Being and Becoming

by SILLS, FRANKLYNSILLS, MAURA

• ISBN13: 9781556437625
• ISBN10: 1556437625
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2008-09-23
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Summary

Being and Becomingis a wide-ranging analysis of the nature of being and selfhood. The book presents an original, integrated paradigm with the aim of creating a comprehensive overview of the human conditionand finding ways to alleviate suffering. In essence, the book explores the question, "What does it mean to be?" Being and Becomingbegins with fresh interpretations of the work of Martin Heidegger and Buddhist, Taoist, and Christian writings as they relate to this question. Most ofBeing and Becoming,however, is about the nature of self and selfhood as a process of "I-am-this," "my becoming" rather than "my being." Author Franklyn Sills interweaves concepts from object relations theories, psychodynamics, pre- and perinatal psychology, and Buddhist self-psychology, along with his own rich experience as a Buddhist monk, somatic therapist, and psychotherapist, into his inquiry. The works of Fairbairn and Winnicott are discussed in depth, as are Winnicott and Stern's insights into the nature of the early holding environment, the infant-mother relational field, and early perceptual dynamics. A thoughtful guide for psychologists, therapists, counselors, and other health professionals, the book is also ideal for Buddhists and anyone looking for alternative therapy models.

Author Biography

Franklyn Sills is the co-director of the Karuna Institute, and has pioneered trainings in Craniosacral Biodynamics and Core Process Psychotherapy. Engaged in an ambitious project to integrate Buddhist self-psychology with Western object relations and developmental theories, he lives in Devon, England.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Starting Points: Source, Being, and Self	p. 1
Sentience and Early Experience	p. 13
The Nature of Being	p. 25
Source	p. 41
The Relationally Dynamic Self	p. 49
Self as Process: Buddhist Concepts	p. 85
The Intransigent Self and Dependent Co-arising	p. 101
A Relational Paradigm	p. 113
The Womb of Spirit and the Empathic Holding Field	p. 119
Basic Needs	p. 131
Umbilical Affect and Primal Feelings	p. 137
Lake's Developmental Paradigm	p. 147
The Transmarginal Stress Hierarchy	p. 167
Transitional Modes of Relating	p. 179
Introduction to Personality Adaptations and Reaction Patterns	p. 187
Personality Forms Generated by Wounding at the Level of Wellbeing	p. 193
Wounding at the Level of Wellbeing, Status, and Achievement	p. 219
Bonding and Attachment	p. 229
The Autonomic Nervous System	p. 243
Healing the Wounded Self	p. 259
Bibliography	p. 283
Index	p. 291
About the Author	p. 307
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