If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
—ISAAC NEWTON
Writing a book is like giving birth to a child. I am infinitely grateful to the many beautiful souls who have helped me to usher my baby into the world.
I am most indebted to the patients who have kindly agreed to have an adaptation of their stories used in this book in the service of helping others going through similar struggles. Thank you for sharing your hearts and souls with me and allowing me to help you. It is an honor for which I am grateful every day of my life.
To my dad and Raya, my first readers of each chapter hot off the press. Thank you for your consistent enthusiasm, thoughtful and honest criticism, and unconditional love. You guys were my initial barometers of how the outside world would react to these ideas. To my mom and Charles for believing in me and for your consistent encouragement, love, and support.
To Cassie Hanjian, my wonderful literary agent, and her associates at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. Thank you for believing in this book, always being so wonderfully on top of everything, being patient with me through the challenges, and ultimately helping this book see the light of day. To Sarah Pelz, my treasured editor, and her associates at Hachette Book Group’s Grand Central Life & Style imprint. I am most grateful for your generosity of spirit, brilliant vision, and refined skill in masterfully shepherding this book from its genesis. A special thanks to Sheila Curry Oakes for supporting this project after Sarah’s perfectly timed baby made her beautiful way into the world. Thank you also to Katherine Stopa, Karen Murgolo, Elisa Rivlin, Jeff Holt, Nick Small, and Amanda Pritzker for your guidance and expertise. And to Eric Rayman for your brilliant legal advice.
To my dear friend and writing partner, Masum Momaya, PhD, whose rich insight, huge heart, and brilliant mind helped shape many of the pages in this book. To my invincible assistant, Anuta Rathe, truly a Godsend without whom life as I know it would be virtually impossible. Thank you for rereading many versions of this book and masterfully serving as the “general manager” of my life for the past ten years. I don’t know what I would do without you! Many thanks to Donna Beech for her invaluable assistance in preparing the manuscript and assisting with research for this book. Your time, guidance, and wisdom were greatly appreciated, and I couldn’t have accomplished getting this into print without your generous support. To Pedro Ruiz, MD, and Thomas Stewart, MD, for being wonderful mentors and role models to me in the field of psychiatry. Thank you for believing in me and supporting this unconventional project. To Eben Alexander, MD, for supporting this book since its inception and, through your vital work, making this world a better place.
My deep gratitude to Ragy Girgis, MD, for miraculously showing up in my life at just the right moment and helping to strengthen the science in this book. To Rabbi Jonathan Feldman, PhD, for his consistent support and friendship and for helping me with this book’s Torah references. To Gibbs Williams, PhD, for his encyclopedic knowledge of Freud and Jung, and his kindness in sharing this wisdom with me. To Marva Allen, in whose writing workshop at the Academi of Life the seed of this book was planted. Your support was invaluable to this work’s inception, and I am most grateful for your continued kindness and encouragement. To Eric Maisel, in whose writing workshop at Kripalu the seed of this book flourished into a proposal. Thank you for showing me “how”! To my dear friends Jacqueline Cohen and Josh Pickard for allowing me to use The Shack as my writing haven. To Malcolm Thomson and David Kekst, who were invaluable in helping my book find a home.
To numerous friends and family members who have read, reread, and thoughtfully edited many parts of this book as it was being born: Larell Atkins, Karen Bishko, Daniel Bober, MD, Sharon Bridbord, Carrie Capstick, PhD, Jacqueline Cohen, Kathy Falk, MD, Rabbi Jonathan Feldman, PhD, Judy Fletcher, Howie Friedman, PhD, Jessica Kattan, MD, Sheryl Kurland, Anatoly Libgober, PhD, Jonathan Libgober, PhD, Ayonija Maheshwari, MD, David Moyer, Dave O’Keefe, John Allen Paulos, PhD, Roger Price, Diane Redleaf, Carlos Saavedra, MD, Sheila Salama, MD, Gino Scapillati, Sasha Siem, Jocelyn Soffer, MD, Renee Tordjeman, and Jackie Vayntrub, PhD. To my dear friend Ron Shefi, a gifted and intuitive healer, for his unique perspective, wisdom, and support. He sadly passed away while this book was being written. To other friends who provided invaluable support in ways I could not even have imagined: Dr. Bacer Baker, Yana Golbin, Ondine Harris, Maxim Jago, Aiyah Maraka, John Napolitano, Peggy Rometo, Tara Sheehan, and Linda Swain.
I also wish to thank certain people for helping me not only to write this book, but also to become the person who is capable of writing this book. A sincere thanks to the mentors and guides, some of whom shall remain unnamed, who have helped me to ascend the spiritual ladder to a point where I can finally spread my wings and fly: Rav and Karen Berg, Patty Casby, Sara Choi, Alice Colonna, David Ghiyam, Henry Grayson, Robert Salvit, Maureen St. Germain, and Sarah Yardeni.
And, finally, I offer my heart’s gratitude to my husband, Jesse, for being my rock and inspiration, believing in me, and helping me to find fulfillment.