Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It It fulfills the same function as pain in the body. It calls attention to the unhealthy state of things.
Winston Churchill
Hmm! I debated about doing this, I did, but I feel compelled to give my honest review of a book I just read ( well partially read). Why do I feel I need to do so? I am really not sure. I was greatly disappointed because this book did not meet my hopeful expectations...but that has nothing to do with the author and everything to do with "me". Expectations and hope, I have learned long ago , are just mind stuff that carry us away from "what is", leading to more suffering in the long run. I knew this...but "my bad" for forgetting it.
There may also be some ego stuff I am dealing with interfering in my ability to be completely objective. I felt somewhat jealous that this person appears to be externally succeeding as an author and teacher, reaching many, when I wasn't. (I really had to work through that before coming here...I did not want something so petty leading me to project criticism, you know?) I want to be objective. I also want to be fair and kind to the author, to any potential readers and to myself.
I was referred to this author by a friend who heard her speak about her research. After listening to this author speak, I found myself compelled to learn more. She seemed humble, knowledgeable, intelligent and articulate, trustworthy and selflessly committed to using her "expertise" for the betterment of humanity ( she spoke about her years of service to the disadvantaged youth during and after Apartheid in South Africa). So I rushed off to order the book, thinking it would help me to awaken a bit faster by helping me to "train my mind to change my brain". I was very, very interested in the premise, excited and enthused to read the book.
I picked up the book when I received it. I liked the cover: a hand scrubbing away at something and thought it was well suited to the title, "Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess". Mental mess? Isn't that what Michael A. Singer is going on about all the time? This book, then, would be a good compliment to his teaching? I looked down at the author's name ad I got my first intuitive pang of resistance in my gut. It began with Dr. than the person's name. I knew the person had a pHd (in something I wasn't familiar with) and I have no problem with author's offering their credentials behind their names but it seemed "very off "to see that Dr. in front of her name with no initials after. A certain credibility was definitely lost. Though I loved Wayne Dyer I always sensed the ego when his books were written as "Dr Wayne Dyer."
I pushed the feeling down. Then I excitedly began to read the book. After the first page that intuitive pang in my gut got stronger. I couldn't get myself around the writing. It did not seem at the level of someone who probably had to write a doctoral thesis to earn a pHd...and someone who claims to have many research papers published in scientific journals...not at all. And it made the book very, very hard to read. I reprimanded myself for being so judgmental... not everyone is able to express themselves well through written word, I told myself. It doesn't make what is being said or taught less credible. But the more I read, the more this feeling in my gut grew in intensity. "This doesn't seem credible!"
The argument in the book was very vague and repeated over and over again with this promise that if we followed the five steps and bought the app we would see for ourselves what the science was supporting. It was even proposed on many occasions that the five step approach was more effective and practical than the "fad" or "trend" of mindfulness and meditation could ever be. That definitely added to the pain in my gut.
I tend to be quite good at recognizing voices...be they spoken or written...and I could also hear the author's voice in the quoted testimony's offered by so called research participants and clients throughout the chapters. I was having a very hard time with credibility.
Still I was determined to read on...maybe I would get something from the science revealed in the book. Apparently there was over thirty years of research done. I have read many, many scientific research papers on a variety of subjects over the years so I do not find it difficult to read such. I was looking forward to it. I wanted the science to prove me and the suspicions I was having wrong. It didn't. I found it very, very difficult to read and make sense of the scientific research presented in two of the. chapters. I found very little valid correlation between the research done and the research conclusions made. It seemed to be extremely vague and assumptive, loaded with a great deal of observer bias. Extremely, extremely repetitive pointing to the conclusion that the only possible variable for the findings was the use or lack of use of these five steps and the app that had to be bought. Sure there were diagrams offered, scales used, charts and what not, a control group and an experimental group but what was presented as evidence was so vague and could basically point to anything as the cause of the so called changes found in the experimental group compared to the control group. Maybe there was a possibility that the actual science done was okay and could live up to all the hype it was given...but by the way it was presented in the book, it lost all credibility to me.
Then when I got to the chapters giving us the definition of thought and mind...it was again repetitive taking the teachings found in many ancient scriptures and turning them around in a very confusing way. Denying, as well, the validity of some of those teachings in the name of science (a science that really wasn't science)? At that point...I found myself saying, "I just cannot read this. Am I the only one that is confused by this book and now distrusting of the author's intent?" I went to the Amazon reviews to find out and after a few of the more positive reviews, I scroll down to the not so good reviews (there were a few) and find one review in particular that echoed what was in my heart and mind. I was not the only one.
Because I was still in love with the premise of the book and hoping to gain something from it, I went back to the book to skim through the last few chapters to see what the five steps were, the essence of this so called brain changing technique: Gather, reflect, write, recheck and active reach. There is really nothing unique in this life style approach...except for the names of each step......at all. But, I was reminded again and again by the author , it was the only proven way to tap into the neuroplasticity capability of our brains. And in order to get the full benefit of this "scientifically validated" technique , one has to purchase the app.
I fell in love with the premise of the book and totally agree that we have to clean up the mess in our minds. That is a truth that has been passed on by teachers of ancient wisdom for centuries. It isn't new and it isn't "rocket science". Let me rephrase that, "It isn't neuroscience." It is just truth...a truth that is freely offered to all. You do not need to buy this book or this app to get there. You definitely can buy them if you want to...it might prove to be a valuable pointer for you taking you closer to where you need to be. By all means go for it. I am fascinated with the science of neuroplasticity and have been reading about it for years,
The book was in essence, I am afraid, just one long promotional sale technique to get us to buy the app. I personally feel...what it offers is not credible enough to become worth the purchase of the book, let alone the app.
Please do not judge the book or the author ( especially not the author) based on my review. It is best we do not judge at all, right? Determine for yourself what is true or not true, okay? I am trying to be objective but I know I am not completely being so. My gut feeling is too loud and noisy. I am judging the book, the credibility of the research and the intention behind the book. I am criticizing in order to call attention to the unhealthy state of things...in me, in the self help movement and in egos need to succeed. I am doing my best not to judge the person the author is because I do not know her. ( That is why I am not including her name...of course, with research, you can easily find out but I will not make it easy for you) .
I can learn from the experience of reading and reviewing this book . We can all learn from this...we can all learn from everything. And we do not need an app. We just need to observe Life and mind.
All is well.
Some articles on neuroplasticity worth reading:
Fuchs, E & Flugges, G. (2014) Adult Neuroplasticity: Over Forty Years of Research. From: Neural Plast: 2014: 541870. Published on line: Hindawi. Retrieved on May 21, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4026979/
Voss, P et al ( October 4, 2017) Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Plasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. From Frontiers in Psychology. Retrieved on May 21, 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657/full
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