Bøger udgivet af North Atlantic Books,U.S.

A narrative of Indigenous wisdom that provides a road map for the spirit and a compass of compassion for humanity Drawing from ancestral knowledge, as well as her experience as an attorney and activist, Sherri Mitchell addresses some of the most crucial issues of our day, such as environmental protection and human rights. Sharing the gifts she has received from elders around the world, Mitchell urges us to decolonize our language and our stories. For those seeking change, this book offers a set of cultural values that will preserve our collective survival for future generations.

Richard Gordon maps out new territory in the rarely explored intersection of science and spirituality in this fascinating investigation of the profound relationship between matter and consciousness. Building on the Quantum-Touch technique he developed in previous books, Gordon explains how the hands-on energy healing technique that he uses to help to alleviate nerve pain, headaches, back pain, hip pain, TMJ, and more provides a unique window onto the secret nature of matter. He explains how, by examining pelvic and occipital torsion, and then aligning people without the use of touch or suggestion, he is able to run a wide range of simple experiments that challenge many dogmas of science. This book teaches readers the technique along with 57 easy-to-reproduce experiments that allow them to test the results. These experiments clearly demonstrate that our consciousness can profoundly influence matter, and that an object charged with energy and intent can dramatically affect us physiologically in seconds.

In this innovative contribution to the field of energy medicine, experienced mycologist and herbalist Robert Rogers offers an extensive guide to healing a range of physical, emotional, and psychological conditions with mushroom essences. Similar to flower essences, but made under a lunar cycle, mushroom essences work subtly to bring deep healing to the mind and body; they are particularly well suited for working with the "shadow" or unintegrated parts of the psyche. The book is organized as an easy-to-use alphabetical reference, with entries that outline how to create each essence, indications for usage, and healing effects. Along the way, Rogers provides enlivening stories of his personal experience using these remedies in clinical practice. A profound exploration of both the practical and mythopoetic qualities of the mushroom, this is a must-have for anyone interested in plant medicine, mycology, personal healing, or depth psychology.

Foundations in Craniosacral Biodynamics presents a comprehensive grounding in the clinical skills needed in a biodynamic approach to craniosacral therapy. Author Franklyn Sills places particular emphasis on developing what he terms "perceptual skills," diagnostic skills that enable the practitioner to perceive the subtle sensations and intuitive insights that are the groundwork of most forms of holistic somatic therapy.The biodynamic approach has its origins in the clinical exploration of W. G. Sutherland, DO, (1873-1954), the founder of osteopathy in the cranial field and "forefather of craniosacral therapy." In the last ten years of his life, his work changed from a biomechanical approach to a fully holistic orientation toward the ordering and enlivening forces present in the human system. Sutherland described his experiences of a mysterious presence, the "Breath of Life," from which ordering forces and healing intentions arose. His work then shifted from biomechanics to biodynamics; from analysis and motion-testing to an appreciation of the unfolding of the "inherent treatment plan." Sutherland encouraged practitioners to use no outside force whatsoever, but to allow the inherent ordering forces, which he called "potency," to make the decisions and do the work.Franklyn Sills pioneered the biodynamic approach to craniosacral therapy outside the osteopathic profession. This approach has now spread around the world in various forms. Sills wrote the early books in this field, and this new book now brings the text up to date. Foundations in Craniosacral Therapy, Volume Two expands on the work described in the previous volume, starting with an overview of a biodynamic approach to craniosacral therapy, which emphasizes the suspensory nature of the human system. Here we review and deepen our understanding of the "three bodies"-the physical, fluid, and tidal bodies. We also review and expand upon the suspensory nature of the holistic shift-the physical body suspended in the fluid body, in turn suspended in the tidal body-within the context of the inherent treatment plan.The following chapters of the book orient to our earliest life experiences-the embryonic period and the pre- and perinatal experience-with chapters devoted to birth, birth dynamics, and craniosacral approaches oriented both to birth trauma and to the tissue patterns it generates. Here we orient to the prenate and birthing infant as a sentient being having and responding to life experience. Further chapters orient to the primal/notochord midline and the tissue structures that form around it. We explore the dynamics of the pelvis, vertebral axis, cranial base, face and hard palate. Volume Two finishes with four important chapters on the neurophysiology of stress and trauma and related craniosacral and verbal skills. All chapters include appropriate biodynamic approaches to traumatization and CNS activation.

