The Ten Worlds: The New Psychology of Happiness

We all want to be happy, but do we know how? In this truly excellent book, the authors introduce ten core states of belief that we all move through in our search for happiness. Nine of them are based on delusions, these keep us from finding true and lasting happiness.

Although everyone can experience any state, we each have a basic “affect” that influences the world where we spend most of our time. The ten worlds, from lowest to highest (least amount of happiness to greatest) are: Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquillity, Rapture, Learning, Realization, Compassion, and Enlightenment. The authors explain what is meant by “being from a world”, or “living in a world”, which is not always what you would think. They discuss the core delusion of that world, that keeps us from reaching the greatest amount of happiness possible. For example, if we are living in the world of Hunger, we believe the delusion that the only way to be happy is to get what we want, whereas in the world of Animality, the delusion is that we only find happiness in what brings us pleasure or avoids pain. The authors present case studies of patients in their psychotherapy practice that exemplify each world, and how the patients can heal and improve by recognizing how to let go of their blocking delusions. It is a complex, profound book, which will lead you to examine your own drives and beliefs about happiness, and maybe, lead you to find greater happiness of your own.