Step-by-step practices for cultivating spiritual awakening, from a renowned spiritual psychologist who has studied the phenomenon in hundreds of people and experienced it himself Steve Taylor has devoted his life to investigating spiritual awakening. In his books The Leap and Extraordinary Awakenings, he discussed case histories of dozens of people who experienced profound shifts in consciousness. The Adventure draws on this groundbreaking research, together with Taylor's own awakening experiences, to offer guided meditations, contemplative exercises, and other practices for catalyzing spiritual transformation, as well as lyric poems and inspirational stories. The Adventure outlines how to: - recognize and cultivate the eight defining characteristics of wakefulness, including presence, acceptance, gratitude, and disidentification from the ego - expand awareness and quiet the mind through meditations and practical exercises - transcend our normal "sleep" state and the "thought mind" to move toward increasing heights and depths of spiritual awakening - use the challenges of everyday life -- of home, workplace, and relationships -- as doorways to enlightenment