Living Authentically: Daoist Contributions to Modern Psychology

The serious study and practice of Daoism as a totalizing system of bio-spiritual transformation is on the rise on three continents. The tradition is no longer being studied merely as an interesting, quaint, but impractical artifact of ancient Chinese spiritual and philosophical history. If you have been looking for a sophisticated overview of Daoism that is informed by the best of Western medicine and psychology as well, then look no further. This collection of essays should be included in every university library where Daoism is taught and a part of any comprehensive course on the tradition. The essays are authored by scholar-practitioners, and the whole is edited by perhaps the preeminent living Western scholar of Daoism, Livia Kohn. --Ronnie Littlejohn

This book is essential reading for all Westerners seeking to integrate qigong, taiji, Daoist meditation, energy healing, and therapy practices with deep psychological insights from their own culture. It gives sharp focus to fuzzy issues: Reichian orgasm theory vs. Dao sex energy cultivation; psychological adjustment vs. wuwei and liberation; heady analytical thinking vs. whole-body process and correlative thinking; Jungian symbolic alchemy within ego vs. substantial alchemical distillation of an immortal soul; the Western unconscious vs. primordial-qi model. The work presents a breath-taking, cutting-edge Daoist dialectic with an amazing array of therapies kinesiology, energy psychology, positive psychology, psychosomanautics, cognitive therapy, and more. It is a true milestone. --Michael Winn

Western psychology has increasingly been embracing techniques and methods from ancient Eastern traditions. Mindfulness meditation is one of the strongest new developments in clinical psychology, and the efficacy of stimulating acupuncture points in treating post-traumatic conditions is causing the field to reexamine conventional protocols. Living Authentically invites Western therapists to enter into the world-view of Eastern philosophers and healers in ways that will expand their understanding and enhance their practices. --David Feinstein & Donna Eden

Livia Kohn, Ph.D., is professor emerita of Religion and East Asian Studies at Boston University. The author or editor of over 40 books, she now lives in Florida, serves as the executive editor of the Journal of Daoist Studies, and runs various workshops and conferences. Her specialty is medieval Daoism and the study of Chinese longevity practices. She has written and edited numerous books and is a long-term practitioner of taiji quan, qigong, yoga, and meditation.