April / May 2006

REVIEWS

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UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN: Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching, and Transformational Learning
BY DANIEL S. JANIK
Rowman and Littlefield
Education, 2005, 209 pp., $34, ISBN
1578862914.
Reviewed by Stanley Krippner

Daniel S. Janik is a linguist who holds both Ph.D. and M.D. degrees; his book Unlock the Genius Within will be of special interest to humanistic and existential psychologists, especially those who adhere to Rank’s notion of a “birth trauma.” Janik asserts that birth is “deeply traumatic,” not only to the neonate but also to the mother, both of whom quickly fragment or forget the experience. However, this event serves as a template for future learning, most of which qualifies as “traumatic” because it impresses the ideas of one person, the instructor, on another person, the learner. This “traumatic learning,” according to Janik, is a form of “ritual abuse” in which the learner “feels he or she has little control” over what is taking place. Like other rituals, “traumatic learning” includes several steps, the first of which involves experiencing and recording the neurosensory data surrounding the event.

Second, the learning formulates various associations of these new data with other associations, the result of which is “information.” Finally, the learner finds meaning in this information because “when something happens to us it is our nature to try to make sense of it.” But in “traumatic learning,” the meaning is introduced into the minds of the learners externally, rather than by allowing them to make their own interpretations, damaging the learner’s “identity, ego, self, and soul.”

Janik provides what he calls a “neurobiological” basis for “traumatic learning,” describing the role of the sympathetic nervous system, the neuroendocrine system, the cerebellar system, and the thalamic system. The sympathetic nervous system is the first to be activated, and this triggers the neuroendocrine system to fill the body with “fight or flight” hormones. These, in turn, accelerate the cerebellar and thalamic systems, which activate the production of more hormones, placing the body at its “highest alert.” Needless to say, “traumatic learning” can occur on its own—for example, following an earthquake; but it is more often effected by a human perpetrator such as a rapist, a burglar, an authoritarian teacher, or anyone else who needs, wants, or desires something from a victim. Teachers are more benign than enemy combatants, but all too often their objective is to exert power and influence so that their students will “learn truth,” even though those students might prefer to “learn life.”

Janik would replace “traumatic learning” with “transformative learning,” “teachers” with “mentors,” and “drill” with “discovery.” His prescription resembles Carl Rogers’ “person-centered learning,” even though Janik does not mention him. However, he cites Piaget, Montessori, and Diane McGuiness. He singles out Bessel van der Kolk for his pioneering work on understanding and treating psychological trauma.

To those who might think that the term traumatic learning is too strong, Janik provides a neurobiological underpinning, one that describes the “safety envelope” within which nontraumatic, “transformational learning” can take place, an envelope that combines one’s senses, emotions, and bodily feelings that result in “body–mind music” and a “delicate dance.” Janik proposes that this “music” and “dance” can be traced on brain-scanning instrumentation, and that these instruments will play a vital role in the education of the future. For those who would question the practicality of his model, Janik describes how he put it into practice while teaching high school English in Honolulu’s Intercultural Communications College. He claims virtually all of his students were accepted by a university of their choice and that only one of his forty students was a university dropout. If one suspects these results depend on Janik’s charisma, he suggests “transformational learning” can be taught in distance learning programs.

Janik writes in an engaging manner even while discussing neurobiology and brain functioning. However, he may confuse his readers by using several synonyms for “transformational learning,” including “non-traumatic learning,” “neurobiological learning,” “disquisitional learning,” and “mentorship.” He describes the body’s “felt sense” without referring to the work of Eugene Gendlin who coined the term decades ago. He tends to overgeneralize and overdramatize “traumatic learning” without providing supportive research data. Nevertheless, he invites his readers to correspond with him at djanik@icchawaii. edu and to check out his web site http://drjanik.tripod.com/als. html. He concludes by asserting that “traumatic learning” is “out of-control” and calls upon the next generation of educational pioneers to turn it about. The rewards of “knowledge, wisdom, and profound enlightenment” make this a tempting invitation.

STANLEY KRIPPNER teaches atSaybrook Graduate School and is a former AHP president.

