The Phaneron Press Publications

Two upcoming titles are Self-Lies and Self-Deceptions by Mark Stone -- and, coming soon, a new look at Charles Sanders Peirce and his 1876 global map projection.

From: Life-Lies and Self-Deceptions

“The psychological dynamics behind a life-lie or self-deception are similar to a magician’s slight-of-hand...We see only what a magician wants us to see. A magician leads us to deception by directing our attention to what and where he/she wants us to focus our attention, and not upon what may actually be happening. . . . While we may not see ourselves as magicians, we actually practice magic and perform countless mental illusions. They take the form of life-lies...” An unrecognized and unconscious self-delusion, the life-lie acts as “a ploy to rescue oneself from a state of uncertainty and from feelings of inferiority.” The life-lie provides “a shield from the harshness of reality.”

Mark Stone investigates the origins of the life-lie in the great northern European writers and thinkers of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck provides the starting point for a journey through Nietzsche, Freud, Strindberg, Andreas-Salome, and, especially, Alfred Adler. He combines their wisdom with his own to guide the reader through the tasks of creating a truthful, responsible, and rich life free from limiting life-lies.

Mark calls our attention to life-lies, the lies that we tell to ourselves. These lies that may begin innocently but, too soon, they become an unconscious habit. We learn to rely on the life-lie as a ploy to rescue ourselves from our uncomfortable feelings about ourselves.

His interest in Ibsen comes naturally. He grew up as Mark Stene, a member of the only Norwegian family in the New England community of New Sweden, Massachusetts -- where, at that time, Swedish was the primary spoken language. His father changed the family name from Stene to Stone.

Currently, Mark is an Adlerian Director of Research and Professor at the Adler Institute of Chicago.* He teaches courses in research methods, statistics and psychometrics, assessment of dementia and other neuropsychological topics. He earned a graduate degree in music theory and musicology; then doctorates in psychology at Northern Illinois University and Forest Institue with post-doctoral studies at The University of Chicago. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and maintains a consulting practice and donates time to a community health agency. Dr. Stone has two grown children and two grandchildren.

In the coming weeks, we will set up a means for you to purchase Life-lies online. In the mean time, you can pre-order it from the Adler Book Store at http://www.adler.edu/bookstor.htm

The Adler School Book Store also accepts orders by telephone, mail and fax.

Phone orders: (312) 201-5900, ext. 228
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST

Fax orders: (312) 201-5917

*Dr. Stone retired last year as the Provost and Vice President of the Adler School of Professional Psychology. He is a Diplomate and Fellow of the American Board of Professional Psychology in Clinical Psychology and School Psychology, a Diplomate and Fellow of the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, a member of the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, a Nationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Certified Supervisor and AODA Counselor CSADC.