Our March Book of the Month: Feeling and Knowing by Antonio Damasio

From one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, this book is an engaging investigation into how biology, neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence have given us the tools to unlock some of the mysteries of human consciousness.

In recent decades, many philosophers and cognitive scientists have declared the problem of consciousness unsolvable, but Damasio is convinced that recent findings across multiple scientific disciplines have given us a way to understand consciousness and its significance for human life.  

The book helps us understand why being conscious is not the same as sensing, why nervous systems are essential for the development of feelings, and why feeling opens the way to consciousness at large. These topics are particularly relevant when thinking about how our brains and minds are intricately liked with our bodies!

The book is nothing short of a guide to understand­ing how we experience the world within and around us and find our place in the universe.

Homecoming is a book about being your authentic self written by Dr. Thema Bryant, 2023 President of the American Psychological Association, minister, author, podcast host and Psychologist.

What is homecoming? Bryant describes homecoming as the psychological and spiritual journey home. Homecoming begins as you set an intention to reconnect to yourself. To acknowledge and heal the disconnection so you can be your authentic self again – or for the first time.

You may be homesick, looking for a psychological home, which is not based on geography but on your interior life.

The book also explores the disconnect between spirituality/religion and Psychology principles. It highlights an unusual experience of many people choosing one side and dismissing the value in the other. 

For January’s HMP book of the month, we are actually shining a light on our new Ebook!

Our new Ebook: Making Sense of Pain is crafted to demystify the complexities of chronic pain. It’s not just about the ‘what’ and ‘why’ but also the ‘how’ – how you can shift from a state of suffering to one of active, informed living.

This Ebook aligns with the layers of therapy in pain management. Which includes…
1. Creating a Safe Space: The book begins by establishing a foundation of trust and validation, crucial for any therapeutic journey.
2. Skill and Resource Development: It then progresses into developing skills and tools, equipping you with practical methods to manage pain.
3. Biopsychosocial Formulation: The third layer delves into how you can gain a personalised understanding of your pain, considering the intricate interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.
4. Individual Therapy Work: Lastly, the book addresses the role of deeper, individual therapeutic work, with worksheets that allow you to focus on specific personal challenges and strategies for managing them.

Despite being written in 1953, Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has withstood the test of time. Its continued relevance lies in its exploration of universal principles of human interaction and communication.

The book offers invaluable insights into effective communication, the importance of personal relationships in achieving success and happiness, the value of ‘theory of mind’ – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another and how to minimise defensive, impulsive, or threatening responses in interactions.

“The brain, with its intricate web of connections, is not just a vessel of thoughts but a dynamo of energy.” – Christopher Palmer, “Brain Energy”

Brain Energy takes readers on a journey through the intricate pathways of our brain, emphasising the profound connection between our mental processes and the energy they produce. In fact, despite our brain only accounting for 2% of our body mass, it will utilise 20% of our energy.

Pain is a universal human experience, yet it remains one of the least understood phenomena in the medical realm. Monty Lyman’s “The Painful Truth” emphasises that to understand and manage pain, we need a comprehensive approach that goes beyond mere physical aspects, considering the psychological, cultural, and personal facets of this intricate phenomenon. Much like we do at HMP!