Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing by Damion Searls

The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing by
Damion Searls is much more than a simple biography of the man behind the well known psychological assessment tool.  This new volume is the complex story about the life Hermann Rorschach and the inspiration behind the psychological test he created. Not only that, the author, Searls delves deeply into the controversies surrounding the usage of the Ink Blot test in the clinical field.   What may seem like a superficial test made up of simple abstract or geometric images, ironically reveals a wealth of insightful analysis of the deep recesses of the mind.  For example, as blob resembling an inkblot could reveal a wealth of hidden subconscious information for the trained clinician conducting the test on the patient.  As the test taker reads into ink blot, providing his or her subjective description, guided by the clinician, subconscious thoughts and emotions are revealed as the unique perspective of the test taker and his inner emotions guide the description.  The act of describing the ink blot is therapeutic and revealing in of itself and it can be used as an assessment tool to assess one's emotional or psychological state for job applicants and custody cases.  This book is an enlightening eyeopening revelation not only for the clinician but also for the layman as well.  For some readers, this book may provide fuel for their own paranoia and psychosis as well.  Anyone interested in the field of psychology will enjoy this book.  Each reader will complete this book as a changed person with a new insight into their own minds.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Crown for the purpose of writing this review.

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