J. E. Ketchel was determined to find out why she had lived her entire life as if someone were chasing her. Little did she know that a simple quest for clarity would send her on a shocking journey into her past and into a childhood she had no recollection of ever having lived. Discovering that she had been sexually abused as a child, beginning at the age of two, she began a three-year-long investigative search for truth and meaning that ultimately led her down into the depths of her own soul. The Man in the Woods, documenting the first year of that soul-searching journey, is an intimate memoir based on diaries Ms. Ketchel kept during that harrowing but deeply meaningful ride into her past as she not only uncovered memories but also engaged in an ancient shamanic practice called recapitulation. Unflinchingly, and with utter honesty, she invites the reader into her life, her mind, and her heart as she ventures into the mysteries and magic of the unconscious and as she tries to make sense of a world that has suddenly turned upside down and inside out. Ultimately, her experiences challenge our ingrained perceptions of reality, of ourselves, and of the solidity of the world we all live in. As Ms. Ketchel writes in The Man in the Woods: "...the shamans say the world of everyday life is a consensus reality, constructed according to certain agreements. From the moment of birth we're taught how this everyday reality works and the longer we're in it the more accepting we are of it, the more we trust it, and the more we want it to stay exactly the same. In fact, we count on it always being the same. That world is real as long as we remain in it, but once we step outside of it and enter a different world we discover that what we were taught to believe just doesn't hold up. And what do we fall back on then?" In The Recapitulation Diaries, the ancient shamanic practice of recapitulation is presented for its value as a means of healing from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as a process offering profound spiritual exploration and transformation. It was introduced to Ms. Ketchel by a psychotherapist and practitioner of Carlos Castaneda's Tensegrity, who recognized the benefits that recapitulation could have in a clinical setting. During her three-year-long recapitulation, Ms. Ketchel proved his hunch to be more than true. Recapitulation provided Ms. Ketchel with unique tools to face the challenges of an ever-deepening psychological journey into the deeper unconscious, a journey that few have dared to take. As her story unfolds the reader is offered a rare and intimate glimpse into the evolution of a human being willing to go the distance to fully heal from the deepest of traumas. Exquisitely written and deeply stirring, The Recapitulation Diaries are rewarding reading for anyone, but especially for those wishing to understand the unconscious and how it works, for those seeking a shamanic perspective for life's deepest issues, for those in search of healing and meaning, as well as for the professional at a loss for how to help those who suffer. Please be advised that this is an adult book, but it is also a powerful book imbued with the ancient energy of the practice of recapitulation. It may spark the spirit's desire to become more fully known, at the deepest level, so take care when reading and seek expert advice should any triggers arise. The Man in the Woods is Volume 1 in The Recapitulation Diaries series. A Note of Caution: Adult material dealing with sexual abuse, entities, and deep explorations of the human psyche. May be disturbing and fear inducing. Books in the series (4 out of 5 published so far): The Man in the Woods The Edge of the Abyss Into the Vast Nothingness Place of No Pity
About the Author: J. E. Ketchel is an artist, writer, and psychic. In 2001 she began a healing journey, which she shares in the intimate and revealing Recapitulation Diaries. She lives in New York State with her husband Chuck with whom she has written The Book of Us.