Product Description

This text takes the principles of "mindfulness" and combines it with the therapeutic tools of examination and investigation in order to transform emotional confusion into emotional clarity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #529269 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 351 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
According to ancient legends, alchemists use a magical philosopher's stone to transmute lead into gold. In Emotional Alchemy, Tara Bennett-Goleman shows readers how they can use this alchemist metaphor to transform emotional confusion (lead) into insightful clarity (gold). And what does the magic stone represent? "Mindfulness", a lifelong practice that can bring readers more joy and contentment than gold, according to Bennett-Goleman. "Mindfulness means seeing things as they are without trying to change them", she writes. "The point is to dissolve our reactions to disturbing emotions, being careful not to reject the emotion itself".

Those who have never entered this practice will find a concise and articulate teacher in Bennett-Goleman, who leads national workshops with her husband, author Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence). What makes this book such an exciting breakthrough is Bennett-Goleman's ability to apply Buddhist mindfulness to Western psychology. She shows how emotional alchemy can be used to address typical habits, such as mistrust, fear of rejection, feeling unlovable. Readers will also find fascinating scientific facts on how emotional alchemy affects brain chemistry and even cancer survival. --Gail Hudson

Customer Reviews

Old Wisdom for the New Millenium
Alchemy - the science and art of transforming the seemingly worthless into the priceless. Bennett-Goleman draws mainly from the Bhuddist philosophy and psychology of "mindfulness" (also familiar as to fans of Star Wars) - taking the time to examine our negative (seemingly worthless) states in order to find what lies underneath them which brings with it an awareness of *why* we feel the things we feel and think the way we think. And with awareness comes choice. This book is a very good introduction to the concepts and application of mindfulness, majoring on using it to examine our 'schemas' - patterns of negative thought, emotion and action. I found it to be engaging and well-written in a very accessible style and flow too. I like texts that provoke thought, and this one certainly did. If you want to rethink the way you think, or are just interested in an alternative to running away from your fears, read it.

Schema Therapy meets Buddhism
Tara writes a wonderful book that explores and explains the relationships we make of our early non-verbal experiences and post-verbal meanings.

She takes a rather complex theory and presents a new way of considering the way we navigate our "meaning-making" in the world with easy to understand explanations and examples. Tara uniquely identifies similarities and differences in Buddhism and Schema Therapy developed by Jeffrey Young who was her mentor (cognitive-behaviour therapy).

A poignant read for those looking for answers about long-standing feelings/experiences that do not translate easily to words.

Highly recommended for self-help students interested in an excellent approach to working with long-standing issues (psychotherapy).