The Evolved Nest

Societal problems start in babyhood, one comparative psychoanalyst argued. Authoritarianism harms others (see prior post). Authoritarianism towards babies is particularly harmful, as therapist after therapist report (e.g., Balint, 1968). Clinician Ja

Categorizing people by race, then ranking races, leads to dehumanization.David Livingston Smith has a new book, On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It, which offers a helpful review of the kinds of psychological and social structures that

What makes humans joyful?Don’t tell anyone, but our human ancestors spent a lot of time enjoying life, rather than working.It is a trope that people on their deathbeds are less likely to feel good about their resumes than about the quality of their r

Understand and satisfy your basic needs.There are numerous ways to categorize or describe a human’s basic needs (Narvaez, 2018). Here is a compilation and brief descriptions of basic needs that have been identified by researchers. Although Maslow (19

You can connect to nature wherever you are.What makes us human? We know that we are biosocially constructed creatures. That is, the way we are treated, especially in early life, co-constructs our biology, and that biology affects our sociality later

https://soundcloud.com/kindredcommunity/continuum-concept-book-review-by-darcia-narvaezIn 1975, Jean Liedloff shocked Americans with her book, The Continuum Concept: In Search of Happiness Lost. She reflected on her multiple stays in t

Being disconnected from nature can lead to negative outcomes. Learn how to reconnect with the living world around you. Listen to award-winning neuroscience researcher, Darcia Narvaez, PhD, share foundational insights into the Evolved Nest with Mary T

How can we restore our heritages of nested, earth-centered living?The dearth of virtue in (tested Western) populations has been lamented and assumed to be part of the human condition (Doris, 2002; Miller, 2013) but a natural history indicates otherwi

… and the steps to take based on empirical science.The bad news on global warming keeps piling up (e.g., this report on Greenland’s ice loss). Why isn’t everyone taking action?In their book The Psychology of Environmental Problems, Koger an

In the Borderland of ConsciousnessIs the human collective psyche shifting in these perilous times?As noted in the prior related post, Jerome Bernstein (2005) was pushed into changing his therapeutic practice. He encountered many people whose chi

You May Be Experiencing the Transrational BorderlandScientists who focus only on measurable and replicable phenomena (often mostly from experiments) tend to dismiss transrational experiences (e.g., peak experiences).As Bernstein (2005) note

Is it time to expand psychological theories?The field of psychology has generally followed the western world’s frameworks for explaining life. Indigenous Psychologies, rooted in place, challenge the western paradigm.A new book provides new insights i

On the brink of extinction, can we transform the western ego?I’ve been reading Jerome Bernstein’s landmark work, Living in the Borderland: The evolution of consciousness and the challenge of healing trauma. It has never been more relevant t

Is it time to expand psychological theories?The field of psychology has generally followed the western world’s frameworks for explaining life. Indigenous Psychologies, rooted in place, challenge the western paradigm.A new book provides new insights i

PART THREE OF FOUR: The practices that foster your elderhood development As mentioned in the prior blog post in the series, in his book, Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble, Stephen Jenkinson pointed out the increased n

PART FOUR OF FOUR: We need the encouragement that wise elders offer. "Wise elders have learned from their scars. They have not been taken over by their wounds, nor have they become obsessed with escaping from the pain of imperfection. They have