Feeling and Personhood

Psychology in Another Key

In this insightful and interesting volume, Heron presents a radical new theory, a theory of the person in which feeling becomes the distinctive feature of personhood. The author explores the implications of his ideas for living and learning, and includes numerous experiential exercises. Heron also considers how a person develops through various states and stages and as a contrast, offers a restricted concept of the ego integrated with personhood. Central to his analysis are the interrelationships between four basic psychic modes: conceptual, practical, affective, and imaginatory. In his analysis feeling is seen as the ground and potential from which all other aspects of the psyche emerge: emotion, intuition, imagination, reason, discrimination, and intention. Heron also relates his approach to the theory and practice of a transpersonal psychology and philosophy. This volume will be essential reading for all those who believe it is time for a challenging alternative to traditional reason- centered psychology. "The strength of the book lies in its detailed treatment of models of personhood. A review such as this cannot do justice to the extent to which Heron has, in my view, successfully used diagrams to amplify the complex ideas within his text." --British Journal of Psychology "This is a complex and densely packed work, well designed and structured, and rooted in philosophy and psychology. . . . The wide range and ambition of the book, as well as its concepts, make it interesting." --Counselling