In The Breakthrough in Two Acts, Dr. Fredric C. Hartman paints a compelling picture of emotional pain and its context within the human mind and brain. Set in the dramatic backdrop of a therapy session as a stage play, featuring Dr. Hartman as the psychologist and Human Consciousness itself as "the patient," this is a practical guide for anyone locked within the grip of troubling memories and pain. In his play, Dr. Hartman tells the story about our vulnerability to painful emotions, which flare up from the depths of our brains, casting spells over us. As the play unfolds, he develops two new experiences to help strengthen our consciousness: one, by actively breaking the spell of the two thoughts that lie at the heart-and generate the distress-in each of our negative emotions, and two, by embracing the strange, fleeting collection of conditions that come along with the present moments of our lives as they each flash by. The Breakthrough in Two Acts is a complete, entertaining, practical plan for how to use one 'part' of our brain-consciousness-to quiet down another, chronically overheated 'part'-the limbic system-which has ravaged our species with troubles ranging from emotional illness to war. Here is a blueprint for how to overcome emotional pain and embrace a calmer and more fulfilling way to experience life.


Fredric C. Hartman is a clinical psychologist in private practice since 1988. He works and makes his home on Long Island, New York. He can be contacted at [email protected] and www.TheBreakthroughBook.net. Cover art by Reneé Parker