Midori Nishidaの作品一覧

Body psychology is a new current in psychology that seeks to improve mental states by harnessing the interrelationship between body and mind. Its starting point was the invention of fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). fMRI is a medical device that uses magnetic forces to scan the body and display, in real time, what is happening inside. For example, when one feels anger, blood flow concentrates in the amygdala; when one feels kindness, the neurotransmitter oxytocin is secreted. The body and mind do not exist independently but are inseparably connected, with brain regions corresponding to mental states. This book highlights such correlations between body and mind, proposing methods to address mental distress through physical approaches. As practical means, it introduces mindfulness breathing techniques, anger management, self-hugging, light jumping exercises, and more—tools for awakening bodily intelligence. By drawing upon the body's power to influence the brain and energize the mind, body psychology reveals its promise. The author once remarked in the lecture that inspired this manuscript, with striking candor: "The body is wise, while the brain and the mind are surprisingly foolish."

This book examines the contemporary resurgence of shamanism within a global, modern context, where materialism, political power, and spiritual belief increasingly intersect. Through high-profile cases—from celebrity shamans in the West to mysterious deaths among Russian energy elites—the prologue frames shamanism as a phenomenon no longer confined to the margins of society. Tracing the origins of the term “shaman” to Siberian traditions, the book defines shamans as individuals capable of entering altered states of consciousness to access non-ordinary realities and intervene on behalf of others. It distinguishes between hereditary shamans and those initiated through spiritual possession, and introduces six practitioners whose experiences form the core of the work. By presenting multiple accounts of otherworldly dimensions and spirit encounters, the book suggests a plurality of parallel realms beyond ordinary perception. The prologue positions the renewed public visibility of shamans as a cultural sign of instability and transformation, proposing that humanity may be approaching a period of profound upheaval in which spiritual mediation regains urgent relevance.