Living Bliss

Many readers will already be familiar with the work of Norman Shealy and his working relationship with Caroline Myss. In this new book he focuses on the nature of conscientiousness in relation to health, with its capacity to be responsible and organised in one's habits. He discusses the makings of a conscientious life and its relation to longevity in a major research study. He then gives some guidance about tackling chronic pain and depression, areas in which he has a great deal of experience. There is a fascinating section on hypnotic regression, when he discusses the parallels between his own life and that of a 19th-century physician Dr John Elliotson, who introduced mesmerism into England. Norman gives a number of significant personal details that reinforce this connection. The following chapters give further guidance on lifestyle changes to enhance health and happiness and ways in which oxytocin and DHEA can be boosted, partly through acupressure. He recounts lessons learned as student, teacher and mentor, and there is an interesting appendix by William Tiller giving a metaphysical diagram of the structure of the human being, with which Norman is an entire agreement. It presupposes that we ourselves require a physical body in order fully to experience the space-time domain so that we can become more coherent and develop our gifts of the intentionality.