Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration - Spring Evening

Kazimierz Dabrowski, a Polish psychiatrist, developed a theory that explains why you can't hold still, why things that are unfair bother you more than anybody else, why it seems to you that everybody else seems to have shallow emotions and reactions, and why your mere existence (or the world's) is enough to make you depressed! Curious? Come learn about Overexcitibilities, Dynamisms, and how disintegration can be positive!

Description

Dr. Kazimierz Dabrowski was a Polish psychiatrist and psychologist who, when he was young, observed that different people suffered more and less in response to the same stimuli and wanted to figure out why. The first result is the OverExcitabilities (OEs), which many parents of gifted children have recognized in them (and in themselves, tbh), but this is just the tip of this intricate personality development theory.

In this course, we will study Dabrowski's Theory, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it may apply in our lives and in those of the people we love. We'll consider the Levels of Development and the Dynamisms that facilitate our growth through those levels. And we will look more deeply at the OES, both how they interact and their role in the rest of the Theory.

Syllabus

Week	Topic
1 - Apr 3	Introduction and Overview: Why does anybody care?!
2 - Apr 10	Overexcitabilities & Dynamisms
3 - Apr 17	Levels 1 & 2: Primary Integration and Unilevel Disintegration
4 - Apr 24	Level 3: Spontaneous Multilevel Disintegration
5 - May 1	Level 4: Organized Multilevel Disintegration
6 - May 8	Level 5: Secondary Integration – is it possible?
7 - May 15	Multilevelness of Emotions and Instinctive Function, Part 1
May 22 & 29	NO CLASS
8 - Jun 5	Multilevelness of Emotions and Instinctive Function, Part 2: Case Studies
9 - Jun 12	Autopsychotherapy and Developmental Psychotherapy
10 - Jun 19	Review and Next Steps

All topics subject to change, based on class feedback.

MATERIALS

We will rely heavily on "hand-outs" and website materials, but students are encouraged to purchase Positive Disintegration by Kazimierz Dabrowski (available through most major book sellers - ISBN: 1600250955). It's $10 in the Kindle edition. It's also available in a softbound edition for ~$13.00. Another acceptable text, Personality Shaping, is currently free to Kindle Unlimited members.