Customer Reviews

Transforming Trauma

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This Audio Book should satisfy both people looking for a psychological approach to healing and people who prefer a more Spiritual approach. In this Audiobook a Spiritual sort of healing is important, but no one religion or teacher is held above another, and I for one appreciate that a huge amount.

This is classified as an Audio Book, and sounds a bit more like a Seminar, especially since most of it was "recorded before a small live audience" but that is completely OK. Compared to The Secret (the best Audiobook I have ever heard) this seems to start out a bit dry, but after I recognized the brilliance in the information that is being conveyed, and the nearly perfect way it is organized to enhance comprehension, I warmed up to it fairly quickly.

Right from the first CD, I noticed a depth of purpose and meaning that I have never heard before (and believe me, I have heard and read a lot since I began my own personal quest for healing and enlightenment in 1979).

There is a greatness here seldom found in self-help books or CDs.

On the first CD, Caroline (who sounds a bit like Peggy Cass on To Tell The Truth) speaks of both personal trauma and events on a global scale.
James Finley has a pleasant voice and explains things very well.

CONTENTS
The 7 steps to heal the 7 spiritual wounds
The critical turning point in the healing process
How to avoid the trap of spiritual escapism
Recognizing and sustaining moments of spontaneous spiritual experience
Guided meditations inspired by history's great mystics
And much more...

TECHNICAL QUALITY OF THE CDs AND CASE
The sound quality is excellent - Very clean and clear. When there is music it sounds very good. The CDs are nice and long too, so you really get your money's worth. Amongst the 7 CDs there is only one that is less than 70 minutes. One is actually 79 minutes long!

This is by far one of the nicest CD cases or albums for holding a small number of CDs that I have ever seen. It's a quality clamshell with a small 2 ring binder inside. The CD booklet and vinyl sleeves for the CDs have holes for the rings. The CDs will be well protected in these sleeves and the case. Dust will not get to them at all, unlike certain other Audio Books on CD, like The Secret. My Secret CDs are scratched worse than any other CDs I own, because of the cheap cardboard holder they came in. I threw it away after I realized how bad it was getting. So I really appreciate this one. Top quality in every aspect!

Many of you who have endured physical or emotion abuse may be drawn to this CD set. Be forewarned that it is NOT self-help psychology. It takes a Zen-like approach that stresses transcendence of your abuse through what amounts to Zen practice. In other words, be here now, see the event in an impersonal way, find those moments when you feel selfless and at one with the universe, and move beyond your issues.

Myss was interesting and lectured on three of the seven CD's. She moves quickly from personal affairs to global. If you know her views on "woundology", you can probably imagine how she feels about people basking in the energy of their abuse issues. She doesn't have a lot of sympathy for those who do and explains why doing so is not going to free you. In her words you are either bitter or better and she never advocates bitterness. That is not to put down her presentations. She makes some very useful comments and I was pleased to see her return to the kind of ideas she first put forth in Energetic Anatomy. She actually comes across as more of a psychologist than Finley.

Finley often belabored his points and I had a very hard time staying focused on him. Most of what he had to say I had read before in beginner level books on Buddhism. The fact that he is a psychologist suggests that this contains a traditional therapeutic approach. While he says that your parents had an effect on you and you should think about who they were, he does not examine topics such as this. His voice, while very soft and supportive, quickly becomes sleep inducing as he gives example after example to illustrate material which I found to be easily understood.

The series is much more about Transformation than trauma. If you have suffered abuse and have yet to get past your anger, you probably won't find much here to help you. If you are reasonably well healed and want a spiritual perspective on what happened, you may like this series, especially Myss's comments. Unfortunately, even at Amazon prices it will cost you almost as much as a therapy session!

If you like Carolyn Myss, you'll probably like this.

If you like James Finley, you'll probably like this.

If you're not familiar with Myss, this is not a good place to start. She
relies on her listeners having some knowledge of materials she has presented
in earlier works. In comparison, Finley does not assume any prerequisite
knowledge of his audience.

