Prepare yourself for better sleep with this guided journal filled with prompts, meditations, quotes and exercises to help you feel grounded, centred and connected. 'I lovingly release the day and slip into peaceful sleep, knowing tomorrow will take care of itself.' - Louise Hay Whether you already have an established evening meditation practice, or you are newly committed to creating one, use this journal to end each day in a place of peace, love and mindfulness. The writing prompts, thoughtful exercises and quotes are designed to help you discover your personal routine and encourage you to stick with it. Each page is a new surprise with plenty of space to write, inspiring you with different techniques and perspectives as you use evening meditations as a foundation to build a calmer, healthier, more balanced life. As you meditate with this book as your guide, you will: * try out different techniques, from loving kindness to silent meditation * create and recite evening affirmations * begin a gratitude practice * build an evening routine around meditation and reflection * discover brief, accessible 5-minute guided meditations and visualizations * learn breathing techniques and body movements to promote calm and good sleep * incorporate crystals, herbs and essential oils into your practice

Why do we sleep? Are we sleeping enough? Do we suffer stress from "sleep debt"? Why do some of us struggle with sleep disorders? And how can we tackle sleep problems? These are the kinds of questions that make many of us toss and turn all night.
Jim Horne finds answers to these questions and many more in Sleepfaring, a journey through the science and the secrets of sleep. He reveals what goes on in our brains behind the veil of sleep, looks at body clocks, the values of napping, and the controversial question of "sleep debt," and also gives some hints from the latest sleep research that may just help you get a better night's rest. In recent years, the nature of sleep, our sleeping patterns, how much sleep we need, and the dangers of lack of sleep have become increasingly important, as people work longer hours, styles of working have altered, and the separation between workplace and home has been eroded by cell phones and the internet. From drowsiness at the wheel, to stress and insomnia, this is a subject that truly matters to people. Horne draws on the latest research in brain physiology, psychology, medicine, and the many social factors that contribute to sleep problems to reveal what science has discovered about sleep, and problems related to sleep-from snoring to sleep apnea. Nor does Horne shy away from controversy, challenging, for example, the conventional wisdom on the amount of sleep we actually need.
For anyone wishing to know more about the many mysterious processes that begin when we close our eyes each night, Sleepfaring offers a wealth of insight and information.

A groundbreaking new look at how we pay attention that can help us perform better - and be happier - in the digital world. Psychologist Gloria Mark began researching how technology affects human attention when offices were first getting computers. Over the last 30 years, she has tracked changes in our attention spans and stress levels, and in the fundamental way our brains process information. Now in Attention Span, Dr Mark shows how much of what we think we know about attention is wrong. She explores the current crisis of focus and productivity that is so deeply entwined with rising rates of anxiety and depression, and investigates what we might be able to do about it. Delving into the newly celebrated concept of 'kinetic attention', she introduces a more balanced understanding of the rhythm between deep focus and less focused states, which may actually serve to make us happier and more productive in the long term.

Understanding Dreams and Other Spontaneous Images: The Invisible Storyteller applies a contemporary interdisciplinary approach to dream interpretation, bringing cognitive anthropology, folklore studies, affective neuroscience, and dynamic systems theory to bear on contemporary psychodynamic clinical practice. It provides a practical guide for working with dreams that can be used by both individuals on their own and therapists working with clients. Erik D. Goodwyn invites us to examine key features of reported dreams, such as the qualities of the environment depicted, its familiarity or unfamiliarity, the nature of the characters encountered, and overall themes. This method facilitates an understanding of the dream in the full context of the dreamer's life, rather than interpreting individual, isolated elements. Goodwyn also introduces the mental process which orchestrates dreams, conceptualised here as the 'Invisible Storyteller', and explores how understanding it can positively impact satisfaction in waking life. As a whole, the book provides a collection of tools and techniques which can be referred to time and again, as well as a wealth of examples. Exploring dreams as a natural source of clinical insight, The Invisible Storyteller will appeal to Jungian psychotherapists and analytical psychologists, other professionals working with dreams with clients, and readers looking for a scientific approach to dream interpretation.

