David G. Benner

touch with our actual experience

There is no greater disaster in the spiritual life than to be immersed in unreality,

life is maintained and nourished in us by our vital relation with reality.

The truly spiritual life is not an escape from reality but a total commitment to it.

when our life experiences confront us with things about ourselves that we are unwilling to accept, we call on psychological defense mechanisms to

maintain a sense of safety and stability.

Most of us are quite willing to embrace reality when it fits with how we see ourselves and the world

help with short-term coping, they block long-term growth.

they distort reality.

their function is to protect us from unpleasant truth.