In a very brief overview: Myss stresses the universality of 'being wounded,'
while Finley discusses meditation as a tool for healing and transformation.
Finley speaks for the larger part of the presentation, while Myss opens and
closes it. Myss tends to speak more in terms of society and species, while
Finley directs his attention towards individual problems.

Myss can be a bit strident, and Finney tends to be soft spoken. Myss is well
organized and well prepared - Finney even more so, and they make an interesting
presentation, despite their very different presentation styles.

If you already have some background knowledge of meditation, energy healing/
spiritual healing, and the interrelationship between these modalities and trauma,
this is an interesting presentation. If not, I would not suggest this as a place to start.

This appears to be a program for trauma suffers by Caroline Myss but it's actually something a little different. The first difference is that Caroline redefines and greatly expands the definition of trauma to include the sort of existential trauma and shock that any human being might experience from any number of causes during the rounds of ordinary living. While I appreciate this approach and I understand her rationale, I'm not sure I entirely agree with her redefinition. The few people I've met who truly were trauma survivors had serious issues that we "plain old" survivors don't share. So, while I think this overall approach to trauma is interesting I would guess that it might be somewhat lacking for true trauma survivors unless they also happen to be mystics, meditators, contemplatives, or other spiritual types.

This program was also different because it's not actually a Caroline Myss program, it's really a program based on the work of James Finley, a former Trappist monastic. James delivers the bulk of this program and shares his understanding of and experience with mystical practice from the Catholic tradition and his own experiences as a trauma survivor. The fact that this is mostly a program by James isn't a problem because he clearly knows understands trauma and is a pleasure to listen to. I enjoyed his gentle, humorous, and self-deprecating manner of speaking and I am interested in other programs he has about mysticism and contemplative living.

I purchased this product in hopes of using it for other people. I am a massage therapist and thought it would be a great idea for me to listen and learn how to understand trauma and how it affects people in their healing process. I know from reading many books that most people hold their trauma tightly and it intergrates into different areas of their body causing dis-ease, dis-comfort and dis-placement. I thought that these cd's would better help me understand the trauma patients process of thought and therefore help me assist in their healing process as well. This is just a very complicated, very time consuming system. I've read many books by Caroline Myss so I knew what to expect, but James Finley, I hadn't heard of so was looking forward to hearing his thoughts. Both are very long winded and slightly garbled. I get annoyed when it takes 15 minutes to say what could be summed up in 5 seconds. This system annoyed me. Very long winded.., much like this review I suspect :0) ! I realize that the manifestation of trauma in a person is deep, but I still think systems should be easier to follow. Louise Hay is a good one to read for very helpful advice and thoughts in a simple and concise way. Caroline Myss is very spiritual, which is nice, and James Finley is very direct, which is also nice, but there is no "puzzle" fitting here. Both are very separate in their approach and in no way really compliment each other. Maybe because I was trying to learn something about trauma without being "in trauma" I just didn't get it and the true "trauma person" will learn much, and if that is the case I apologize for this review, but if you are looking to learn so that you could possibly help teach, it isn't the system for you. At least it isn't the system for me.

After my family has dealt with many forms of trauma over the last 10 years I was glad to get this Cd in hopes that I could begin to find ways to heal. I was also looking to help other family members. I believe that everyone in my family is suffering from PTSD as a result of what we have experienced.
I found these authors discussing a lot about trauma as everyday occurances for most. I highly disagree.
I was not able to get through these CD"S because of their beliefs. What I did listen to I found did not give me any information or content on how to heal. Only that everyone suffers and to be accepting of it. Sorry, there are many degrees of suffering and I now know after looking elsewhere that help is available in many forms. Just not here.

As a spiritual life coach, I frequently assist people who are transitioning through periods of crisis or dealing with traumas in their lives. I am therefore keenly interested in tools I can recommend that are truly effective. TRANSFORMING TRAUMA is a marvelous resource for anyone in need of comfort, strength, and hope who has felt spiritually disconnected.

