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F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 12<br />

Association for<br />

Humanistic Psychology<br />

<strong>Perspective</strong><br />

ahpweb.org<br />

Ram Dass and Family Love<br />

Personalizing Alternative Medicine<br />

Autism and Actualization<br />

Poetic Tribute to Thomas T. Szasz<br />

ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

Reviews<br />

WHY<br />

REGRESSION<br />

THERAPY?<br />

PRIMORDIAL<br />

PSYCHE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

1


ASSOCIATION for<br />

HUMANISTIC<br />

PSYCHOLOGY<br />

. . . since 1962, kindred spirits on the edge,<br />

where human potential and evolving<br />

consciousness meet<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> principles include integrity in personal and pr<strong>of</strong>essional interactions,<br />

authenticity, and trust in human relationships, compassion and deep<br />

listening skills, and respect for the uniqueness, value, independence,<br />

interdependence, and essential oneness <strong>of</strong> all beings.<br />

KEN EHRLICH<br />

PAST PRESIDENTS<br />

JAMES F. T. BUGENTAL<br />

SIDNEY M. JOURARD<br />

E. J. SHOBEN, JR.<br />

CHARLOTTE BÜHLER<br />

S. STANSFELD SARGENT<br />

JACK R. GIBB<br />

GERARD V. HAIGH<br />

FLOYD W. MATSON<br />

DENIS O’DONOVAN<br />

FRED MASSARIK<br />

LAWRENCE N. SOLOMON<br />

NORMA LYMAN<br />

STANLEY KRIPPNER<br />

VIN ROSENTHAL<br />

ELEANOR CRISWELL<br />

CHARLES HAMPDEN-TURNER<br />

JEAN HOUSTON<br />

GEORGE LEONARD<br />

BILL BRIDGES<br />

JACQUELINE L. DOYLE<br />

VIRGINIA SATIR<br />

RICK INGRASCI &<br />

PEGGY TAYLOR<br />

DENNIS JAFFE<br />

LAWRENCE LESHAN<br />

LONNIE BARBACH &<br />

JOHN VASCONCELLOS<br />

WILL MCWHINNEY<br />

FRANCES VAUGHAN<br />

RUBEN NELSON<br />

ELIZABETH CAMPBELL<br />

MAUREEN O’HARA<br />

SANDRA FRIEDMAN<br />

ANN WEISER CORNELL<br />

ARTHUR WARMOTH<br />

J. BRUCE FRANCIS<br />

M. A. BJARKMAN<br />

JOCELYN OLIVIER<br />

KATY ELIZABETH BRANT<br />

STAN CHARNOFSKY<br />

STEVE OLWEEAN<br />

LELAND “CHIP” BAGGETT<br />

STEVE OLWEEAN<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> OFFICE & PERSONNEL<br />

Member Services: ahp<strong>of</strong>fice@ahpweb.org, 415/435-1604; fax 415/559-5030<br />

Payments: <strong>AHP</strong>, 151 Petaluma Blvd. So., #227, Petaluma, CA 94952<br />

CEC Coordinator: Sylvia Mignon, Sylvia.Mignon@umb.edu 617/287-7384<br />

Journal <strong>of</strong> Humanistic Psychology Editor: Kirk Schneider, kschneider@sfo.com<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> <strong>Perspective</strong> Editor: Kathleen Erickson, EricksonEditorial@gmail.com<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />

Co-President: Carroy U. “Cuf ” Ferguson, (617) 287–7232; JHP Liaison<br />

Co-President: Leland “Chip” Baggett, ATP Liaison<br />

Treasurer: M. A. Bjarkman, MABahp@aol.com<br />

Secretary: Bob McGarey, Bob@humanpotentialcenter.org<br />

Stan Charn<strong>of</strong>sky, Stan.Charn<strong>of</strong>sky@csun.edu, Consulting Editor<br />

Ginger Clark, GingerClark1@gmail.com<br />

Dina Comnenou, comnenou@lesley.edu<br />

Koorosh Rassekh, kooroshra@gmail.com<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> BOARD AFFILIATES<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>y Bell, mbell55@cox.net.<br />

Olga Bondarenko, International Team, olbondarenko@mail.ru<br />

Bonnie Davenport, Membership Consultant<br />

Ken Ehrlich, kehrlich@skyweb.net, (973) 779–7793<br />

Don Eulert, <strong>Perspective</strong> Consulting Editor, farmpr<strong>of</strong>@pacbell.net<br />

Sandy Friedman, Consultant, Sandrafr@aol.com<br />

John Harnish, International Team, harnish@wildblue.com<br />

Deb Oberg, <strong>AHP</strong> Events Chair, DKOberg@aol.com<br />

Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, samuelbendeck@yahoo.com<br />

Bruce Wochholz, Web Content Consultant<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> COMMUNITIES AND ENERGY CENTERS<br />

Islamic <strong>AHP</strong>, Iran, contact S. Muhammad M. J. Tehrani,<br />

Mashaad, Iran, zjalali@hotmail.com, 98–251–293–3280<br />

Ontosophy Community, Bari, Italy, contact Francesco Palmirotta,<br />

ontopalm@gmail.com; (39) 080/763006 - 3294521246 - 3886532077<br />

http://www.solinio.com/<br />

Oregon Community, Strengthening wisdom, cooperation, positive<br />

action, contact Siderius@pobox.com<br />

Monthly meetings: personal sharing & potluck (503) 244–3420<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Issues <strong>of</strong> the Paradigm Shift, contact Chip Baggett<br />

at (828) 252–1086<br />

Somatics & Wellness, Educational & networking community<br />

focusing on integration <strong>of</strong> body & mind therapies<br />

Student Communities, Campus groups dedicated to the ideals <strong>of</strong><br />

humanistic living/psychology and active in their application,<br />

contact Stan.Charn<strong>of</strong>sky@csun.edu<br />

Technology & the Human Spirit, Exploring issues <strong>of</strong> the human<br />

spirit & developing technology, bruce.francis@capella.edu<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> CO-PRESIDENTS CHIP BAGGETT AND CUF FERGUSON<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> MEMBERSHIP<br />

connect with conscious community,<br />

enhance quality <strong>of</strong> life,<br />

and advance awareness & skill<br />

in humanistic principles & practices<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> MEMBER BENEFITS<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> PERSPECTIVE Free bimonthly newsletter.<br />

JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY Quarterly journal, free to<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Members, 75% <strong>of</strong>f subscription price for regular members<br />

<strong>AHP</strong>WEB <strong>AHP</strong>’s online publication at ahpweb.org, with Articles,<br />

Bibliographies, Bookstore, Calendar <strong>of</strong> Workshops, Web Resources . . .<br />

DIRECTORY OF HUMANISTIC PROFESSIONALS Free online<br />

Directory listing for Pr<strong>of</strong>essional members with description <strong>of</strong> your work<br />

CONFERENCE DISCOUNTS Member Discounts on some conferences/events<br />

(See Calendar <strong>of</strong> Events on page 4 and on ahpweb.org.)<br />

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS CECs on many <strong>AHP</strong> events.<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> SPONSORSHIP OF YOUR APPROVED EVENT Listings in <strong>Perspective</strong><br />

& on ahpweb, CECs, mailing lists, Sylvia.Mignon@umb.edu<br />

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE American Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

Agency 800/421-6694<br />

HEALTH AND LIFE AND DISABILITY INSURANCE<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>sh US Consumer Group 800/323-2106; www.personal-plans.com/ahp<br />

NASRO: 800/638-8113; info@nasro-co-op.com<br />

BOOK DISCOUNTS 20% discount on books from Sage Publications<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> MAILING LIST RENTAL Member discount on <strong>AHP</strong> Mailing Lists<br />

ADVERTISING DISCOUNTS Member ad rates for <strong>Perspective</strong> & ahpweb<br />

ads. Rates on p. 22 and at ahpweb.org/pub/perspective/adinfo.html<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> AUTHORS Your books listed in the <strong>AHP</strong> Humanistic Bookstore, on the<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> Authors Page, with book covers rotating on the <strong>AHP</strong> home page.<br />

MEMBERSHIP DUES<br />

Individual Regular Membership &PDF <strong>Perspective</strong> (+print)<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Membership includes Journal <strong>of</strong> Humanistic<br />

Psychology (JHP) & PDF <strong>Perspective</strong> magazine (+print)<br />

Joint ATP–<strong>AHP</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Membership (+print Persp.)<br />

Student/Senior/Limited Income/Online International<br />

Organizational Membership<br />

JHP subscription added to membership (or JHP alone)<br />

Lifetime <strong>AHP</strong> Membership<br />

JOIN AT <strong>AHP</strong>WEB.ORG<br />

OR CALL 415/435-1604<br />

$ 69 (+$15)<br />

$ 110 (+$15)<br />

$ 159 (+$15)<br />

$ 49<br />

$ 149<br />

$ 25 ($112)<br />

$1,000<br />

J. BRUCE FRANCIS<br />

2<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


<strong>Perspective</strong> magazine<br />

<strong>Feb</strong>ruary / <strong>Mar</strong>ch 2012<br />

C O N T E N T S<br />

COVER ART:<br />

Licensed by Erickson Editorial<br />

from istockphoto.com<br />

boy with kite 17841887<br />

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5<br />

6<br />

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11<br />

18<br />

12<br />

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15<br />

16<br />

16<br />

17<br />

17<br />

20<br />

21<br />

22<br />

•<br />

•<br />

NEWS & COLUMNS<br />

CALENDAR OF EVENTS<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> NEWS<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> 50th Anniversary Vision Statement<br />

Notice <strong>of</strong> <strong>AHP</strong> Board Openings<br />

ARTICLES<br />

• Ram Dass Has a Son! He began to see . . . Stuart<br />

Sovatsky<br />

• Your Emotional Type: The Advent <strong>of</strong> Personalized<br />

Alternative Medicine . . . <strong>Mar</strong>c S. Micozzi with<br />

Michael Jawer<br />

• A Humanistic <strong>Perspective</strong> <strong>of</strong> Autism: A Different<br />

Mode <strong>of</strong> Experience . . . Spyros P. Damascos<br />

• POEM: Poetic Tribute to Thomas S. Szasz<br />

T.S.S. (Truth’s Sweet Sound) . . . <strong>Mar</strong>k Meschino<br />

ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

Conference Review: ITP/ATP 3rd Annual Conference<br />

Spirituality: Promises & Pitfalls<br />

Toward a Transpersonal Revisioning <strong>of</strong> Madness<br />

. . . Michael Cornwall and David Luk<strong>of</strong>f<br />

Book Excerpt: To Forgive Is Good for You . . . Fred Luskin<br />

Conference Announcement: EUROTAS 2012:<br />

Spirituality & Creativity, Sept. 20–23, Latvia<br />

Conference Announcement: The Spiritual Heritage <strong>of</strong><br />

Africa, May 12–13, Nov. 3–4, South Africa<br />

New Co-President Steven Schmitz<br />

In Memoriam: Jeanne Achterberg . . . Eugene Taylor<br />

Transpersonal Psychology in Israel . . . Arielle Warner<br />

President’s Corner . . . David Luk<strong>of</strong>f<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

REVIEWS<br />

• Why Regression Therapy?: The View <strong>of</strong> the Inexperienced<br />

by Ulf Parczyk . . . David C. Lavra<br />

• Primordial Psyche: A Reliving <strong>of</strong> the Soul <strong>of</strong> Ancestors:<br />

A Jungian and Transpersonal Worldview by Diego<br />

Pignatelli Spinazzola . . . Excerpts<br />

• AD RATES<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> PERSPECTIVE<br />

Editor-in-Chief: Kathleen E. Erickson<br />

EricksonEditorial@gmail.com; 415/435-1604<br />

Fax: 707/559-5030; 151 Petaluma Blvd So. #227, Petaluma CA 94952<br />

Consulting Editors: Don Eulert, David Luk<strong>of</strong>f, Stan Charn<strong>of</strong>sky<br />

ATP NEWSLETTER Editor: David Luk<strong>of</strong>f<br />

DEADLINES/GUIDELINES: <strong>Feb</strong>. 1 for <strong>Feb</strong>./<strong>Mar</strong>. issue, Apr. 1 for<br />

Apr./May issue, June 1 for June/July issue, Aug. 1 for Aug./Sept. issue, Oct. 1<br />

for Oct./Nov. issue, Dec. 1 for Dec./Jan. issue. Articles: up to 2,500 words;<br />

Reviews: up to 1,000 words. Include brief bio and photo: TIF/JPEG/<br />

print. Edited for brevity and clarity.<br />

ADVERTISING: For advertising rates, see page 22.<br />

REPRINTS: Use and cite with attribution <strong>of</strong> Author, publisher<br />

(Association for Humanistic Psychology, ahpweb.org), and issue date.<br />

The PERSPECTIVE is published bimonthly for members <strong>of</strong> the<br />

ASSOCIATIONS FOR HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY and<br />

TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY.<br />

The PERSPECTIVE is free to members <strong>of</strong> the Associations for Humanistic<br />

Psychology and Transpersonal Psychology.<br />

ASSOCIATION FOR HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY<br />

151 Petaluma Blvd. So., Suite #227, Petaluma, CA 94952, (415) 435–1604,<br />

ahpweb.org Membership: (309) 828-2965; ahp<strong>of</strong>fice@aol.com<br />

JOINT MEMBERSHIP <strong>AHP</strong>–ATP<br />

$159 includes all benefits <strong>of</strong><br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Membership in both<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Member benefits:<br />

