Shamans Among Us: Schizophrenia, Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Religion

Shamans Among Us: Schizophrenia, Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Religion PDF Author: Joseph Polimeni
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1300430915
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
Schizophrenia is one of the most enigmatic human experiences. While it can cause terrible distress, it doesn't fit the mold of a classic medical disease. In Shamans Among Us, Joseph Polimeni shows that today's schizophrenia patients are no less than the modern manifestation of tribal shamans, people vital to the success of early human cultures. Spanning human history and including discussions of evolution, the definition of disease, and the nature of psychosis, Shamans Among Us is the most detailed and comprehensive evolutionary theory yet assembled to explain a specific psychiatric diagnosis. "Joseph Polimeni's scholarly book challenges several traditional concepts of both evolutionary biology and medicine. I strongly recommend it to all those who dare to think outside the box." - Martin Brüne, MD, author of Textbook of Evolutionary Psychiatry.

Shamans Among Us: Schizophrenia, Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Religion

Shamans Among Us: Schizophrenia, Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Religion PDF Author: Joseph Polimeni
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1300430915
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

Get Book

Book Description
Schizophrenia is one of the most enigmatic human experiences. While it can cause terrible distress, it doesn't fit the mold of a classic medical disease. In Shamans Among Us, Joseph Polimeni shows that today's schizophrenia patients are no less than the modern manifestation of tribal shamans, people vital to the success of early human cultures. Spanning human history and including discussions of evolution, the definition of disease, and the nature of psychosis, Shamans Among Us is the most detailed and comprehensive evolutionary theory yet assembled to explain a specific psychiatric diagnosis. "Joseph Polimeni's scholarly book challenges several traditional concepts of both evolutionary biology and medicine. I strongly recommend it to all those who dare to think outside the box." - Martin Brüne, MD, author of Textbook of Evolutionary Psychiatry.

Evolutionary Psychiatry

Evolutionary Psychiatry PDF Author: Anthony Stevens
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317580494
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description
Evolutionary Psychiatry was first published in 1996, the second edition followed in 2000. This ground breaking book challenged the medical model which supplied few effective answers to long-standing conundrums. A comprehensive introduction to the science of Darwinian Psychiatry, the second edition included important fresh material on a number of disorders, along with a chapter on research. Anthony Stevens and John Price argue that psychiatric symptoms are manifestations of ancient adaptive strategies which are no longer necessarily appropriate but which can best be understood and treated in an evolutionary and developmental context. Particularly important are the theories Stevens and Price propose to account for the worldwide existence of mood disorders and schizophrenia, as well as offering solutions for such puzzles as paedophilia, sado-masochism and the function of dreams. Readily accessible to both the specialist and non-specialist reader, Evolutionary Psychiatry describes in detail the disorders and conditions commonly encountered in psychiatric practice and shows how evolutionary theory can account for their biological origins and functional nature. This Classic Edition of the book includes a new preface by Anthony Stevens and a foreword by Paul Gilbert.

Neo-shamanism and Mental Health

Neo-shamanism and Mental Health PDF Author: Karel James Bouse
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030319113
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
This book explores the contemporary practice of Neo-shamanism and its relationship to mental health. Chapters cover the practice of Neo-shamanism, how it differs from traditional shamanism, the technology of the shamanic journey, the lifeworlds of some of its practitioners, as well as its benefits and pitfalls. The author’s analysis draws on an in-depth study of existing literature, original qualitative-phenomenological research into the lifeworlds of practitioners, and nearly three decades of observation and experience as a student, teacher and practitioner of Neo-shamanism. She discusses the potential role of Neo-shamanic journey technology as an approach for psychology-based studies of consciousness and anomalous phenomena; its value as a tool for self-exploration as part of a supervised curriculum; as well as the possible therapeutic applications of the journey and shamanic healing protocols for use by mental health professionals. This book is a rich and timely resource for students and teachers of psychology, anthropology and sociology, psychotherapists, and anyone who is interested in consciousness and parapsychology.

Health and Safety for Spirit Seers, Telepaths and Visionaries

Health and Safety for Spirit Seers, Telepaths and Visionaries PDF Author: Anna Cornelia Beyer
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1527524205
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
This book provides a much-needed, positive, hopeful and holistic perspective on how to cope with schizophrenia. While 51 million people in the world are afflicted with this illness, self-help books on the topic are not in ample supply, and those that do exist are often very dark in outlook. This volume combines knowledge from previous studies, personal accounts, and scientific research today. Topics explored here include an overview on experiences with, and explanations for, schizophrenia; alternative and natural healing tips for psychosis and schizophrenia, including diet and orthomolecular medicine; an overview of alternative therapies; relationship and career advice; how to deal with emergencies; and how to recover after a period of psychosis, among others.

