Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality

Anthony de Mello (1931-1987) was a Jesuit priest, psychotherapist, and spiritual teacher from India, and his work actively synthesizes Christian spirituality with Eastern mystical traditions and modern psychological principles. Educated in both India and the United States, de Mello conducted spiritual conferences and retreats worldwide, becoming known for his direct, humorous, and forceful teaching style. His work gained prominence in an era when many in the West were seeking spiritual meaning outside of traditional religious structures. Awareness, a posthumously published collection of his conference talks, presents his core philosophy in an unfiltered manner, and throughout each posthumously published “chapter,” de Mello’s unique voice allows him to function as a direct spiritual guide. His use of parables, jokes, and confrontational questions challenges his listeners’ most fundamental beliefs about the self, happiness, and reality.

De Mello’s central argument is that most people live in a state of self-imposed suffering because they are psychologically and spiritually “asleep.” He begins by asserting that “[s]pirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don’t know it, are asleep” (5). This state of metaphorical “sleep” is defined by a mechanical existence that arises from cultural conditioning, unquestioned beliefs, and emotional attachments.