Daniel Bakal, MD (1926-2001)
Minding the Body: Clinical Uses of Somatic Awareness
by Donald Bakal
The Guilford Press (2001)
Dr. Daniel Bakal, a retired Baltimore internist who helped establish an oncology treatment program for patients. After graduating from City College in 1943, he enlisted in the Army and was sent to Lehigh University to study engineering. In 1944, he was sent to Europe and participated in the Battle of the Bulge as well as major actions in the Rhineland and Saarland regions. He was awarded two Bronze Stars. Dr. Bakal’s war experiences turned his interests from engineering to medicine. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Loyola College in 1948 and his medical degree from the University of Maryland Medical School in 1952. He then spent the rest of his life in helping to develop the field of oncology and tumor treatment.
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Difficulty Level: Low
228 pages
Table of Contents
C1. The Nature of Somatic Awareness
C2. Somatization
C3. Self-Medication versus Self-Soothing
C4. Self-Regulation and Immunity
C5. Helping Others Find Their Bodies
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This book is now more than 25 years old, yet it remains valuable and useful reference piece regarding somatization—the expression of repressed negative emotions in bodily symptoms— because that malady has been with us since the beginning of recorded history and, most likely, will always be with us. There is now a great body of work confirming that semi-conscious or unconscious thinking influences our physical health and, although this reality goes largely ignored by mainstream healthcare, it is of central interest to those who practice clinical somatic psychotherapy, hypnosis, guided imagery, biofeedback, positive thinking, and meditation. The application of body awareness has been a central tool in the clinical somatic psychotherapies such as Gestalt therapy since the mid-twentieth century. A good early example of this somatopsychic perspective can be found in “Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer” by Kenneth Pelletier from 1977. Somatic awareness—the ability to perceive, interpret, and act from internal bodily sensations—is the keystone of the bodymind relationship. Bakal discerned that somatization symptoms result from an insufficient awareness of internal experience. Using this insight, he describes the clinical applications for anxiety and pain disorders such as migraine, unexplained dizziness and shortness of breath, benign chest pain, and asthma. He includes his thoughts on the placebo effect while suggesting ways patients may utilize autosuggestion to manage their symptoms. Taking a broad view of the somotopsychic relationship, Bakal discusses how reducing bodily tension, fatigue, and stress through somatic awareness may play a significant role in the treatment of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. He draws from key research data and case studies while providing practical tips for application. The final chapter is devoted to the awareness modalities most favored by Bakal which include therapeutic touch, biofeedback, and breath training. He gives a brief overview of each technique and shows how patients can be taught to focus their conscious awareness to realized improved physical well-being. As an oncologist with an interest in human psychology, Bakal bridges traditional and alternative health care fields. Minding the Body remains a good and useful read after all these years. Recommended.
Paul Shane, Ph.D., LMT
Director, Academic Content
Other works by Donald Bakal
Psychology and Health (1992)
The Psychobiology of Chronic Headache (1983)
Psychology and Medicine: Psychobiological Dimensions of Health and Illness (1979)