September Book of the Month: The African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum

 

This September, we are highlighting The African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum as our Book of the Month!

The African Unconscious, originally published in 1999, is an Afro-centric look at human history based on archaeology, genetics, and the biospiritual roots of religion and science. Author Edward Bruce Bynum offers a captivating and controversial viewpoint on the roots of our human existence, positing that all humans at their deepest core are variations on the African template, creating a shared identity and collective unconscious in all. He looks at both phenotypical types and psychic structures that form and identify us as human beings. Ideal for humanistic and transpersonal psychologists and those interested in African American art and culture, The African Unconscious is a blend of modern and ancient psychology that provides a relevant backdrop to humanity and our daily life.

Praise for The African Unconscious:

"What Bynum has accomplished in pulling together such a mammoth body of knowledge and research into one cogent volume and theme is remarkable.... A contribution of this magnitude seldom comes once in a decade." - Linda James Myers, Ph.D., author of Understanding an Afrocentric World View

"I read with awe this passionate, brilliant, epic work. It is one of the most exhaustive and revealing studies of Black and human origins I have ever seen." - Lee S. Sannella, M.D., author of The Kundalini Experience 

"The African Unconscious is indeed a daring work, and a unique contribution to African diasporic studies. It is a must for all students of human psychology."" - Rowland O. Abiodun, author of Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought 

"The scope of the author's knowledge is simply awesome, and that, coupled with his engaging writing style, makes not for an 'easy' ready, but an adventuresome one.... For those who entertain notions of collective unconscious and deep structure racial messages, I cannot think of a better text that navigates such thinking." - William E. Cross, Jr., Ph.D., author of Shades of Black

African Unconscious in the News

Our August Book of the Month The African Unconscious by Edward Bruce Bynum has been in the news! Angelina Graham of Institute of Transpersonal Psychology recently wrote a book review for the 2016 edition of The International Journal of Transpersonal Studies.

Highlights include:

"For those interested in an Afrocentric approach to tracing the historical migration of dark skin people over human history, the intricate revealings in the indelible, African Unconscious: Roots of Ancient Mysticism and Modern Psychology, is a cornerstone contribution."

" .... Bynum points out the ever present widespread awareness of non-local neurological phenomena, such as intuition, as confirmation of the longevity of ancient African consciousness that acknowledges the same genuine lived experiences as various belief systems today."

To read the full article, please visit the IJTS website and download it here.

The International Journal of Transpersonal Studies (IJTS) is a semi-annual peer-reviewed academic journal publishing on topics in transpersonal psychology and related fields. This journal is sponsored by the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and has been in print since 1981.

About the Author:
Edward Bruce Bynum, Ph.D., ABPP, is a psychologist, diplomat in clinical psychology, and director of the Behavioral Medicine & Anxieties Disorders clinic at the University of Massachusetts Health Services in Amherst. He is the author of five texts in psychology and three in poetry. Some of his other books include The Family Unconscious, The Roots of Transcendence, and Families and the Interpretation of Dreams. His last volume of poetry, Chronicles of the Pig & Other Delusions, won the national 2010 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award. Dr. Bynum received the Abraham H. Maslow Award from the American Psychological Association for “an outstanding and lasting contribution to the exploration of the farther reaches of the human spirit.”

Cosimo is happy to offer The African Unconscious, in paperback, and eBook formats at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperback, Nook) and Amazon (paperback, Kindle).