•Six stimulating, information-packed issues <strong>of</strong> our magazine, <strong>AHP</strong> <strong>Perspective</strong><br />

•Substantial discounts on <strong>AHP</strong> events, regional & Annual conferences<br />

•4 annual issues <strong>of</strong> the Journal <strong>of</strong> Humanistic Psychology<br />

•Continuing Education Credits for Conferences and Events<br />

•Listing in online Directory <strong>of</strong> Humanistic Pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />

•Discounts on <strong>AHP</strong> <strong>Perspective</strong> and ahpweb.org ad rates, mailing list rentals<br />

•Eligibility for pr<strong>of</strong>essional liability, group health, disability, and life insurance<br />

•Opportunity to link your website directly with ahpweb, as a Memberlink<br />

•Access to ahpweb’s “Members Only” section for news and opportunities<br />

ATP Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Membership Benefits:<br />

•Subscription to the semiannual Journal <strong>of</strong> Transpersonal Psychology<br />

•Access to all 35 years <strong>of</strong> Journal (JTP) articles and hundreds <strong>of</strong> audio and<br />

video recordings <strong>of</strong> past conference presenters<br />

•A searchable Networking List <strong>of</strong> members<br />

•ATP’s Listing <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Members<br />

•Listing in the ATP Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Members Guide, access to the listserv<br />

•Reduced rates for Newsletter classified advertising<br />

•ID and Password to Members Only section <strong>of</strong> atpweb.org, with full-text<br />

archives <strong>of</strong> the Journal <strong>of</strong> Transpersonal Psychology and audio<br />

archives <strong>of</strong> the past ATP conferences from 1990 to the present<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

3


CALENDAR OF EVENTS<br />

<strong>AHP</strong>-Sponsored Events<br />

VOICE DIALOGUE<br />

DASSIE HOFFMAN,<br />

Ph.D., LCAT, ADTR,<br />

& BRIDGIT DENGAL<br />

GASPARD, LMSW<br />

In 2012, the New York Voice Dialogue<br />

<strong>Institute</strong> will present its Voice Dialogue<br />

Training Sessions. The price is $400 per<br />

weekend, but you may be eligible for a<br />

pre-payment discount. For those earning<br />

CECs, there is an additional requirement<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2 private facilitations. These workshops<br />

BRIDGET DENGAL GASPARD & DASSIE HOFFMAN<br />

earn 39 CECs from the Association for Humanistic Psychology, 48 CECs from the National<br />

Association <strong>of</strong> Social Workers, and 42 CECs from the International Federation <strong>of</strong> Coaches.<br />

LEVEL ONE–3 weekends • 39 CECs<br />

Jan. 21–22, 2012, <strong>Feb</strong>. 25–26, 2012, <strong>Mar</strong>. 24–25, 2012 • New York City<br />

LEVEL TWO–3 weekends • 39 CECs<br />

April 21–22, 2012, May 5–6, 2012, June 9–10, 2012 • New York City<br />

New York Voice Dialogue <strong>Institute</strong>, New York City, 161 West 54th Street,<br />

Suite 804, New York, New York 10019<br />

Contact: http://www.newyorkvoicedialogueinstitute.org;<br />

nyvoicedialogue@yahoo.com; Dassie: (212) 956-0432; Bridgit (718) 522-4009<br />

VOICE DIALOGUE:<br />

MIRIAM DYAK and<br />

CASSANDRA COSME DE PREE<br />

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF<br />

ENERGY: A VOICE DIALOGUE<br />

FACILITATOR’S TRAINING<br />

SPONSORED BY <strong>AHP</strong> • CECs • <strong>AHP</strong> member<br />

discount <strong>of</strong> 15%<br />

Spring 2012 dates to come • Redmond,<br />

Washington<br />

ADVANCED VOICE DIALOGUE<br />

FACILITATOR TRAINING<br />

SPONSORED BY <strong>AHP</strong> • CECs • <strong>AHP</strong> discount<br />

Spring 2012 dates to come • Redmond, Washington<br />

The Voice Dialogue <strong>Institute</strong>, Sammamish,<br />

Washington; miriam@thevoicedialogueinstitute.<br />

org; http://www.thevoicedialogueinstitute.org/<br />

MIRIAM DYAK<br />

CASSANDRA COSME DE PREE<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> SUMMER CONFERENCE<br />

TRAUMA WORK IN PSYCHOTHERAPY<br />

STAN CHARNOFSKY, GINGER CLARK, KOOROSH RASSEKH<br />

stan.charn<strong>of</strong>sky@csun.edu<br />

June 2, 2012 • 9 – 5, Saturday • 6 CECs • Los Angeles<br />

Wong Conference Center, Harris Hall<br />

http://ahpsummer12membership.eventbrite.com/<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> ONLINE CLASSES<br />

WITH BOB MCGAREY et al.<br />

Bob is the Director <strong>of</strong> the Human Potential Center in<br />

Austin, Texas, and the Acting Secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>AHP</strong>. He and<br />

other <strong>AHP</strong> Board Members will be teaching online classes.<br />

Spring 2012 dates to come • CECs<br />

http://ahpweb.org<br />

GESTALT AS A WAY OF LIFE AND AS A<br />

THERAPY ONE-DAY WORKSHOP<br />

GESTALT CONSULTATION<br />

STUDY GROUP THREE-DAY<br />

WORKSHOP<br />

CYNDY SHELDON, MSW<br />

CYNDY SHELDON, MSW, who trained with Fritz<br />

Perls and James Simkin, co-founded the original Gestalt<br />

<strong>Institute</strong> <strong>of</strong> San Francisco in 1967 and taught there for<br />

25 years as well as in Europe for many years. Inspired to<br />

follow her bliss in search <strong>of</strong> a more spiritual orientation,<br />

she worked among the Navajos for 15 years. Now, in<br />

her 75th year, she is eager to share the integration <strong>of</strong> all<br />

<strong>of</strong> these experiences with those who are curious and interested. Currently she lives in<br />

Bellingham, Washington.<br />

ONE-DAY WORKSHOP: This day-long program provides a beginning understanding<br />

<strong>of</strong> the practices Gestaltists teach their clients, many <strong>of</strong> which hae similarities to<br />

Buddhism and Eckhart Tolle’s teachings. Also covered will be some <strong>of</strong> the theory and<br />

methods used. Mini-lectures and experiential exercises plus time for some personal work.<br />

SPONSORED BY <strong>AHP</strong> • 6 CECs • $125 • <strong>AHP</strong>/student discounts • 10 – 5<br />

TBA • Seattle, Washington<br />

Contact: Cyndy Sheldon, 360 656 6207, www.cyndysheldon.com<br />

cyndy.sheldon@comcast.net<br />

THREE-DAY WORKSHOP: This small study group will provide more detailed information<br />

about the history <strong>of</strong> Gestalt, the theory, medthods, and practices, as well as<br />

on-the-spot feedback to participants practicing doing Gestalt therapy with one another.<br />

SPONSORED BY <strong>AHP</strong> • 18 CECs • $300/section • <strong>AHP</strong>/student discounts<br />

May 20, July 8, August 19, 2011 • Bellevue, Washington<br />

Contact: Cyndy Sheldon, 360 656 6207, www.cyndysheldon.com<br />

cyndy.sheldon@comcast.net<br />

4<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


<strong>AHP</strong> NEWS<br />

<strong>AHP</strong> VISION STATEMENT—50th ANNIVERSARY<br />

In its 50th year, the Association for Humanistic Psychology has reflected upon its mission, over the past half century, to facilitate the<br />

understanding <strong>of</strong> the Humanistic principles within the global community. Our success in this objective is reflected in the recognition<br />

<strong>of</strong> these principles in just about every realm <strong>of</strong> science and practice relating to human service and growth around the world. We<br />

see it in such arenas as medicine and parenting, where concepts like wellness, attachment, empathic communication, self-direction,<br />

and maximizing potential are assumed to be essential in promoting good health and adjustment over the lifespan. The principles <strong>of</strong> human<br />

rights, freedom <strong>of</strong> choice, wisdom <strong>of</strong> the self, fostering relationships and community, and spiritual growth are now deeply held ideals in<br />

many <strong>of</strong> the social sciences and services. It is even reflected in public policy, with social programs and school mission statements aimed at<br />

nurturing and educating the whole child. There is great satisfaction in seeing these concepts, which were previously criticized as indulgent<br />

and harmful by fields that were rigidly behaviorally, cognitively, or physiologically based, now being affirmed as elements <strong>of</strong> best practices<br />

in providing treatment and encouraging growth.<br />

In its first iteration, <strong>AHP</strong> and Humanistic Psychology in general focused almost exclusively on the growth <strong>of</strong> the individual. While<br />

we believe that principle continues to be necessary, in the words <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> our founders it is no longer sufficient. We also recognize the<br />

importance <strong>of</strong> change and growth in relationships, families, communities, societies, and in a global context.<br />

As a result <strong>of</strong> this progress, <strong>AHP</strong> is re-envisioning its purpose and responsibility to its members and supporters. It is now time to<br />

reach further into the awareness <strong>of</strong> individuals and communities, and to reach higher into the sphere <strong>of</strong> translating new knowledge, policy,<br />

and practice into humanistic terms. The impact <strong>of</strong> humanistic psychology will be strengthened through the use <strong>of</strong> social media and other<br />

technologies that will allow <strong>AHP</strong> to increase its visibility and accessibility to the public; helping them to integrate humanistic ideas into<br />

their lives on multiple levels. This approach will also provide a platform for the creation <strong>of</strong> online learning communities designed to enrich<br />

the humanistic work <strong>of</strong> groups and communities, pr<strong>of</strong>essional networks, and government organizations. Our primary focus will be in<br />

bringing together new knowledge and practices from a variety <strong>of</strong> emerging fields (science, policy, education, politics, the arts, therapeutic/<br />

healing practices, community and cultural growth, and personal and spiritual growth), and translating those new ideas through the lens <strong>of</strong><br />

Humanistic Psychology. These interpretations will help all <strong>of</strong> us to understand and influence our ever evolving world, from a Humanistic<br />

stance. The Humanistic approach encourages a proactive stance <strong>of</strong> activism, advocacy, and social justice that promotes awareness, wisdom,<br />

purpose, respect, interdependence, and peace.<br />

NOTICE OF <strong>AHP</strong> BOARD OPENINGS<br />

The <strong>AHP</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Directors is currently seeking candidates interested in actively serving on the board. Since we are a<br />

working board, your involvement can be a rewarding opportunity to serve the organization <strong>of</strong> <strong>AHP</strong> and the mission and<br />

projects it provides in the world. Board meetings tend to be dynamic and interactive, as we <strong>of</strong>ten discuss diverse opinions<br />

about a variety <strong>of</strong> pressing organizational matters. Other than being an <strong>AHP</strong> member, there are no specific demographic<br />

requirements for serving on the board. We seek diversity <strong>of</strong> age, race, gender, education, pr<strong>of</strong>ession, and geographic<br />

location. There may be times when the board has a particular need for someone with a specialized area <strong>of</strong> knowledge<br />

or expertise (i.e. accounting, marketing, conference planning, web design, etc.). At those times, the board will likely<br />

emphasize this skill when selecting its next new board member.<br />

Before you submit your letter <strong>of</strong> application, you should be familiar with the responsibilities and expectations <strong>of</strong> being a<br />

board member. The basic term for an “at large” board position is three years. If a board member becomes an <strong>of</strong>ficer, his/<br />

her term could be extended. Primary responsibilities <strong>of</strong> “members at large” involve attending two board meetings per<br />

year (two to three days each), maintain regular internet contact with the board, and participate in whatever projects or<br />

committees you might choose. It is the responsibility <strong>of</strong> each board member to pay for his/her travel, room and board at<br />

the meetings, and maintain Internet service. The average expense to be expected per year ranges from $1500 to $3000<br />

depending on airfare to the meetings and any personal or career variables unique to your circumstances (lost working days<br />

<strong>of</strong> income). (If <strong>AHP</strong> relates to your pr<strong>of</strong>ession, expenses may be tax-deductible.)<br />

If you are interested in being considered, please submit a letter <strong>of</strong> application to the <strong>AHP</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Directors. Thank<br />

you for your time and interest in pursuing this process. Send applications to the Presidents: cuferguson@aol.com & chip@<br />

wakinguptogether.com<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

5


RAM DASS HAS A SON!<br />

“He began to see. . . .”<br />

— Stuart Sovatsky<br />

“When the [positive paternity] DNA results came back, Ram Dass<br />

was dismayed. He’d made a point <strong>of</strong> avoiding family ties . . . believing<br />

they might hold him back from attaining spiritual freedom. [He taught<br />

that family life was a kind <strong>of</strong> “melodrama,” a testing ground for one’s<br />

