Visit Barque: Thomas Moore at http://barque.blogspot.com

I´ve been reading Thomas Moore books since 1996 and now I'm starting to read some texts written by James Hillman. They help me a lot in the way I see my life, because they show me new perspectives for reflexion.

I only encountered Thomas Moore in person at a conference in 1983 that was called "Logon," a pun about computers meant to combine the interests of Michael (an English professor) and Lynda (a religion professor) and pull in their circle of friends to what was then much more of a cowtown, Bozeman, Montana. We were all younger then and shorter on cash, so some speakers were asked to teach a class to help pay their way. Thomas did that.

The class he taught was about interpreting dreams and took the Gestalt approach of free-associating and remembering connections so as to unfold meanings. He was cheerful and uncanny but what made an impression on me was two boys who had come seeking enlightenment about a dream that was haunting one of them: it was about a road journey during which a snake was run-over and deflated hissing. Sort of Freud meets Jung. Thomas walked them through it, to their amazement. In the middle of it all, the registrar showed up and yanked the boys out of class for not paying.

The class members were upset about this, but Thomas calmly "unpacked" the incident AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN A DREAM. None of we sophisticates had realized that was possible. Since then I've used that approach to more than a few happenings with considerable profit. So many things happen to us in incomplete and sometimes emotional ways that never really get finished, though sometimes they come back in dreams to ask for attention.

After that class I bought a stash of Thomas Moore books plus some HIllman, some Sardino, and the journal "Spring." I was circuit-riding among four Unitarian Universalist fellowships in Montana and went on in the ministry for a few more years. The principles and techniques were always very helpful.

Prairie Mary

I actually hadn't thought about Thomas Moore for a long while, but this morning a friend emailed me about some DVD she whats me to see, called "The Shadow Effect Movie." I looked it up and found that the filmmaker is a popular self-help guide, Debbie Ford, though I'd never heard of her. She appears to base a lot of what she does on the "shadow effect," kind of a pop version of Jung.

It all made me remember how much I love Thomas Moore's writing, so I looked at Amazon to see what he's written lately, bought a few books, then wondered if he has a blog, which brought me to Barque. And that's my story. ;-)

I usually cringe at self help books, and am not eager to put time into the Debbie Ford DVD my friend is recommending. Do any of you have any experience with her work? Is there anything worthwhile there? My taste usually runs to Moore, Pema Chodron, Steven Levine, etc.

Thanks!

Yes, I would enjoy that!

I'm not sure the best method of discussing Thomas' latest book....chapter by chapter? Or perhaps discuss any concept that made an impression?