity.
Morse, Melvin, with Paul Perry. Closer to the Light;Transformed by the Light; Parting Visions.
Norman Vincent Peale: The Power of Positive Thinking.Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.: Love, Medicine and Miracles;
Peace, Love and Healing.
James Van Praagh: Talking to Heaven; Reaching to Heaven;
Healing Grief.Linda Pendleton: A Walk Through Grief: Crossing the Bridge Between Worlds;
Linda Pendleton and Dr. Fred Bader: Expressing Love: Remembering a Life
Linda Pendleton: Three Principles of Angelic Wisdom
Linda Pendleton: A Loving Presence: Signs and Symbols from Your Angels and Spirit Guides
Don and Linda Pendleton: To Dance With AngelsLarry Dossey, M.D.: Recovering the Soul: A Scientific and Spiritual Search;Healing Words.
Linda Pendleton: Softly With Love, Communicating with Your Spirit Guides and Angels;
Journey to the Heart: Exploring the World of Spirit and Our Connection to It.
These books should be available through Amzaon.com and Barnes and Noble, and many may be at your local library. Most of the listed books are available in e-book format.
Linda Pendleton: Three Principles of Angelic Wisdom
Linda Pendleton: A Loving Presence: Signs and Symbols from Your Angels and Spirit Guides
Don and Linda Pendleton: To Dance With AngelsLarry Dossey, M.D.: Recovering the Soul: A Scientific and Spiritual Search;Healing Words.
Linda Pendleton: Softly With Love, Communicating with Your Spirit Guides and Angels;
Journey to the Heart: Exploring the World of Spirit and Our Connection to It.
These books should be available through Amzaon.com and Barnes and Noble, and many may be at your local library. Most of the listed books are available in e-book format.
Are there other books that have helped you through grief? If so, please feel free to share.
~Linda
6 comments:
How strange, I too was writing about our earthy transition this morning too.
Great post Linda.
Don't you just love the synchronicity of life, Gemel. :-)
More times than I can count, I've been smacked in the face by the grief I thought I had beaten back and taken control of. Thanks for the reminder that it's all part of the journey.
I've read some of the books on your list, and several others that probably should be. At home I have a whole bookshelf devoted to books on helping children cope with grief - I'd add a few of them to the list too, but I'm not at home right now and don't have the titles and authors in front of me. I'll get back to you later if I have the time.
Linda, dear ~ Your readers may find helpful this list of books recommended by the bereaved themselves to their fellow mourners, all members of our online Grief Healing Discussion Groups. See Grief Bibliography, http://j.mp/9J8Wa4
Jeff,
You've had your share of grief, that is for sure, but writing about it as you have, I'm sure has been healing.
Please feel free to add the books you have found helpful.
Marty,
Thanks for the link to your website list of books. :-)
Your website is a great one and I recommend it for anyone going through a loss. A good place to share. Thanks.
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