“spiritual growth” <strong>of</strong> Love Everyone, Serve Everyone] . . . [After meeting<br />

his adult son and young grandson in 2010] Ram Dass developed a<br />

deeper understanding <strong>of</strong> the love parents feel for their children and began<br />

to see [for the first time in his adult life?] that personal and soul love are<br />

not mutually exclusive but can coexist in nourishing ways.” http://www.<br />

huffingtonpost.com/sara-davidson/ram-dass-has-a-son_b_777452.html<br />

I<br />

wince to reconsider the life<br />

<strong>of</strong> a beautiful man who<br />

has inspired millions with<br />

his life as a bhakti yogi, his<br />

candor regarding his stroke and<br />

his bisexuality, his legendary books<br />

and humanitarian projects, and<br />

whose “Prison Ashram Project”<br />

supported my concurrent incarcerated-youth<br />

yoga projects <strong>of</strong> the<br />

mid-1970s.<br />

Yet, I wonder, perhaps if Poppa<br />

Ram Dass (from his spiritually<br />

awake state) and Mom had actually<br />

raised this son on a daily,<br />

real-life basis, he would have—for<br />

two generations, by this time—<br />

been teaching how “soul love” and<br />

personal and parental love are “not<br />

mutually exclusive” <strong>of</strong> one another,<br />

instead <strong>of</strong> the converse.<br />

Over these past forty years, Ram<br />

Dass’s numerous books (including<br />

Be Here Now that sold over two<br />

million copies, reverberating this<br />

mystically narrow temporal trope<br />

in Tolle’s three-million seller The<br />

Power <strong>of</strong> Now) and talks would<br />

surely have gone into ever-greater<br />

detail on exactly how “personal<br />

and soul love . . . can coexist in<br />

nourishing ways.”<br />

Having children <strong>of</strong>ten pr<strong>of</strong>oundly<br />

expands one’s concerned<br />

attention to “the future” in ways<br />

childless people do not (need<br />

to) feel. Such would surely<br />

have greatly affected the field <strong>of</strong><br />

Transpersonal <strong>Mar</strong>riage and Family<br />

Therapy (see Stuart Sovatsky’s<br />

“Clinical forms <strong>of</strong> love inspired<br />

by Meher Baba’s mast work and<br />

the awe <strong>of</strong> infinite consciousness,”<br />

Journal <strong>of</strong> Transpersonal Psychology,<br />

2004, 36(2):138-42.)<br />

Thus, we would now be forty<br />

years into the spirituality that has<br />

guided the overwhelming majority<br />

in India (and all other world spiritual<br />

traditions throughout history)<br />

for 5,000 years known as Grihastha<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>ga, “multi-generational<br />

family love creation spirituality.”<br />

Instead, he, (along with childless<br />

Ken Wilber and others whose<br />

work focused on “[mainly solo]<br />

spiritual heroes”) unwittingly<br />

garbled into Western lives the specialized<br />

family-less, “no ties” life<br />

<strong>of</strong> the tiny minority—“the sadhu<br />

trip”—as his one-time sadhu-yoga<br />

mentor, Baba Hari Dass, warned<br />

all Western seekers not to mix up<br />

(B. H. Dass, Silence Speaks, Santa<br />

Cruz: Sri Rama Publishing, 1997).<br />

When trying to correct for<br />

the effects <strong>of</strong> piecemeal crosscultural<br />

transmissions or other<br />

historico–biographical vagaries <strong>of</strong><br />

foundational thinkers, I find such<br />

extremely hypothetical “what ifs”<br />

to also be extremely helpful.<br />

For example, what if Freud had<br />

taken LSD (instead <strong>of</strong> Charcot’s<br />

introduction to hypnosis) as successfully<br />

as Stan Gr<strong>of</strong> has? Would<br />

psychoanalysis have included<br />

“transpersonal altered states” for<br />

the past 100 years (as happened in<br />

the more mystical Jungian analytic<br />

psychology)? In his final book,<br />

6<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


RAM DASS AND FAMILY LOVE<br />

Beyond the Pleasure Principle, a<br />

psychedelicized (rather than “cocained”)<br />

Freud might have conjectured<br />

that the “oceanic feeling”was<br />

a pr<strong>of</strong>ound matter worthy <strong>of</strong><br />

much investigation, rather than<br />

dismissing such mystical experiences<br />

as mere regressions to the<br />

womb.<br />

In other words, Freud, Jung,<br />

and Assagioli would have all<br />

been transpersonalists! And,<br />

what a powerful and “integrated”<br />

transpersonal psychology might<br />

now exist, four generations later!<br />

Various academic fields deal<br />

with the effects <strong>of</strong> incremental<br />

discoveries and bumpy, gradual,<br />

cross-cultural exchanges, misunderstandings,<br />

and revisions. Why<br />

should Transpersonal, East–West<br />

Psychology be exempt? Paradigms<br />

come and go. “Truths” are <strong>of</strong>ten<br />

wisely held as being provisionally<br />

or currently true and always emerge<br />

from human beings living in a certain<br />

time, location, and culture.<br />

And, since the Transpersonal vocabulary<br />

includes supreme terms<br />

like “enlightenment” and “spiritual<br />

purpose <strong>of</strong> all evolutionary time<br />

and space,” we might need to be<br />

especially circumspect, somewhat<br />

like the FDA must be before approving<br />

some new “life-saving”<br />

medication.<br />

Indeed, ideas might need to be<br />

“recalled” from the academy (as<br />

during major paradigm shifts) as<br />

well as from the marketplace <strong>of</strong><br />

their usage by anyone hanging out<br />

their shingle, for example as an<br />

“East–West Psychotherapist.”<br />

In this Poppa Ram Dass–revised<br />

history, “spiritual emergence”<br />

might include exactly such spiritually<br />

challenging moments as those<br />

following a positive (or negative)<br />

pregnancy test or the DNA test<br />

that pr<strong>of</strong>oundly revised Ram Dass’s<br />

understanding <strong>of</strong> “soul love.”<br />

Indeed, the emotional upheaval<br />

<strong>of</strong> possible divorces involving<br />

young children might also be<br />

viewed as “spiritual emergencies,”<br />

not just the LSD-like mystical<br />

ones <strong>of</strong> TP’s concern thus far.<br />

Such has been the concern <strong>of</strong> all<br />

spiritual traditions, for millennia,<br />

as reflected in the 1.1% and 3.8%<br />

divorce rates in India and Tibet,<br />

respectively (US rate is 50%).<br />

What if TP had been developing<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>ound therapies <strong>of</strong> family<br />

and romantic love these past forty<br />

years, with at least as much concern<br />

as for altered states <strong>of</strong> consciousness?<br />

As with any industry, such a<br />

“recall” could prove costly, in this<br />

case to our consortium <strong>of</strong> graduate<br />

schools and for any subsequent<br />

need to redo courses, quadrant<br />

charts, and techniques and goals<br />

<strong>of</strong> transpersonal therapies. For<br />

example, “Meditation” itself might<br />

change.<br />

The soul, pneuma, is so closely<br />

related to breathing that many<br />

sadhu-monastics meditate on their<br />

breath for decades en route to<br />

realizing soul or possible “beyond<br />

soul” (anatta) experiences.<br />

Grihastha meditations, on the<br />

other hand, are akin to the naturally<br />

spellbound observations <strong>of</strong><br />

ecstatically in-love, new parents/<br />

grandparents beholding their<br />

newborn or older children and<br />

grandchildren. Something like<br />

this is exactly what happened and<br />

surprised Ram Dass and revealed<br />

the meshing <strong>of</strong> soul and personal<br />

love to him, moving him from<br />

lab-proven paternity dismay to<br />

grandfatherly delight.<br />

Worth all that effort to redo<br />

syllabi, course texts, and clinical<br />

trainings? More than “worth it,”<br />

this upgrade might be the most<br />

significant moral imperative TP<br />

schools will ever face.<br />

Ram Dass<br />

Could grihastha-trained TP<br />

MFTs significantly decrease our<br />

alarming 50% divorce rate (and<br />

70% for second marriages) and<br />

the broken-home, bonding/separation/abandonment<br />

anxieties <strong>of</strong><br />

two generations <strong>of</strong> children that<br />

have been a main psychopathology<br />

in all modern psychotherapy<br />

theories and practice?<br />

Based on my own thirty-five<br />

years <strong>of</strong> clinical testing <strong>of</strong> tantric<br />

and grihastha marriage and family<br />

therapy methods, I (and two<br />

generations <strong>of</strong> client families) am<br />

sure <strong>of</strong> it.<br />

Indeed, personal and soul love<br />

can nourish each other in ways<br />

that can remain hidden, even from<br />

highly evolved persons. If training<br />

programs take Ram Dass at his<br />

word, this powerful integration <strong>of</strong><br />

personal and soul level could uplift<br />

the course <strong>of</strong> future family lineage<br />

and embodied world history itself<br />

into greater, loving wholeness.<br />

STUART SOVATSKY, Ph.D., MFT,<br />

(Princeton, CIIS) has created projects<br />

with the Offi ce <strong>of</strong> the Dalai Lama, the<br />

President <strong>of</strong> Slovenia, and the Moscow<br />

Psychoanalytic <strong>Institute</strong> in the Sovatsky<br />

Method; with publications on grihastha/<br />

tantra (India, Italy, Malaysia, Russia,<br />

The New York Times), The History<br />

<strong>of</strong> Hinduism in America (Columbia<br />

U. Press) and suicidal linguistics,<br />

was founding consultant <strong>of</strong> a $34M<br />

award-winning green project, pioneered<br />

incarcerated youth/“fl op house” yoga<br />

(1974–1979), and is a kirtan master<br />

with Axis Mundi. Stuartcs1@comcast.net<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

