Avalanche: Heretical Reflections on the Dark and the Light Paperback - 1992

First line

The quality and overall pattern of the first major phase of my psychospiritual development were announced to me at the age of nine by a wondrous dream.

From the jacket flap

In his powerful bestselling book Joy's Way, Dr. W. Brugh Joy shared the story of the spiritual transformation that led him to abandon his medical practice and indeed his whole way of life. In the ten years since, Dr. Joy has experienced the dramatic second stage of his spiritual evolution and Avalanche is the result. In this iconoclastic book, Dr. Joy challenges the idealistic vision of spirituality as an experience of love, light, and harmony. He dares to appreciate the dark, shadow side of human nature that, if left unintegrated, can wreak havoc in our lives.
In fact, Dr. Joy sees shadow work as essential for the evolution of consciousness. He explores the dynamic of the shadow in such issues as multiple personalities as the basis of self, the collapse of exclusively masculine spiritual values, the emergence of the divine feminine and the counter forces that are set in motion in backlash against it, the power of destruction as a purging and healing force, and the battle of the individual with the collective. To access our hidden dark side, Dr. Joy offers as tools dreamwork, archetypes, rituals, and rites of passage, which can set the stage for transformation. Sure to generate controversy, Avalanche demands -- and rewards -- readers who are willing to experience their own deep psyche.

Media reviews

"Attempts to consciously grapple with the 'dark side' of life...Avalanche reflects a sophisticated and challenging psycho-spiritual perspective, one well worth digesting."

Gnosis Magazine



"Interesting and provocative...This is a unique book, and I appreciate the many insights it offers."

Stanley Krippner, Ph. D.

Saybrook Institute