Opening the Aloha Mind
Healing Self, Healing the World with Ho'oponopono
Jim Nourse, PhD
Published by Balboa Press, 2013
"Opening the Aloha Mind is an inspiring discussion of the relationship of human
consciousness and our sense of 'I' to the infinite, divine intelligence. It is a refreshing
correction to the growing tendency of modern psychiatry to base its models of mental
health on brain chemistry that can be modified by medication and a reminder that
healing wisdom did not begin in the twentieth century, but in millennia past, and that
these ancient approaches can still be accessed."
- Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Words and One Mind and
executive editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
"More than sixty years ago, the Oglala shaman Black Elk predicted that with the
closure of this cycle of ages, the primordial spirituality would reemerge and become the
foundation for the next cycle. In Opening the Aloha Mind, Dr. Jim Nourse has made a
great contribution toward expanding our western understanding of indigenous spiritual
wisdom, and in doing so he has created very good medicine indeed."
- Hank Wesselman, PhD, anthropologist and author of The Bowl of Light and the Spiritwalker Trilogy
"This is wonderful work that can help many. Opening the Aloha Mind gives powerful
tools for transformation and healing."
- Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval and Shamanic Journeying: A Beginners Guide
"This is a rare treasure of a book, weaving an incredible tapestry of the wisdom of
the ages for any modern seeker and for anyone involved in service toward others.
Jim Nourse shares his personal experience of an ancient, original world culture, and
gracefully infuses it with tremendous insight into growing edge psychology and spiritual
traditions. His simple, profound, and beautifully written message of the necessity for
real self-empowerment is incredibly validating. To read this book is to have an experience
of truth."
- Tav Sparks, director, Grof Transpersonal Training; author of The Wide Open Door, Movie Yoga and Through Thunder
(The text above comes from the back of the book)
Review
In the introduction to his book (page XV-XVI), Jim Nourse writes that he is aware of the cultural appropriation of indigenous spirituality
and that indigenous people objected to his trying to appropriate this indigenous spirituality. Yet he continues to write, he is grateful for the knowledge of
these natives. The interest and use of native culture and spirituality should make these natives proud according to
Jim Nourse, they should not be offended by this cultural appropriation...
I've red this passage with astonishment: conscious cultural colonialism!
The book also discussed Western scientific paradigms; Newton, Descartes, Einstein, Fritjof Capra, Jung, Freud, Meister Eckhart, Lao Tsu, etc..
In chapter 4 a Western psychological model is projected onto Hawaiian concepts that in fact have little to do with it.
Chapter 6 deals with the improbable story of Dr. Hew Len who supposedly cured an entire ward of criminal psychiatric patients,
so that the ward could be closed down.
The subsequent chapters are again written from all kinds of Western psychological concepts,
using Hawaiian words and hanging on Hawaiian concepts, but still Western psychological concepts.
Occasionally I came across a quote from Pali Jae Lee from her book Ho'opono, and then immediately continued with all kinds of Western concepts.
What I missed in this book was the angle from the old Hawaiian Ho'oponopono tradition; that was completely missing!
Resencie
In de introductie van zijn boek (blz.XV-XVI) schrijft Jim Nourse dat hij zich bewust is van de culturele toe-eigening van inheemse spiritualiteit
en dat inheemsen bezwaar hadden dat hij zich deze inheemse spiritualiteit eigen probeerde te maken. Doch schrijft hij verder, is hij
dankbaar voor de kennis van deze inheemsen. De belangstelling voor, en het gebruik van de inheemse cultuur en spiritualiteit zou deze inheemsen juist trots moeten maken volgens
Jim Nourse, ze zouden niet beledigd moeten zijn door deze culturele toe-eigening...
Ik las deze passage met verbijstering: bewust cultureel kolonialisme!
Verder ging het boek over westers wetenschappelijke paradigma's; Newton, Descartes, Einstein, Fritjof Capra, Jung, Freud, Meister Eckhart, Lao Tsu, enz..
In hoofdstuk 4 wordt een Westers psychologisch model geprojecteerd op Hawaïaanse begrippen die er feitelijk weinig mee te maken hebben.
In hoofdstuk 6 komt het onwaarschijnlijke verhaal over Dr. Hew Len aan de orde die een hele afdeling met crimineel psychiatrische patienten genezen
zou hebben, zodat de afdeling opgeheven kon worden.
De opvolgende hoofdstukken zijn weer geschreven vanuit allerlei Westerse psychologische concepten,
met gebruik van Hawaïaanse woorden en opgehangen aan Hawaïaanse begrippen, maar nog altijd Westerse psychologische concepten.
Een enkele keer kwam ik een citaat tegen van Pali Jae Lee uit haar boek Ho'opono, om daarna direct weer door te gaan met allerlei westerse concepten.
Wat ik miste in dit boek was de invalshoek vanuit de oude Hawaïaanse Ho'oponopono traditie; dat ontbrak geheel!
Martin