Across Victorian Britain, apparently reasonable people twisted into bizarre postures, called out in unknown languages, and placidly bore assaults that should have caused unbearable pain all while they were mesmerized. Alison Winter's fascinating cultural history traces the history of mesmerism in Victorian society. "Mesmerized" is both a social history of the age and a lively exploration of the contested territory between science and pseudo-science.
"Dazzling. . . . This splendid book . . . gives us a new form of historical understanding and a model for open and imaginative reading."--James R. Kinkaid, "Boston Globe"
"A landmark in the history of science scholarship."--John Sutherland, "The Independent"
"It is difficult to imagine the documentary side of the story being better done than by Winter's well-researched and generously illustrated study. . . . She is a lively and keen observer; and her book is a pleasure to read purely for its range of material and wealth of detail. . . . Fruitful and suggestive."--Daniel Karlin, "Times Literary Supplement"
"An ambitious, sweeping and fascinating historical study. . . . Beautifully written, thoroughly researched, and well-illustrated."--Bernard Lightman, "Washington Times"

Dreams work on the emotional raw material of our life experience and an ability to work with them is an essential tool for the counsellor, psychotherapist and analyst. This book is the fifth in the series of SAP monographs that aim to provide a practical guide to core concepts and concerns in clinical practice. The book offers a simple, effective and practical method of exploring, understanding and working with dreams which illuminates the rich layers of their symbolic meaning. It outlines and explores the core theoretical models relating to dreams Jungian, Freudian and postKleinian as well as the findings from dream research laboratories and neuroscience. It charts and engages with the longrunning disputes and conflicts within and between these fields. The contemporary model outlined focuses on the network of associations related to the dream image and narrative, and unpacks the multiple layers and levels of symbolic meaning. This model is particularly helpful in showing how dreams can illuminate early patterns of relating that can otherwise be especially difficult to access. The book offers a comprehensive guide to the subject of dreaming and will be of interest to both trainees and experienced practitioners.

A concise, elegant, and thought-provoking exploration of the mystery of consciousness and the functioning of the brain. 'Intriguing ... impressively rich. This is bursting with insight.' Publishers Weekly Despite decades of research, remarkable imagery, and insights from a range of scientific and medical disciplines, the human brain remains largely unexplored. Consciousness has eluded explanation. Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness offers a brilliant overview of the state of modern consciousness research in twenty brief, revealing chapters. Neuroscientist and author Patrick House describes complex concepts in accessible terms, weaving brain science, technology, gaming, analogy, and philosophy into a tapestry that illuminates how the brain works and what enables consciousness. This remarkable book fosters a sense of mystery and wonder about the strangeness of the relationship between our inner selves and our environment. 'In Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness, Patrick House explores intensely interesting, beautifully provocative ideas about the neurobiology of consciousness. In addition to being an intellectual pleasure, this is an aesthetic one as well - House writes like a dream, with great drollness and elegance of phrase. This book is a gem.' - Robert Sapolsky, author of Behave and MacArthur Fellowship winner 'A highly unusual but brilliant book...with a distinct voice that is fiercely unique.' - Christof Koch, president and chief scientist, Allen Institute for Brain Science

Within a technological context, this volume addresses contemporary theories of consciousness, subjective experience, the creation of meaning and emotion, and relationships between cognition and location. Its focus is both on and beyond the digital culture, seeking to assimilate new ideas emanating from the physical sciences as well as embracing spiritual and artistic aspects of human experience. Developing on the studies published in Roy Ascott's successful Reframing Consciousness, the book documents the very latest work from those connected with the internationally acclaimed CAiiA-STAR centre and its conferences. Their artistic and theoretical research in new media and art includes aspects of:

The brain functions like a computer composed of subsystems which in teract in a hierarchical manner. But it is not a single hierarchy, but a com plex system of hierarchies each of which has its very own and unique fea ture. One of these concerns the cyclic or rhythmic control of neuronal ac tivities which, among others, give rise to alternating states of wakefulness and sleep. The phenomenon of sleep still remains a mystery. The present monograph does not give us any new insights into its meaning and significance. Yet sleep research may not be the same after the appearance of this book be cause it gives us a comprehensive mathematical theory which opens our eyes to new insights into the mechanism of the rhythm generation that under lies the "wake-sleep" cycle. No one who has worked his way through this book can again look at ex perimental data without recognizing features which the "models" developed in its various chapters so strikingly reveal."