This update of the bestselling book on Applied Kinesiology introduces a diagnostic method that uses manual muscle testing to assess the body's structure, chemistry, and psyche Manual muscle testing is a standard medical diagnostic technique that utilizes full-strength contraction of the muscle tested. An Applied Kinesiology (AK) muscle test uses this method to not only assess the general integrity of the muscle but to also reveal structural, chemical, and mental weaknesses. To perform an AK muscle test, the practitioner applies light pressure that the client then resists. If the client cannot resist the pressure, the muscle 'tests weak,' indicating a structural problem or imbalance that needs to be resolved. Further applications include working with a muscle that tests strong 'in the clear' as a diagnostic tool to determine the effect of stimuli including touch, nutrients, medicines, allergens, emotions, poor posture, and stressful memories.Opening with a detailed description of the history and applications of Applied Kinesiology, this book covers the theory, procedure, and interpretation of the muscle test, including diagnosis and correction techniques for areas of weakness. Thirty-three muscle tests for different areas of the body are accompanied by instructive photographs with superimposed anatomical drawings that demonstrate the method and various treatment points. A useful appendix includes a glossary of anatomical terms and special vocabulary; a step-by-step plan for conducting a session; and a list of contacts and sources for Applied Kinesiology materials. Offering a new preface and additional techniques in the areas of manual medicine, orthomolecular medicine, and psychology, Applied Kinesiology, Revised Edition shares the author's discoveries as well as anecdotal observations to stimulate further research.Table of Contents1. From Biomechanics to Applied Kinesiology2. Scientific Principles of Applied Kinesiology3. The Muscle Test4. Pretests5. Diagnosis and Correction Techniques6. Muscle Tests7. Applied Kinesiology and Manual Medicine8. Applied Kinesiology and Orthomolecular Medicine9. Applied Kinesiology and the Psyche10. Personal Discoveries and Garnered Methods for Further Consideration

Die Wise does not offer seven steps for coping with death. It does not suggest ways to make dying easier. It pours no honey to make the medicine go down. Instead, with lyrical prose, deep wisdom, and stories from his two decades of working with dying people and their families, Stephen Jenkinson places death at the center of the page and asks us to behold it in all its painful beauty. Die Wise teaches the skills of dying, skills that have to be learned in the course of living deeply and well. Die Wise is for those who will fail to live forever. Dying well, Jenkinson writes, is a right and responsibility of everyone. It is not a lifestyle option. It is a moral, political, and spiritual obligation each person owes their ancestors and their heirs. Die Wise dreams such a dream, and plots such an uprising. How we die, how we care for dying people, and how we carry our dead: this work makes our capacity for a village-mindedness, or breaks it.Table of ContentsThe Ordeal of a Managed DeathStealing Meaning from DyingThe Tyrant HopeThe Quality of LifeYes, But Not Like ThisThe WorkSo Who Are the Dying to You? Dying Facing HomeWhat Dying Asks of Us AllKidsAh, My Friend the Enemy

Spiritual bypassing—the use of spiritual beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs—is so pervasive that it goes largely unnoticed. The spiritual ideals of any tradition, whether Christian commandments or Buddhist precepts, can provide easy justification for practitioners to duck uncomfortable feelings in favor of more seemingly enlightened activity. When split off from fundamental psychological needs, such actions often do much more harm than good.While other authors have touched on the subject, this is the first book fully devoted to spiritual bypassing. In the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa’s landmark Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Spiritual Bypassing provides an in-depth look at the unresolved or ignored psychological issues often masked as spirituality, including self-judgment, excessive niceness, and emotional dissociation. A  longtime psychotherapist with an engaging writing style, Masters furthers the body of psychological insight into how we use (and abuse) religion in often unconscious ways. This book will hold particular appeal for those who grew up with an unstructured new-age spirituality now looking for a more mature spiritual practice, and for anyone seeking increased self-awareness and a more robust relationship with themselves and others.

