Editorial

We could be forgiven for thinking that this is the ‘end of the world as we know it’ as our familiar structures and securities collapse and our environment becomes increasingly threatened. All kinds of predictions prevail ranging from a doom and gloom Armageddon to the dawn of a new age of consciousness. Some scientists claim that climate change is a cyclical and normal phenomenon and that natural disasters are part of the process. Environmentalists might believe that Mother Nature is having her revenge for the careless stewardship of the earth and some people feel that the wrath of God is being visited up on us. Whatever the belief system we are certainly experiencing some turbulence and disruption to our comfortable and what we thought predictable western way of life. We are learning that even with sophisticated technology at our fingertips we cannot always control outcomes. A little book entitled The Black Swan describes how rare events can take us by surprise: once upon a time it was thought that all swans were white until some black ones were discovered in New Zealand. We make assumptions and are then surprised when out of left field an unexpected event occurs which throws us off course. We were currently hell bent on fixing the economy when a volcano erupting in Iceland brought all travel across Europe to a standstill and has forced us to switch our focus to a much bigger picture.

The Editorial Board is often surprised and grateful at how the cyberspace universe continues to provide us with interesting and challenging material. What also surprises us is the synchronicity of themes that run through articles, often unsolicited, that land out of the blue.

Journeying, searching, spirituality and embodiment have emerged as themes in this summer issue. In a timely article as we face the fragmentation of our infrastructures, Barbara Dowds traces Berman’s theory of the evolution of consciousness and spirituality showing that the movement and journeys of pastoral or nomadic peoples were spiritual and more conducive to harmonious living than settled farmers. We do not need to strive to transcend or vertically ascend in order to achieve spiritual satisfaction. We can find ‘bliss’ simply in the ordinary, and particularly when we connect with our senses. Thomas Larkin in his piece on PsychotherapyYoga claims ‘the body is a living organism that pulses’ and says the process of therapy is ‘not unlike cooking.’ Psychotherapy is naturally evolving. Fritz Perls, who over forty years ago, challenged the constraints of psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the time, said ‘we need to lose our minds and come to our senses.’ Janov in Part 2 of a series of 3 articles continues to push the boundaries in exploring life’s journey from womb to tomb. Avatar a futuristic imaginative movie continues to fire debate. Claire Coleavy Donnelly shares with us her creative approach with clients and both Stephen Flynn and Elizabeth Keating offer alternative systemic approaches to therapy. Magda O’Farrell keeps us firmly embodied as she describes the movement of hormones during menopause.

In this issue we would like to acknowledge the passing of three humanistic travelers; Liam McCarthy, Michael Corry and Paul Rebillot.

We would ask that you follow the Inside Out way of formatting as it helps us in our work. We have changed the system of advertising with a view to working more efficiently and the order form for ads is also included in this publication. We continue to review workshops and this year creativity, such as sand play and body work have been popular subjects and both well attended. We would like to have a book review in each publication given the plethora of books that are out there so we would ask for anyone who wishes to contribute in this way to contact us.

So for this summer we wish you well whether you are nomadic or stay settled. Given that we cannot predict what nature has in store for us we will have to go with the flow….