{"product_id":"forty-days-the-diary-of-a-traditional-solitary-sufi-retreat-9781590300534","title":"Forty Days: The Diary of a Traditional Solitary Sufi Retreat","description":"This is a woman's firsthand account of a Sufi \u003ci\u003ehalvet, \u003c\/i\u003ea forty-day retreat conducted in complete isolation, along with strict fasting from sunrise to sundown. Voluntarily confined to a sparsely furnished room amid the bustle of Istanbul, Michaela Özelsel will occupy her time with reading the Qur'an and works of Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, and with praying and practicing the powerful Sufi exercise known as \u003ci\u003ezhikr, \u003c\/i\u003e the rhythmic repetition of names of God or other sacred formulas, accompanied by movements of the head or body. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn intimate detail Dr. Özelsel shares her experiences as she strives to attain true \"Islam\" in its meaning of surrender or unconditional acceptance of the will of God. Her daily journal ranges over the frustrations of noisy neighbors, power outages, and a poorly heated room; her inner longings, doubts, and memories of the life course that has brought her to this moment; and the most inspirational philosophical insights, dreams and visions, and ecstatic raptures. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe second half of the book is devoted to the author's psychological and cultural commentary on her experiences, including observations about the methods of Sufi schooling, sexuality and spirituality, and the relationship with the spiritual guide. \u003ci\u003eForty Days \u003c\/i\u003e is unique in the literature of spiritual education because it is informed by her knowledge of contemporary research from several disciplines, thus creating a bridge between ancient wisdom and scientific investigation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMichaela M. Özelsel was born in Germany. She has a B.A. and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina, and Ph.D. from the Goethe Institute, Frankfurt.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Shambhala","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50556995993874,"sku":"9781590300534","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e147cd8f-f1a0-404a-9a85-06c8cbf96e24.jpg?v=1731768610","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/forty-days-the-diary-of-a-traditional-solitary-sufi-retreat-9781590300534","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}