BETWEEN HEALTH AND ILLNESS: New Notions on Stress and the Nature of Well Being

A one-track argument for stress as the cause of ill health and disease--by the author of New Mind, New Body; Stress and the Art of Biofeedback; and Supermind. Long before any outward sign of disease, argues biofeedback researcher Brown, we are worn down by living with stress--which she defines as ""nothing more than the jostling back and forth of human beings seeking fulfillment within the very human surroundings they seek it in."" In her view, the body's initiation of ""defensive mind and body tensions that are its sensations of stress"" eventually culminates in functional disability. But before we reach that point, we are in a state of diminished well-being: ""the social Pac-Man that devours coping and psychic energy and inner strength."" After setting out her scenario, Brown discusses the capacity of the human mind to heal, and explains ""Structured Stress Relief--programs for acquiring stress immunity through mind-body-psyche awareness."" These include well-known meditation and relaxation techniques. None of them will be startling to those familiar with the popular stress literature--while some readers will be put off by the single-minded pursuit of stress is unhealthy; and many professionals will question the rigid physical connection. See Brown's earlier books for a less doctrinaire, more auspicious treatment.