Outer Origin examines the individual, social, and spiritual implications of ectogenesis, also known as artificial womb technology. Formerly considered the topic of science fiction, such devices are currently being developed and will soon be a medical reality. This book offers readers information on the status of this technology and considers the ways in which it may one day fully replace human gestation. Ectogenesis has previously been assessed with the future child in mind, but this book, instead, envisions what it might mean for women. It explores the value of pregnancy and childbirth in the twenty-first century and questions the notion that artificial wombs will lead to full equality of the sexes. Outer Origin seeks to elevate the maternal experience by reflecting on the meaning of reproductive technology in our lives. People everywhere must ponder the significance of what has heretofore been their most common link—shared natality and birth. If not, Homo sapiens will enter a deep dive into the unknown—that of not being of woman born.

This enlightening book integrates humanistic and transpersonal psychotherapy principles with family systems work. Transforming the Inner and Outer Family discusses a wide range of creative methodologies, such as the use of meditation, guided imagery, and energy centers in the body to bridge the inner and outer experiences of the individual and family members. Chapters explore the healing capacity of intense affect to unify significant others through the transformation of fear, anger, and grief to understanding, compassion, love, and forgiveness. The book is practical as well as theoretical, containing many case studies focusing on individual, couples, and family therapy. In addition, a special chapter is included on the use of family of origin sessions. Transcripts of actual cases show detailed methods of entering into the therapy system to promote change and demonstrate the operational definition of spirituality and its practical utilization in psychotherapy. Also included is a special candid interview between the author and Virginia Satir, mother of family therapy, nine months before she died, on her personal and professional life.Transforming the Inner and Outer Family presents an integrative family systems model that emphasizes the coordination of existential, humanistic, and transpersonal healing psychologies. This model coordinates Virginia Satir’s later thinking with Roberto Assagioli’s model of psychosynthesis. Author Sheldon Kramer blends principles of psychosynthesis with family systems work and thoroughly explains the use of his new model, Mind-Body Systems Therapy,TM including: development of internal family configurations the spiritual dimension within the systemic context integrating the use of the body with meditation in healing practices methods of healing the inner nuclear and intra-generational family bridging the inner and outer familial world stages of inner and outer healing the use of self in therapyTransforming the Inner and Outer Family is on the cutting edge of current emerging interests in alternative medicine, especially in holistic principles of healing, with emphasis on the spiritual dimension as a major healing conduit for transformation. Readers will discover in this book a solid theoretical base that integrates traditional psychology, including psychodynamic/object relations theory, with less-mainstream forms of psychotherapy, and will learn effective strategies for helping individuals, couples, and families heal.

Representatives of several scientific communities, such as planetary scientists, astronomers, space physicists, chemists and astrobiologists have met with the aim to review the knowledge on four major themes: (1) the study of the formation and evolution processes of the outer planets and their satellites, beginning with the formation of compounds and planetesimals in the solar nebula, and the subsequent evolution of the interiors of the outer planets, (2) a comparative study of the atmospheres of the outer planets and Titan, (3) the study of the planetary magnetospheres and their interactions with the solar wind, and (4) the formation and properties of satellites and rings, including their interiors, surfaces, and their interaction with the solar wind and the magnetospheres of the outer planets. Beyond these topics, the implications for the prebiotic chemical evolution on Europa and Titan are reviewed. At the time of publication, the study of the outer planets is particularly motivated by the fact that the Saturn system is being investigated by the Cassini-Huygens mission.