Thank you for your interest my book!

 

I’m pleased to announce that my book was acquired by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Hard cover and kindle editions of my book will be released officially on February 8th, 2019.

The title of the book has been changed to The Promise of Wholeness: Cultivating Inner Peace, Mindfulness and Love in a Divided World. The content will remain the same with a few minor edits.

The new version contains an extensive index, so it’s much easier to find something you’re looking for!

For a limited time, I still have a very few paperback copies of my original author’s edition of Henosis, so if you would like one of those, please use the contact form to let me know, HERE.

Otherwise the new version is now available on Amazon  – just click on the button below.

~ Eric

RECENT WORK

THE PROMISE OF WHOLENESS

Cultivating Inner Peace, Mindfulness and Love in a Divided World

Henosis: (Ancient Greek: ἕνωσις) is the classical Greek word for mystical “oneness”, “union”, or “unity.” In Platonism, and especially Neoplatonism, the goal of henosis is union with what is fundamental in reality: the One (Τὸ Ἕν), the Source, or Monad.  Henosis was the original title of this book, now to be published in 2019 as The Promise of Wholeness.

In the East, the Chinese character for soul also meant breath and in ancient Greece, psyche similarly linked soul with breath. Today, the conscious and unconscious parts of our personality are said to lie within our psyche. The field of psychology can be likened to a three-legged stool where behavioral, emotional and cognitive interventions and their related theoretical orientations provide its core foundation. Each approach believes their approach stabilizes the other two legs and breathes life into our body, mind and soul. This book not only addresses the actions, passion and wisdom that stabilize psychological stools, but also provides eternal principles that lead to lasting peace and wellbeing.    

Philosophers study the foundational nature of reality and look for universal patterns that lead to lasting peace and well-being. Eternal principles, values and ethics occupy philosophers. Literally translated, the Greek word philosophia means, “love of wisdom.” The pursuit of wisdom leads to accumulated knowledge and this book stands on the shoulders of many philosophers, who birthed civilizations. Examining what feels right, wrong or wise are as necessary today as it was in ancient times. Mistakes recycle, when we fail to learn from history. The Promise of Wholeness provides modern interpretations of eternal wisdom. Transformation and transcendence requires our body, heart and mind to embody eternal principles.

Our quantum physicists state that atoms are ninety-nine percent empty, all matter contains energy, observation impacts atoms and the universe is entangled and interconnected. Thinking ahead about first principles, forms and source, the Greeks created the word meta-physika (metaphysics) to describe, “what comes after physics.” We live during auspicious times, where theology, orthodoxy and what seemed certain is up for grabs. The Promise of Wholeness examines why soul and breath were considered the same thing to a meta-physician or a Greek/Chinese philosopher. Our scientists are now revealing what many of our philosophers and spiritual teachers have been saying for thousands of years. We are one people on one planet, interconnected and entangled in perpetuity.

Dreams are created by consistent actions, heartfelt passion and focused attention. The Promise of Wholeness provides many meditations and suggested techniques that lead to lasting peace and well-being. When we are mindful about our own needs and our actions, passion and mind is focused upon benefiting everyone within the collective, we gain access to the quantum field and possibly divine intervention. The personal stories and practical examples within The Promise of Wholeness provide paths through the entanglements of illusion. When philosophy, psychology and peace unify, love replaces illusion like the sun removes darkness. Read this book slowly and consider each concept carefully. Change occurs when love replaces illusion and becomes a daily practice.

Overview

Henosis is the Greek word for oneness/unity. The missing links between the wisdom of ancient philosophy and the startling insights within modern psychology to transform suffering, transcend circumstances and increase our capacity for love are explored in The Promise of Wholeness:  Cultivating Inner Peace, Mindfulness and Love in A Divided World.

Most philosophical studies of ancient wisdom lack enough practical applications and many popular psychology books simply skim the surface of the human experience. Licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist Eric Ehrke offers us a new foundation for profound living based on classical teachings and enriched by modern scientific/psychological breakthroughs. He presents us with a new worldview steeped in the brilliance of the Greek philosopher and metaphysician Plotinus (204-270 CE), grounded by the work of Plato, and supported by modern thinkers such as Carl Jung and Viktor Frankl. The principles and values it takes to be happy and whole endure, but gentle makeovers are needed to modernize the message. Clinical examples from Eric Ehrke’s forty years of psychotherapy practice and personal stories from courageous individuals are also significant contributors throughout the book.   

