Fundamentals of the Process of Spiritual Perfection: A Practical Guide

Written as a concise handbook in the objective and rational language of science, this Practical Guide presents a ground-breaking new paradigm to address the perennial questions of our existence: Who are we, really? Where have we come from? What is the meaning of life? Is there a life beyond this one, and, if so, what will our situation be?

The author systematically answers each of these questions by drawing upon concrete and functional analogies to the science of medicine, psychology, and physics. Presenting a highly original model of the origin, formation, and development of the human soul or self--which he defines as a bidimensional psychospiritual organism--Dr. Elahi depicts the soul's structural and functional organization, as well as its psychospiritual faculties and elements. By establishing the anatomy and physiology of the soul, Dr. Elahi effectively sets forth a new medicine of the soul that not only shows us how to nourish and develop our psychospiritual organism through the practice of correct divine and ethical principles, but also how to clinically diagnose and treat the ailments of the soul, which manifest as character weak points and flaws that we must strive to overcome.

Once the true nature of our reality has been identified, the Practical Guide turns to the larger purpose behind our existence on earth--namely, acquiring the requisite fundamentals to complete the first stage in our spiritual development. Dr. Elahi distills these fundamentals into three main points: examining and mending the basis of one's faith (placing one's faith in a true God), sufficiently developing one's sound reason (the faculty that allows one to grasp the spiritual dimension of existence), and cultivating one's humanity (wanting and doing unto others that which we would want and do for ourselves). But unlike so many spiritual paths today, these fundamentals are not to be pursued through altered states of consciousness or the exploration of supernatural realms, for what is observed and experienced in such states is inherently unreliable, if not dangerous. Rather, Dr. Elahi emphasizes that we must approach our spiritual development as we would any experimental science--that is, by using our reason and critical thinking to learn and practice the divine and ethical principles intended for the sound development of our thought within the "laboratory" of daily life. It is only through an in vivo practice in the midst of society and in interaction with others that we can come to assimilate these principles, which are akin to the nutrients of the soul.

Since the advent of the very first civilizations, a continuous chain of thought running through every culture has affirmed the conviction that earthly life is but a steppingstone to another dimension where our journey will continue. At its core, this book reintroduces that conviction from a practical perspective rooted in the scientific method and adapted to modern life in the 21st century. It offers readers of all backgrounds and convictions a clear and rational roadmap for how to embark on this journey of self-knowledge and inner transformation, not by compromising their material lives or suspending their common sense, but rather by approaching their spiritual development as a concrete experimental practice to better grasp the reality of their spiritual dimension and adequately prepare themselves for the next stage in their ongoing journey toward spiritual perfection.