Complementary and alternative approaches to health and medicine have become increasingly widespread as the limits of conventional treatments become more apparent. Holistic Anatomy presents an authoritative study of anatomy, physiology, and pathology but expands the discussion by connecting the science of the body to a variety of alternative modalities to explore how human beings exist within—and interact with—their environment, and how they experience existence in emotional and spiritual terms. Basic scientific terminology and detailed descriptions are interwoven with informal, sometimes humorous observations, facts, and ideas about life. The mechanisms, structure, and functions of the body are explored, along with how they relate to spiritual and energetic paradigms, emotions, and ecological principles. The first half of the book covers basic anatomy and physiology, describing each major system of the body and how they interrelate. This part includes a thoughtful discussion of aging and the dying process. The second half focuses on models of health and disease, both traditional and holistic. Topics include western pathology, emotional health, five element medicine, and the spiritual cause for disease.

This unique first book shows, through pictures and step-by-step instructions, how to give a baby or small child a full craniosacral treatment. The authors approach babies as conscious beings who endure enormous stress during the birth process. They show how CS therapy can help restore the correct alignments in babies'' bodies, freeing them to grow and attain their maximum potential without hindrance. The book focuses on what a trained CS therapist can do to remove the blockages that often arise during birth. It addresses both hands-on techniques and awareness of how to interact with a baby and what responses and effects to expect. Based on the authors’ extensive experience, this guide can also be used by parents or caregivers interested in knowing what babies need in order to be whole and healthy, and how to prevent problems — including hyperactivity and ADD — that could become serious and require medication later in life.

Trauma following automobile accidents can persist for weeks, months, or longer. Symptoms include nervousness, sleep disorders, loss of appetite, and sexual dysfunction. In Crash Course, Diane Poole Heller and Laurence Heller take readers through a series of case histories and exercises to explain and treat the health problems and trauma brought on by car accidents.

"A cultural history of the herbs, foodways, and land-based medicines of Lebanon and Canaan that explores how they connect family and kin in diaspora"--

Instant Amazon Best Seller and Hot New ReleaseFor readers of Caste and Radical Dharma, an urgent call to action to end caste apartheid, grounded in Dalit feminist abolition and engaged Buddhism.“Dalit” is the name that we chose for ourselves when Brahminism declared us “untouchable.” Dalit means broken. Broken by suffering. Broken by caste: the world’s oldest, longest-running dominator system...yet although “Dalit” means broken, it also means resilient.    Caste—one of the oldest systems of exclusion in the world—is thriving. Despite the ban on Untouchability 70 years ago, caste impacts 1.9 billion people in the world. Every 15 minutes, a crime is perpetrated against a Dalit person. The average age of death for Dalit women is just 39. And the wreckages of caste are replicated here in the U.S., too—erupting online with rape and death threats, showing up at work, and forcing countless Dalits to live in fear of being outed.    Dalit American activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan puts forth a call to awaken and act, not just for readers in South Asia, but all around the world. She ties Dalit oppression to fights for liberation among Black, Indigenous, Latinx, femme, and Queer communities, examining caste from a feminist, abolitionist, and Dalit Buddhist perspective--and laying bare the grief, trauma, rage, and stolen futures enacted by Brahminical social structures on the caste-oppressed.    Soundararajan’s work includes embodiment exercises, reflections, and meditations to help readers explore their own relationship to caste and marginalization—and to step into their power as healing activists and changemakers. She offers skills for cultivating wellness within dynamics of false separation, sharing how both oppressor and oppressed can heal the wounds of caste and transform collective suffering. Incisive and urgent, The Trauma of Caste is an activating beacon of healing and liberation, written by one of the world’s most needed voices in the fight to end caste apartheid.