My Mysterious Son

My Mysterious Son PDF Author: Dick Russell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1510729011
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 514

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Book Description
What does a father do when hope is gone that his only son can ever lead anything close to a “normal” life? That’s the question that haunted Dick Russell in the fall of 2011, when his son, Franklin, was thirty-two. At the age of seventeen, Franklin had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. For years he spent time in and out of various hospitals, and even went through periods of adamantly denying that Dick was actually his father. A mixed-race child, Franklin was handsome, intelligent, and sensitive until his mental illness suddenly took control. After spending the ensuing years trying to build some semblance of a normal father-son relationship, Dick was invited with his son, out of the blue, to witness the annual wildlife migration on Africa’s Serengeti Plain. Seizing this potential opportunity to repair the damage that both had struggled with, after going through two perilous nights together in Tanzania, ultimately the two-week trip changed both of their lives. Desperately seeking an alternative to the medical model’s medication regimen, the author introduces Franklin to a West African shaman in Jamaica. Dick discovers Franklin’s psychic capabilities behind the seemingly delusional thought patterns, as well as his artistic talents. Theirs becomes an ancestral quest, the journey finally taking them to the sacred lands of New Mexico and an indigenous healer. For those who understand the pain of mental illness as well the bond between a parent and a child, My Mysterious Son shares the intimate and beautiful story of a father who will do everything in his power to repair his relationship with a young man damaged by mental illness.

Acute Religious Experiences

Acute Religious Experiences PDF Author: Richard Saville-Smith
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1350272930
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
This book engages the problem of how, in the 21st century, we are to speak about experiences of the extraordinary/anomalous/extreme which occur on a transhistorical and transcultural basis. Critical re-readings of seminal texts show how 20th-century theoreticians in the humanities sought to erase madness from their irrational subjects. This propensity to sanitize madness in the study of religions was mirrored by the instinct of psychiatrists to degrade religious experiences by reducing mad consciousness to psychosis or dissociation. Richard Saville-Smith introduces explanatory pluralism as a way of recognizing these disciplinary biases and mad studies as a way of negotiating this understanding. The disproportionate significance of madness in shaping the fabric of the human story can then be recovered from both erasure and dismissal to be given the recognition previously denied - as acute religious experiences. Acute Religious Experiences divides into three sections, beginning with re-readings of William James's pathological programme, Rudolf Otto's numinous, T. K. Oesterreich's possession, Mircea Eliade's shamanism, Walter Stace's mysticism, Walter Pahnke's psychedelic experience, and Abraham Maslow's peak experiences. These ideas are shown to constitute the beginnings of a fractured discourse on the irrational. In part two, contemporary psychiatry's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and Foucault's History of Madness are re-read to reposition madness as not necessarily pathological. This opens the way for the identification of acute religious experiences as a new holistic and post-colonial approach through which religious data can be organized and addressed on a comparative basis. In part three, The Gospel of Mark is re-read as a case study to demonstrate the novel insights which flow from the identification of acute religious experiences. Richard Saville-Smith draws on his own experiences of madness and his PhD from the School of Divinity at The University of Edinburgh to elucidate his research.

The SAGE Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology

The SAGE Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology PDF Author: Todd K. Shackelford
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1529737443
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 2222

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Book Description
Evolutionary psychology is an important and rapidly expanding area in the life, social, and behavioral sciences, and this Handbook represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference text in the field today. Over three volumes, the Handbook provides a rich overview of the most important theoretical and empirical work in the field. Chapters cover a broad range of topics, including theoretical foundations, the integration of evolutionary psychology with other life, social, and behavioral sciences, as well as with the arts and the humanities, and the increasing power of evolutionary psychology to inform applied fields, including medicine, psychiatry, law, and education. Each of the volumes has been carefully curated to have a strong thematic focus, covering: - The foundations of evolutionary psychology; - The integration of evolutionary psychology with other disciplines, and; - The applications of evolutionary psychology. The SAGE Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology is an essential resource for researchers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduate students in all areas of psychology, and in related disciplines across the life, social, and behavioral sciences.

Religion and Mental Health

Religion and Mental Health PDF Author: Harold G. Koenig
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128112832
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
Religion and Mental Health: Research and Clinical Applications summarizes research on how religion may help people better cope or exacerbate their stress, covering its relationship to depression, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse, well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, optimism, generosity, gratitude and meaning and purpose in life. The book looks across religions and specific faiths, as well as to spirituality for those who don’t ascribe to a specific religion. It integrates research findings with best practices for treating mental health disorders for religious clients, also covering religious beliefs and practices as part of therapy to treat depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Summarizes research findings on the relationship of religion to mental health Investigates religion’s positive and negative influence on coping Presents common findings across religions and specific faiths Identifies how these findings inform clinical practice interventions Describes how to use religious practices and beliefs as part of therapy

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia PDF Author: Kevin Silber
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1137446528
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
This comprehensive introduction to schizophrenia is an ideal starting point for students. It covers the theoretical foundations of different perspectives of schizophrenia, including medical, evolutionary and social, to give readers a solid grounding and then discusses the various forms of treatments and the arguments surrounding each perspective.

A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy

A Dimensional Approach to Schizotypy PDF Author: Simone Cheli
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031417887
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
This timely volume explores the range of personality traits and psychosocial deficits which are associated with the broadly defined construct of schizotypy. Describing schizotypy as a phenomenon that can be located on a continuum ranging from sub-clinical states to severe disorders, the editors have brought together experts in this field to discuss approaches to assessment, conceptualization, and treatment. This volume aims to provide a unique and clinically oriented perspective on schizotypy as a feature of personality and psychopathology. An essential resource for professionals, researchers, and academics the reader will gain knowledge of: Underlying maladaptive traits that can emerge as schizotypy Dimensional and transdiagnostic approaches to psychopathology Relationship to metacognition, mentalizing, attachment, self-criticism and interpersonal criticism