Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Challenging Orthodoxy modern spirit-release therapists now also a colleague from the International
b o o k r e v ie w s
David Furlong approach these situations through Futures Forum. His experience and
hypnotic regression techniques, study have enabled him to pull together
where the intrusive entity or entities many disciplines and strands and
THE SCIENCE OF are communicated with, helped and convert these into a readable and
SPIRIT POSSESSION then released. Palmer also suggests practical narrative with which the reader
(2nd Edition) methodologies for further research into can engage deeply. One of the most
Dr Terence Palmer (SMN) this field, which is sadly ignored by the interesting features of the book is the
Cambridge Scholars, 375 pp., 52.99, medical establishment that broadly number of questions over 250 and
h/b, (20% discount for Members) ISBN prefers to see such conditions as the injunction that we should live these
978-1-4438-6810-5 stemming from neurological disorders questions rather than impose answers
that can best be treated by medication. that do not do justice to the complexity
This book, based on Palmers Ph.D.
of our overall situation. The four main
thesis, is a scholarly and authoritative
Because the book sets out to challenge elements, illustrated on the cover, are
exploration into a little understood area
the current orthodox position on the transformative innovation, biologically
of human experience. Palmer sets out
causes of mental problems, which it inspired design, living systems thinking,
his stall in the Introduction where he
does more than adequately, it is full and health and resilience.
states:
of scientific terminology and jargon
that make it a potentially difficult read In his introduction, David Orr reminds
The purpose of this book is to
for the lay person and this is my main readers that cultures are not designed
demonstrate that, contrary to popular
belief in academic circles and in the criticism of this book. However, for those from the top down, but grow organically
collective conscious of institutionalised interested in, or working with mental and from the bottom up, starting on a small
mechanistic science, there is a psychological health, where a possible scale as a seed initiative. On this
scientific framework that can, and does, cause could be spirit intrusion in one journey, we need to begin by changing
accommodate the phenomena of spirit form or another, it should be a must to our perception of and therefore our
possession in all forms and diversity have on the bookshelf. relationship with Nature, no longer
(Palmer, 2014:39). standing apart but realising that we
David Furlong is Director of the Spirit are integral to life and co-creators of
To accept the concept that individuals Release Forum and author of Illuminating the future. All chapters also take the
can be influenced and affected, both the Shadow. form of questions, with a number of
mentally and physically, by spirit entities,
leading to psychological illness, first
ecology-futures subsections. We need to move from a
perception and narrative of separation
necessitates that there is adequate studies to what Thich Nhat Hanh calls interbeing
based on relationality, cooperation and
scientific evidence for the continuation
of consciousness beyond the death of collaboration rather than rivalry and
the physical body. To support his thesis competition. Gregory Bateson is quoted
Palmer draws heavily on the work of as saying that the major problems in
the now little known nineteenth century the world are the result of the difference
researcher, Frederic Myers (1843-1901), between how nature works and the way
who was one of the founders for the people think. Readers will emphatically
Society for Psychical Research. Myers agree with this statement once they have
primary objective was to pursue scientific read this book as they will very clearly
evidence that Man has a soul and his understand that our current economic
conscious personality survives bodily system is structurally unsustainable,
death, states Palmer (2014:30). It is depending as it does on continuous
clear that Myers exploration into these extraction of natural resources to
fields was limited by the understanding turn them into economic assets while
of his time and, although his posthumous externalising the ecological and social
book Human Personality and Its Survival costs. (p. 210)
of Bodily Death (1903) was well received
by some of his followers, his ideas on A key transformative theme is that
the unconscious or subliminal self, of health. As pioneers like Sir Albert
gained no acceptance within psychology Howard demonstrated, the health
or the scientific establishment. Drawing of the soil is primary, because on it
on Myers concepts, Palmer brings us depend successively the health of
back to the central task of true scientific plants, animals and humans. A healthy
enquiry, which should be the open- ecosystem is a resilient one, and Daniel
minded exploration of all phenomena, of shows how regenerative agriculture can
which perceived spirit-possession is an
Ecological Activism turn depleted soil as a source of carbon
example. David Lorimer to healthy soil as a carbon sink. Nothing
could be more important than this kind
Utilising a wide variety of sources, both DESIGNING of regenerative agriculture, as supported
ancient and modern, Palmer lays the REGENERATIVE by a major 2013 UNCTAD report, given
foundation for an understanding of spirit CULTURES the impact of agriculture on ecosystems.
possession that strongly supports the Our own degenerative diseases are
Daniel Christian Wahl
notions that separate disembodied spirit a major drain on government health
entities can access and influence the Triarchy Press, 2016, 287 pp., 20, p/b systems around the world, and much of
minds of individuals and, on occasions, ISBN 978-1-909470-77-4 this could be prevented by changes in
take up residence within the psyche. I am not surprised that this seminal book diet - but these are unlikely to happen
This in turn can give rise to a range has been so enthusiastically endorsed on a sufficient scale owing to our
of psychological conditions such as by the likes of Fritjof Capra, Hazel current agricultural and food systems.
schizophrenia, hearing voices and Henderson, Joanna Macy and David Orr. Fundamental change, as Naomi Klein
similar mental health problems. We If you only read one environmental book also observes, will require social mass
are informed how obvious cases of this year, this should be it. Daniel has movements using all the communication
possession were tackled in past-times a background in biology, holistic science, power of the Internet.
through traditional exorcisms and how natural design and sustainability, and is
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56 Network Review Summer 2016
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