RELEASING: The New Behavioral Science Method for Dealing with Pressure Situations

by Patricia Carrington ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 20, 1984

Using ""mental questions"" to ""defuse problems in your life as they arise"": a very ho-hum blend of common-sense, Zen-ish urgings, and behavior-mod techniques. The basic question for this approach is ""COULD I LET GO OF WANTING TO CHANGE THAT?"" After all, intones Carrington, ""When you let go of wanting to change something, you allow it to change."" But what if you can't let go right away? Well, then say out loud, for instance: ""COULD I LET GO FOR ONLY FIVE SECONDS OF WANTING APPROVAL?"" Or: ""COULD I LET GO OF ONLY 1 PERCENT OF WANTING TO CHANGE. . . ?"" And, if you don't understand how this works, ""simply let go of wanting to change the fact that you don't understand!"" Carrington, with case-history examples from her workshops, applies this technique to specific problem areas--marriage, parenting, workplace, test-taking, sports, pain, sex. (""Terry then became bolder in her releasing. 'Can 1 let go of wanting to control the fucking?' she asked herself one day."") She winds up with helpful hints, ""releasing charts,"" and info on how to get her cassettes and how to join her N.J. workshop--or the similar Sedona Institute ones. Indeed, this is one method that's particularly ill-suited to book form while it might be surprisingly effective with workshop supervision and encouragement. (One needs psychological self-awareness to ask the right ""mental questions."") As a self-help guide, however: repetitious, jargony, of iffy usefulness.

Pub Date: March 20, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1984

Categories: NONFICTION