In a broad perspective of psychological, historical, and evolutionary considerations, Perry investigates factors that enable cultures in crisis to reorganize. He pursues historical antecedents of cataclysmic times, focusing on mans relation to his spiritual center and his societal setting. He shows clearly the parallelism of processes of transformation in psyche and society, citing historical examples in which the unbalanced assertion of individuality and dominance has been countered through the emergence of compassionate social concern.