This morning while I was drinking coffee in a Wendy's with traffic passing outside the window, I finished reading, for the second time, Old Souls, New York journalist Tom Shroder's book about psychiatrist Ian Stevenson and the children who speak of past lives. As I put the book down, it occurred to me that these … Continue reading Paranormal World | Children who talk of past lives |Re-reading Old Souls
Are you an introvert and an extrovert?
In my book The Shyness Guide, I've written about C.G. Jung's different conception of 'introvert/extrovert' - different, that is, from the view of most people today. In his 1921 book Psychological Types, he proposed that there are four principal functions: Two perceiving functions: Sensation and Intuition Two judging functions: Thinking and Feeling We … Continue reading Are you an introvert and an extrovert?
Homo Selfish|C. J. Meyer and A World Undone
Throughout my life I've been mildly sceptical of this almost universal belief that Homo sapiens is a true social animal. Even primitive humans are always depicted as living in tribes, not in small families or alone. But there is a lot of evidence to the contrary. Sometimes where you don't expect it. For example, recently … Continue reading Homo Selfish|C. J. Meyer and A World Undone
Dreams|Are yours vague and confusing?
Some years ago when I was still working on my novel The Birdcatcher, I read chapter IV aloud in a writer's workshop. That is, the chapter where late at night Chris Stone reflects on his failing marriage and the hypocrisy of modern society, then falls asleep and has the dream of flying up the Song … Continue reading Dreams|Are yours vague and confusing?
Shyness Re-emerging
Are you aware that shyness seems to be increasing? Besides the fact that surveys, at least in North America, have for some time revealed the number of people who perceive themselves to be shy increasing (usually over 50% now), in sociologist Eric Klinenberg's 2012 bestselling book, Going Solo - The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of … Continue reading Shyness Re-emerging
Why did I write The Shyness Guide?
Why, you might want to ask, did I feel a need to write another book about shyness when there are over 600 books already re shyness, introversion, social anxiety, etc? How could there be anything left to say? Well, because shyness is almost never understood the way I understand it. From the day I entered … Continue reading Why did I write The Shyness Guide?
Autism and Theory of Mind |Do you think like a Baboon?
Sometimes psychologists try to explain autism using 'theory of mind'. Books on psychology devote whole chapters to theory of mind, but to keep a lid on it here, I'll just quote Dictionary.com: the ability to interpret one’s own and other people’s mental and emotional states, understanding that each person has unique motives, perspectives, etc. The … Continue reading Autism and Theory of Mind |Do you think like a Baboon?
Shyness and Autism |Are they related?
In my novels The Birdcatcher and Skol, and in The Shyness Guide, I’ve said that I think shyness and autism are both usually natural. I've also suggested that, in some people, they may be related to each other. This perception of them isn’t supported by any research as far as I know. But when I … Continue reading Shyness and Autism |Are they related?
The Shyness Guide | Be Yourself
In The Shyness Guide I say that if you accept your shyness you will become less shy. This is not a contradiction. If you were born shy – and most of us are – when you try to not be shy you are creating a problem, not solving one. Here are some comments about this … Continue reading The Shyness Guide | Be Yourself
