The Quest for the Inner Human: A Novel about Psychology

Psychology means "the study of the soul"; it is the social science concerned with investigating who we are, why we have certain feelings, and why we do the things we do. Are we no more than a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules? Is biology (our genetic inheritance) "destiny," or does social upbringing play a crucial role? What are the roles played by "Nature" and by "Nurture"? Are we purely physical beings, or is there an aspect that can be called "spiritual"? This thought-provoking novel takes you on a journey of intellectual and emotional exploration, considering along the way questions that we've all asked ourselves, such as: Is it true that we only use 10% of our brains? Does playing classical music for infants increase their intelligence? Do crime rates go up during a full moon? Can hypnosis, or post-hypnotic suggestions, make us do something we wouldn't normally do? Does subliminal advertising influence us to buy products? Are our memories stored indelibly, almost like a tape recorder? What causes memory lapses as we age? Can "repressed" traumatic memories be recovered through hypnosis? Do some people have "multiple personalities"? How can I tell if someone has a "neurosis," or a "psychosis"? Do men have an "inner feminine" side, and women an "inner masculine"? Are there innate psychological differences between males and females? The four main characters in this book will guide you through a diverse and sometimes bewildering world of differing approaches to answering such questions, such as Freudian, Jungian, and Adlerian; Humanistic, Existential, and Transpersonal; as well as Cognitive, Emotive, and Behaviorist. Along the way you will learn about the developmental stages proposed by psychologists such as Erikson, Kohlberg, Piaget, and Fowler, and even explore some of the questions currently being asked by both neuroscientists, and philosophers of the mind. Start reading, to begin your study of our innermost selves...