The Atman Project: A Transpersonal View of Human Development

by Wilber Ken and Ken Wilber

Book Overview

Wilber traces human development from infancy into adulthood and beyond, into those states described by mystics and spiritual adepts. The spiritual evolution of such extraordinary individuals as the Buddha and Jesus hints at the direction human beings will take in their continuing growth toward transcendence.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0835607305
• ISBN13: 9780835607308
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Quest Books (IL)
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A very special and unique book on development

I have read the other reviews below mine and I understand that Wilber has shortcomings. On the other hand, I also think he has much strength and that this particular book is incredible for a variety of reasons. First, I think his presentation of transpersonal development is a great attempt at a synthesis of many schools of thought and his overall model for such a cycle is realistic. While some of the correspondences between disparate models might be inaccurate in the particulars, there are enough correlations that it is reasonable to take this work as a good starting point for a more complete synthesis. Second, I loved the way Wilber explained what it must be like to be an infant or small child. He described the experience of different stages of development so well; I couldn't put the book down and read these sections over and over again. Third, I liked the way Wilber positioned human development as part of a larger evolution. I believe that he is correct in his general ideas and he presents a hopeful picture of the future of humanity. Overall, I think this is a very interesting read and complimentary to most of the good standard material that is already out there on development. It doesn't read like a text, it is much more engaging and thought provoking. I really appreciated this approach. The book is also dense; he packs a lot of useful information in a short space without repeating himself as much as he does in some other books. I did not love the preface, but once I got into the core of the book I was very pleasantly surprised. You can get this volume for as little as $5.00 used. I have bought copies for my friends because I think it is especially good for parents, teachers and others who need to understand the different lines and stages of development from the INSIDE. It is good stuff don't be discouraged away from this book because it isn't perfect in every respect.

human evolution and spirit involution

This is a book about human evolution and spirit involution. Wilber painstakenly reviews the stages of growth from the Pleromatic stages up through the Subtle, Causal then finally Non-dual. The Atman Project is regarded as one of the core which upon which Wilber's later and more complex books are based. This is an outstanding work and now my second favorite Wilber book after Eye to Eye.

An excellent mapping...

... of the path towards full awareness with a description of the dynamics of evolution and involution. Really brilliant !