Caroline Myss and James Finley take turns explaining on different CDs how suffering is a necessary part of living an authentic spiritual life, and encourage us to recognize and gain maximum benefit from all the moments when we spontaneously experience spirit in our lives. I found myself paying attention from a more analytical, rational point of view to Caroline Myss and from a more intuitive, emotional perspective to James Finley, so it seems clear that this seven CD set has something for both kinds of listeners. I particularly love listening to James Finley's warm, soothing voice as he presents guided meditations which have been outlined by some of the world's great mystics, and his close relationship to Thomas Merton comes shining through as he encourages us to explore the path toward Oneness.

Caroline Myss has created something of deep and lasting value in providing us with a spiritual approach to transforming trauma into a higher level of perception where we can live a much more compassionate life. Highly recommended!

Caroline Myss has been a favorite of mine in the field of holistic medicine and spirituality for many years. Her groundbreaking books, Why People Don't Heal & How They Can, and Anatomy of the Spirit, have had a big influence on both my personal process and my work as a Reiki master. So I looked forward to this CD set for both personal and professional reasons. Sadly, I found it ultimately impossible to grind my way through all of the CDs, and gave up on the project.

As another dissatisfied reviewer noted, the packaging is excellent and shows great care. But at least for me, the material itself is presented in a dry and boring way that renders it unlistenable. Ms. Myss has some liveliness to her speaking voice, but James Finley, despite his obvious experience and good nature, is a better sleeping pill than warm milk and a lullabye. I managed to get through the first two CDs, but was thoroughly uninspired by their tone.

Perhaps it's the time in my life, a lack of patience, who knows? Maybe at some other point I'll come back to this material and be able to focus on it. But I feel I should warn the potential buyer that it will be very slow going and, for the price, may not be worth the effort. Reading Ms. Myss's and Mr. Finley's books might be a better bet.

This series of lectures rehashes Myss's "get off your bitterness" style of dealing with trauma, with a transcendent approach where meditating can help you move on. However the seminar is more about transformation after you have left behind issues over abuse so would not be as useful for people still processing the experience. Some decent enough advice, but not so new for Myss readers.

Over seven hours, three from Myss and four from Finley. Finley was difficult to listen to without dozing off, and Myss had some whoppers like her assertion that the idea of transforming one's life through understanding one's traumas is brand new and was just recently figured out. In general the material was not well edited and not well read, so it took much longer to present than the material warranted.

My biggest issue is that anger probably shouldn't be transcended when it can serve to change the world for the better. While excess anger can be debilitating, there is a healthy level that inspires people to change society, to put structures in place to prevent abuse or to assist victims in empowering ways. This seminar seems to overlook that possibility.

This 7 CD set by Caroline Myss and James Finley puts together the experiences and insights of these 2 psycho-spiritual healing teachers. Both contributors share a mystical approach to healing and transformation which they consider essential to moving beyond trauma and victimhood.
Finley has an easy-going conversational style as he shares his input on CDs 2 through 5. He teaches listeners to use meditation and spiritually conscious living to help transform trauma into a life of service and transcendance.
Myss presents a similar understanding of how people can transform trauma into a spiritual/mystical awakening. She is somewhat strident in her speaking at times as she seeks to be sharp and pointed in critiquing ways people get stuck and fail to address trauma effectively. She decries conventional therapy and the way in which the field of personal growth and related healing arts have failed to make progress in helping people heal trauma. Myss posits that we live in a time when we are facing trauma in a collective manner more than ever - while we also have an unparalleled opportunity to use trauma as a catalyst for spiritual awakening and transformation.

I personally found this difficult to listen to all the way through since there was a lot of redundancy and storytelling - the concepts and points presented could have been presented more efficiently, and the extra time could have been used to provide guided meditations and exercises for the listeners to use. The CDs are very much conceptual rather than offering practical exercises. While this is an insightful and valuable CD set I felt that it could have presented things in a more user-friendly manner.