In the Jan/Feb 2014 edition of The Atlantic, journalist Scott Stossel told about his own lifelong debilitating anxiety, then discussed the nature of anxiety, ending with this: Is pathological anxiety a medical illness, as Hippocrates and Aristotle and many modern psychopharmacologists would have it? Or is it a philosophical problem, as Plato and Spinoza and … Continue reading Is Anxiety Natural?
Paranormal World |Dreams entering Reality – 2
Because my recent post 'Dreams Entering Reality' received more interest than usual, I'm presenting another example of this, again from my own experience. Some years ago we took into our house a female tuxedo (black and white) cat who had been a stray in the neighborhood . From the time we rented a house … Continue reading Paranormal World |Dreams entering Reality – 2
Skol republished|A return to the 23rd century and the future of shy people
If I could have written only one book in my life, it would have been Skol. Yet the first version of the book, published in 2015, did not sell at all. Yes, this story of the future of shy people, told through one shy young man's odyssey across three centuries, remained the most unread of … Continue reading Skol republished|A return to the 23rd century and the future of shy people
Paranormal World | Reincarnation | Why was Ian Stevenson so alone?
Think about this. The Toronto library system, in 128 branches, has 495 copies of Michelle Obama's memoir, Becoming . On behalf of my wife who is too disabled to go to the library anymore, I put in a request for a copy of the book three months ago. We received it this week. Why such … Continue reading Paranormal World | Reincarnation | Why was Ian Stevenson so alone?
Paranormal World|Children who talk of past lives | Kumkum Verma
Sinduhaja 'Kumkum' Verma, was born March 14, 1955 in Bihara, a village 40 kms from the city of Dharbanga in northern India. Her father, doctor B. K. Verma, and her mother Subhadra were educated Hindus of a relatively high caste. According to psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, this case is one of the strongest he encountered. It … Continue reading Paranormal World|Children who talk of past lives | Kumkum Verma
Where did insensitive people come from?
In my book The Shyness Guide I discuss psychologist Elaine Aron's concept of the "highly sensitive person". She came to the conclusion that that her HSP diagnosis was necessary because of the profound difference in the sensitivity of people. There is a sensitive/insensitive divide in us. Dr Aaron would caution me to say – ‘more … Continue reading Where did insensitive people come from?
Want to write a novel?|Read a novel
Since other indie writers all seem to be posting writing advice, it's about time I did too. What do I think you should do if you want to write a novel? I think you should get a John Grisham novel, then read it carefully - the way a writer reads - trying to understand how … Continue reading Want to write a novel?|Read a novel
Rescuing Shyness|C. S. Lewis
When Clive Staples Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia, etc) was a boy and was sent away to a public boarding school, he was miserable because he was acutely shy. Eventually realizing that Clive was too shy for such a place, his father took him out and sent him to live in the country … Continue reading Rescuing Shyness|C. S. Lewis
Shyness |Accept yourself, but don’t expect them to accept you
My book The Shyness Guide basically does three things: It presents the evidence that shyness is natural It tries to convince you to accept yourself as a shy person It shows how you can function in the social world in a shy way, rather than in the outgoing way that is constantly urged on you. … Continue reading Shyness |Accept yourself, but don’t expect them to accept you
Alan Conrad 