May, Gerald G. 1940–2005

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May, Gerald G. 1940–2005

(Gerald Gordon May)

PERSONAL:

Born June 12, 1940, in Hillsdale, MI; died April 8, 2005, in Baltimore, MD. Education: Wayne State University, M.D., 1965.

CAREER:

Psychiatrist and writer. Grant U.S. Air Force Hospital, intern, 1965-66; Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Hospital, in psychiatric residency, 1966-69; Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, DC, chief of inpatient services, 1969-71; Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster, PA, director of addictive disorders program; Pennsylvania State University, PA, clinical associate professor of psychiatry, 1972-73; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, clinical associate professor of family medicine, 1972-73; Shalem Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, part-time staff member, 1973-83, senior fellow, 1983-2005.

WRITINGS:

Simply Sane: Stop Fixing Yourself and Start Really Living, Paulist Press (New York, NY), 1977, expanded edition published as Simply Sane: The Spirituality of Mental Health, Crossroad (New York, NY), 1993.

The Open Way: A Meditation Handbook, Paulist Press (New York, NY), 1977.

Pilgrimage Home: The Conduct of Contemplative Practice in Groups, Paulist Press (New York, NY), 1979.

Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: Psychiatric Dimensions of Spiritual Direction, Harper (San Francisco, CA), 1982, published as Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: A Psychiatrist Explores Spiritual Direction, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1992.

Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology, Harper (New York, NY), 1982.

Addiction and Grace, Harper (New York, NY), 1988.

The Awakened Heart: Living beyond Addiction, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1991, published as The Awakened Heart: Opening Yourself to the Love You Need, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1993.

The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection between Darkness and Spiritual Growth, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Gerald G. May was a prominent psychiatrist and writer who known for promoting self-realization techniques. In Simply Sane: Stop Fixing Yourself and Start Really Living, he recommends positive, productive self-awareness and the understanding that change, while inevitable, need not be negative. Barbara Zelenko, writing in Library Journal, accused May of providing few "concrete examples of how to ‘go sane,’" but R.V. Williams, writing in Best Sellers, declared that Simply Sane constitutes "a clear, unpretentious, highly readable work" by a "sensible and compassionate human being."

In The Open Way: A Meditation Handbook, May provides basic instructions in developing a meditation practice, and he relates various relaxation and breathing techniques. Library Journal reviewer J.S. Bagby proclaimed The Open Way "lively" and affirmed that it offers useful information "for both the beginner and the experienced mediator." A Critic reviewer, meanwhile, acknowledged that "any prospective mediator could probably use this manual with profit."

May distinguishes between psychological and spiritual methods of psychotherapy in Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: Psychiatric Dimensions of Spiritual Direction, and he emphasizes the invigorating, restorative nature of enhanced spiritual awareness. Timothy A. Curtin wrote in America that Care of Mind, Care of Spirit "is a book that breathes … practical comprehension and a grasp of the mysterious and difficult ways of the spirit," and John Kotre wrote in Commonweal that May's book would prove useful to psychotherapists.

May continued to address issues and aspects of spirituality in Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology, in which he recommends greater spiritual awareness as a corrective to the demands and distractions of modern living. Carolyn M. Craft noted in Library Journal that May demonstrates "extraordinary perception and sensitivity," and a Choice reviewer lauded Will and Spirit as "a ground-breaking book." James L. Empereur, meanwhile, observed in America that May's study provides "an intelligent and clear presentation of the relationship between psychological and spiritual growth." He added: "For many spiritual directors it will be heartening to find a psychiatrist relativizing the claims of that profession in favor of the workings of God in the human soul."

In Addiction and Grace, May probes the psychological and spiritual facets of substance abuse and articulates the notion that addictions are prevalent aspects of human behavior. Elise Chase wrote in the Library Journal that May's book "guides readers from attachment to non-attachment," and James Alsdurf wrote in Christianity Today that the volume leads readers "to a new experience of the ‘most powerful force in the universe.’" May also addresses extreme dependency in The Awakened Heart: Living beyond Addiction, where he contends that addiction can be overcome through trust and love. Kenneth Wray wrote in the Christian Century that the book "could stimulate spirited discussion."