7


YOUR EMOTIONAL TYPE:<br />

The Advent <strong>of</strong> Personalized Alternative Medicine<br />

— <strong>Mar</strong>c S. Micozzi with Michael Jawer<br />

It is well-recognized that<br />

many medical treatments—<br />

whether conventional or<br />

alternative—don’t work<br />

equally well for everyone. One<br />

person may respond better to a<br />

given drug than someone else taking<br />

the identical medication; one person<br />

may return to good health after a<br />

medical procedure whereas someone<br />

else who had the same symptoms<br />

and followed the same postprocedural<br />

advice does not.<br />

The same is true in the field <strong>of</strong><br />

complementary and alternative<br />

medicine (CAM for short). Here’s<br />

a case in point. In 1995, I appeared<br />

on Good Morning America to be<br />

interviewed about my textbook<br />

Fundamentals <strong>of</strong> Complementary and<br />

Alternative Medicine. (Now in its<br />

fourth edition, Fundamentals was, at<br />

that time, the first US textbook on<br />

the subject.) Co-host Joan Lunden<br />

told me during the segment that she<br />

was bothered by shoulder pain from<br />

an injury suffered horseback riding.<br />

She had tried acupuncture, but it<br />

hadn’t worked—though she wanted<br />

it to work, believed that it would<br />

work, and had many friends for<br />

whom it did work. If acupuncture<br />

were merely a placebo, Ms. Lunden<br />

should have derived some benefit.<br />

The fact that she did not illustrates<br />

the individualized nature <strong>of</strong> our<br />

physical and emotional wellbeing—and<br />

that even alternative<br />

therapies documented to be effective<br />

work better for some people and not<br />

as well for others.<br />

Why should this be? The ready<br />

answer is that, since people differ by<br />

age and sex, have different lifestyles,<br />

significantly different habits and<br />

occupations (a high-stress job, for<br />

example), their health outcomes<br />

will <strong>of</strong> course be different. But even<br />

when those variables are controlled<br />

(that is, when experiments compare<br />

people who are very similar in these<br />

respects), we still find unexpected<br />

differences in outcome. An example<br />

is the placebo effect. Scientists find<br />

that some people respond incredibly<br />

well to a sugar pill or another<br />

“sham” treatment; their symptoms<br />

will abate or disappear entirely.<br />

Other people, matched so there are<br />

no obvious differences, derive little<br />

or no benefit. No one knows quite<br />

why. While both nature (genetics)<br />

and nurture (environment) are<br />

presumed to play a role, the gap in<br />

understanding represents a major<br />

challenge in placebo research.<br />

A SHIFT IN LANDSCAPE<br />

Fortunately, attitudes are changing.<br />

The fact that individuals differ<br />

in so many ways—their degree<br />

<strong>of</strong> introversion or extroversion,<br />

their general outlook on life, their<br />

ease in expressing emotion, their<br />

degree <strong>of</strong> bodily awareness, their<br />

susceptibility to stress and infection,<br />

their openness to experience, their<br />

resilience to life challenges—now<br />

represents the hottest topic in<br />

psychology and behavioral science.<br />

A book celebrating the virtues<br />

<strong>of</strong> introspection was recently<br />

featured in a Time magazine cover<br />

story (Bryan Walsh, The Power<br />

<strong>of</strong> Introverts, Time, <strong>Feb</strong>ruary 6,<br />

2012, 40–45). Another new book,<br />

by a leading neuroscientist, looks<br />

at the brain as the focal point <strong>of</strong><br />

individual differences (Richard J.<br />

Davidson with Sharon Begley, The<br />

Emotional Life <strong>of</strong> Your Brain, New<br />

York: Hudson Street Press, 2012)<br />

And yet another recent release, by a<br />

pair <strong>of</strong> Harvard University authors,<br />

presents criteria by which different<br />

people can evaluate the kind and<br />

extent <strong>of</strong> medical care they might<br />

need (Jerome Groopman and<br />

Pamela Hartzband, Your Medical<br />

Mind, New York: Penguin, 2011).<br />

The time has clearly come for<br />

society to move beyond “one size fits<br />

all” medicine. This is how we might<br />

characterize a medical system that<br />

puts each <strong>of</strong> us into a box based on<br />

the disease or disorder we have and<br />

the diagnosis or treatment that is<br />

expected to always work for us. That<br />

nearly half <strong>of</strong> all Americans have<br />

sought out various CAM therapies<br />

speaks to people’s rising frustration<br />

with “one size fits all” medicine<br />

and their desire for their healthcare<br />

choices to better align with their<br />

individual needs, outlooks—and,<br />

yes, personalities.<br />

FEELINGS AND PERSONALITY<br />

“Personality” is the word that<br />

best sums up what we mean<br />

when we talk about individual<br />

differences. The accumulation <strong>of</strong><br />

those differences, after all, is what<br />

distinguishes one person most<br />

meaningfully from another within a<br />

given society or culture.<br />

A useful definition <strong>of</strong> personality<br />

is the following, courtesy <strong>of</strong> The<br />

American Heritage Dictionary <strong>of</strong> the<br />

8<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


PERSONALIZED MEDICINE<br />

English Language: “a person as the<br />

embodiment <strong>of</strong> distinctive traits <strong>of</strong><br />

mind and behavior.” This definition<br />

captures an extremely important<br />

(though woefully overlooked) aspect<br />

<strong>of</strong> ourselves: that we are embodied.<br />

The fact that each <strong>of</strong> us is embodied<br />

means that we have a “me” that is<br />

distinct from the world around us.<br />

The physical boundary between<br />

“me” and “not me” literally defines<br />

the individual as a living being, and<br />

provides the foundation for our<br />

unique personalities.<br />

What else is essential to<br />

personality? You might <strong>of</strong>fer “my<br />

thoughts, my memories, my<br />

consciousness”—and you’d be<br />

right. But as science has delved into<br />

what it means to be human, it has<br />

made a curious discovery: that what<br />

underlies our consciousness is our<br />

sentience, our capacity to feel. As<br />

the novelist Milan Kundera once<br />

said, “‘I think, therefore I am’ is<br />

the statement <strong>of</strong> an intellectual<br />

who underrates toothaches.” And<br />

it’s true. We now know that the<br />

brain is but one player (albeit<br />

a highly important one) in a<br />

bodily troupe where biochemical<br />

messages circulate everywhere,<br />

instantaneously. The brain is on<br />

the receiving end <strong>of</strong> messages from<br />

elsewhere in the body as <strong>of</strong>ten as<br />

it’s the sender. So, what our senses<br />

perceive and what we ultimately<br />

feel is very much an embodied<br />

affair. Descartes, it turns out, was<br />

mistaken. His famous dictum is<br />

more accurately put as follows: “I<br />

feel, therefore I am.”<br />

If personality is a matter <strong>of</strong><br />

feeling, so feeling is a matter <strong>of</strong><br />

energy. The very word emotion<br />

conveys the energy that we can feel<br />

in our bodies. (The word derives<br />

from the Latin emovere, meaning “to<br />

move from” or “to move out <strong>of</strong>.”)<br />

While this energy ebbs and flows<br />

as we go through our day—and<br />

inevitably varies as we go through<br />

MARC S. MICOZZI<br />

“up” or “down” periods in our life—<br />

we feel something as long as we’re<br />

alive. We are literally animated, and<br />

we feel accordingly.<br />

BOUNDARIES: A KEY<br />

CONCEPT<br />

An enormously useful way to<br />

connect personality differences with<br />

health is the concept <strong>of</strong> boundaries.<br />

Developed by Dr. Ernest Hartmann<br />

<strong>of</strong> Tufts University, this framework<br />

allows us to understand why one<br />

person may develop one type <strong>of</strong><br />

chronic illness while someone else<br />

develops another—and why a given<br />

alternative therapy works better for<br />

one person than another.<br />

Boundaries are a means to<br />

appraise the characteristic way a<br />

person operates in the world based<br />

on how that person handles the<br />

energy <strong>of</strong> feelings. To what extent<br />

are stimuli “let in” or “kept out?<br />

How are an individual’s feelings<br />

processed internally? The concept<br />

<strong>of</strong> boundaries <strong>of</strong>fers a window into<br />

perhaps the most fundamental way<br />

that we function as human beings.<br />

According to Hartmann, each<br />

<strong>of</strong> us can be characterized on a<br />

spectrum <strong>of</strong> boundaries from thick<br />

to thin. People who have thick<br />

boundaries strike us as solid and<br />

well-organized; they keep everything<br />

in its place. They may seem rigid,<br />

MICHAEL JAWER<br />

even armored; we might remark<br />

that they are “thick-skinned.” People<br />

who have thin boundaries, on the<br />

other hand, strike us as especially<br />

sensitive, open, empathetic, or<br />

vulnerable. In their minds, things<br />

are relatively fluid. We might say<br />

that they are “touchy” or “thinskinned.”<br />

The concept is particularly useful<br />

in illustrating how individuals differ<br />

in their emotional style. Thick<br />

boundary people tend to be calm,<br />

stoic, or persevering; they don’t<br />

emote easily and will <strong>of</strong>ten suppress<br />

or deny strong feelings. Indeed,<br />

feelings for them are something like<br />

a foreign language. The situation is<br />

much different for thin boundary<br />

people. Their feelings flow easily and<br />

may present as a volatile mix. They<br />

also tend to be highly empathetic,<br />

responding strongly to physical<br />

and emotional pain and distress in<br />

others as well as in themselves.<br />

Since the 1980s, at least 5,000<br />

people have taken Hartmann’s<br />

Boundary Questionnaire (BQ) and<br />

more than 100 published papers<br />

have referenced it. The scores on<br />

the BQ are distributed across the<br />

spectrum <strong>of</strong> boundaries in a Bellshaped<br />

curve. Women tend to score<br />

significantly thinner than men, and<br />

older people tend to score somewhat<br />

thicker than younger people.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

9


PERSONALIZED MEDICINE<br />

THE FLOW OF FEELING<br />

From our vantage point, the energy<br />

<strong>of</strong> feelings works differently in<br />

different people depending on<br />

where they are along the boundary<br />

spectrum. A good way to envision<br />

this energy flow is to consider the<br />

proposition that feelings are like<br />

water. Picture any given feeling as<br />

a flow <strong>of</strong> clear, cold water, rippling<br />

through the body, in continuous<br />

motion. In people whose boundaries<br />

are thinner, that flow is quicker<br />

and more direct.<br />

An especially thin<br />

boundary person<br />

will come across<br />

as highly sensitive,<br />

reactive, even<br />

“flighty” because his<br />

or her feelings flow<br />

quickly through<br />

the organism. In<br />

contrast, people<br />

who have thicker<br />

boundaries exhibit<br />

a feeling flow<br />

that is slower and<br />

less direct. An<br />

especially thick<br />

boundary person<br />

will appear alo<strong>of</strong>,<br />

imperturbable, even<br />

“dull” because his or her feelings<br />

proceed more slowly. Studies show,<br />

however, that a thick boundary<br />

person is ultimately affected just as<br />

much by what’s happening within—<br />

it’s just less immediately apparent.<br />

The resulting differences in health<br />

are significant. Evidence suggests<br />

that thick boundary people are more<br />

prone to hypertension, chronic<br />

fatigue syndrome, and ulcers;<br />

whereas thin boundary people<br />

are more susceptible to migraine,<br />

irritable bowel syndrome, and<br />

allergies. The particular form that a<br />

chronic illness takes has much to do<br />

with the way the stream <strong>of</strong> feeling<br />

meanders within an individual.<br />

In one person, it may pool in a<br />

particular locale or ripple over into a<br />

tributary. In another person, it may<br />

cascade freely. In a third person, the<br />

flow may be dammed up. Given<br />

that energy is involved in any case,<br />

various symptoms (pain, fatigue,<br />

immune disorders) may result.<br />

PERSONALIZED MEDICINE<br />

FOR YOU<br />

Just as various illnesses will affect<br />

some people more than others,<br />

it makes sense that various CAM<br />

approaches will benefit some<br />

people more than others. We have<br />

performed an analysis <strong>of</strong> seven<br />

alternative<br />

therapies<br />

according<br />

to boundary<br />

type—the first<br />

time such an<br />

evaluation<br />

has been<br />

undertaken.<br />

The results are<br />

presented in<br />

our book Your<br />

Emotional Type.<br />

It turns out that<br />

thin boundary<br />

types typically<br />

respond well<br />

to an imagerybased<br />

approach,<br />

such as hypnosis. Thick boundary<br />

types, on the other hand, respond<br />

well to a more “hands on” therapy<br />

such as bi<strong>of</strong>eedback. And, the data<br />

show, most everyone can benefit<br />

from acupuncture and from a<br />

practice such as mindfulness-based<br />

stress reduction.<br />

We chose the therapies we did<br />

(acupuncture, bi<strong>of</strong>eedback, guided<br />

imagery, hypnosis, meditation,<br />

stress reduction, and yoga) because<br />

these have been extensively studied<br />

and are well-established as safe<br />

and effective. These “Super Seven”<br />

have helped millions <strong>of</strong> people and<br />

saved them a substantial amount<br />

<strong>of</strong> money in the process. They<br />

constitute sound, cost-effective<br />

treatments that—based on your<br />

boundary type—have a reasonable<br />

chance <strong>of</strong> improving your health.<br />

This is true personalized medicine<br />

that is far more affordable and<br />

obtainable than genetic testing (the<br />

model that conventional medicine<br />

is moving toward to “individualize”<br />

treatments).<br />

Your Emotional Type enumerates<br />

a dozen chronic illnesses (the<br />

“Dozen Discomforts”) that are most<br />

amenable to CAM treatment. These<br />

include allergies, asthma, chronic<br />

fatigue syndrome, depression,<br />

fibromyalgia, hypertension,<br />

irritable bowel syndrome, migraine,<br />

phantom pain, post traumatic stress<br />

disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, skin<br />

conditions (eczema, psoriasis),<br />

and ulcer. They differ from many<br />

diseases because they are rooted in<br />

one’s emotional biology. The Dozen<br />

Discomforts are constitutional; they<br />

directly relate to how the energy <strong>of</strong><br />

feelings works within us.<br />

Allopathic medicine, which<br />

fundamentally views sickness as<br />

originating outside the person, fails<br />

in many cases to successfully treat<br />

chronic pain and illness. CAM,<br />

however, can <strong>of</strong>ten do so because<br />

it takes a more holistic approach.<br />

By knowing your boundary type<br />

(or the boundary type <strong>of</strong> your<br />

patients if you are a practitioner)—<br />

and understanding how it relates<br />

to chronic illness—you have the<br />

power to take healing into your own<br />

hands—and to select the therapies<br />

most likely to bring about benefit.<br />

MARC S. MICOZZI, MD, Ph.D., is<br />

the author <strong>of</strong> Your Emotional Type,<br />

with MICHAEL JAWER. Further<br />

information on their book is available<br />

at http://www.youremotionaltype.com.<br />

The Boundary Questionnaire (BQ) is<br />

posted there; results <strong>of</strong> the 18-question<br />

quiz are tallied automatically so that<br />

individuals can see where they fall<br />

on the boundary spectrum. The BQ<br />

typically takes less than 10 minutes to<br />

complete and score.<br />

10<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


A Humanistic <strong>Perspective</strong> on Autism:<br />

A Different Mode <strong>of</strong> Experience<br />

— Spyros P. Damascos<br />

On <strong>Feb</strong>ruary 17, 2012, a<br />

research study, Differences<br />

in White Matter Fiber<br />

Tract Development Present<br />

From 6 to 24 Months in Infants<br />

With Autism, was published in<br />

the Journal <strong>of</strong> American Psychiatry<br />

(Wolff et al., AIA, 1–12, doi:<br />

0.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11091447).<br />

The conclusions “suggest that<br />

aberrant development <strong>of</strong> white<br />

matter pathways may precede the<br />

manifestation <strong>of</strong> autistic symptoms<br />

in the first year <strong>of</strong> life.” Jason J.<br />

Wolff, who studies developmental<br />

disabilities at the University <strong>of</strong><br />

North Carolina, was quoted the<br />

same day by news media: “the<br />

findings are consistent with what<br />

researchers suspect about autism’s<br />

development, there is a complex<br />

interaction between genes, and a<br />

child’s experiences with the world.”<br />

This essay concerns Wolff’s latter<br />

phrase, “a child’s experiences with<br />

the world,” and is based on my<br />

philosophical–clinical observations<br />

working occasionally with autistic<br />

children, mainly at the Child<br />

Guidance Clinic <strong>of</strong> Duval County<br />

in Jacksonville, Florida.<br />

Perhaps because <strong>of</strong> “differences<br />

in white matter fiber tract” or any<br />

other aberration, messages entering<br />

the thinking process <strong>of</strong> some autistic<br />

children might be somewhat oblique.<br />

Very much like refraction, distorted<br />

imaging <strong>of</strong> a light ray through water.<br />

Consequently, if a child perceives a<br />

distorted image <strong>of</strong> their environment,<br />

then understanding <strong>of</strong> one’s self, the<br />

world in general, and responses will<br />

also be oblique. And if perceptions<br />

are painful, they may trust only<br />

their own esoteric world, rejecting,<br />

even shutting down completely, the<br />

peripheral environment, while fiercely<br />

protecting, defending, and preserving<br />

the benevolent inner world, where<br />

they are in sole command.<br />

To deal with such a child, the<br />

most exigent initial task is<br />

establishing a means <strong>of</strong> contact,<br />

gradually entering an autistic child’s<br />

world, protected by well-embedded<br />

detachment, frequent ritualistic<br />

mannerisms, and bewildering<br />

outbursts <strong>of</strong> anger; sometimes even<br />

self-injurious behavior.<br />

Imitating, as a learning process,<br />

not in jest, an autistic child’s most<br />

frequent repetitive behavior, such as<br />

rocking, can enable one to become<br />

more acquainted with the child’s<br />

functioning in the world. It will<br />

enhance one’s understanding and<br />

appreciation <strong>of</strong> an autistic child’s<br />

mode <strong>of</strong> life and existence. And<br />

if, at some point, the child begins<br />

imitating you, then that would<br />

signal the beginning <strong>of</strong> his, her,<br />

attempting to break through their<br />

emotional hermeticism.<br />

Unexpected, brief eye contact<br />

could also be a way a non-verbal<br />

autistic child can signal that he,<br />

she, is reaching out to you. Receive<br />

the message with the earnest<br />

acknowledgement <strong>of</strong> a smile, the<br />

confirming, encouraging warmth<br />

<strong>of</strong> a hug (if accepted). It will be<br />

your turn to give surety that you<br />

will be there to Welcome an autistic<br />

child to the outside world. Make<br />

your best impression, because you,<br />

collectively, will be representing<br />

all the best the child’s immediate<br />

environment has to <strong>of</strong>fer. Initial<br />

contact and beyond largely<br />

depend on building unwavering<br />

trust derived from unconditional<br />

acceptance, love, and devotion.<br />

Metaphorically, “if you accept my<br />

world, I will try to accept yours.”<br />

As evidenced by their remarkable<br />

memory, autistic children’s receptive<br />

language appears to be overdevoped,<br />

while expressive language<br />

seems to be underdeveloped, which<br />

might suggest that autism is a<br />

communication disorder.<br />

Regardless <strong>of</strong> what age autistic<br />

children pierce through the expressive<br />

language barrier and succeed in<br />

uttering their first word, speech<br />

development will follow normal<br />

stages beginning with echolalia,<br />

which could be a much lengthier<br />

phase than for a non-autistic child.<br />

Nonetheless, keep in mind that the<br />

longer an echolalic sentence is, the<br />

more enriched autistic children’s<br />

vocabulary becomes. And when they<br />

feel ready to practice a new skill,<br />

they just might suddenly surprise<br />

everyone with two-to-three word<br />

sentence echolalia, drawn out <strong>of</strong> their<br />

vast memory.<br />

As important as development<br />

<strong>of</strong> speech is to their progress, not<br />

every autistic child will accomplish<br />

this to the same level <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>iciency.<br />