A nature therapy session for the soul--encounter the benevolence of the living world through 12 essays on the Earth-healing powers of self-compassion and empathy.When healing is needed at the deepest level, nature will always call us back home--not only to the oak woods or water-filled coves, but to the homes within ourselves.In a series of 12 lyrical nature essays, herbalist, writer, and Earth intuitive Asia Suler illuminates the healing power of the living Earth--and gives us permission to nurture self-compassion and empathy as forces for personal and ecological healing.In a time of unprecedented ecological devastation, it’s easy to feel hopeless and disconnected. It’s easier still to mask our inherent goodness--to imagine that our unique and precious gifts simply aren’t enough, or forget the power of our inborn empathy. For those of us who are highly sensitive, innately attuned to the workings and whispers of the natural world, it can be hard to embody the belief that we’re enough as we are--and that can heal the Earth.Here, Suler reveals the opposite: our goodness, our empathy, our intuitive connections, and our capacity for self-compassion are more than personal traits or antidotes to despair: they are, in fact, our most potent vehicles for planetary transformation. And as we learn to more deeply nurture and accept ourselves, we unlock living, healing connections to Earth.Combining poetic nature writing with exercises and reflection prompts at the end of each essay, Mirrors in the Earth coaxes us to come as we are: to discover and tend the inherent brilliance and medicine that lives in each of us. From the manatee-calm springs of wild Florida to the flower-dotted coves of the world’s most biodiverse mountains, Mirrors in the Earth is an invitation and encounter with the benevolence of the living world--and a nature therapy session for the soul.

All-natural reproductive wellness remedies for the modern herbalist: an inclusive guide to making herbal infusions, tinctures, oils, and powders to enhance pleasure and sexual health.In an empowering, accessible, and inclusive guide, herbalist Marie White shows readers of all genders how to enhance sexual and reproductive health through plant medicine. A must-have for those looking to revitalize intimacy with the special touch of medicinal herbs--and a few selected seaweed and fungi--The Intimate Herbal includes tried-and-tested protocols rooted in an intersectional, non-binary approach to holistic health, herbal healing, and supporting the body through physical stress.Readers will learn how to address and treat specific conditions; what not to try at home; and all about:  • The foundations of intimate herbalism: The history of herbalism for sexual and reproductive health--and why it works.  • Becoming an intimate herbalist: An introduction to terminology, types of extracts and remedies, solvents and ratios, and the art of extraction and delivery.  • Building an intimate herbal pharmacy: All about intimate herbs and full-spectrum aphrodisiacs--and how to make infusions, decoctions, syrups, powders, herbal baths, oils, salves, and extracts.  • Intimate health conditions and herbal protocols: Herbal remedies for breast health, contraception, endometriosis, erectile dysfunction, fertility, hormonal imbalances, libido, lubrication, menopause, menstrual cycles, PCOS, ovarian cysts, prostate health, urinary health, and the vaginal microbiome.With tips on ethical plant-medicine sourcing and a focus on buying herbs that are organic, fair-trade, and local, White brings a sustainable, community-oriented lens to modern herbalism. She shows readers how, why, and when to use herbal medicine to address sexual and reproductive concerns, taking a holistic approach that honors the interconnected nature of our bodies, prioritizes preventive medicine, and promotes a healthy, open relationship to sex and sexual wellness. Appropriate for beginners, DIY natural-medicine makers, and at-home herbalists, this book is also written for clinical herbalists, naturopaths, community health advocates, and complementary and alternative medicine practitioners.

A 2022 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist in Science & TechnologyAn Indigenous environmental scientist breaks down why western conservationism isn't working--and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors.Despite the undeniable fact that Indigenous communities are among the most affected by climate devastation, Indigenous science is nowhere to be found in mainstream environmental policy or discourse. And while holistic land, water, and forest management practices born from millennia of Indigenous knowledge systems have much to teach all of us, Indigenous science has long been ignored, otherized, or perceived as "soft"--the product of a systematic, centuries-long campaign of racism, colonialism, extractive capitalism, and delegitimization.Here, Jessica Hernandez--Maya Ch'orti' and Zapotec environmental scientist and founder of environmental agency Piña Soul--introduces and contextualizes Indigenous environmental knowledge and proposes a vision of land stewardship that heals rather than displaces, that generates rather than destroys. She breaks down the failures of western-defined conservatism and shares alternatives, citing the restoration work of urban Indigenous people in Seattle; her family's fight against ecoterrorism in Latin America; and holistic land management approaches of Indigenous groups across the continent.Through case studies, historical overviews, and stories that center the voices and lived experiences of Indigenous Latin American women and land protectors, Hernandez makes the case that if we're to recover the health of our planet--for everyone--we need to stop the eco-colonialism ravaging Indigenous lands and restore our relationship with Earth to one of harmony and respect.

