Chronic Illness Q&A with Dr. B.

Dr. Larry Berkelhammer

The purpose of this blog and the entire website is to provide evidence-based information on how to live a life of mastery even if you are living with chronic health challenges. This site is for anyone wanting to know how to optimize subjective wellbeing by learning how to fully engage in a life of mastery. Living a life of mastery involves living by your own personal life values and taking on certain practices such as mind-watching throughout the day and a formal mindfulness practice of some sort.

I post to this blog three times per week. Monday posts are evidence-based published articles that relate to mindfulness-based mastery practices, especially as they relate to health. Wednesday posts are videos of my presentations or interviews. Friday posts consist of Q&A related to living a life of mastery and wellbeing.

Here is this week’s question:

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: What is Receptivity?

ANSWER: Receptivity means being open to the reality of the moment rather than interpretations of it. It leads to greater self and interpersonal connectivity in that the quality of being receptive to people with divergent beliefs allows us to open our hearts to strangers, thereby making healthy new relationships of all types more likely. Receptivity is the opposite of strict adherence to dogma. Many wars and much of the daily hostility to which we are all exposed is the result of adherence to dogmatic beliefs that cause extreme suffering—especially religious and political dogma.

Receptivity involves openhearted curiosity to new ideas and new experiences, which then confers greater psychological flexibility and reduced emotional distress. Receptivity is not an end goal; it is a practice or way of life.

This website is offered as a free public service, supplying information that has been found helpful to certain people living with chronic health challenges or issues related to wellbeing. No treatment is offered on this website. The advice is general, and may or may not apply to your individual situation, and is not a substitute for psychotherapy or medical treatment.
What questions do you have about living a life of mastery or about the relationship between the mind and health or wellbeing?
Just scroll down and type your question in the comment box below. Your specific question may not appear in this column. The reason for that is I wait until I get a certain number of related questions, then I pick one that covers them all and I answer that one. People in my classes and presentations asked most of the questions appearing in this column.