Customer Reviews

The Autonomic Nervous System and Aromatherapy

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I have been practicing aromatherapy for the past 10 years and this is book is an absolute must have for any serious aromatherapy practioner. This is the ONLY book I have found which gives a clear description of how and why essential oils do not have the same reaction on everybody. For example, when experimenting on myself I could not understand why a strong stimulating oil such as Rosemary would have the opposite effect on me. This book is absolutely invaluable in the field of aromatherapy and one which I refer to over and over again. The only complaint I have is that Jennine hasn't written another book yet.

The author of this book has really captured the importance the Autonomic Nervous System in the field of Aromatherapy. She has a warm humour, and obvious vast knowledge of this natural method of healing. For those of us who are aware of what Aromatherapy is, and are wanting to increase our insight on this topic, I would highly recommend this book. It gives you a well thought out, personalized view on the day to day experiences, guidelines, and beliefs of a trained and obviously more than qualified practitioner.It also is a great reference guide to the uses of the essential oils.Giving chemical component breakdowns as well as daily uses.Having read this book I use it as my own guide daily, and thank you Jennine, for this.

THE AUTOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND AROMATHERAPY is a relatively technical book that discusses in lay terms material the reader will find helpful if she or he is newly interested in essential oils, or seeks to know more about the finer aspects of the effects essential oils on the nervous system. Stromkins works with a group called Scents of Comfort that apparently operates out of British Columbia in Canada. According to Stromkins, the reader can obtain more information at scentsoc@direct.ca.

Janine Stromkins suggests that much of the material in her book was not available at the time of publication (1998). She certainly includes information I had not previously realized, but should have known. For example, she suggests a difference exists between the oil from Clove buds (with which we cook) and Clove flowers (which are milder and therefore less likely to be an irritant.

Stromkins has organized the book so that the reader can locate an ailment or symptom and find oils that deal with it, or vice versa, locate an oil and examine the possibilities. I would recommend doing both as she has also included information about when not to use an oil (pregnancy, high blood pressure, etc.). One feature of the book I especially like is he table that explains what is meant by analgesic, carminative, cicatrisant, and other terms for which I lack a precise meaning or find somewhat unfamiliar. A good place to begin reading about this complex subject.

I had high hopes for this book, and read it all the way through waiting for it to get better. It never did -- the writing is AWFUL (desparately needed a professional editor) and the author contradicts herself. Furthermore, I am a chemist with some psychopharmacological training, and based on the title, expected this book to be somewhat scientific. No luck on that, either. Kurt Schnaubelt (PhD) does a better job of presenting nuanced, experimentally supported information, whereas this book barely skims the surface. The information on the autonomic nervous system seems lifted from a first-year textbook, if that... the only interesting, original part of Ms. Stromkins book is her assertion that people respond differently to essential oils based on their autonomic nervous system. However, this assertion remains TOTALLY UNSUBSTANTIATED by any kind of controlled experiment -- and worse, her anecdotal evidence is weak and contradictory. Don't waste your money.

Fabulous resource! Too bad it is out of print. The author has both practical and great intuitive experience.