Lightning at the Gate - Hardcover

Achterberg, Jeanne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1570628580 ISBN 13: 9781570628580

Publisher: Shambhala, 2002

Synopsis

Jeanne Achterberg is an internationally known authority on the use of imagery to heal the body. She is best known for developing the technique known as guided visualization, and she was recently featured in Time magazine as one of the top innovators in the field of alternative medicine. In 1999 she was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare and often deadly form of cancer of the eye. Lightning at the Gate is the remarkable story of her illness and healing—a deeply personal memoir that is at turns haunting, humorous, biting, and exhilarating. This engaging and entertaining book demonstrates how a combination of critical thought, creativity, inner vision, and friendship can lead to profound healing. In Lightning at the Gate, Achterberg writes, "The only way one stays alive after a serious diagnosis of cancer is to find one's vision." This captivating memoir documents her process of doing just that. Choosing to view her cancer as a metaphor, she draws on dreamwork, shamanism, healing imagery, prayer, rituals, songs, immune-stimulation therapy, and the loving care of friends to cure her illness. Lightning at the Gate ends in affirming Achterberg's core belief that we are healed not by medicine but by the bonds we create with each other: care, love, trust, hope, belief, and all the other invisible facets that have lost favor in modern health care. Readers will benefit from seeing how a leader in alternative medicine approaches her own illness: how she weighs the information and choices presented to her by the Western medical establishment; how she advocates for herself; and how she finds her own, individual path back to health. Lightning at the Gate also offers fascinating first-hand accounts of cutting-edge alternative therapies. Also included is a valuable resource section listing books, websites, and organizations offering information on holistic methods of healing. This book is sure to become a must-read for anyone interested in alternative medicine and the healing arts.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Jeanne Achterberg has spent more than 25 years researching, teaching, and writing about the use of imagery and guided visualization to treat cancer and other serious diseases. In 1999, she was told that she had ocular melanoma, a rare and often deadly form of cancer of the eye. Lightning at the Gate is the remarkable story of her illness and healing--a deeply personal memoir that is at turns haunting, humorous, mordant, and exhilarating. Her narrative demonstrates how a combination of critical thought, creativity, inner vision, and friendship can lead to profound healing.

In Lightning at the Gate Achterberg writes, "The only way one stays alive after a serious diagnosis of cancer is to find one's vision." Choosing to view her cancer as a metaphor, Achterberg draws on dreamwork, shamanism, healing imagery, prayer, rituals, songs, immune-stimulation therapy, and the loving care of friends to cure her illness. Lightning at the Gate ends in affirming Achterberg's core belief that we are healed not by medicine but by the bonds we create with each other: care, love, trust, hope, belief, and all the other invisible facets that have lost favor in modern health care.

About the Author:

Jeanne Achterberg, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, and has served as associate professor and director of research in rehabilitation science at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1570628580
• ISBN 13: 9781570628580
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272