|
 "Strangers
to Ourselves" by Timothy Wilson
This book is highly recommended as a fascinating description of the
way in which so much of our behavior is directed by our "adaptive
unconscious", which in Seishindo we would also sometimes speak
about as our "somatic intelligence." The author of this book
defines "unconscious" as "processes that are inaccessible
to our consciousness but that influence our judgements, feelings and/or
behavior." He describes many fascinating social psychology experiments
relevant to this subject, and draws some provocative conclusions. Some
of the implications of the research which underscore some of the theories
of Seishindo are:
1. We can perform many activities
more skillfully with little to no involvement of our conscious mind.
2. We make up stories about why we
do many things, but these stories often correspond minimally to what
is actually driving our behavior. Our conscious and nonconscious goals
very often do not match.
3. Studies show that Individuals whose
nonconscious and conscious motives correspond more closely show greater
emotional well-being than people whose goals are out of sync.
4. "Introspection" as it
is usually practiced often gets us further away from having our conscious
self construct match our adaptive unconscious... having our conscious
and nonconscious goals match.
Timothy Wilson proposes what we propose here:
If we want to truly know and live in harmony with ourselves, and if
we want to change our behavior, we have to often employ very different
strategies than the familiar introspective approach.
"Impro"
by Keith Jonhstone
This is a fascinating and highly readable book by a keen observer of
human nature. On one level, this book is about techniques of theater
improvisation. On a deeper level, this book is also about new ways of
seeing ourselves as individuals and as groups, new ways of teaching,
learning, freeing our creativity and discovering and experiencing our
deeper human bonds. I was fascinated by Johnstone's description of the
ways we unconsciously move or position ourselves to mark ourselves out
as being "high status" or "low status" in particular
groups and undertakings. I have found these insights of practical value
in coaching corporate clienta - Such as individuals who have difficulty
being taken seriously as leaders: or others who are perceived as overly
dominating and don't know why. Johnstone's understanding of creativity
is also highly provocative, inspiring, and practical. He convincingly
argues that we don't need to learn how to be creative. We only need
to become aware of and interrupt the ways we prevent ourselves from
revealing and reveling in the creativity we always already possess.
If you read this book, don't be surprised if you find yourself compelled
to pull together a group and practice some of the exercises Johnstone
describes, to explore his insights for yourself.
"A
General Theory of Love"
by Thomas Lewis, MD, Fari Amini, MD and
Richard Lannon, MD
This is a deeply fascinating, affecting, humbling and hopeful book.
It is fascinating and affecting because it explains how emotional learning
takes place, why it is so different from cognitive learning, what are
the different brain structures involved in different kinds of learning
and memory, how we acquire our temperaments and emotional habits, and
more. It is humbling because it convincingly describes how profoundly
we humans depend on our bonds with each other throughout our lives.
When we are born we learn to regulate our emotions through "limbic
resonance" with caregivers, and this forms the structure of our
brains in vital ways. Without nurture (play, handling, etc.) human infants
die. Even later in life cultivating limbic connection with loved ones
promotes our wellbeing and its lack can cause illness or death. The
authors explain that when in sync the limbic connection between people
can help them modulate emotions, hormonal status, immune function, sleep
rhythms, internal chemical processes and more. The book is hopeful because
it describes how we can shift our most deep-seated emotional patterns
even late in life - not through book learning, but through deep limbic
resonance with important others.
"Focusing"
by Eugene Gendlin, Ph.D.
This book is a classic. Research conducted in the 1970's at the University
of Chicago studied what makes effective change occur for clients in
therapy. Researchers came to the conclusion that it was not the orientation
or actions of the therapist, but was certain key internal actions of
clients, that made the difference. Those clients who got a "felt
sense" of their issues, and who worked with and changed the way
their problems concretely existed in their bodies, achieved change and
transformation that others did not. Dr. Gendlin studied this process,
which he came to call "Focusing." In this book he gives step-by-step
instructions in the practice of focusing. This is a very practical and
deeply rewarding book.
"Uncommon
Therapy" by Jay Haley
My copy of "Uncommon Therapy" by Jay Haley states on the cover,
"a casebook of an innovative psychiatrist's work in short term
therapy." The psychiatrist in question is the legendary Milton
Erickson, whose work and approach influences Seishindo, SR and NLP.
The "case histories" are thoroughly delightful tales of this
strange, humorous, deeply wise and kind man's work. Whether you read
this book to learn from descriptions of a master healer at work, to
understand more about being human, or simply for the sheer joy and fascination
of reading these tales, you will not be disappointed.
"The
Heart of Meditation: pathways to deeper experience"
by Swami Durganada
This book is both for beginning meditators and for those with mature
practices who are ready to approach the process anew and rediscover
its endless gifts of peace, wisdom and intoxication. It is a book about
the delights and trials of learning to fall more deeply into the love
that is our original nature, through dancing with our own minds in all
of their seasons and moods. It is a book about learning how to drop
into our own beings in an infinite number of ways, and recognizing and
entering the many hidden doorways to the heart that exist within and
all around us. The book is practical, subtle, playful and wise. I feel
that if Milton Erickson were to recommend a book on meditation, this
would be it.
"Emotional
Anatomy" by Stanley Keleman
This book offers practical insight into how motion, emotion and anatomy
are dynamically interrelated. Using both pictures and verbal description,
Keleman demonstrates how specific patterns of emotional response tend
to lead to specific body shaping that is rigid, collapsed, contained,
dense etc. He further shows how the structure/shape of one's body tends
to perpetuate the very emotional patterns that were a major catalyst
in generating the body shape in the first place. As a result of what
we learn here, we come to understand that, shifting the body's structure/shape
can shift one's range of available emotional experiences. One caution:
The author at times demonstrates a somewhat rigid, mechanistic, or negative
interpretation of various shapes and their corresponding patterns. Nevertheless,
this book is a very rewarding read.
"The
Man Who Listens To Horses" by Monty Roberts
This deeply moving and illuminating book is about the man whose life
and work inspired the movie and book, "The Horse Whisperer."
It is the story of how Monty Roberts learned to "train" horses
by listening to their language instead of breaking their spirits. Contemplating
his story can lead us to see with new eyes, how we too have the choice
to either brutalize or listen deeply to, our own mammalian nature. Such
an insight clearly animates much of the work of Seishindo, and has the
power to profoundly enrich our lives. I found reading this book a thoroughly
worthwhile, as well as enjoyable, adventure.
|