The first book of its kind on treating trauma in children through creative play with clay, written by a leading voice in the field of art therapy.From the moment we’re born, we rely on our hands to perceive the world. It’s through touch that we communicate with our primary caregivers and attain an abiding sense of love and security. In Clay Field therapy, client children work with clay and water in a rectangular box. The therapeutic focus is not on object creation, but on the touch connection with the clay as a symbolic external world. Movement, touch, and sensory feedback that have long been out of reach are actualized through the creative process, enabling the child to heal past wounds and regain a more fulfilling sense of self.Author and therapist Cornelia Elbrecht has been a leader in groundbreaking art therapy techniques for over 40 years. In Healing Trauma in Children with Clay Field Therapy, she shows how embodied expression within the Clay Field can be an effective tool in treating children suffering the mental, emotional, and physical effects of trauma. She discusses the theory and practice of Clay Field therapy using dozens of case examples and more than 200 images. Working within a fun, safe, and trusting environment, children respond with their embodied braced, chaotic, or dissociated structures of the past, but are then able to foster new sensorimotor experiences that enhance self-esteem, empowerment, and a restoration of developmental deficits. Child therapists will find this book to be a valuable tool--working with a Clay Field can reach even the earliest developmental trauma events, repairing their damage through the haptic hands-brain connection.

Tools for radical transformation: becoming whole in a culture of trauma.To create a world free from oppression, we each have to come face to face with the beliefs, stories, and actions that maintain these systems--within ourselves. In indigenous cultures throughout the world, it''s understood that true transformation starts in the body, with a change of heart. But how can we create a new story of transformation and liberation if we haven''t learned to heal our own stories? How can we change the hearts of others when we can''t change our own?Shamanic healer Langston Kahn introduces Deep Liberation Process, a body-based, step-by-step approach that encourages us to dive deeply into past trauma and heartbreak and address it at the root to reclaim our power. Kahn shares a practice to radically transform the range of fear-based stories we each hold in ourselves: from traumatic experiences, oppression, and habitual emotional patterns to the outmoded beliefs that hold us back from healing, transforming, and freeing our authenticity and unique genius.Each chapter guides readers in gaining the awareness and skills necessary to become accountable to the heart. Bridging the shamanic wisdom of ancient spirituality with the needs and demands of modern-day life, Kahn offers concrete skills to cultivate deep grounding, boundaries, and a healthy energy body; practices for nurturing relationships with helping spirits and the divine; rituals, ceremonies, and spellwork for deep transformation; and tools for effectively tending personal and collective well-being in community.

This is a most interesting book that combines psychology with homeopathy. Philip Bailey describes in depth the personality profiles of some 35 polychrests. The last pages of the book cover a mix of psychological astrology and homeopathy when he explores the elements and some polychrests. Bailey provides detailed information on 35 major types, giving insight on diagnosis, mental and emotional traits, and physical characteristics. His broad profiles of major constitutional remedies give the reader a good overall picture of the personality type and therefore ways of remembering facts about the archetype, by having a unifying theory for each remedy.

A revolutionary guide to designing humane, eco-conscious homes, buildings, and cities of the future.It is estimated that the earth's population will expand to an unprecedented nine billion people over the next century. This explosion in population is predicted to place further stress on our environment, deplete our natural resources, and lead to increases in anxiety and depression due to overcrowding. In this visionary and uplifting book, Teresa Coady offers readers new hope. Rebuilding Earth is her blueprint for designing and building the cities, buildings, and homes of tomorrow, resulting in more conscious, sustainable, and humane living. Coady shows us how we can shift from an outdated Industrial-Age framework to a more humane, Digital-Age framework. This revolutionary approach will enable communities to harness various forms of green energy and reduce the amount of material needed to build infrastructure while contributing to a healthier planet (and society). We can then experience a new sense of purpose, health, and happiness. Meaningful and lasting change, the author tells us, can only come through designing interconnected communities that are vibrant, resilient, and communal. Unlike most predictions of doom and gloom, Coady presents a refreshingly optimistic view of humanity and its future. This book will appeal to those in the construction, design and development finance industries, as well as anyone interested in improving their lives through understanding the connections between the environment and health.