Silent self-communication, however,<br />

is intact, recording everything<br />

that is occurring internally and<br />

externally. Not being able to directly<br />

express what and how an event has<br />

influenced one’s self, psyche, does<br />

not mean that the event passed<br />

unnoticed.<br />

Autism requires a multidimensional<br />

approach: individual and<br />

family therapy, speech therapy, and<br />

special education. Each minute<br />

step <strong>of</strong> progress attained, every<br />

enlightening moment in the lives <strong>of</strong><br />

autistic children and their parents, is<br />

celebrated as a joyous event.<br />

If according to Wolff, “kids<br />

don’t just suddenly become autistic,<br />

getting there is a journey,” assisting<br />

autistic individuals to transcend<br />

physical aberrations and liberating<br />

them from the self-protective<br />

enclosure <strong>of</strong> emotional hermeticism<br />

en route to an undaunted ascent<br />

into the completeness and<br />

contentment <strong>of</strong> self-actualization,<br />

defined by their aspirations, is an<br />

even longer voyage.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

11


ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

CONFERENCE REVIEW<br />

SPIRITUALITY: Promises & Pitfalls<br />

The Third ATP–ITP<br />

Spirituality & Psychology<br />

Conference was held<br />

<strong>Feb</strong>ruary 17–19, 2012,<br />

on the campus<br />

<strong>of</strong> Menlo College<br />

in Atherton,<br />

<strong>California</strong>. Roger<br />

Walsh set the<br />

tone for dialogue<br />

throughout the<br />

3-day conference<br />

by invoking<br />

the role <strong>of</strong> the<br />

gnostic intermediary,<br />

which<br />

he personally<br />

has embodied<br />

throughout his<br />

many decades <strong>of</strong><br />

work, and which<br />

also represents the role <strong>of</strong> translat-<br />

ROBERT FRAGER DELIVERING<br />

KEYNOTE ADDRESS<br />

ing and transmitting spiritual wisdom<br />

and practices that the whole<br />

field <strong>of</strong> transpersonal psychology<br />

has embodied. Shauna Shapiro<br />

caught participants up to<br />

speed on the neuroscience<br />

supporting the cultivation<br />

<strong>of</strong> spiritual development.<br />

Robert Frager performed<br />

the gnostic intermediary<br />

task <strong>of</strong><br />

highlighting the<br />

contribution to<br />

understanding<br />

and well-being<br />

that is contained<br />

in Sufi beliefs<br />

and practices.<br />

Jim Fadiman<br />

got everyone to<br />

laugh about it<br />

all while reflecting on just what<br />

Heather L. Hunt<br />

a journey transpersonal psychology<br />

and spirituality have been<br />

traversing together. Stay tuned for<br />

the 2014 ATP–ITP Spirituality<br />

& Psychology Conference. These<br />

talks are available for ATP members<br />

and Joint ATP–<strong>AHP</strong> Members<br />

on the ATP website www.<br />

atpweb.org<br />

ITP students Jennifer, Ana, Daniel, and R. J.<br />

Heather L. Hunt<br />

Toward a Transpersonal Revisioning <strong>of</strong> Madness<br />

— Michael Cornwall and David Luk<strong>of</strong>f<br />

At the recent ATP/ITP<br />

conference, we did a<br />

well-received workshop<br />

called An Integrative<br />

Approach to Psychosis: Facilitating<br />

Psychological Healing and<br />

Spiritual Emergence. We drew on<br />

the pioneering, paradigm-shifting<br />

work <strong>of</strong> Jung, R. D. Laing, Stan<br />

Gr<strong>of</strong>, John Weir Perry, and Richard<br />

Price <strong>of</strong> Esalen—as well as<br />

David’s own worldwide teaching<br />

on spirituality and mental health<br />

and his groundbreaking work on<br />

the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical<br />

Manual <strong>of</strong> Mental Disorders).<br />

Michael shared his experience<br />

from working in a medication-free<br />

madness sanctuary and research<br />

on the Jungian medication-free,<br />

transpersonal program, Diabasis<br />

House.<br />

Just two months before, we had<br />

co-led an Esalen workshop on the<br />

same alternative approach to madness.<br />

In November 2012, there<br />

will be a large invited conference<br />

at Esalen that will fully revive the<br />

decades-old initiative begun in the<br />

1960s called Alternative Views<br />

and Approaches to Psychosis.<br />

That historic Esalen Center for<br />

Theory and Research initiative has<br />

been dormant since 1987.<br />

There is a worldwide resurgence<br />

in approaching madness as<br />

12<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

BOOK EXCERPT<br />

TO FORGIVE IS GOOD FOR YOU<br />

— Fred Luskin<br />

Forgiveness is the process<br />

<strong>of</strong> changing the<br />

story we tell <strong>of</strong> a painful<br />

life experience from a<br />

victim story to a heroes story. The<br />

Stanford Forgiveness Projects have<br />

shown that changing that story<br />

to one that is more benign or less<br />

blaming is good for one’s mental<br />

and physical well-being. Forgiveness<br />

does not mean we forget what<br />

happened; it means we remember<br />

it differently. We have learned<br />

teaching forgiveness for so many<br />

years that it is through<br />

the story we tell that<br />

we lock in the negative<br />

way a hurtful situation<br />

has caused us pain.<br />

Our story places what<br />

happened to us in sequence<br />

and allows us to<br />

describe our feelings. We<br />

provide commentary on<br />

the events and provide<br />

interpretation <strong>of</strong> people’s<br />

actions. Most importantly, our story<br />

allows us to say what the experience<br />

means to us. To do that we must<br />

decide what events to highlight and<br />

which to minimize or dismiss. Little<br />

do any <strong>of</strong> us know how much is<br />

riding on the outcome <strong>of</strong> what we<br />

decide to highlight, interpret, and<br />

leave out in our account. Little do<br />

we know the potential damage, if<br />

our story becomes a grievance story.<br />

—Forgive for Good, Chapter 4<br />

Suffering people rarely consider<br />

that the stories they tell emerge<br />

from selecting content out <strong>of</strong> a<br />

wide range <strong>of</strong> possible experiences.<br />

They almost never<br />

consider that some<br />

decisionmaking was<br />

involved or that there<br />

are many ways to<br />

describe any particular<br />

situation. They do<br />

not understand that<br />

the main purpose <strong>of</strong><br />

one’s story is to create<br />

a narrative to make<br />

meaning <strong>of</strong> what<br />

happened, and not to<br />

search for objective truth. When<br />

in pain and filled with adrenaline<br />

and difficult emotions, the story<br />

that emerges is one that if not<br />

reevaluated can lead to extended<br />

interpersonal and intrapersonal<br />

conflict.<br />

Having dealt with people who<br />

have lost family members to<br />

hatred in Northern Ireland, the<br />

911 attacks, Sierra Leone, and<br />

other violence around the world, I<br />

understand the necessity <strong>of</strong> creating<br />

a story to make sense out <strong>of</strong><br />

what happened. However, I also<br />

understand in a way that many<br />

people do not, the equal imperative<br />

to let that grievance story go.<br />

Our work has shown that forgiveness<br />

rightfully applied is a wonderful<br />

balm for troubled husbands<br />

and wives, parents and children,<br />

neighbors, work partners, and<br />

even those harmed by people they<br />

do not know. I believe it should be<br />

applied much more liberally and<br />

deliberately when possible.<br />

FRED LUSKIN, Ph.D., is an ATP<br />

Board Member, author <strong>of</strong> Forgive for<br />

Good, and Director <strong>of</strong> the Stanford<br />

Forgiveness Projects.<br />

Madness (continued)<br />

a transpersonal experience. It is<br />

an auspicious time for an intelligible,<br />

transpersonal, and integrative<br />

understanding and response<br />

to madness to further evolve. To<br />

catch some <strong>of</strong> the spirit <strong>of</strong> this<br />

recharged revolutionary movement,<br />

check out Michael’s blog:<br />

Towards an Alternative Understanding<br />

<strong>of</strong> Madness on Pulitzer<br />

Prize finalist Robert Whitaker’s<br />

new web magazine Madinamerica.<br />

com. Whitaker’s best-selling book<br />

Anatomy <strong>of</strong> an Epidemic, which<br />

is a powerful expose <strong>of</strong> the failures<br />

<strong>of</strong> the medical model <strong>of</strong> psychiatry,<br />

has sparked a worldwide call<br />

for the transformation <strong>of</strong> mental<br />

health services that will come to<br />

view the whole person—body,<br />

mind, spirit, and soul.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

13


ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT<br />

EUROTAS 2012 Conference:<br />

Spirituality and Creativity<br />

September 20–23, 2012, Latvia<br />

Baltic Beach Hotel (left) and Majori Beach in Jurmala, on the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Riga, Latvia (by Daboyeh, Wikipedia Commons)<br />

EUROTAS (The European<br />

Transpersonal Association) has<br />

a brilliant tradition—to have a<br />

conference in a different European<br />

country each year. The 14th<br />

Eurotas Conference will take place<br />

in Jurmala, Latvia, at the Baltic<br />

Beach luxury Hotel and spa, with<br />

the beautiful, yellow sand beach,<br />

on September 20–23, 2012. You<br />

will be able to enjoy the charm <strong>of</strong><br />

a northern ocean with its fresh air<br />

and long sandy beaches that invite<br />

meditative walks and promise stillness.<br />

The theme <strong>of</strong> the conference<br />

SPIRITUALITY AND CREATIV-<br />

ITY will also challenge you to not<br />

only stay in a passive mode but<br />

to become an active part <strong>of</strong> the<br />

conference arrangement—becoming<br />

creative yourself while enriching and<br />

enjoying the Eurotas community.<br />

Dr. Ingo B. Jahrsetz, President <strong>of</strong><br />

Eurotas, notes that, “Eurotas has in<br />

the last few years become a community<br />

<strong>of</strong> people who dare to have an<br />

open-hearted and creative exchange,<br />

while also applying scientific rigour<br />

and gaining spiritual depth.”<br />

The Latvian Transpersonal Association<br />

<strong>of</strong> Psychology and Psychotherapy,<br />

which is organizing the<br />

2012 Conference, mainly consists<br />

<strong>of</strong> Art Therapists whose three main<br />

aims are to explore the interaction<br />

<strong>of</strong> creativity and spirituality: 1) in<br />

the field <strong>of</strong> psychology and psychotherapy;<br />

2) in the growth, transformation,<br />

and healing <strong>of</strong> the everyday<br />

life <strong>of</strong> an individual; and 3) in the<br />

development <strong>of</strong> human society as a<br />

whole.<br />

During the creative process,<br />

people <strong>of</strong>ten find themselves in a<br />

special altered state <strong>of</strong> mind. Art in<br />

its essence is transpersonal. We are<br />

creating this Conference as a large<br />

piece <strong>of</strong> art and invite you to paint<br />

it with the colors <strong>of</strong> your personalities<br />

and presence. This will be a happening<br />

where everyone will become<br />

an artist!<br />

We invite psychologists, psychotherapists,<br />

philosophers, educators,<br />

artists, and other specialists to<br />

explore and give lectures, presentations,<br />

workshops, and discussions.<br />

Everyone is welcome to submit their<br />

presentation with the following<br />

criteria:<br />

— Use an approach that is compatible<br />

with the science <strong>of</strong> psychology;<br />

— Develop a creative and dynamic<br />

presentation; and<br />

— Include empirical evidence or<br />

case examples.<br />

Latvian writer Sudraba Edžus has<br />

a well-known story about Crazy<br />

Dauka—a boy who wanted to<br />

reach the place where the sky and<br />

the sea meet, to get to know what is<br />

beyond . . .<br />

We invite you to come together<br />

with us to explore “what is beyond<br />

the horizon”! Our conference will<br />

take place at the Baltic seacoast. The<br />

sea is a symbol <strong>of</strong> unity, wisdom,<br />

depth, and new challenges. We are<br />

aware <strong>of</strong> responsibility. However,<br />

like Crazy Dauka, do we feel a sense<br />

<strong>of</strong> challenge?<br />

Registration <strong>of</strong> presenters through<br />

May 31: www.transpersonal.lv<br />

Preconference seminar:<br />

Connie Miller, Souldrama, Sept.<br />

17, in Jelgava Narkological Clynics<br />

Postconference seminars:<br />

1. Vitor Rodrigues, Regression<br />

Therapy, Sept. 24–25, Riga<br />

2. Steven Schmitz and Pier Luigi<br />

Lattuada Shamanic Workshop,<br />

Sept. 24–25, in a hostel near Augstroze<br />

Lake in Vidzeme.<br />

For more information: contact Ingrida<br />

Indane, Eurotas 2012 Conference<br />

Director, artterapija@gmail.com<br />

14<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT<br />

The Spiritual Heritage <strong>of</strong> Africa<br />

South Africa Mini-Conference, May 12–13, November 3–4, 2012<br />

Throughout 2009–2011,<br />

South African transpersonal<br />

psychologist Zana<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>ovic has been working<br />

