Emotional Alchemy : How the Mind Can Heal the Heart

Rating:
Summary: Turning our inner coal into diamonds.
Review: Tara Bennett-Goleman writes that "this book is about seeing ourselves as we genuinely are, not as we seem on first glance as viewed through the filters of our habitual assumptions and emotional patterns" (p. 4). The concept of "emotional alchemy" allows for "the possibility that our bewilderment and turmoil might blossom into insightful clarity" (p. 7); it is about "bringing intelligence to our emotional lives" (p. 144). Bennett-Goleman is a psychotherapist who studied with Dr. Jeffrey Young in schema therapy (p. 9), and with Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusettes Medical School in mindfulness training (p. 10). She also practiced meditation with S. N. Goenka in Bodh Gaya, India (p. 36).

This book is recommended "for people who are functioning in their lives, but who suffer from self-defeating emotional habits" (p. 15). Although it offers an excellent introduction to psychology from a Buddhist perspective, the psychology presented here "offers a scientific approach to inner work, a theory of mind that anyone, Buddhist or not, can draw insights and benefit from" (p. 8). Buddhism, Bennett-Goleman adds, contains "an entire system of psychology--a mind science--that can be of value to anyone" (p. 65). Buddhist teachings encourage us to recognize our suffering, to free ourselves from that suffering, and to follow a path free from that suffering. This is the path of Bennett-Goleman's EMOTIONAL ALCHEMY--"a path that offers a gradual freedom from the hold of what Buddhism calls 'afflictive' emotions" (p. 12).

Buddhist teachings tell us that our "most insidious enemies are internal--our afflictive states of mind" (p. 300) Bennett-Goleman examines a number of familiar schemas ("negative life patterns") in her book, including abandonment (pp. 75-77), deprivation (pp. 77-79), subjugation (pp. 79-81), mistrust (pp. 81-83), unlovability (pp. 83-85), exclusion (pp. 87-88), vulnerability (pp. 88-90), failure (pp. 90-91), perfectionism (pp. 91-93) and entitlement (pp. 93-95). "Deep beneath vulnerability and deprivation," she observes, "lies a pool of profound sadness; beneath mistrust and subjugation is a smoldering anger; beneath vulnerability and social exclusion, and abandonment lurks fear. An anxious self-doubt drives perfectionism and failure alike. And at the core of entitlement very often lies shame" (p. 168). Mindfulness practice allows us to identify these hidden emotional patterns, and when we direct our "spotlight of awareness" toward these schemas, we experience opportunities for transformation from the distorted thinking and emotional chaos of our lives (pp. 172-73).

Bennett-Goleman also shows how the "schema tango" (p. 210) of any relationship can become an "emotional battleground," but those relationships (including parent-child relationships, pp. 225-40) also "offer an especially ripe opportunity to let us do inner work that will free us from the grip of our schemas" (p. 207).

EMOTIONAL ALCHEMY is more than a self-help book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in what it means to be human, or in personal growth. Although she is a qualified psychotherapist, Bennett-Goleman admits she is not an expert on Buddhism. The fascinating journey "to inner freedom" set forth in her book travels the psychological path only, unlike path of spiritual alchemy, which Bennett-Goleman concedes is "beyond this book" (p. 263).

G. Merritt














Rating:
Summary: Informative but dull and uninspiring
Review: This type of a book is not read for its entertainment value, that it obvious. The depth of the content is a primary consideration, and in the case of this book, the material is not lacking in depth, borrowing from a subject as rich and profound as the human mind itself - Buddhist phychology. However, the message of healing through mindfulness gets lost in the hopeless wandering aroung in circles, without ever really getting anywhere. Where is this book going? By page 130 it was still not very clear. This seems more like a dry psychology textbook, filled with chapter after chapter of research results, case histories and impressive technical "buzzwords", than an inspiring and sympathetic Buddhist teaching on how to heal the emotions. I peronally have found Tich Nhat Hanh's wrtitings much more "Buddhist", in a sense, because they are warm, non-technical, practical and consise. The Dalai Lama himself has written a number of excellent books on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Resource for Self Discovery
Review: Years ago I attended one of Tara and her husband Daniel's weekend seminar on meditation. I remember feeling a lightness and ease in myself after this seminar. I found a similar experience with reading Tara's book, Emotional Alchemy. Through Western psychology and Buddhist mindfulness Tara guides the reader in self discovery. According to Tara "Mindfulness means seeing things as they are, without trying to change them." I had not previously heard of the practice of mindfulness, but it rang true for me. I feel I will revisit Tara's book again and again as it is a great resource for personal transformation.

I you enjoyed this book, I highly recommend reading another book called "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel and Shya Kane. The Kane's approach to modern day enlightenments is based on simple awareness where mechanical behavior can transform enabling you to lead an authentic life, one with meaning and satisfaction. Thanks to all the authors of these two wonderful books!