Seven powerful principles for better, more easeful movement--a Feldenkrais approach.More often than not, we move through life focused on results or where we''re going, rarely paying attention to how we move until we experience pain or need to learn a new skill or perform at an elite level. But movement isn''t just about getting things done or getting from here to there: at its essence, it''s an integration of thinking, sensing, and feeling with action such that to change one part changes the whole.This book is written for those times when we don''t need quick fixes, bandaids, or shortcuts to solve an immediate problem, but can instead dedicate time and attention to explore, laying the foundation to become experts in our own body and movement patterns for long-lasting positive growth. Moving from the Inside Out shows us how to resolve complex movement issues, balance stability and instability, increase power and precision, and explore our own movement using innate learning strategies.Written for practitioners, movement therapists, and somatic teachers and students, the curious athlete or casual learner will also find much to gain in learning the practical and accessible fundamentals of movement. Authors Lesley McLennan and Julie Peck introduce seven core principles that address:  •  The dynamic balance between instability and stability  •  How to move with ease and grace  •  The secrets of flexibility and support embedded in every musculo-skeletal system  •  How anxiety and curiosity shape our individual developmental sequence  •  How qualities of movement are clues for your investigation   •  The special role of intra-abdominal pressure in our physical and emotional worlds  •  How moving and learning are entwined<

An essential guide for practitioners and teachers to an inclusive form of tantra that directly confrontssystems of power and abuse as a path to liberation-From the foreword by Lama Rod Owens, MDiv, coauthor of Radical DharmaToday, a new generation of Buddhists searches for ways to adopt Vajrayana while staying true to its historical legacy. Modern Tantric Buddhism unpacks the principles and applications of this esoteric practice in an accessible and meaningful manner, connecting its roots to a socially engaged, modern-day dharma. Taking a traditional Tibetan pedagogical approach, Lama Justin von Bujdoss divides the book into three thematic sections: Body, as it applies to physicality and embodiment; Speech, or ethical action; and Mind, the context of awakening. Von Bujdoss challenges assumptions about what it means to be a socially engaged Buddhist, and presents Tantra as an ideal vehicle for critically examining today's most pressing social issues while confronting the structural inequities of patriarchy, sexism, colonialism, and racism within Buddhist institutions.

Learn simple yoga techniques--poses, meditations, and breathwork--to sleep better and longer, from master yoga teacher trainer and author, Mark StephensAlthough modern science has unraveled some of the mysteries of our sleeping, dreaming, and waking states and age-old yoga practices are helping us enjoy better sleep, clearer minds, and healthier bodies, over 65 percent of U.S. adults are still sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation causes and aggravates ailments like stress, heart conditions, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. Master yoga teacher, trainer, and best-selling author Mark Stephens provides easy-to-do, effective yoga activities--including postural sequences, breathing exercises, and meditation practices--for better sleep, no matter your age. He integrates the ancient wisdom of yoga with the insights of modern neuroscience and psychology to offer practical age- and condition-specific tools and sequences for improving sleep naturally and without drugs.

A step-by-step guide to help you stop yo-yo dieting and binge eating, overcome sugar addiction, and heal your relationship with your food and your lifeFor many who struggle with food, mindful eating alone is not the answer. In Tap, Taste, Heal, natural foods chef and mindful eating mentor Marcella Friel teaches you the neurological repatterning tool of Tapping (also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT) to help you resolve the traumas that have caused you to reach for those foods you hate to love to eat. Let Friel’s step-by-step Tapping instructions and links to online Tapping demonstrations take you deeper than weight loss and help you accept, honor, and nourish your entire being, whatever the number on the scale.

Moshe Feldenkrais, D.Sc., a visionary scientist who pioneered the field of mind-body education and therapy, has inspired countless people worldwide. His ability to translate his theories on human function into action resulted in the creation of his technique, now known as the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education. In The Potent Self, Feldenkrais delves deeply into the relationship between faulty posture, pain, and the underlying emotional mechanisms that lead to compulsive and dependent human behavior. He shares remarkable insights into resistance, motivation, habit formation, and the place of sex in full human potential. The Potent Self offers Feldenkrais'' vision of how to achieve physical and mental wellness through the development of authentic maturity. This edition includes and extensive Forward by Mark Reese, a longtime student of Feldenkrais, in which Reese discusses many of the important ideas in the book and places them in the context of Feldenkrais'' life and the intellectual and historical milieu of his time.