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FIELD NOTES ON THE COMPASSIONATE LIFE: A Search for the Soul of Kindness
BY MARC IAN BARASCH
Rodale, 2005, 352 pp., $24.95, ISBN
1579547117.
Reviewed by Daryl Paulson

Over the years, we, as a culture, have come to live more and more as isolated monads, aspiring to be happy and aspiring to be good—yet a cloud of apathy envelopes us all. We hear our political leaders profess their desire for truth and justice, only to find that that desire for truth and justice is merely a play on words. We wonder if we are not in another Vietnam, as we see the body counts mounting in Iraq. The government’s insistence that this is the war on terror makes us uneasy. We feel vulnerable and threatened by an unstable economy in an even more threatening world. Last year, there was not enough flu vaccine for all of us; this year, we wonder if the 1918 plague has not been reborn in the guise of bird flu? CNN reported today that we Americans are ruder to each other than ever. And now, in the aftermath of Hurricune Katrina, we see so many poor left with nothing but mud and ashes.

But then, a breath of fresh air comes my way—the discovery of Barasch’s new book on compassion, not just for oneself, one’s family, and one’s friends, but for all of humanity. The book is composed of thirteen chapters, a preface, and a conclusion.

This is an authentic approach in which, clearly, the author is not trying to tell others how to find happiness, but is a search that is human in all its strengths and weaknesses. The book begins detailing Barasch’s self-experiment to overcome the “it’s all about me” attitude and to go out into the world and meet it with compassion for all. The compassion of which Barasch speaks is not of the type found in New Age circles, but is more along the lines of Carl Roger’s perspective of positive regard.

Barasch tells us that he took the Bodhisattva vow—to express universal compassion—but he was tricked. He was not going to live for others. Barasch describes the conflict intrinsic to taking care of self or taking care of others. He solved it in a creative manner by embracing both himself and others, finding that by recognizing his emotional compassion, he could move closer to others, recognizing their pain, and meeting it with compassion.

Barasch weaves personal account after personal account throughout the book. He focuses on, for example, evolution, observing that science views life as a constant fight for survival, but then discusses the observations of no one less than Charles Darwin’s that animals have an instinct for mutual aid, reciprocity, cooperation, and even love.

He spends some time discussing empathy and the positive value of “you in me and me in you;” that is, the ability to take the position of another and see his/her world. All in all, we constantly are able to empathize with others. But, how many times have we felt care and concern for others, yet we can reciprocate only with words. Barasch says it is only when individuals become alert to others, on the others’ terms, that empathy can be realized. It is one thing to feel for someone else; it is quite another to become someone else for a moment. Positive regard, or compassion directed to others, Barasch emphasizes, is not rescuing them but rather is identifying with them. For instance, a crappy waiter can be met with compassion and empathy, but one also can simply leave him to his destiny without “fixing” the situation. Empathy for a crappy waiter does not require a tip.

Something that affects us all is the uneasiness of asking a passerby for help. This seems to stem from our embarrassment for being vulnerable, fear of engaging a panhandler, or fear of being a bother. But we can allow others to help us and feel empathy for them. That is, they are probably feeling good about helping us. Barasch comments on something Paul Bruton once wrote about, that everyday life enables us to see deeper into the hearts of others. This does not imply that people are good or bad, only that we conduct an ongoing experiment to see what is, instead of closing to others in a prejudicial way.

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Interestingly, Barasch also discusses the healthy benefits of not bracing and protecting oneself from others, but projecting positive regard. Now, this is hard, because many of us expect to be taken advantage of. Note that Barasch does not say we won’t; he says that positive regard for others is not about making ourselves vulnerable to others, but is about being available— available to say no, to say yes, or to say nothing at all.

Then there is the aspect of actually doing good to others. Certainly there are self-sacrificing neurotics and martyrs, but these are not Barasch’s concerns, nor is raising money by “bowling for kids’ sake,” although it could be. It is, instead, helping another because one can. There is no ulterior motive, no scorecard to keep, nor a need for anyone else to know.