May explored the purposes of contemplation and darkness in his 2004 title, The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection between Darkness and Spiritual Growth. Using recent psychiatric research, as well as drawing on the lives of the mystics John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, May concludes that the gloom and possible depression brought on by confronting the soul's dark night may be therapeutic. As a Publishers Weekly reviewer put it: "We come to see it as a comforting and necessary friend, ushering in a time of transformation, rather than a gloomy blackness to avoid." Indeed, May goes on to demonstrate that by experiencing this darkness, we can come to fully understand who we are and to rid ourselves of addictions. The Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that The Dark Night of the Soul was "a relevant resource for readers of all spiritual persuasions." Similarly, writing in Spirituality and Practice, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat noted May's "skillful blend of psychology and spirituality is very appealing," and that "he has taken a difficult spiritual passage and made it much clearer." Library Journal reviewer Lisa Liquori praised May for his "simple yet profound insight," while Robert Coles wrote in the Christian Century: "Especially noteworthy is May's unwillingness to call upon today's psychological language to label these mystics as candidates for psychotherapeutic diagnosis and treatment." America critic W.W. Meissner described The Dark Night of the Soul as "a succinct, literate, graceful exposition of [the] basic mystical theology [of John and Teresa] that provides not only a successful and easily accessible popular introduction to their spiritual thought, but also a devotional and at times personal testimony that many readers will find inspiring and uplifting."

May's last book before his death in 2005 was The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature, a work that looks at the healing powers May himself found in nature, focusing on outings he took in the early 1990s. "May's elegant prose uses a storyteller's magic to plumb the profound mystery of outside events that provoke and foster inner change," wrote a Publishers Weekly critic, who went on to term May "a kind of Christian Zen master." Library Journal reviewer Graham Christian also had a positive assessment of The Wisdom of Wilderness, calling it a "fluidly written and deeply moving book." Booklist contributor Pamela Crossland concluded: "May's legacy is found in this compelling account of wildness and joy beyond understanding."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

America, October 30, 1982, Timothy A. Curtin, review of Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: Psychiatric Dimensions of Spiritual Direction; March 26, 1983, James L. Empereur, review of Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology; March 1, 2004, "Mystic Madness," p. 28.

Best Sellers, June, 1977, R.V. Williams, review of Simply Sane: Stop Fixing Yourself and Start Really Living.

Booklist, May 1, 2006, Pamela Crossland, review of The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature, p. 60.

Christian Century, January 29, 1992, Kenneth Wray, review of The Awakened Heart: Living beyond Addiction; April 6, 2004, Robert Coles, review of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection between Darkness and Spiritual Growth, p. 54.

Christianity Today, May 12, 1989, James Alsdurf, review of Addiction and Grace; August 15, 2005, Cindy Crosby, review of The Wisdom of Wilderness.

Commonweal, November 5, 1982, John Kotre, review of Care of Mind, Care of Spirit.

Critic, July, 1978, review of The Open Way: A Meditation Handbook.

Library Journal, December 1, 1976, Barbara Zelenko, review of Simply Sane; June 15, 1977, J.S. Bagby, review of The Open Way; March 1, 1983, Carolyn M. Craft, review of Will and Spirit; January, 1989, Elise Chas, review of Addiction and Grace; February 1, 2004, Lisa Liquori, review of The Dark Night of the Soul, p. 111; July 1, 2006, Graham Christian, review of The Wisdom of Wilderness, p. 81.

National Catholic Reporter, March 26, 2004, review of The Dark Night of the Soul, p. 18.

New York Times Book Review, January 17, 1977.

Publishers Weekly, December 22, 2003, review of The Dark Night of the Soul, p. 56; April 3, 2006, review of The Wisdom of Wilderness, p. 63.

Washington Post Book World, April 3, 1977.

ONLINE

Spirituality and Practice, http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/ (March 15, 2008), Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, review of The Dark Night of the Soul.