Catalysis: A Recipe to Slow Down or Abort Humankind’s Leap to War

From the Introduction by Alice Lombardo Maher:

I set myself a very hard task. In this short book, I will present what I believe to be a major paradigm shift in human understanding and discourse. My goal is to intrigue you, coax you to think and behave in new ways, and convince you to become part of a movement. This movement will lead to:

1) a new way of communicating across human divides
2) a new language to codify that process
3) a different education for our children
4) creative solutions to intractable conflicts
5) the ability to slow down or abort humankind’s leap to war
6) a shift in the direction of human consciousness and evolution
7) an exciting, challenging and rewarding adventure into
unknown territories

If you’re going to consider my idea, you’ll need to imagine this possibility: the next leap in the evolution of our species will happen  with conscious understanding and conscious intent, as a new language for communication across human divides emerges.

I will present a theoretical model, one that integrates and reframes models from disparate fields. I will tell you about some simple pilot projects, and I will share concrete suggestions for ways that everyone can begin to implement these ideas in the here and now.

Ideas as big as this one don’t emerge out of thin air. In the final chapter, I will describe the personal trajectory that led to my conclusions and to my absolute conviction about them.

“In this book, a psychoanalyst shares her personal story that led her to come to new conclusions and convictions about human nature. She describes methods for slowing down or aborting humankind’s leaps to war. It has been a moving experience for me to read Alice Maher’s book. Anyone who dreams about a better world should also read it.”

—Vamık  Volkan, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of Virginia and the author of Enemies on the Couch: A Psychopolitical Journey Through War and Peace

“The methodology outlined in this book is as simple as it is ingenious. Even if some of the questions raised will have to be answered by future generations, the book will help readers reach a deeper understanding of the self and others, discover shared horizons beyond inflexible comfort zones, and open up new vistas to the seemingly irreconcilable. Alice Lombardo Maher’s book is a must read for all dreamers who long to bridge divides, and anyone who can imagine a future in which humankind may thrive.”

—Anna Klambauer, lecturer in cultural studies at Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria

“I think it IS genius—in the sense of portraying the obvious that has been hidden in plain view.”

 —Heward Wilkinson, D. Psych, UKCP Fellow, UKCP Registered Integrative Psychotherapist, author of The Muse As Therapist: A New Poetic Paradigm for Psychotherapy”