Well, these are great points, but what does one do with people who have hurt him deeply? Now, this is “black-belt” compassion, and no doubt requires much experimentation on how to handle one’s “enemies.” We do not have to butter them up and pretend we care, but we can at least, over time, “let them go to their own destinies.” We may never be able to stand being in the same building with them, but we do not need to fuel a war, either. Fortunately, we are not instructed to do anything. We observe what Barasch does, and he is not perfect.

The main value that I got from this book was the complete honesty in how the author presented. He does not provide “seven steps for happiness” or for compassion. But he does portray experiments he has done, and the end result is that he has become more at home in the universe, with others, and with himself.

This is a super book that flows easily, while presenting much sophisticated material without cramming it down the reader’s throat.

DARYL PAULSON, Ph.D., is a scholar-at-large in transpersonal and integral studies. He is President/ CEO of BioScience Laboratories, and has taught transpersonal psychology, psychosynthesis, and Integral psychology. He is the author of six books, and a decorated Marine veteran who served as a Vietnamese language interpreter.

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BEING EMPATHIC: A Companion for Counselors and Therapists
BY STEVEN VINCENT, FOREWORD BY GAY LEAH BARFIELD
Radcliffe Publishing, 2005, 244 pp.,
ISBN 185775705X.
Reviewed by David Lavra

It was a pleasure to review this book because it deepened my understanding of clientcentered/ person-centered therapy. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in, or thinks that they understand, client-centered therapy. It is wellsuited for training. I have read many selections by Carl Rogers over the past thirty-seven years, and have been a firm believer. However, this time I think that I got it.

Steven Vincent’s book had the impact of finally allowing me to see why, as a graduate student, I was not “being” the core conditions conducive to respect and acceptance, and trusting that the client can do the work. Not trusting the process, and myself, I wanted to “help” by pushing the client along. In training, I was not really following my client’s lead, rather I was being directive. The difference has to do with the philosophy of how people actualize themselves in the therapeutic climate. What I have internalized, however, and has become a part of me, is knowing that we all are basically good, positive, productive, loving.

This book is a comprehensive presentation of client-centered basics. In Chapter One, Vincent presents a definition of terms and concepts pertinent to the therapeutic process. In Chapter Two, the author compares being the core conditions to using techniques and the process of training therapists. Chapter Three was a real jewel. Vincent creates an interview with himself on the basics of client-centered therapy in practice. In Chapter Four Vincent distinguishes between client-centered therapy and other theoretical models in defining empathic understanding, the necessary and sufficient conditions. Chapter Five elaborates on the stages of therapeutic growth as effected by both the therapist’s core conditions and the client’s openness to experience and acceptance of self. The client becomes empowered.

Vincent’s book takes the reader through a process of understanding Rogers’ writings and clientcentered/ person-centered therapy. The development and definitions of the elements of this therapeutic model are explicit and portrayed in the realm of human relationships and the growth that can occur. The essence of the message is the interconnection of genuineness (a state of being), empathic understanding (the process), and truly valuing the other person (attitude). Together these promote healing and growth, as the book illustrates.

Throughout his book, Vincent draws out Rogers’ basic clinical observations and therapeutic development from his early writings to his last writings and interviews. Vincent points out that empathic understanding is the most effective medium in which the clients are able to perceive the deep respect offered by the therapist (p. 169). Yet he adds that Rogers saw genuineness, or congruence, as the most basic of the three conditions. Genuineness even makes it possible for the therapist to include negative responses without crushing the client. Adhering to unconditional positive regard, or valuing the other person without judgment, opens the door to openness to selfacceptance of all aspects of the self. A way of being for the client-centered therapist is an integration and personification of all three conditions.

“Indeed, Carl Rogers wrote that being with the awesome actualizing of potential can engender far deeper feelings of connection—not just with or to the client but with the whole brotherhood and sisterhood of human beings, or even a kind of spiritual connection and sense of belonging” (p. 189).

As Vincent noted, Rogers’ greatest gift was knowing that the human core is positive, good, loving, productive.

DAVID C. LAVRA is in retirement in the tropics but still an active AHP member

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