James van Loon
Adventures in Narrative Psychology ~ Philosophy ~ Creative Writing
James van Loon's artistic journey is one of many divergent paths, including an introspective experience as a monk, academic studies of philosophy and psychology in several European and North American universities. His peregrinations have taken him to the cobbled streets of old European towns speckled with cafés and compelling characters, where he nurtured his passion for writing. He has lectured on social narratives and the symbolic systems of fiction and film at universities in Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, England, and the US.
We think in stories (narratives). We organize our lives in stories.
- Self discovery through stories which influence how we think, how we organize our thoughts, and how we live our lives.
- Self discovery through novels and films: How fiction can bring magic into our lives.
- Self discovery through dreams and hypnosis: How dreams and hypnosis engender emotions, connectedness, and elation with unbelievable colors and patterns.
- Self healing through fiction: Fiction can heal us emotionally by working through lifespan wounds. Fiction can heal us psychologically by changing the way we perceive and use our emotions.
- Spiritual self discovery: Stories can heal us spiritually by offering new paths and turns on our journey that we may never have seen without them
- Our present situation
- Our desired situation
- Our resources
When we know who we are it is easier to know what we want and also what we have to give
Mr. van Loon has taught creative writing at the Writer's Garret in Dallas and Social Science and Psychology at North Lake College in Irving. This year found him in Sweden and England where he has been working on his third novel. He was invited to be one of the presenters at this week's Highland Park Literary Festival in Dallas and will be returning to Europe the day after Thanksgiving. While he is in the area he graciously agreed to do a workshop for a women's group in North Richland Hills.
WORKSHOPS & LECTURES
Fiction can be Therapeutic: Virtual Reality helps us understand Psychological Disorders
Writing/Reading fiction can be therapeutic! Fiction can heal us emotionally by working through lifespan wounds and actualizing ourselves. Fiction can heal us psychologically by changing the way we perceive and use our emotions. Fiction can heal us spiritually by offering new paths and turns on our journey that we may never have seen without it.
Addresses collaborative writing, whereby a story is written between two voices exploring the dynamics of male and female psychology in the narratives portrayed in the novel, Echoes From The Edge.
Do men and women think differently and communicate differently?Do men and women have different kinds of brains? Research in psychology and linguistics shows that women communicate feelings and emotions (and details), while men communicate facts (and bigger pictures).This makes relationships interesting but it also causes a plethora of problems and conflicts between the sexes.Why this story, after looking at a number of psychological views on aesthetics, on the value of art and beauty? Because it’s a powerful story that says a lot about not only the role of beauty and art in people’s lives, but also about men’s and women’s perspectives and psyches, and different possible worlds.
A MAN BUILT ON SAND, is James van Loon's newest novel. Written in collaboration with Paola Bortolotti it is a psychological mystery.
James van Loon wrote the novel, Double Journey, in addition to co-authoring the novel Echoes From The Edge.
Reviews:
Provocative and contriversial...I was drawn into Michaels' psychocological and existential odyssey, a narrative journal of a schizophrenic...Arthur Lundquist, Chariman, Swedish Academy awarding the Nobel Prize in Literature
This is an intense novel built around a passionate search for wholeness and a thirst for spiritual freedom. It is well worth the reading and invites dialogue and debate...Dr. Dennis J. Steik, Provincial, Marist Order
A brilliant pshchological mystery that echoes the spiritual dimensions of the Da Vinci Code and The Name of the Rose, and the monochromatic landscapes and mystery of Smilla's Sense of Snow...Christian Amundsen, Chair of Psychology, Northlake College, Psychotherapist, Author of The Gospel According to Thomas
I liked the story of a discerning young man searching for meaning in his crumblin world...Bo Setterlind, author of Pandora's Box
What Others Say About James van Loon
A fascinating and delightful person. A warm and genuine teacher. The students loved him. He is well traveled and highly educated. His work was always highest quality...Virginia Jones, Director, Student Programs and Resources, North Lake College
North Lake College Social Sciences -Psychology students speak out on Rate This Professor:
Awsome teacher. brings a new way of teaching to the class. definitly peaked my interest, and thats what matters. Had great stories, and is a helpful and nice teacher.
I had a lot of fun in this class. He is able to keep you enagaged by telling awesome stories about Europe. Very Educated and has had a lot of interesting experiences. We also watched some very unique movies you wouldn't see in other classes.
He really makes you feel like you're in another world...This class is all about interpretation. TAKE IT!
This guy is fun...He talks alot about Europe...comparing with United States...
Quality teacher. He knows what he's talking about.
Translating a Dream / a Virtual Reality
The dream seems to reside in a fourth dimension, free of time and space limitations. When the dream enters into memory and into body sensations, it moves into a time and space-bound world. Just as a photograph translates the three-dimensional world into two on the developing paper, so we translate the experience of the dream. Our memories, emotions, and bodies translate the dream into three dimensions, and then hands and arms translate those sensations into two dimensions on paper. In essence, through the vehicle of the body, we translate the energy of our dream into personal writings. We become translators.
Dreams engender emotions, connectedness and disconnectedness, elation and despondency with unbelievable colors and patterns.
When we re-experience the feelings in our body, we will use our breath to breathe the energy we are experiencing in our body down through our arm, and hand onto the page. Like our dreams, we will not censor what and how we write. We will keep the focus on the feeling of the dream in the body and the images of the dream in our psyche. With this focus we will direct inner sensations into our writing. We will continue this until we sense that all the dream generated in our body has been breathed out through our arm, hand, and pen.
We won’t be concerned about what goes on the page – maintain just enough focus to keep ourself from running off the edges. Sometimes our hand will reach for another word if the dream has a change of feeling or direction. We might even turn the page and start a new sheet for a shift in feeling or direction. This practice replays the dream through the instrument of our body. Let our creative unconscious make these spontaneous decisions.
When we have finished the energy translation, we will title it, and interpret it using Freudian, Jungian, and existential models.
Dreams can change the color schemes of our minds, and with new colors we will see things differently, radically different. How do novelists use their or their characters’ dreams as a key to deeper promptings, set a tone, or create a theme underlying their fiction, or expresses an intangible poetic concept? We will take a peek at how dreams appear in literature...and how dreams have been a source of inspiration (and education!) for many creative writers, and other human beings engaged in the voyage of discovery we call "Life".