Books on Psychology

[dauer]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

There is more than one idea of what Shadow is. Some would contend that the Unconscious is what we don't talk about in polite society.

I think the avoidance of certain kinds of emotional content is not always something that involves repression. It's more like uncomfortable muscle tensions. In other words, the material is actually registering somatically rather than "out of mind, out of sight." We identify the material as stuff we want to avoid because it is literally physically uncomfortable.

If you like Reich, he'd probably say that repression leads to a strengthening of character armor - i.e., outward rigidity.

Netti,

I can tell from this and other posts you've made that you have some expertise in this area. Can you suggest any books to me?

-- Dauer

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by dauer

Netti,

Can you suggest any books to me?

Politics of Experience. But I think you have that already.

[dauer]

Netti,

Yeps, I've read that. It's a great book and I have much respect for Laing. Anything else? I was looking to read some Carl Rogers but don't know where to begin. Most of my reading in psychology has been more closely connected to Jung due to a 3 or 4 month fascination with analytical psych about a year ago. Just recently I've picked up A Critical Dictionary of Jungian Analysis again to finish it. My only regret is that the book is in most cases more apologetic than critical.

-- Dauer

[Netti-Netti]

I would think psychologically oriented biographies might be interesting.

I would say most psychodynamically oriented texts are mainly about concepts and tend to include little in the way of real life examples. If it's a case study, it usually deals with only a few behaviors and thus provides a limited sampling of behavior and not much perspective.

Psychological interpretations of scripture would also be worth checking into I think.

[dauer]

Thanks Netti.

I was just speaking to someone earlier in Second Life who's very influenced by Carl Rogers and she suggested the text On Being A Client: Understanding the Process of Counseling and Psychotherapy which I will probably pick up. She's probably going to get the names of a few other books to me too. Eventually I'd like to pursue the clergy and one of the things that attracts me to that is spiritual direction. There's another book I've been meaning to pick up called Jewish Spiritual Direction: An Innovative Guide from Traditional and Contemporary Sources.

-- Dauer