on the Third International<br />

Transpersonal Conference, in<br />

her country, to follow<br />

upon the 2008<br />

World Transpersonal<br />

Congress in India and<br />

the 2010 Moscow International<br />

Transpersonal<br />

Conference. On<br />

May 12–13, 2012,<br />

and November 3–4,<br />

2012, The Spiritual<br />

Heritage <strong>of</strong> Africa<br />

will begin a series<br />

<strong>of</strong> workshops and<br />

trainings leading to a larger scale<br />

international conference.<br />

Zana has rare contacts with<br />

Sangoma indigenous shamanic and<br />

trance healers, musicians, artists,<br />

and psychotherapists. The vibrancy<br />

<strong>of</strong> this post-apartheid period adds<br />

a powerful resonance <strong>of</strong> hopeful<br />

unity for our World Family, as the<br />

life <strong>of</strong> Nelson Mandela evokes for<br />

all. You will feel it and be inspired<br />

for the whole <strong>of</strong> your life. The<br />

workshops for therapists go deep<br />

into this spirit <strong>of</strong> transformation,<br />

courage, and love <strong>of</strong> unity. Come<br />

to South Africa, where it all began.<br />

Workshop 1 12–13 May 2012:<br />

Spirituality & Transpersonal<br />

Psychotherapy<br />

Workshop 2 3–4 Nov. 2012:<br />

Transpersonal Therapy & Healing<br />

the Healer<br />

For more information visit: www.<br />

drzana.co.za or contact Stuart<br />

Sovatsky stuartcs1@comcast.net<br />

Location: NIROX ART is a<br />

private art foundation set on 15<br />

hectares in an<br />

extensive nature<br />

reserve in the<br />

heart <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Cradle <strong>of</strong> Humankind<br />

World<br />

Heritage Site.<br />

www.niroxarts.<br />

com<br />

Dr. Zana <strong>Mar</strong>ovic<br />

has been<br />

a psychotherapist,<br />

supervisor,<br />

hypnotherapist,<br />

and yoga teacher for more 20<br />

years. She has presented papers<br />

and workshops at world congresses<br />

in Israel, Norway, South Africa,<br />

Hungary, the United Kingdom,<br />

Portugal, Czech Republic, Iceland,<br />

India, China, and Russia.<br />

Dr. Stuart Sovatsky, is a fortyyear<br />

Kirtan Yoga Chant-Master<br />

in the Anahata-nad tradition <strong>of</strong><br />

kundalini yoga, Master, Swami<br />

Kripalvanand, and pioneer in applying<br />

devotional tantra to transforming<br />

thousands <strong>of</strong> troubled<br />

relationships.<br />

Performers: Healing & Spirituality<br />

Through Poetry & Music<br />

Napo Masheane was born in<br />

Soweto and grew up in Free State.<br />

She is a writer, director, producer,<br />

poet,<br />

and acclaimed<br />

performer.<br />

In<br />

2006<br />

she<br />

published<br />

the<br />

poetry anthology Caves Speak<br />

in Metaphors. In 2007 she was<br />

named one <strong>of</strong> the Top 100 Youth<br />

in South Africa by the Mail &<br />

Guardian.<br />

Stompie Selibe is a Johannesburg-born<br />

visual artist, musician,<br />

and a<br />

multitalented<br />

individual.<br />

He works<br />

with<br />

people<br />

who are<br />

experiencing<br />

difficulties<br />

ranging from abuse and rape<br />

to living with HIV/AIDS.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

15


ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

New Co-President<br />

Steven Schmitz<br />

The ATP Board <strong>of</strong> Directors<br />

voted Steven<br />

Schmitz to join Stuart<br />

Sovatsky and David<br />

Luk<strong>of</strong>f as a Co-President <strong>of</strong> ATP,<br />

making the first triumvirate in<br />

ATP’s history.<br />

Steven Schmitz has a Ph.D. in<br />

Transpersonal Psychology from<br />

ITP and a B.A. degree in Humanistic<br />

Psychology from Sonoma<br />

State University. He is trained in<br />

Gestalt Therapy, Bioenergetics,<br />

Existential–Humanistic Psychotherapy,<br />

and various healing<br />

practices. He was initiated into the<br />

practices <strong>of</strong> zazen and shamanism<br />

in 1974 and currently works with<br />

the Q’ero paqos <strong>of</strong> the Peruvian<br />

Andes. Steven co-founded and<br />

co-administrated Sheng House<br />

(a psychiatric residential facility).<br />

Currently he has a private practice<br />

<strong>of</strong> shamanic counseling, spiritual<br />

guidance, and dream work. Dr.<br />

Schmitz is also an international<br />

speaker, teacher (at transpersonal<br />

institutes in Italy, Estonia, Switzerland,<br />

Moscow), and workshop<br />

leader on shamanic topics. He is<br />

also a board member <strong>of</strong> EURO-<br />

TAS. In addition, he has considerable<br />

marketing and executive<br />

experience in Silicon Valley, so<br />

expect to hear from him soon as<br />

he hits the ground running.<br />

IN MEMORIAM<br />

JEANNE ACHTERBERG<br />

— Eugene Taylor<br />

Dr. Jeanne Achterberg,<br />

Ph.D., pioneer in<br />

mind/body medicine,<br />

legend across healthcare<br />

disciplines, crusader for the<br />

scientific basis <strong>of</strong> spiritual healing,<br />

author <strong>of</strong> numerous books,<br />

international lecturer, and patient<br />

advocate for self-healing, died<br />

Wednesday, in the afternoon <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Mar</strong>ch 7 th , 2012, at her home<br />

in Monterey, <strong>California</strong>, from<br />

metatastic cancer. She served<br />

as a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor on the Faculty at<br />

Southwestern Medical School<br />

in Dallas for 11 years, during<br />

which time she entered the field<br />

<strong>of</strong> alternative and complementary<br />

medicine. She went on to teach<br />

at the <strong>Institute</strong> for Transpersonal<br />

Psychology in Palo Alto, and then<br />

joined the faculty as a Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />

Psychology at Saybrook University<br />

in San Francisco.<br />

From an early period she<br />

was acclaimed for her work on<br />

the use <strong>of</strong> imagery in healing,<br />

psychoimmunology, behavioral<br />

strategies for the reduction <strong>of</strong><br />

pain and anxiety, and the role<br />

<strong>of</strong> women as health consumers.<br />

Her research focused on the<br />

psychological aspects <strong>of</strong> cancer, a<br />

comparison <strong>of</strong> bi<strong>of</strong>eedback and<br />

physical therapy in the treatment<br />

<strong>of</strong> rheumatoid arthritis, and a<br />

test <strong>of</strong> behavioral strategies for<br />

pain and anxiety associated with<br />

orthopedic trauma. She authored<br />

more than 100 papers and 5 books.<br />

Later, she would rise to become<br />

President <strong>of</strong> the Association for<br />

Transpersonal Psychology, at the<br />

same time that she also co-chaired<br />

the mind/body interventions ad<br />

hoc advisory panel <strong>of</strong> the new<br />

Office <strong>of</strong> Alternative Medicine.<br />

She was Senior Editor for many<br />

years <strong>of</strong> the Journal <strong>of</strong> Alternative<br />

Medicine, and also a trainer <strong>of</strong><br />

physicians, nurses, psychologists,<br />

and social workers internationally<br />

in mind/body medicine. She was<br />

the recipient <strong>of</strong> numerous awards<br />

from the American Nursing<br />

Association; the Moncrieff Award<br />

for Burn Research; and in 2001<br />

she was featured in Time Magazine<br />

as one <strong>of</strong> the six innovators <strong>of</strong><br />

Complementary and Alternative<br />

Therapies for the coming century.<br />

Personally, I have lost a fellow<br />

pilgrim who was shining the way<br />

on a spiritual path.<br />

EUGENE TAYLOR, Ph.D., is a<br />

Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard<br />

Medical School, and an Executive<br />

Faculty member at Saybrook University<br />

Graduate School.<br />

16<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


ATP NEWSLETTER<br />

TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLGY IN ISRAEL<br />

— Arielle Warner<br />

When David Luk<strong>of</strong>f,<br />

ATP Co-President,<br />

came to Israel to<br />

present in April<br />

2012, he met a number <strong>of</strong> graduates<br />

<strong>of</strong> ITP, CIIS, and Naropa<br />

who are <strong>of</strong>fering programs in<br />

transpersonal psychology. He<br />

asked me to update the world on<br />

what is happening in transpersonal<br />

psychology in Israel. This is the<br />

fourth year that I am teaching a<br />

year-long program in spiritual care<br />

for pr<strong>of</strong>essionals working with illness<br />

and end-<strong>of</strong>-life issues and am<br />

also <strong>of</strong>fering training on the psychospiritual<br />

principles <strong>of</strong> yoga for<br />

therapists. This year, together with<br />

Meirav Hermesh and Keren Tsarfaty,<br />

I am organizing a year-long<br />

transpersonal psychology course<br />

for therapists including theory,<br />

clinical implications, and also<br />

spiritual practices, to be held at<br />

the Israel Center for Mind–Body<br />

Medicine (www.cmbm.org/).<br />

Some additional Tranpersonal<br />

Psychology–related trainings<br />

in Israel: Two-year training in<br />

Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy<br />

organized by Maty Leiblich and<br />

Shantam Zohar <strong>of</strong>fered in the<br />

Social Work Department <strong>of</strong> Bar<br />

Ilan University, research groups<br />

and pr<strong>of</strong>essional conferences on<br />

Mindfulness-Based Therapeutic<br />

approaches at the Interdisciplinary<br />

Center in Herzliya (http://<br />

portal.idc.ac.il/en/main/homepage/Pages/homepage.aspx),<br />

and<br />

the Haifa University Education<br />

Department headed by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />

Ofra Mayseless <strong>of</strong>fers interesting<br />

programs integrating spirituality<br />

and counseling (www.edu.haifa.<br />

ac.il/en/) and has been the home<br />

for yearly conferences on Contemporary<br />

Spiritualities Research<br />

Israel Center for Mind–Body Medicine Director James Gordon (middle left)<br />

& Gaza Country Director Jamil Atti (middle right)with youth group, Gaza City<br />

and Studies—the fourth, held in<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>ch 2012, included, along with<br />

Israeli presenters, Harris Friedman,<br />

Douglas McDonald, and Les<br />

Lancaster (www.spirituality.haifa.<br />

ac.il/4th_conf/index_en.html).<br />

There is a new journal, Journal<br />

<strong>of</strong> East–West Psychology Israel,<br />

edited by Hava Rimon and Maty<br />

Lieblich (http://east-west-psych.<br />

co.il/issue-no-1-2/). Maty Lieblich<br />

has written a book in Hebrew,<br />

Man at the Edge <strong>of</strong> Ego, which is a<br />

textbook <strong>of</strong> transpersonal psychology.<br />

So Transpersonal psychology<br />

is thriving in this spiritually rich<br />

part <strong>of</strong> the world.<br />

President’s Corner<br />

In the ATP Newsletters, I<br />

have presented innovative<br />

clinical projects and<br />

initiatives in the field <strong>of</strong><br />

transpersonal psychology and<br />

spirituality, such as in the last issue<br />

on the <strong>California</strong> Mental Health<br />

and Spirituality Initiative and a<br />

Transpersonal Clinic at the San<br />

Francisco VA Hospital. Here I<br />

describe a systematic approach to<br />

remediating the neglect <strong>of</strong> spirituality<br />

in the public mental health<br />

— David Luk<strong>of</strong>f<br />

system, which was developed by<br />

the Alameda County (<strong>California</strong>)<br />

Cultural Responsiveness Committee<br />

and the Spirituality Workgroup<br />

in <strong>California</strong>. Spirituality<br />

101 is a workshop that models<br />

attitudes and values <strong>of</strong> appreciation<br />

and inclusivity necessary to<br />

integrate spirituality in wellnessand<br />

recovery-oriented mental<br />

services and also provide concrete<br />

skills in spiritual assessment and<br />

identifying religious and spiritual<br />

problems. The<br />

workshop is<br />

taught by Gigi<br />

Crowder and<br />

Minister Monique Tarver and a<br />

pool <strong>of</strong> diverse local spiritual/faith<br />

leaders and cultural brokers representing<br />

various cultures and faith<br />

traditions including: Islam, Buddhism,<br />

Universalism, Christianity,<br />

Jewish traditions, Native American<br />

spirituality practices, Afghan, and<br />

African American culture.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

17


Poetic Tribute to Thomas S. Szasz, T.S.S. (Truth’s Sweet Sound)<br />

This tribute comprises the titles <strong>of</strong> his thirty-five books (as <strong>of</strong> October 2011) and some <strong>of</strong> his many ideas.<br />

