Product Description

An original theory of the development of consciousness that brings together research from neurology, new-paradigm studies, psychology, and mysticism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #203564 in Books
• Published on: 1996-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 341 pages

About the Author
Jenny Wade is a lecturer, teacher, and researcher specializing in noetics and developmental psychology who holds a Ph.D. in Human Development from the Fielding Institute. A self-employed management consultant, her theory and consulting practice are the result of extensive research and over twenty years'experience working with Fortune 500 companies, multinationals, and smaller businesses in a wide range of industries around the world.

Customer Reviews

Changes of Mind, Jenny Wade

as we experience life we get pieces of the puzzle. Some times we are luck enough to get the edges so we have an outline and can begin to fill in the real informational and exeriential middle. With Jenny Wade you get the whole puzzle. A gift

Very academic, but well worth reading
In "Changes of Mind", Jenny Wade provides the reader with an excellent survey of research regarding stages of consciousness, from prenatal to after-death. Perhaps because she is working principally with academic research, her writing style is likewise very academic. Those not accustomed to the jargon of the field intially may find the writing style somewhat dry and less accessible; however, the content is very directly and lucidly presented. Wade presents differing opinions developed from research done in the field and carefully brings together her theory regarding the evolution of consciousness. I found the chapter regarding pre- and perinatal consciousness to be particularly fascinating. Also very useful are the charts that Wade developed listing the characteristics of each level of consciousness. For anyone who wishes to understand research regarding transpersonal psychology and holonomic theories, this book is invaluable.

Necessary Changes of Mind
Jenny Wade has made a most valuable contribution to the literature on human psychospiritual development with this substantive, well-researched work. She begins by placing overall consciousness research in the context of the new physics, specifically the post-Newtonian paradigm of physicist David Bohm, describing how the implications of such paradigms change not only earlier undestandings of human development but our understanding of what it fundamentally means to be a human being. Then she has opened up "stage theory" of development to explore research on the pre- and peri-natal stages of consciousness and the research on near-death experiences. She highlights a quality of "transcendent" consciouness revealed in this research that is similar in both the pre-birth and after-death "stages" of life, and explores the implications of this in understanding both the other stages between birth and death and the nature of human existence itself. She then draws on Eastern and Western mystical writings, showing how her conclusions correlate with the experiences of practicing mystics through the ages.

My only quarrel with Ms. Wade is that as she explores mystical literature she tends to privilege Eastern over Western mysticism. This reflects the general pattern in Transpersonal writings, and points to what I feel is a need in the Judeo-Christian world to affirm and bring forward more vigorously its own particular and very valuable strain of mystical literature.

I welcome this work for opening up regions not yet covered by other Transpersonalists, Wilber, Washburn, et al, and feel the perspective Ms. Wade offers will add invaluable depth and breadth to the developmental and Transpersonal dialogue.