Adam Blatner
Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner
Rounding Out Life
An acquaintance over email—a new type of relationship, please note—we’ve met in passing and he kindly accepts me into the periphery of his social network— remarked, “Glad to see you’re still going strong.” But I’m not going strong! I’m weakening! I’m wrapping things up. There’s a whole lot to wrap and it may take a […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Essays and Papers, Psychodrama, World of Almost-Real | No Comments
Improvisation
Paul Jackson in the UK writes: Leaders know that an improvisational mindset helps fuel the practices of many of the most successful companies, especially in Silicon Valley. Leaders frequently reference their impro training, and they bring improviser in to help with management development, team-work and strategy. I’ve been hired by Google, for example, to set […]
Posted in Action Explorations, Foolin Around, Psychology | No Comments
“Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”—Sociometry
This 1956 popular song is just one of myriad of questions, including “What does he see in her?” and “What does she see in him??” that are all around us. The mind has its own mysterious capacity to reduce the almost disorienting impact of pure wonder. Sociometry was invented by Jacob L. Moreno, M.D., in […]
Posted in Psychology, Social-Depth Psychology (Sociometry) | No Comments
Action Explorations:The Book
I’m assembling an anthology of how improvised drama, Morenian methods and related approaches may be utilized far beyond their applications in psychotherapy. The book will be titled Action Explorations: Enhanced Simulations, and it will be used to spread the word and encourage applications of Morenian methods in non-clinical situations. Moreno said in his seminal book, […]
Posted in Action Explorations, Play and Spontaneity, Psychodrama | No Comments
Enhanced Simulation (More)
Enhanced simulations should be used as a kind of therapy, and indeed, as part of the training of helpers, paid professionals. It’s also a part of therapy, including psychodrama, drama therapy, and related approaches, may be thought of as a kind of education. Simulations should be applied not only as therapy but rather for all […]
Posted in Action Explorations, Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, Wisdom-ing | No Comments
The Universe Next Door
Well, not exactly. One dimension over, sort of up and to the right, not that directions mean much in a cosmos of multiple dimensions. Nor is it one, but infinite in numbers—but we’ll start with one. What? You thought this was the only reality?? Okay, that’s where you are. But for me and my kind […]
Posted in Art (Mandalas, Doodles, Scripts), Wisdom-ing, World of Almost-Real, Zordak's Journal | No Comments
Two More Things About Enhanced Simulations
First, it’s another word for Action Explorations. Second, it’s axiodramatic and sociodramatic as well as psychodramatic. All these are more complex ways of re-examining political, ethical, and social norms as they evolve. What was if not righteous, then normative, become ethically dubious, challengeable, “evil.” This has been one angle on history. In this last century, […]
Posted in Action Explorations, Psychodrama, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments
Replacing “Psychodrama”with “Enhanced Simulations”
Although I’ve given part of my life to promoting Moreno’s psychodrama, I don’t really like the word itself. “Psychodrama” as a word has several implications. It suggests drama, a word that originally mean something done, enacted, rather than talked about, but has come to mean something heavy, “dramatized” for effect, given visual and dialogue cues […]
Posted in Action Explorations, Psychodrama, Psychology, Wisdom-ing | No Comments
Identity
An old fried, a Lutheran, addressed me assuming I’m Jewish—which I am, a little. But I’m affiliated now with the Unitarian Church nearby—inter-denominational sermons about being thoughtful and good. His good wishes for me reflects the perception that because I was born Jewish I still identify, but I don’t, well, not that much. Identity is […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Foolin Around, Psychological Literacy, Psychology | No Comments
Shifting Identities
In addition to my major profession “occupation” as a retired psychiatrist and visiting assistant professor, which I’m really not anymore since moving to the mid-California coastal town of San Luis Obispo—and becoming not-more every day—, I am presently editing a book about non-psychotherapeutic applications of Moreno’s methods. In addition, I’m editing and preparing to publish […]
Posted in Autobiographical, My Favorite Things, Play and Spontaneity, Spirituality and Philosophy | No Comments