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Stanley Keleman is a researcher through and through – not only where his
work is concerned but even more so in his basic attitude to life. From the very
start Stanley has worked with visual means be it as a metal sculptor, sketch
artist, or making videos for his workshops. In the last ten years he has put an
enormous effort into the conception of a DVD for his seminal text, Emotional
Anatomy, in order to vivify the complex dynamic of the somatic process.
The richly illustrated book, poetic representation of the soma’s can be voluntarily elicited and used to
Emotional Anatomy, is meant to be voluntary and involuntary develop, that is to ‘form’, an
looked at just as much as read. Its morphogenesis. The narrative speaks individual life of personal meaning,
graphic somatic quality makes it so of our shared genetic history of optimism and satisfaction.
memorable; the vigorous portrayal at developmental shapes and of the
once opens up general dimensions possibility for each person to This current work can best be
and focuses so precisely. The pictures organize their personal anatomic and understood from a background of
representing the layering of the emotional forming in the drama of Keleman’s own development. More
organism, the body plan, the stress human evolution.” than forty years ago, Stanley began
continuum and the somatypes imprint laying the foundations for his
themselves on the reader’s mind and It is significant that the pr inciples Formative concepts by means of his
serve as a frame of reference for of Formative Psychology articulated early publications. His pioneering
Keleman’s current somatic work. in the DVD move the focus from an Formative vision have been
orientation of pathology to an consistent over the years when he
The idea for Emotional Anatomy orientation of self-forming: How the departed not only from the causal-
began from a collection of Keleman’s soma’s ability for epigenesis, which deterministic point of view, but also
original sketches; and now for the is the ability to change from within from the model of body-mind-spirit
companion DVD he has organized the body itself, becomes the primary as separate entities. His Formative
another visual collection to illustrate resource for educating oneself. The concept has its roots in biology and
the next steps of his visionary key to understanding and changing views the human being as an
journey. His intent in organizing a behavior and feeling is, as always for animate, forming process of
visual story for Emotional Anatomy Keleman, in the body and its actions. anatomical metamorphosis and
the DVD is—as he himself puts it— The DVD illustrates how the body’s morphogenesis. Over the years he
to shape “an experiential, visual and innate, anatomical forming patterns has continued to develop his
These are only a few examples that speak to us through their rhythm and stages of life. He redefined the
illustrate the genesis of a new their visual quality. Such passages— therapeutic relationship not as
terminology to express a new aphorisms, poems, myths and recovery from the past but as a
concept that had no verbal language dreams—are to be found in all of his Formative relationship: How to use
to refer to. works. past experience and make it part of
forming a present and a future, in his
In other words, he not only had to A Brief Introduction words “to form something rather
create new terms but a new way of to the Pioneer then be formed by it”.
conceiving psychological categories
to be sure to avoid references to Stanley Keleman may be Anatomy is Behavior
traditional thinking and phrasing. For numbered among the pioneers who
example, he chose stages of love for are reshaping the scientific domain Stanley developed a theor y and
what is generally called of psychology and positioning it method, which is consistently based
developmental stages in other onto a new base – onto the somatic on biology. He emphasizes behavior
schools. This is more than just a base, which he has elaborated on in is structure and reminds us that we
difference of words, it is the the last forty plus years. By means of are all a sub-organization of the
expression of another understanding his concepts and methodology he has larger biosphere and as such share
of human life. In order to make introduced a revolutionary vision with other animate organisms the
particular qualities visible, he also and method into somatic urge to make structural form, a
had to find words with which to psychological work. He was one of process that extends into the cellular
denote phenomena that had never the pioneers of the Human Potential and tissue layers. The structures and
before been captured in this way. Movement and went on to create his layers of human anatomy are formed
First in Emotional Anatomy the book own Formative Philosophy and along a pulsatory continuum and
and then again in Emotional Psychology. The body of his work, follow the metamorphosis and
Anatomy the DVD he has created Somatic-Emotional Education, morphogenesis of an evolutionary
original images that convey the allows us to take charge of our own process. Time and again he has
dynamic, pulsing anatomical life, to make it personal. In this taught this, and he founded his How
movement of the body as well as the context, he has revolutionized method on this basis. In his own
soma’s emotional expression. various fields. He rebelled against words, “anatomy is behavior and
the idea of therapy as correcting behavior is anatomical structure; all
This process of coining a new what has been damaged; choosing human functions, cognitive and
language is not merely about new instead to take a Formative approach emotional expressions, are pulsatory
notions and concepts, it is also about whereby people can learn to use bodily acts.”
capturing the body’s subjective themselves in ways they may not
interiority, for which another have had the opportunity to learn. According to the core of For mative
dimension of expression was needed. Psychology, behavioral action is the
In the book Emotional A natomy for His biologically based somatic basis of experience and intent.
instance, we find wording of somatic typology is the basis for his somatic Whereas Descartes claimed, “I think
processes in an idiosyncratic yet education and he also applied the and therefore I am.” Stanley
precise biological language. Certain same Formative principles to stress maintains: “I am an anatomical
passages, however, despite their management and dream work. He organization, and therefore I am.”
level of precision, exhibit a poetic has put couple and family therapy on This also implies: “I act and
quality – such as the summary of the a new basis and developed an therefore I am.” Thus, all human
various types of soma. These entirely new and well-founded functions such as thoughts or
passages transcend their content and somatic concept for the different emotional expressions, ought to be