This book encapsulates John Beebe's influential work on the analytical psychology of consciousness. Building on C. G. Jung's theory of psychological types and on subsequent clarifications by Marie-Louise von Franz and Isabel Briggs Myers, Beebe demonstrates the bond between the eight types of consciousness Jung named and the archetypal complexes that impart energy and purpose to our emotions, fantasies, and dreams. For this collection, Beebe has revised and updated his most influential and significant previously published papers and has introduced, in a brand new chapter, a surprising theory of type and culture. Beebe's model enables readers to take what they already know about psychological types and apply it to depth psychology. The insights contained in the fifteen chapters of this book will be especially valuable for Jungian psychotherapists, post-Jungian academics and scholars, psychological type practitioners, and type enthusiasts.

Anxiety causing disorders are scary, confusing and beyond most people's comprehension. The idea of this deliberately concise book is to give you the information and understanding that you'll need to begin your mental health healing journey as quickly as possible. Most sufferers of anxiety-causing disorders have little idea why their mind is seemingly working against them. They may understand the mechanics of anxiety but not why they suffer from it and why it won't just go away. Even those who have been in long term therapy frustratingly find that instead of resolving their issues, they just seem to be talking around in circles making very little progress. Understating how the mind works, creating a mindset conducive to change and having a plan of action are crucial in overcoming any mental health challenge. This book explains the mind's operation and the creation of belief systems. It explores the origins of anxiety causing problems and the subconscious drivers that maintain them. It touches on the influence of the mind on the body and its involvement with chronic pain and illness. It also includes some empowering ideas that will challenge the way you think about yourself. Not only is the information in this book suitable for sufferers, but for anyone helping a family member or friend with an anxiety causing problem. Even health professionals will benefit from reading this book as it endeavours to explain why much of the good advice they give to their clients so often falls on barren ground.

What is meditation? What do people hope to get from practicing it and what do they really get? How can the effects of meditation be explained? And what are the best approaches to researching the psychology of meditation so we can understand more? This volume provides state-of-the-art answers to these questions. Contrary to commonly accepted wisdom, meditation comes in huge varieties and the reasons why people begin to meditate (and stay with it) are also numerous and diverse. Even mindfulness, which is often (wrongly) used as a synonym for meditation, comes in many forms. This book first describes the varieties of meditation in detail and then succinctly summarizes the beneficial effects found in the avalanche of studies available, especially in clinical contexts, and also explores recently emerging topics such as negative effects and the impact of ethics and spirituality. The author expertly provides theories of four main traditional meditation approaches, which has never been done before in this form, and gives a critical overview of Western approaches to explain the effects of meditation. In conclusion, he makes recommendations on how to improve future meditation research. This book is of interest to meditation researchers, mental health practitioners, students interested in meditation and mindfulness, and to everybody who seriously wants to know more about the topic.

To go beyond is to move into a higher state of consciousness, to a place of bliss, greater understanding, love, and deep connectedness, a realm where we finally find life's meaning - experiences for which all spiritual seekers seek. Dr Rupert Sheldrake, writing as both a scientist and a spiritual explorer, looks at seven spiritual practices that are personally transformative and have scientifically measurable effects. He combines the latest scientific research with his extensive knowledge of mystical traditions around the world to show how we may tune into more-than-human realms of consciousness through psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, and by taking cannabis. He also shows how everyday activities can have mystical dimensions, including sports and learning from animals. He discusses traditional religious practices such as fasting, prayer, and the celebration of festivals and holy days. Why do these practices work? Are their effects all inside brains and essentially illusory? Or can we really make contact with forms of consciousness greater than our own? We are in the midst of a spiritual revival. This book is an essential guide.

