In The Divided Self (1960), Laing contrasted the experience of the "ontologically secure" person with that of a person who "cannot take the realness, aliveness, autonomy and identity of himself and others for granted" and who consequently contrives strate
In his 1968 CBC Massey Lectures R. D. Laing discusses how and why we value society's notions of family over our own.Using concepts of schizophrenia, R.D. Laing demonstrates that we tend to invalidate the subjective and experiential and accept the proper s
From Spiritual Emergency to Healing and RebirthIncreasing numbers of people involved in personal transformation are experiencing spiritual emergencies — crises when the process of growth and change becomes chaotic and overwhelming. Individuals experienc
In 1958, while working at the Tavistock, John Bowlby introduced Laing to Gregory Bateson's double bind theory of schizophrenia. Intrigued, Laing engaged another Glaswegian, Dr. Aaron Esterson, in an intensive phenomenological study of more than 100 famili
R.D. Laing's new book marks a fascinating departure—in form and content—from his previous works. Knots is unlike any other book, consisting of a series of powerful, witty, unexpected dialogue-scenarios that can be read as poems or brief plays, each co
This remarkable autobiography charts the subtle horrors of Laing's own upbringing in a resolutely "respectable" Scottish family in the 1940s. The author's lucid and witty prose offers some unforgettable personal experiences and a host of cultural, politic
