The Undreamed Self: unleash the joy and creativity beneath thought, story, and identity

Are you living a life full of anxiety, frustration, and a relentless feeling that you're just not "good enough"?

You're not alone. Our modern world teaches us that happiness is a fleeting experience, something to be bought, achieved, or earned. But what if that's a fundamental misunderstanding? In The Undreamed Self, author Robin Caton shares the wisdom of her thirty-year journey with revered Tibetan master Tarthang Tulku, revealing a different way to live. She shows us how the "dreamed self"―the insecure, thought-based identity we cling to―is the very thing that keeps us from the peace we crave. Beneath the fantasies we tell ourselves, beneath our stories and concepts, an untapped potential for joy and creativity awaits.

Through powerful personal anecdotes and accessible, non-conceptual exercises, Caton guides you to:

• Identify the subtle patterns of mind that cause you to suffer.
• Discover a deeper, more profound knowing that exists before thought.
• Cultivate the inherently transformative qualities of joy, love, compassion, and equanimity.
• Uncover the innate, radiant energy of your "undreamed self."

This isn't a book about changing your circumstances. It’s about changing your understanding of who you are so you can stop grasping at your ideas about yourself and start living with the inner joy, clarity, and peace that is your birthright.

Robin Caton holds a JD from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review, and an MFA in poetry from Saint Mary’s College of California. After practicing law for 15 years with a large San Francisco firm, she resigned her partnership to write and teach. In the mid-90’s, Robin discovered the wisdom teachings of Tibetan Lama Tarthang Tulku, with whom she has studied ever since. She was the first Director of Dharma College in Berkeley, and teaches classes in the Bay Area and online to students around the world. She has published two volumes of poetry, The Color of Dusk and Omitting All That is Usually Said. Robin lives in Berkeley, California.