POSTNATAL SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Secular author Christopher Lasch in his book The Culture of Narcissism notes the following: "The newborn infant -- the primary narcissist -- does not yet perceive his mother as having an existence separate from his own, and he therefore mistakes dependence on the mother, who satisfies his needs as soon as they arise, with his own omnipotence. 'It takes several weeks of postnatal development ... before the infant perceives that the source of his need ... is within and the source of gratification is outside the self.'"

Unwittingly, it seems as though the author has made a very astute diagnosis of the current spiritual narcissism that plagues modern society.

IS THAT ALL?

"There comes a time when you say even of Shakespeare, even of Beethoven, 'Is that all there is?'"

JEAN-PAUL SARTRE