The author uses the concept of Plato’s Theory of Forms, that template of actualized wisdom and/or the complete realization of an ideal principle, to organize the book, presenting eight forms (illusion, love, cherish, grace, equanimity, empathy, incorruptibility, and wholeness) in a practical way to enrich our lives. In homage to contemporary culture, we also examine such subjects as the philosophical underpinning of the original Wizard of Oz book series and learn how the work of Plotinus and Plato support this modern fairy tale.

To the psychological canon Ehrke adds many new teachings, such as the Primary Love Template and Somatic Empathy Theory, and new critical exercises for infantile, childish and adolescent stress responses and his foundational: “Camel Wave Meditation” and the “Wise and Loving Inner Voice Meditation.” As Ehrke begins to share Henosis with the community of his peers at local and national conferences, Henosis will become a guidebook for psychology students, counselors, and therapists. At a time, when societal norms are struggling, Ehrke aligned eternal wisdom, sound psychological principles and practical solutions and created a handbook of consciousness guiding us to lasting peace and well-being.

Book Reviews

“. . . rich with understanding and perspective . . . With his forty years’ experience as a psychotherapist and seeker of hidden truth, Eric Ehrke merges classical teaching with modern psychology to create a new framework for a revitalized humanity.”

Jennifer Read Hawthorne
Writer and coauthor of 5 books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Eric Ehrke creates a tapestry in Henosis, weaving Platonic forms, Plotinus’s ideas, with Jungian and modern psychological thought. . . quality and depth . . . the time and thought needed for each chapter are investments in further understanding the glory of being human.”

David B. Henderson, Ed.D
owner, NorthStar Consultants

“Eric Ehrke gives us an open and detailed account of what he has learned over a lifetime about bearing pain and learning to love the world and all its creatures. In addition to a good understanding of modern developmental psychology and neuroscience, he has dug deeply into the history of philosophy, especially Plato and Plotinus, and shows how all of us move through many illusions to a larger understanding of all of Being, achieving Henosis (oneness with everything)—-or at least as far as we can do it, with or without the kind of thoughtful psychotherapy he practices. It is humbling and refreshing to realize that in this larger context we are all working through some of the same dilemmas as the citizens of ancient Greece and Rome. (In fact, people were probably doing it before then, but we don’t have their written records.) Although the exercises and extensive bibliography of the book show the impressive research Mr. Ehrke has done, he has the grace at times to tell an anecdote about his own personal experience which brings the account down to earth in the present. This is a book worth studying and meditating on.”

Dr. William Houghton
Psychiatrist

“It is rare when a book embodies the very potential it claims to awaken in its readers. Henosis takes us on a journey of the human quest for soul—it is a living, breathing labyrinth of self-discovery and awakening that shatters illusions and asks us to question everything. And in the end, its message is the antidote for a new humanity.”

Kara Catrelle LCSW
Psychotherapist

“Well-researched, Henosis is based on the premise of Unity Consciousness or the inherent goodness/love of every person. Through the teachings and applications of tested meditation exercises included in this book, based on the mind/body/soul connection, the reader can embrace self-discovery and ultimately reach that timeless quest for Soul. Eric Ehrke writes from a deep humility, sharing not only his own teachable experiences but also those of his clients, helping us to transform ourselves and discover what stands in the way of loving others.”

Marjorie Schramm, MS,CAEH

“Beyond the haze of illusion, revise our templates for love, and turn difficulties into blessings. With great depth he also speaks of the cherished human and how to create a state of grace for ourselves and others. His emphasis on our inherent goodness and how to maintain our principles in the midst of serious challenges offers a new and empowered understanding of individual happiness and well-being.”

AlixSandra Parness, DD
Founder and Director of Inner Focus Mystery School for Deliberate Creators

“The writing in Henosis is extremely concise and packed with meaning, full of wisdom and profound insights. The author’s powerful personal stories grab the reader and offer new perspectives to bring swift personal change. His philosophical understanding is very clear and easily woven into modern psychology to supports his examples. This is a profound read that offers solutions and illuminates our hidden lives.”

Jay Cleve, Ph.D
Out of the Blues: Strategies That Work to Get You through the Down Times & Path of the Sacred Pipe: Journey of Love, Power, and Healing

“Henosis is a challenge to go deeper into the historical, philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of our individual and professional journeys. Eric Ehrke’s writings are a personal impetus to take time from my daily multitasking for deeper thought and reflection. I welcome his insights and inspiration.”

Susan Hanson
Past President of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Collaborative family lawyer and mediator at Hansen & Hildebrand, S.C. and co-founder of the Family Mediation Center