HCG Book Club

2010-10-18T09:01:00.001-07:00

hello

Update to Post Below

2008-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

In the first page of the book we are granted the documentation of Dr STW Simeon's credentials - in other words what qualifies him as an authority on the subject at hand.

Acknowledgments

We learn from this paragraph that Dr Simeon's relied on several well versed Dr's and other authorities to put this book together in a manner that would be understood by non medical readers.

Foreword

Dr Meerloo wrote the foreword, he was a Dutch doctor and a psychoanalyst. This book was published in 1961 - as of this year, this makes this book around 47 years old. Even during the time frame that Dr Simeon's wrote this book, Dr Meerloo mentioned that Dr Simeon's knew he had to write it in a different way than his colleagues would write publications, in other words, he would have to write it so that anyone could understand it. This may prove a little too simplistic to some, but to the masses, this book was written for "us".

He explains that although there were things that he found himself challenging in the writings, he did appreciate the simplicity of the book. In reading this book ourselves, this is something we must endeavor to realize. We do NOT have to adopt the ideas that he presents in his writings, just like Dr Meerloo didn't. This book is intended to make us think.

What is interesting to me is that we have close to 5 decades of experience since this book was written that we can fall back on - they say hind site is 20 / 20 - I have to ask myself, what would Dr Simeon's have to say TODAY if he were alive with all the information that is available today? He was a pioneer, in a world that was still relatively new to technology.

So although we all might have different ideas about "evolution" and "creationism" I feel we can still read this book with determination on the underlying thought - there is a relation between mind and body. Plain and simple.

Preface

What an incredibly humble man Dr Simeon's was! In his preface, he explains that "psychosomatic disorders are to a great extent subjective" - that his work was to provide a "platform, albeit a flimsy one, on which a more satisfactory patient-physician relationship ... can be worked out", he even calls this book "highly speculative"! And one more thing he says - "It is meant to be read merely as a possible point of view" - well that about says it all eh?

In the final paragraph of the preface, he asks us to agree to two conventions:

"First, that assertive statements be read as meaning: Such and such a clinical fact might be tentatively interpreted as suggesting such and such a hypothetical explanation. The second convention is that the work of others who have expressed similar or identical ideas and who have contributed relevant scientific data be taken as being acknowledged."

In other words - he explains himself here:

"The author in his turn will uphold no claims for the originality of his facts or his views."

Introduction

Very interesting! What did you all think of the connection he placed on the Asiatic Cholera epidemic and fear? Now in his simple words, he made it so that I could understand that there is a relation between some diseases and the the mind. I also totally appreciated how he excluded the psychosomatic illnesses from those deemed hereditary, environmental, lack of vitamins, climatic extremes, nutritional extremes, genetic or lack of oxygen or sunshine. He also excluded birth defects, congenital conditions, some blood disorders BUT he said that diseases that are hereditary like diabetis and obesity may still be included! HA! Also, he touches on the fact about Cancer and suggests that even during his time, there was already some slight evidence that the mind plays a part.

I found it interesting as well when he says that we are all falling victim to self destructive process such as colitis, ulcers, high blood pressure, coronary disease. WOW - these are self destructive, in other words we should be able to change the effects of these diseases by changing our mind set. Agree or disagree?

So this leads us into the Part One, Chapter One, SubTopic One:

The Science of Animal Evolution

In this sub topic, Dr Simeons explains how the Science of Animal Evolution has come about. He brings out the fact that just a few decades before this book the world was basically in agreement with the Creation Theory, and then Darwin was the one that changed all that with his theories on evolution.

Personally, my belief system lies in Creationism, so this subtopic just provided me with the sequence of events on how all these different sciences came into play within the decades before Dr Simeon's wrote this book. He explains in his introduction that "the present study is an attempt to analyze this disharmony (speaking of brain and body) and to evaluate it's role in psychosomatic disease.

Others may prefer to believe in evolution, and we grant them their belief system, just like we would expect them to grant us our belief system.

So now ... let's discuss!!!

Biz

P1C1ST1 of Man's Presumptuous Brain by Dr Simeons

2008-01-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

What is with all the acronyms up there??? HA! As we all are veterans to the whole "Protocol" we have gotten used to some pretty awkward acronyms that have really become 2nd nature. Tell me I am not the ONLY one that when physically talking to a friend that has been on this protocol we don't just say the letters "VLCD" and they know exactly what we mean???

So anyway, P1 (Part One) C1 (Chapter One) ST (SubTopic One) - that is what that means up there. Now if anyone has a different way to handle the titles, you all just PLEASE let me know. I probably should have handled this WAY before now, but I really don't know what would be the best way to accomplish our task?

Let me know how you all feel about this - instead of taking a chapter a week, since there are only 11 chapters, maybe we can spend two to three weeks on each chapter. That would give everyone a chance to join in on the fun even if they have challenges that prohibit them from getting on daily or even every other day? There are a lot of sub-topics to each chapter so I figure this would be a good way to handle things.

So all of that being said, the first chapter we are going to discuss is the "The Evolution of the Human Body" which would include the Acknowledgments, Foreward, Preface, and the Introduction. There are 10 separate sections under this chapter as well, so plenty for us to discuss!!!

Let's start it like this...

Let's all take the next few days and read the Acknowledgments, Foreward, Preface, and the Introduction, and then the first sub-topic, "The Science of Animal Evolution", and let's take on some comments to that portion, will that work for everyone? At the end of the next few days, I will choose the next HOST for the next sub topic, and then you will start another post discussing that particular subtopic, ok? I am very sure that as this thing moves along, we will have more and more intelligent ways of handling the posts.

That all being said, give me a day to read this required reading, and I will post my own ideas about it in this post by updating it, and then everyone can comment in the comment section about it. That way, when we take turns we will have a plethora of differing viewpoints on the book as the main post, but with all of our thoughts as the comments. Will that work?

Let me know ok???

We have four people out there that have been offered permission to post as blogger that haven't signed up yet:

Myisha
Carla
Brooke
Julie

I have resent your invitations, they might be going into your spam folder, let me know if I need to send them again?

So until tomorrow!

Biz

Update on Book Club

2007-12-12T12:35:00.001-08:00

Hey gang! Its me again. :D

Just curious if everyone has their books yet? I also wanted to "see" if we could establish a preliminary starting point in January. Is there a better time for anyone?

I can start anytime after the New Years. I am one of these people that "put things off" unless I know of a specified time. I look forward to chatting with all of you and learning as much as I can about my crazy self! LOL :D

I hope everyone has a blessed week.

Crystal
TNGal80 :D

www.tngal80.blogspot.com

I Am So Pleased....

2007-12-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

I didn't want to be the first to post per se but I just have to comment on how many have already signed up for the book club! ITS EXCITING!

Thanks to Biz for all of her dedication and time she has put into our group. :D I am so pleased to be sharing intellecutal information with you all.

Congrats to everyone for a successful HCG program and continued losses. :D
Happy Friday!!

Crystal
TNGal80