Let us now salute a humanist, a valiant libertarian,<br />

iconoclast, psychiatrist, learned writer and contrarian.<br />

To foes and fans, respectively, he brings both Pain And Pleasure,<br />

and for those who mind respectfully, he’s an intellectual treasure.<br />

Self-acknowledged friends <strong>of</strong> liberty are well advised to heed him<br />

if they don’t know how psychiatry’s a threat to Faith In Freedom.<br />

His detractors deign to denigrate and call him “paranoid”<br />

(a defamatory label slapped on those deemed “Anti-Freud”).<br />

He has called psychiatry “quackery” on more than one occasion;<br />

Antipsychiatry: Quackery Squared is just another variation<br />

<strong>of</strong> this paternalist, determinist, elite epistemology,<br />

institutionalized inhumanity and gravely flawed ontology.<br />

For over fifty years he’s dared to speak words most audacious<br />

against The Therapeutic State: those medically mendacious<br />

practitioners <strong>of</strong> psychobabble and Psychiatric Slavery,<br />

The Manufacture <strong>of</strong> Madness and other forms <strong>of</strong> human knavery;<br />

those soul doctors and inquisitors, who judge both good and badness,<br />

those definers <strong>of</strong> normality in this, The Age <strong>of</strong> Madness.<br />

His Untamed Tongue hurls Heresies against their pompous piety,<br />

and false idols like Schizophrenia: Sacred Symbol <strong>of</strong> Psychiatry;<br />

against Ceremonial Chemistry, through which Our Right to Drugs<br />

is politically abrogated by the state’s coercive thugs;<br />

against electroshock, lobotomy, outrageous Cruel Compassion,<br />

and chemical strait-jackets, “therapeutically” in fashion.<br />

“It’s our intent to save,” protests this pseudo-medical pr<strong>of</strong>ession,<br />

(just like the slave’s) the madman’s Liberation by Oppression.<br />

The “prescription” is Coercion As Cure for that most disturbing<br />

misbehavior that some other folks are having trouble curbing.<br />

A quick peek inside their Lexicon <strong>of</strong> Lunacy is revealing:<br />

They claim “it’s for the patient’s good” to hurt instead <strong>of</strong> healing!<br />

In the name game they’re the champions, inventive and prolific,<br />

and this game’s named “diagnosis”; doesn’t that sound scientific?<br />

They say good behavior’s healthy, bad behavior’s a disease,<br />

and excessive bad behavior’s an addiction, if you please!<br />

If you’re focused they’ll pr<strong>of</strong>ess that you “obsess compulsively”;<br />

if you’re not, why then, they’ll diagnose a “case” <strong>of</strong> “ADD.”<br />

It’s disease that we prevent and it is crime that we prohibit,<br />

and deciding which response we make starts with the name we give it.<br />

Call expressing one’s own death wish “suicidal ideation,”<br />

and they symptomize a thought—by psychiatric imputation.<br />

The “prevention” <strong>of</strong> self-killing is what he calls Suicide<br />

Prohibition and, to clarify what doctors have belied,<br />

he points out that, when demedicalizing social power games,<br />

we should start with truthful language: Call things by their proper names.<br />

Sometimes doctor and his patient will use language to deceive;<br />

the semantic antics make it hard to know whom to believe.<br />

For to claim “My Madness Saved Me” all depends on how you spin it;<br />

as manipulative strategy, there’s certainly method in it.<br />

In addition to the name game, there’s another that they play;<br />

this rendition’s called the blame game, and the gambit’s to portray<br />

some hapless person as the scapegoat for some other’s sin and vice,<br />

and then purge society’s problems via ritual sacrifice.<br />

18<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


POEM (CONTINUED)<br />

— <strong>Mar</strong>k Meschino<br />

With their force-fed drugs they’ll “cure” your “oppositional defiance”<br />

(with both big brother and big pharma have they forged a close alliance).<br />

When they call forced drugging “medication,” it’s to euphemize<br />

what is poisoning, which wouldn’t be permitted, otherwise.<br />

“Mental illness” is the “cause” <strong>of</strong> your reluctance to admit<br />

you “need” their “help,” hence they’ll vote to involuntarily commit.<br />

Don’t protest that you’ve been wronged and call it forced incarceration.<br />

Call it “patient’s right to treatment”; such semantic innovation!<br />

For, the concept <strong>of</strong> a human right in true democracy<br />

is rather different now that we’ve evolved into Pharmacracy.<br />

The Theology <strong>of</strong> Medicine has replaced theocracy;<br />

is Hippocratic absolution absolute hypocrisy?<br />

Law, Liberty and Psychiatry don’t mix well, so pay attention.<br />

Disregarding this has consequences too horrible to mention,<br />

because Psychiatric Justice just is not what you might think;<br />

adversaries in the courtroom could very well include your shrink!<br />

When the innocent are “diagnosed,” the goal is to accuse;<br />

when the guilty plead “insanity,” the goal is to excuse.<br />

In both cases are the concepts <strong>of</strong> responsibility<br />

and free will negated. Liberty’s the final casualty.<br />

And from courtroom now to bedroom, opportunities galore<br />

to exploit what should be private, too auspicious to ignore.<br />

Painting sexual behavior as a medical condition<br />

opens up the door to “experts” who will sell Sex By Prescription.<br />

So you think your schooling’s phony? Guess it’s hard not to agree,<br />

but it’s easier to blame your brain’s “unbalanced chemistry,”<br />

or perhaps your chromosomes are slightly “flawed,” genetically,<br />

but either way, it’s Ritalin to calm “hyperactivity.”<br />

It’s from his books you’ll learn what they don’t teach in those psych classes:<br />

That through myth manipulation, men manipulate the masses.<br />

The Myth <strong>of</strong> Psychotherapy suggests something’s amiss<br />

with what should rightly be The Ethics <strong>of</strong> Psychoanalysis.<br />

The Myth <strong>of</strong> Mental Illness has persisted by confusing<br />

fact with metaphor, conflation that has led to our abusing<br />

first the language, then true understanding, then our fellow man,<br />

and then, finally, freedom. Let’s correct this error, if we can.<br />

Doesn’t talk <strong>of</strong> “mental illness” reify The Meaning <strong>of</strong> Mind?<br />

Don’t concrete and abstract thus become perfidiously entwined?<br />

Is our Fatal Freedom fraught with Ideology and Insanity?<br />

Who controls birth, life, and death? Indeed, deep questions for humanity.<br />

So . . . Insanity: The Idea and Its Consequences makes<br />

a pr<strong>of</strong>anity <strong>of</strong> reason—mind “diseases” are all fakes.<br />

How much further we will tolerate The Medicalization<br />

<strong>of</strong> Everyday Life is a question that requires some contemplation.<br />

Eating from the tree <strong>of</strong> knowledge put us on the path wherein<br />

we commence and take the first steps to commit The Second Sin.<br />

Then, by cultivating clarity in language and in thought,<br />

we can reconstruct the tower that the Babelians once wrought.<br />

Intellectually inoculate with a few Words to the Wise,<br />

as a vaccination for Psychiatry: The Science <strong>of</strong> Lies.<br />

In so doing, we protect the things that make our lives worth living,<br />

and to Thomas Szasz, for this truth serum, thanks should we be giving.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

19


REVIEWS<br />

WHY REGRESSION<br />

THERAPY? The View <strong>of</strong><br />

the Inexperienced<br />

Written and directed by Ulf<br />

Parczyk<br />

Produced by the European<br />

Association for Regression Therapy<br />

(EARTH), 2011, DVD €20.<br />

Reviewed by David C. Lavra<br />

Given the effects <strong>of</strong> our<br />

life’s early experiences on<br />

our ongoing experience<br />

<strong>of</strong> our lives, regression<br />

therapy represents an important<br />

medium for addressing these<br />

effects. We can re-explore events<br />

and traumas to heal wounds.<br />

In this DVD Why Regression<br />

Therapy?, a vivid description<br />

is provided <strong>of</strong> the process. The<br />

presentation moves slowly<br />

with soothing music in the<br />

background. (Note: With the<br />

volume at maximum, the volume<br />

on my laptop was very low.)<br />

The DVD begins with a<br />

narration from a client who went<br />

to the international convention <strong>of</strong><br />

EARTH (European Association<br />

for Regression Therapy) that met<br />

in Germany. At this 2010 Annual<br />

Meeting, he had a chance to hear<br />

many opinions from the experts<br />

and leaders <strong>of</strong> Regression Therapy.<br />

He had been a client in this style<br />

<strong>of</strong> therapy and was motivated to<br />

learn more about it. He conducts<br />

interviews with the therapists, and<br />

records actual therapy sessions that<br />

took place at the convention. In<br />

the interviews, several therapists<br />

discuss their goals and methods <strong>of</strong><br />

their particular style <strong>of</strong> regression<br />

therapy.<br />

Therapists come from a range<br />

<strong>of</strong> practices including Gestalt,<br />

Voice dialogue, bodywork, but in<br />

common they listen to their client,<br />

stay with the client, but do not<br />

interpret. At times the therapist<br />

asks for thoughts and descriptions.<br />

They make the intangible,<br />

tangible. The DVD provides<br />

demonstrations<br />

and explanations <strong>of</strong><br />

various methods.<br />

While it is<br />

declared that<br />

Regression Therapy<br />

brings deep and<br />

lasting relief and<br />

is an efficient,<br />

focused, and direct<br />

therapy aimed at<br />

resolving sources <strong>of</strong><br />

mental–emotional<br />

issues, it is also true<br />

that no one method always works.<br />

However, the regression therapists<br />

here declare that “people go to us<br />

because other things do not work.”<br />

The DVD addresses who the<br />

appropriate client is. Specifically,<br />

this method is “very effective with<br />

phobias and physical problems.”<br />

Among the inappropriate<br />

clients are clinically determined<br />

schizophrenics and borderlines,<br />

people who will not listen to<br />

their bodies, New Age types, and<br />

people taking tranquilizers and<br />

medications (that silence their<br />

awareness). Also, the client needs<br />

to be open to the methods used in<br />

regression therapy.<br />

I was particularly impressed<br />

by the poetic description <strong>of</strong> the<br />

client in therapy who “Like a<br />

flower opens up petal by petal and<br />

becomes who they are.” Another<br />

therapist speaks <strong>of</strong> deep healing<br />

in which deep pain is sought<br />

in order to reach the core issue.<br />

Another therapist guides the client<br />

to “go back to the first time you<br />

had this feeling,” go into memory<br />

and relive it cathartically, reexperience<br />

the trauma to re-react<br />

and break up the energy, in order<br />

to alleviate problems. Another<br />

therapist describes providing<br />

energy to hold a space where the<br />

client works, while the therapist<br />

guides and helps to clarify. Of<br />

particular importance is the<br />

clinical problem <strong>of</strong><br />

a core issue that can<br />

be created from false<br />

memory, to which<br />

a clear distinction<br />

was presented based<br />

on the difference<br />

between fantasy and<br />

real memory.<br />

It was pointed<br />

out that Freudians<br />

guide clients from<br />

their childhood<br />

experiences, so<br />

this part <strong>of</strong> the therapy is not<br />

necessarily new. However, going<br />

back well before birth presents<br />

a much greater challenge for<br />

scientific verification. Many<br />

associates <strong>of</strong> EARTH seem to<br />

build on the reincarnation idea,<br />

which is unique and may limit<br />

the range <strong>of</strong> prospective clients.<br />

One therapist describes a child<br />

that came into life with sadness<br />

and fear, which was attributed to<br />

experiences from a past life. To<br />

answer a major doubt presented,<br />

this DVD addresses the issue <strong>of</strong><br />

false memories. The question <strong>of</strong><br />

false presentations (or memories)<br />

and fantasies was addressed<br />

from the position that the “body<br />

remembers” those experiences<br />

“from past lives.” One therapist<br />

assures us that “the body does<br />

not lie.” Further, the experts<br />

share their positions about false<br />

presentations based on their<br />

clinical experience.<br />

The viewer is provided with<br />

information on many levels and<br />

aspects <strong>of</strong> Regression Therapy, all<br />

grouped into video chapters for<br />

convenient review.<br />

DAVID LAVRA is a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>AHP</strong>.<br />

