Core Catharsis: Using Personal Memes

by Lloyd Gregg

Core Catharsis unites the body with the mind and resolves
internal conflict. Impulses and ideas work together for any
goal or purpose. Emotions are fully accepted, joined with the
thinking mind, and joined with the visceral and somatic
senses. Core Catharsis brings self acceptance to a higher
and higher level. Positive thinking is transcended to positive
experiencing.

Core Catharsis does this using simple techniques that fully
activate the mind. By using the full mind, ingrained
response habits and thought patterns can change quickly.
You can quickly transform bad habits into a habits you want
simply by asking yourself questions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

172 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2012

Reviews

[Fred Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ultimately the body will rebel. Even if it can be temporarily pacified with the help of drugs, cigarettes or medicine, it usually has the last word because it is quicker to see through self-deception than the mind." - Alice Miller, The Body Never Lies

Core Catharsis never calls itself somatics, somatic therapy, or somatic psychology but it very much is. Somatic therapy can be difficult. Directly focusing on bodily sensations can be maddening. The mind immediately wants to take over and think about whatever sensations you sense. It usually has a negative idea about uncomfortable sensations and it can be reluctant to change that idea. How do you focus on bodily sensations without starting a fight with your mind? Won't awareness of bodily sensations just bring on the pain we've been avoiding?

Using simple genius, Mr. Gregg has answered these issues: keep the mind busy with questions about the body's feelings. That makes the mind is happy. It has something to do, and it even helps direct attention toward feelings. The more attention you focus toward bodily sensations the more comfortable they become. Consequently, associated negative thoughts become positive. That's somatic psychology. Just a little success with somatic techniques shows us that avoiding pain adds much more pain then you would have otherwise. The more you realize that anxiety from life long repression can be completely resolved, the more you're willing to face some discomfort.

Then Core Catharsis goes much farther than somatic psychology. It says that a highly activated mind creates habitual response habits. The mind becomes highly activated by trauma, excitement, and asking questions. Trauma as therapy doesn't sound good and creating excitement wouldn't be practical. That leaves questions.

Core Catharsis says we can ask ourselves questions about our feelings and create a personal meme that is as powerful as a blocking or repressive meme. At that point, you have a comfortable option when you didn't before. The body will always pick comfort when it has the option. Repression, for all practical purposes, is resolved. You can begin to easily create new and comfortable impulsive responses to the same stimulus that previously caused pain.

I'm not really sure about this idea--yet. I haven't worked with it long enough. It sounds promising but I'm confused. Can I really change my impulsive irritation at people picking their teeth into a completely different reaction, or can I just be more comfortable with my irritation? That wasn't clear to me in Core Catharsis but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's from always assuming that changing ingrained habits is supposed to be complicated and take a long time. Sometimes simple ideas are more difficult to understand than complicated ideas.

I gave the previous book five stars because I thought it was a better approach to somatic psychology. This book is a dramatic improvement. I think Mr. Gregg heard my grumblings about the difficulties of the original book and fixed everything. The writing is still somewhat repetitive but not nearly as dense. This book is an easier read.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book you will find many techniques on how to deal with all kinds of emotions. Each technique is explained in a way that makes it very easy to try it yourself. While reading the book I tried some of these techniques and noticed that some would work for me and other didn't.

This book also contains personal experiences from the writer. It's very interesting to read about someone's experience and being able to compare you own experience with them. It almost felt like there was a connection.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially since the techniques did help me dealing with my fear.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains some very interesting ideas for managing emotions. It was written in a direct manner and includes examples from the author's experiences. The techniques explained in the book are worth considering when dealing with internal conflict. I liked the ideas that were presented.

I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway***

The book is full of easily understandable concepts in which the author provides many detailed examples. I am certain this book can be helpful to a good number of people.

[Hayley Shaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book free through goodreads first-reads. I liked this book. Some of the exercises in this book helped. The only fault about this book is the fact that it didn't go in-depth as much I wanted it to.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Understandable for the layperson. Concepts are explained clearly.