In recent years mindfulness has become integrated into many clinicians' private practices, and become a staple of hospital and university based treatment programs for stress reduction, pain, anxiety management, and a host of other difficulties. Clinicians are now routinely encouraging their clients to focus, be aware, open, and accepting, and thereby derive benefit from the mindfulness experience. How has mindfulness, a treatment tool that might easily have been dismissed as esoteric only a few short years ago, become so widely accepted and applied? One obvious answer: Because it works. The empirical foundation documenting the therapeutic merits of mindfulness is already substantial and is still growing. This is not a book about documenting the therapeutic merits of mindfulness, however. Rather, this book is the first of its kind to address how and most importantly why guided mindfulness meditations can enhance treatment. The focus in this book is on the structure of guided mindfulness meditations and, especially, the role of suggestion in these processes. Specifically, one of the primary questions addressed in this book is this: When a psychotherapist conducts guided mindfulness meditations (GMMs) for some clinical purpose, how does mindfulness work? In posing this question other questions arise that are every bit as compelling: Do GMMs contain structural elements that can be identified and amplified and thereby employed more efficiently? How do we determine who is most likely to benefit from such methods? Can GMMs be improved by adapting them to the needs of specific individuals rather than employing scripted "one size fits all" approaches? Discussing the role of suggestion in experience and offering the author's concrete suggestions for integrating this work into psychotherapy, this book is a practical guide to hypnosis, focusing, and mindfulness for the clinician.

"The best book this reviewer has seen on insomnia."—Library Journal

"Make sleep as easy as falling out of bed."—USA Today

"At last, an authoritative, sensible book for all those with trouble sleeping; this is wonderfully written and offers real help."—Rosalind D. Cartwright, Ph.D., Director, Sleep Disorder Center Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago

"Nearly everything you always wanted to know about sleep and what can go wrong with it . . . with step-by-step suggestions."— Publishers Weekly

This newly revised edition of Dr. Hauri’s internationally acclaimed sleep therapy program offers you much more than helpful hints. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, ways to evaluate the latest insomnia treatments, and how to create your own customized sleep therapy program. With this easy-to-follow advice, there’s no longer any reason to lose precious sleep. Whether your sleep problem is chronic or occasional, No More Sleepless Nights is the best remedy available.

JP Morgan's Best Summer Read 2018 We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, and this has profound consequences - on our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness. In this book, Arianna Huffington boldly asserts that what is needed is nothing short of a sleep revolution. Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives. Through a sweeping, scientifically rigorous and deeply personal exploration of sleep from all angles, Arianna delves into the new golden age of sleep science that reveals the vital role sleep plays in our every waking moment and every aspect of our health - from weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease to cancer and Alzheimer's. In The Sleep Revolution, Arianna shows how our cultural dismissal of sleep as time wasted not only compromises our health and our decision-making but also undermines our work lives, our personal lives and even our sex lives. She explores all the latest science on what exactly is going on while we sleep and dream. She takes on the dangerous sleeping pill industry and confronts all the ways our addiction to technology disrupts our sleep. She also offers a range of recommendations and tips from leading scientists on how we can achieve better and more restorative sleep, and harness its incredible power. In today's fast-paced, always-connected, perpetually harried and sleep-deprived world, our need for a good night's sleep is more important - and elusive - than ever. The Sleep Revolution both sounds the alarm on our worldwide sleep crisis and provides a detailed road map to the great sleep awakening that can help transform our lives, our communities and our world.

How much of what we do is directed by conscious, deliberate decisions and how much originates in unconscious, automatic directives? This is the question explored in The Two of Me via an engaging combination of phenomenological subjective investigation and objective considerations of mental processes and specific structures. John Birtchnell puts forward the thesis that many more of our actions than we might imagine are determined unconsciously. Not only are unnoticed automatic actions motivated unconsciously, but also seemingly conscious or 'thought out' behaviours are actually determined and reinforced by unconscious exigencies. Even where we produce a reasoned discourse taking responsibility for why we hold certain thoughts, there is always the possibility that these explanations serve and follow from an unconscious driving force. The conscious mind seems to act as spokesperson for both itself and the unconscious mind. Investigating this dual aspect of the person, the book addresses the issue across a range of mental processes including memory, language, problem-solving, dreams, delusions, hallucinations and more complex constructs such as the arts, humour and religion.