20<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


REVIEWS<br />

PRIMORDIAL PSYCHE: A<br />

Reliving <strong>of</strong> the Soul <strong>of</strong><br />

Ancestors: A Jungian<br />

and Transpersonal<br />

Worldview<br />

By Diego Pignatelli Spinazzola<br />

iUniverse, 2011, 128 pp., $13.95<br />

(paperback), $9.99 (Kindle),<br />

ISBN 9781450284561.<br />

Excerpts from Chapter 1<br />

Where can one<br />

find the roots <strong>of</strong><br />

creativity in an<br />

alienated society,<br />

dissociated and conformed to the<br />

habits <strong>of</strong> the masses—false and<br />

hypocritical models in which false<br />

consciences are masked?<br />

Are we really so far away from<br />

madness or do we not want to<br />

accept the madness <strong>of</strong> others so<br />

as not to see it moving around in<br />

ourselves? Where does the poet’s<br />

soul sit if not in the madness<br />

<strong>of</strong> a schizophrenic or a saint<br />

alienated by his time and by his<br />

collective social uses? If we do<br />

not know how to respond to<br />

important questions such as the<br />

desacralization and the secondary<br />

personalization <strong>of</strong> myths that have<br />

characterized the era <strong>of</strong> divine<br />

rebirth and which today have<br />

almost all disappeared into the<br />

secular past <strong>of</strong> the mechanization<br />

<strong>of</strong> consciousness, then I believe<br />

that we will be dishonest with<br />

regard to ourselves.<br />

But creativity is not the daughter<br />

<strong>of</strong> history’s secularizing destiny.<br />

Creativity is the same madness<br />

which floods an individual’s<br />

Uranian and revolutionary<br />

conscience—intelligent and<br />

intuitive but also prophetic and<br />

visionary: a perennial rebel to the<br />

conventional laws <strong>of</strong> the masses.<br />

. . .<br />

But at the moment, we are<br />

witnessing a hypertrophy <strong>of</strong><br />

consciousness, unhinged from the<br />

context <strong>of</strong> values and archetypal<br />

spiritual canons. As a result,<br />

secondary personalization,<br />

with the demythologization <strong>of</strong><br />

symbols and their full energy, is<br />

making modern man insensitive<br />

to such content. Modern art is<br />

also suffering from this collective<br />

desacralization. But why not<br />

believe that where a community<br />

exists, so does the individual?<br />

Why not see it as a compensatory<br />

relationship?<br />

We are talking about the<br />

history <strong>of</strong> man. A history <strong>of</strong> the<br />

individual which, since the most<br />

distant primordial eras, has carried<br />

humanity’s history with it. By<br />

nearing the Jungian vision, we are<br />

trying to recuperate the meaning<br />

<strong>of</strong> the soul in the world and in the<br />

mythological origin <strong>of</strong> the hero.<br />

Where does the creative soul lie<br />

if not with the hero? “Fight the<br />

dragon <strong>of</strong> the unconscious” is the<br />

password for a humanity which<br />

cannot placate its demonic myths.<br />

Myths, which like a collective<br />

and heterogenic dispersion,<br />

fragmented with complexes and<br />

values, take the place <strong>of</strong> the real<br />

myth: the myth <strong>of</strong> unity.<br />

Humanity needs to rediscover<br />

unity, which is apparently<br />

fragmented by a collective<br />

psychic dissociation. Collective<br />

individuation is only possible if<br />

we want a real and true process <strong>of</strong><br />

dialectic synthesis between the ego<br />

and the unconscious. Also being<br />

part <strong>of</strong> a process <strong>of</strong> individuation,<br />

the two instances are anyway<br />

dissociated in our current era more<br />

than at any other time. We end up<br />

with a hypertrophic barbarization<br />

<strong>of</strong> the conscience with too many<br />

unilateral paths. This is the myth<br />

<strong>of</strong> progress and technology,<br />

economy, science, and medicine.<br />

The myth <strong>of</strong> materialism is failing<br />

in front <strong>of</strong> our eyes. . . .<br />

The artist’s soul with its<br />

romantic impulses is alienated<br />

from the collective who notices<br />

this unconscious threatening<br />

outburst. This happens largely<br />

among the youth <strong>of</strong> today. The<br />

existential and introvert romantic<br />

is excluded from a selective and<br />

hypertrophic consciousness. There<br />

is no meeting <strong>of</strong> the Anima and<br />

the Animus because <strong>of</strong> psychic<br />

impoverishment. The woman,<br />

who should have absolved the<br />

function <strong>of</strong> the ego’s psychism,<br />

frees herself from the risky job.<br />

For a girl, the final objective <strong>of</strong><br />

a competition or a graduation<br />

takes the place <strong>of</strong> the attractive,<br />

projected, idealization toward the<br />

romantic Anima <strong>of</strong> a boy.<br />

But will false collective values<br />

put such a meeting <strong>of</strong>f course?<br />

Or will it be our insufficient<br />

familiarity with complementary<br />

opposites or with the process <strong>of</strong><br />

alchemic synthesis, whose ancient<br />

roots are found in ancient Eastern<br />

Indian symbols <strong>of</strong> the psyche’s<br />

perfection like the energy <strong>of</strong> the<br />

chakra and kundalini yoga?<br />

Shiva is united with the dancing<br />

goddess Shakti, in the Tantric,<br />

alchemic process <strong>of</strong> kundalini—<br />

the union <strong>of</strong> the bride and groom.<br />

But I am not here to talk about<br />

the subtle physiology <strong>of</strong> kundalini,<br />

the process which joins together<br />

the two cosmic spouses, deifying<br />

them in the human body which<br />

as a result becomes a divine<br />

macrocosmic domain.<br />

A yogi’s journey is to become<br />

conscious <strong>of</strong> this sacred union<br />

between man and woman,<br />

god and goddess (maithuna).<br />

Modern rational and objective<br />

discrimination has dualistically<br />

divided these natural processes.<br />

That is why the young no longer<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

21


REVIEWS<br />

explore universal spiritual<br />

principles <strong>of</strong> existence and move<br />

around in activities which are too<br />

concretist and mono-referential.<br />

In other words they have learned<br />

to mask their ego-persona<br />

keeping themselves far from the<br />

unconscious with behavior that is<br />

too conscious and unilateral.<br />

“Far from the unconscious,<br />

far from the mother” is an<br />

indubitable order which the<br />

young learn to accept in today’s<br />

society. Nevertheless there are rare<br />

individuals who do not follow<br />

the order imposed by matriarchal<br />

laws and dare to fight “primordial<br />

parents,” managing on the whole<br />

to defeat the dragon. These are<br />

the outsiders, the great individuals<br />

who belong to the category <strong>of</strong><br />

heroes.<br />

They are the precursors who<br />

move the false disenchanted<br />

consciousnesses <strong>of</strong> the<br />

unconscious mother, the anima<br />

mundi, the birthplace <strong>of</strong> myths,<br />

gods, and legends and with their<br />

creative power they re-enchant<br />

them. They revolutionalize old<br />

paradigms and impose new ones<br />

which are far from ordinary. It<br />

is clear that this creative twist is<br />

seen with suspicion and alarm<br />

inside a tradition <strong>of</strong> old cultural<br />

values. This twist causes reactions<br />

and collective psychisms—real<br />

and proper mass epidemics. A<br />

creative individual is drastically<br />

expelled from his<br />

conservative society<br />

with old values and will<br />

only be able to return<br />

through a re-education<br />

<strong>of</strong> values with preexisting<br />

conservative<br />

laws. The relationship<br />

<strong>of</strong> compensation<br />

between the Great<br />

Individual and his<br />

society is avoided,<br />

and in the worst cases<br />

is compromised by such an<br />

unquestionable expulsion. He will<br />

only be able to return as a hero<br />

or dragon slayer—victorious over<br />

the forces <strong>of</strong> evil. He will then be<br />

received with all the honors <strong>of</strong><br />

the substituted symbol <strong>of</strong> the old<br />

canon. . . .<br />

As Jung showed, we are faced<br />

with archetypal images: The<br />

mythologeme is a language that is<br />

expressed for images and is charged<br />

with mythical image “nouveauenriched”<br />

from potentiality<br />

<strong>of</strong> meaning. No language can<br />

reach the expressive riches <strong>of</strong> the<br />

mythical image. On the contrary,<br />

the mythologeme is an original<br />

language expressed by metaphors.<br />

(C. G. Jung, 1960, A review <strong>of</strong><br />

the complex theory. Collected<br />

Works, vol. 8, Bollingen Series<br />

XX. Princeton, NJ: Princeton<br />

University Press)<br />

For the individual soul, society’s<br />

collective scorn is dissociative<br />

estrangement<br />

otherwise known<br />

as alienation. For a<br />

soulless world which<br />

wanders through the<br />

dispersion <strong>of</strong> identities<br />

regrouped to the<br />

moral <strong>of</strong> great quantity,<br />

through mystified<br />

identities <strong>of</strong> false<br />

cultural figures where<br />

a symbol, the only<br />

mediator <strong>of</strong> the unconscious and<br />

meaning, has lost supremacy, even<br />

the true experiential unity and<br />

mythical tale has lost its value—it<br />

has been sent to the meta-narratives<br />

which post-modernism<br />

drastically refuses to accept. Myth<br />

is the universal vision and historical<br />

truth <strong>of</strong> things; it represents<br />

the hero’s epic journey which in<br />

a large measure all <strong>of</strong> humanity<br />

should confront. We will understand<br />

that the creative person,<br />

the hero, can be found in a great<br />

divide, setting himself out as the<br />

troubleshooter or “unifying symbol”<br />

for man’s religious, political,<br />

psychological, and philosophical<br />

conflicts. Maybe one day man will<br />

be able to liberate himself from his<br />

dreamy odyssey without dragging<br />

his daimon behind him.<br />

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Petaluma CA 94952 (415) 435-1604<br />

fax (707) 559-5030<br />

22<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012


Starting<br />

January<br />

2013<br />

OPEN TO<br />

NON-<br />

N-<br />

SAYBROOK<br />

OK<br />

STUDENTS TS<br />

Starting ti<br />

January 2011!<br />

1!<br />

A Certificate program <strong>of</strong>fered by<br />

Saybrook University, <strong>California</strong><br />

EXPRESSIVE ARTS<br />

for Healing and Social Change:<br />

A Person-Centered Approach<br />

his unique 16 Unit certificate program combines experiential<br />

learning, theory and practice in the person-centered philosophy<br />

<strong>of</strong> Carl Rogers and the expressive arts: movement,<br />

sound, visual arts, creative writing and psychodrama.<br />

Participants come from around the globe wishing to use the expressive<br />

arts in counseling, teaching, mediation, social action and group facilitation,<br />

or to awaken personal growth and creativity. They attend six residen-<br />

tial week-long courses over two years at a lovely retreat center in northern<br />

<strong>California</strong>. Starting January 4–10, 2013, provided enrollment <strong>of</strong> 15 is filled.<br />

Shellee Davis, MA, REAT co-created the Saybrook Expressive<br />

Arts Certificate program and was co-director and faculty<br />

with Natalie Rogers at the Person-Centered Expressive Therapy<br />

<strong>Institute</strong> for 18 years. She also teaches Person-Centered<br />

Expressive Arts Therapy (PCEAT) training programs in Japan,<br />

South Korea and at the <strong>California</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Integral</strong> Studies<br />

in San Francisco.<br />

Sue Ann Herron, Ph.D., left the corporate world to get her<br />

Ph.D. Psychology with special emphasis in Person-Centered<br />

Expressive Arts Therapy (PCEAT). She has facilitated workshops<br />

for women’s spirituality groups, bereaved children, and<br />

high school students. She co-facilitated a PCEAT train-<br />

ing program for South Korean therapists with Natalie<br />

Rogers, and for Japanese students with Shellee Davis.<br />

Natalie Rogers, Ph.D., REAT, author <strong>of</strong> The Creative<br />

Connection: Expressive Arts as Healing, and Emerg-<br />

ing Woman has led PCEAT trainings internationally.<br />

Dr.<br />

Rogers practiced as a psychotherapist for 30<br />

years and facilitated many workshops with her father,<br />

Carl Rogers. Natalie will be present one day<br />

at<br />

each <strong>of</strong> the 6 courses. She is a Distinguished<br />

Consulting Faculty at Saybrook University.<br />

Course Titles<br />

■ Nourishing the Soul<br />

■ Client-Centered<br />

Expressive Arts for<br />

Counseling<br />

■ Wisdom <strong>of</strong> the Body<br />

■ Expression Arts for<br />

Social Change<br />

■ Expressive Arts:<br />

Group Facilitation<br />

For full course description<br />

go to www.nrogers.com<br />

We Will Explore<br />

■ How the creative process<br />

connects us to body,<br />

psyche, soul and world<br />

■ How the person-centered<br />

approach enhances<br />

emotional intelligence,<br />

healing, relationships and<br />

manifesting our potentials<br />

■ The use <strong>of</strong> expressive arts<br />

in counseling, teaching<br />

and group work.<br />

To Apply<br />

■ Saybrook students contact Aaron Hiatt at ahiatt@saybrook.edu or phone him at 415-394-6141.<br />

■ Non-Saybrook students contact Admissions: Faiza Bukhari (fbukhari@saybrook.edu) or phone<br />

her at 800-825-4480 ext. 1255. ■ For information about the content <strong>of</strong> the program please contact:<br />

Natalie Rogers at nrogers@nrogers.com, Shellee Davis at colville@sonic.net, or<br />

Sue Ann Herron at sueannherron@comcast.net.<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012<br />

ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

23


PERSPECTIVE<br />

Association for Humanistic<br />

Psychology<br />

151 Petaluma Blvd. So. #227<br />

Petaluma, CA 94952<br />

E-Mail: ahp<strong>of</strong>fice@aol.com<br />

Website: http://ahpweb.org<br />

TO PURCHASE EBOOKS BY AND<br />

ABOUT ABRAHAM MASLOW,<br />

GO TO <strong>AHP</strong>WEB.ORG AND<br />

CHOOSE ABRAHAM MASLOW<br />

IN THE SIDE MENU.<br />

SEE CALENDAR ON PAGE 4 FOR EVENTS/WORKSHOPS<br />

24 ahp PERSPECTIVE<br />

FEBRUARY / MARCH<br />

2/2012<br />

2012

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