Can I share with you some of the things I learned through reading his books?
You say he did this for scientists to share a common ground, but there is a more practical reason too. He's a practicing psychiatrist who has written books to help the general population with their mental health and relationships.
That is how I found him - through exploring attachment theory, of which he discusses a great deal.
What does this have to do with the idea of the mind as a self-emerging process, or a healthy mind as integrated?
It's this idea that is leveraged in his books to help teach people how to develop their mental health. It gives them a clear and concrete path to follow. The idea of integration is not just for intellectual beauty - it is a teaching tool.
He used an analogy of a choir to teach attachment theory. Anxious attachment: multiple people singing the same, prolonged, single note - connected, not differentiated. Avoidant attachment: everyone singing a different song - differentiated, not connected. A choir of people singing the same song, connected, and in harmony with a variety of pitches, differentiated, represents secure attachment and integration.
There is a visceral experience of something wonderful emerging when you hear the secure choir vs insecure, and likewise the well-being and health that comes from a secure attachment relationship (or an integrated mind) is viscerally wonderful too.
If you are happy to look at his ideas for their teaching applications, I encourage further investigation of his books and talks. They have been an anchor for my healing from trauma and I am deeply thankful.
Can I share with you some of the things I learned through reading his books?
You say he did this for scientists to share a common ground, but there is a more practical reason too. He's a practicing psychiatrist who has written books to help the general population with their mental health and relationships.
That is how I found him - through exploring attachment theory, of which he discusses a great deal.
What does this have to do with the idea of the mind as a self-emerging process, or a healthy mind as integrated?
It's this idea that is leveraged in his books to help teach people how to develop their mental health. It gives them a clear and concrete path to follow. The idea of integration is not just for intellectual beauty - it is a teaching tool.
He used an analogy of a choir to teach attachment theory. Anxious attachment: multiple people singing the same, prolonged, single note - connected, not differentiated. Avoidant attachment: everyone singing a different song - differentiated, not connected. A choir of people singing the same song, connected, and in harmony with a variety of pitches, differentiated, represents secure attachment and integration.
There is a visceral experience of something wonderful emerging when you hear the secure choir vs insecure, and likewise the well-being and health that comes from a secure attachment relationship (or an integrated mind) is viscerally wonderful too.
If you are happy to look at his ideas for their teaching applications, I encourage further investigation of his books and talks. They have been an anchor for my healing from trauma and I am deeply thankful.