SANITY PRESS
Home Book
Detail Order Contact Us Itinerary
|
Foreword In her search for a deeper understanding of the psyche, Pratibha Eastwood explores how numbers give meaning to psychological and spiritual states. She invites us to join her on this exploration of numbers--and what an adventure it becomes! We accompany her as she views numbers from diverse perspectives: mythological, religious, and archetypal. By the conclusion of the journey never again will we look at a sand creation or be exposed to numbers in some other form without appreciating how the unconscious communicates through the universal language of numbers. Nine Windows to Wholeness is a unique contribution to the Sandplay literature. We believe it is a forerunner to writings of coming generations of Sandplay theorists and researchers. As does this book, these future writings will deepen our understanding of Sandplay creations through the use of a single lens and ultimately enlarge our knowledge of the whole process. Pratibha Eastwood offers a systematic method of understanding Sandplay creations by viewing what and how numbers are expressed in the sand. Although she recognizes that there are many ways to illuminate the larger archetypal dimension of the unconscious, she explores this realm by examining the meaning of numbers in depth. In this book she movingly displays her deep understanding and respect for how numbers convey a deep internal healing process. This well-researched book provides a new level of insight that should make it attractive to a wide range of clinicians and spiritual seekers. She helps us see that within numbers lives a universal truth that is expressed in every aspect of life--and, of course, mirrored in the consulting room. In addition to a wealth of information about numbers, from a variety of sources, Pratibha Eastwood offers two practice sections that serve as a practical training guide for clinicians. The first practice section helps readers fine-tune their abilities to identify how numbers are manifested in the sand tray. In the second practice section, readers have the chance to view and analyze Sandplay scenes recreated from the author's therapy practice; readers then compare their reactions to the author's analysis of the tray. This opportunity to apply cognitive information from the first part of the book to actual case material helps integrate reader's intellectual knowledge with practical understanding. The union of these two important ways of learning helps solidify the material as a readily accessible clinical resource. Dora Kalff, the originator of Sandplay, used numbers to understand the psyche. She employed an ancient Hebrew tradition, the numerology of names, in which particular values are assigned to consonants and vowels; the letters in a name are added and interpreted according to a specific code (Martin Kalff, personal communication, February 3, 2002). Kalff used this method regularly as a channel for her remarkable intuition about people. In my (HSF) initial session with Dora Kalff, she asked me to write down my name and birth date. From the numbers contained in this information, she astounded me with her insights about my psychological makeup, natural talents, and future challenges, including possibilities for growth. She used this method with me only once, and never again alluded to it. In succeeding years, others have told me that they also had this amazing experience with her. As far as we know, the method she used was not passed down to any of her students. Coincidentally, this method appears in the appendix of this book. Pratibha Eastwood tells us that she, like Dora Kalff, was awed by the accuracy and power of numbers. Both considered numbers a way to give order to, and understand, one's own and others' life journeys. With this work, Pratibha Eastwood moves the process forward by taking the next step--integrating the world of numbers with Sandplay. Pratibha Eastwood offers another way for us to think about our world. In reading Nine Windows to Wholeness, we break out of our entrenched ideas, expand our thinking, and move forward into an enlarged way of viewing our world. The wealth of information and insights in this book cannot be assimilated in one sitting. It is a resource that therapists and seekers of higher consciousness will use time and time again to illuminate a specific aspect of consciousness emerging in the sand tray and/or to follow one's own or another's life journey. The meaning that comes from understanding the number archetypes can become so enriching and numinous that it invites an ongoing relationship with this book. We recommend it highly for both beginning and experienced clinicians, as well as for those who want to enlarge their understanding of the archetypal meaning of numbers. Harriet S. Friedman and Rie Rogers Mitchell, February 2002, Los Angeles CA กก |
|
