(Though no longer here in person, Dr. Brenner is still here in spirit. Please enjoy this lovely musing he shared with us.) The mind can stimulate the brain to produce neuropeptides and hormones. These chemicals, aptly called, ‘molecules of emotions’ by Candace Pert, are the creator of ‘our feelings.’ We then label these strong feelings as good, bad, pain, fear,
“Be Here Now” is an important statement that fills New Age Workshops throughout this country and Europe. To achieve this wonderful state of being is much more difficult than one might imagine. This can never happen in a weekend or a month. It demands time, a specific place of silence, ideally within Nature, “The Mother” of all that’s good, true,
The sheer gift of LIFE IS A Miracle. If you could think, but for a moment: all the combinations and permutations that made you, you, is simply a miracle beyond belief or words. Two microscopic cells fused and divided, replicated forty one times, to create millions of cells with special DNA, emotions, understanding and beliefs; unlike any other human that
Here, I’m 87 years old, having difficulty walking, in intractable pain in my legs; and, at times, think of chucking it all in! So what can I do? No, not go to a therapist. Right, buy a puppy! Our Lucky is sheer Joy. He takes my mind off myself, and directs my moments of lost love of self to my
Now that I’m old (and I am sure that is the correct definition of my present age, 87), I’ve learned a great deal about aging. But it always boils down to acceptance and permission, since I’ve lost the ability to walk when I was 80 (after falling off a surfboard in Hawaii on my birthday). I further fractured my already
This cry for equality is so very different than I have ever experienced. Mr. Trump has been our mirror of the vestiges of the racist, privileged lives we all have lived so it’s time for each of us to take an inventory of our own lives. Anyone who lives life with more than they need is privileged. If that is
Balance is the state of dynamic equilibrium. It is a dynamic state in which opposites exchange between one another, without loss. It is the state referred to as the transpersonal experience. It is a state devoid of comparison or judgment. Since it may appear that nothing is happening, it is often misunderstood as a state of ‘oneness.’ Balance is the
Emotions are our behavioral responses to stories that we tell ourselves; and those fearful experiences of our generational, epigenetic past. These often shape our reality, and our responses to that reality. The stories originate in the mind, as well as external environmental input that can trigger our own stories and internal memories. They are retold, consciously and unconsciously, until they
Over a number of years, I have encountered clients who demonstrate the curse of being told in childhood, how special they are. ‘Special’ can come with a dark side: anxiety, pressure to succeed, perfectionism, isolation and failure to meet expectations; and, in time, may lead to illness. The ‘gifted’ may either burnout or self-sabotage, in order to prove their family
When I was a kid, 85 years ago, my favorite radio series was ‘The Shadow.’ The program began, ‘Who knows what lurks in the hearts of man? (Pause) The Shadow Knows!’ And it ended with the same deep, mysterious voice, repeating, ‘Who Knows…? (Longer pause) The Shadow knows.’ Psychology, for me, is playing the role of The Shadow. Psychologists delve