In The Gift of Pain global healers, visionaries, creative artists and peacemakers share how they have moved through emotional, mental, physical and spiritual pain. Ancient and alternative healing ways are discussed and the author's life story weaves the book together showing how pain can be a catalyst for transformation of consciousness.

Pain is the touchstone of all spiritual growth.

Physical. Emotional. Mental. Spiritual. Pain comes in many forms, diligently avoided by most of us, even at the risk of sacrificing the quality of our lives. But pain can (and should) be a catalyst for change, a doorway through which we travel on our journey from suffering to joy.

In The Gift of Pain, author Barbara Altemus links her personal journey of discovery with parallel experiences of world-renowned visionaries, artists, healers, and peacemakers to explore and understand the nature of pain. By drawing on themes of pain - failure, loss, addiction, lack of community, and loss of homeland, among others - these contributors share their intensely personal times of darkness and how these experiences ultimately lead to spiritual awakening and even joy.

Isabel Allende - Butch Artichoker - Chief Arvol Looking Horse - Margaret Ayers - Rev. Michael Beckwith - Blaze Bonpane - Joan Borysenko - Barbara Brennan - Rickie Byars Beckwith - Jack Canfield - Deepak Chopra - Diane Cirriancione - Larry Dossey - Linda Fickes - Lenny Foster - John Funmaker - Ela Gandhi - Dick Gregory - Alaine Haubert - Goldie Hawn - Willam Herskovic - Dr. Gerald Jampolsky - Steven Lewis - Miriam Lynette - Rigoberta Menchu Tum - Auntie Momie - Afrika Msimang - Dr. Roy Nakai - Kahu O Te Range - Rabbi Zalman Schachter - Martin Sheen - Jana Shiloh - Steven Simon and Iyanla Vanzant