Richard Noll
Encyclopedia
Richard Noll is an author and clinical psychologist. Currently he is Associate Professor of Psychology at DeSales University
in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his publications in the history of psychiatry, including two critical volumes on the life and work of Carl Gustav Jung and his articles on the history of dementia praecox
and schizophrenia
. He is also known for his publications in anthropology on shamanism
. His books and articles have been translated into fourteen foreign languages.
He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona
, where he received his education at Brophy College Preparatory
, a Jesuit institution. From 1977 to 1979 he studied political science
at the University of Arizona
. In the fall of 1978 he spent a semester at the United Nations in New York, returning to complete his B.A. in political science in May 1979. From 1979 to 1983 he was involved with refugee resettlement for both Church World Service and the International Rescue Committee. From 1985 to 1988 he was a staff psychologist on various wards at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Hammonton, New Jersey. He received his Ph.D.
in clinical psychology from the New School for Social Research in 1992. Before assuming a position as a professor of psychology at DeSales University
in August 2000, he taught and conducted research at Harvard University
for four years as a postdoctoral fellow and as Lecturer in History of Science. During the 1995-1996 academic year he was a Visiting Scholar at MIT and a Resident Fellow at the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
.
In 1994 he received an award for Best Book in Psychology from the Association of American Publishers
for his book, The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement. The resulting controversy over the book made front-page headlines worldwide, including a front-page report in the 3 June 1995 issue of The New York Times
. Princeton University Press
submitted The Jung Cult to the Pulitzer Prize
competition that year, without success. Although not a definitive treatment of Jung, the book acted as a climacteric, effectively changing the agenda of scholarly debate in Jung studies for the more than a decade that has followed its publication.
The backstory to the controversy over Noll's research on Jung can be found in the "Preface of the New Edition" of The Jung Cult published in paperback by Free Press Paperbacks in 1997 and in an article he wrote for a Random House, Inc., promotional publication, At Random, in that same year.
According to an article by Sara Corbett, "The Holy Grail of the Unconscious," published in The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, 20 September 2009, the Jung family's fear of "the specter of Richard Noll" was cited as a contributing factor in the decision to allow Jung's "Red Book" to be edited and published by W.W. Norton in October 2009.
.jpg)
In 1994 Richard Noll and his colleague from Ohio State University, anthropologist Kun Shi, explored Manchuria and Inner Mongolia and interviewed the last living Tungus Siberian shamans in the People's Republic of China south of the Amur river. The story of the life, initiatory illnesses, and shamanic training of the last living shaman of the Oroqen
people, Chuonnasuan (1927-2000), was published in 2004 in the Journal of Korean Religions and is also available online.
A second published report of this fieldwork concerning the life and training of the Solon Ewenki shamaness Dula'r (Ao Yun Hua) appeared in the journal Shaman in 2007 (15: 167-174).
Noll was introduced to the study of shamanism in the fall of 1980 by the anthropologist Michael Harner
, then a professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City.
Noll's forthcoming book, American Madness: The Rise and Fall of Dementia Praecox, is scheduled to be published by Harvard University Press
in 2011.
DeSales University
DeSales University is a private Catholic university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.- History :...
in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his publications in the history of psychiatry, including two critical volumes on the life and work of Carl Gustav Jung and his articles on the history of dementia praecox
Dementia praecox
Dementia praecox refers to a chronic, deteriorating psychotic disorder characterized by rapid cognitive disintegration, usually beginning in the late teens or early adulthood. It is a term first used in 1891 in this Latin form by Arnold Pick , a professor of psychiatry at the German branch of...
and schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. He is also known for his publications in anthropology on shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. His books and articles have been translated into fourteen foreign languages.
He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, where he received his education at Brophy College Preparatory
Brophy College Preparatory
Brophy College Preparatory is a Jesuit high school located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is currently limited to all-male enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. It is operated independently of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix...
, a Jesuit institution. From 1977 to 1979 he studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. In the fall of 1978 he spent a semester at the United Nations in New York, returning to complete his B.A. in political science in May 1979. From 1979 to 1983 he was involved with refugee resettlement for both Church World Service and the International Rescue Committee. From 1985 to 1988 he was a staff psychologist on various wards at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Hammonton, New Jersey. He received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in clinical psychology from the New School for Social Research in 1992. Before assuming a position as a professor of psychology at DeSales University
DeSales University
DeSales University is a private Catholic university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.- History :...
in August 2000, he taught and conducted research at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
for four years as a postdoctoral fellow and as Lecturer in History of Science. During the 1995-1996 academic year he was a Visiting Scholar at MIT and a Resident Fellow at the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
The Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology was a research institute established at MIT, and housed in a renovated building on campus at 38 Memorial Drive, overlooking the Charles River....
.
In 1994 he received an award for Best Book in Psychology from the Association of American Publishers
Association of American Publishers
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the American book publishing industry. AAP has more than 300 members, including most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly...
for his book, The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement. The resulting controversy over the book made front-page headlines worldwide, including a front-page report in the 3 June 1995 issue of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Princeton University Press
Princeton University Press
-Further reading:* "". Artforum International, 2005.-External links:* * * * *...
submitted The Jung Cult to the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
competition that year, without success. Although not a definitive treatment of Jung, the book acted as a climacteric, effectively changing the agenda of scholarly debate in Jung studies for the more than a decade that has followed its publication.
The backstory to the controversy over Noll's research on Jung can be found in the "Preface of the New Edition" of The Jung Cult published in paperback by Free Press Paperbacks in 1997 and in an article he wrote for a Random House, Inc., promotional publication, At Random, in that same year.
According to an article by Sara Corbett, "The Holy Grail of the Unconscious," published in The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, 20 September 2009, the Jung family's fear of "the specter of Richard Noll" was cited as a contributing factor in the decision to allow Jung's "Red Book" to be edited and published by W.W. Norton in October 2009.
Oroqen
The Oroqen people are an ethnic group in northern China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. According to the 2000 Census, 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia and 51.52% along the Heilongjiang River in the province of Heilongjiang...
people, Chuonnasuan (1927-2000), was published in 2004 in the Journal of Korean Religions and is also available online.
A second published report of this fieldwork concerning the life and training of the Solon Ewenki shamaness Dula'r (Ao Yun Hua) appeared in the journal Shaman in 2007 (15: 167-174).
Noll was introduced to the study of shamanism in the fall of 1980 by the anthropologist Michael Harner
Michael Harner
Michael Harner is the founder of the and the formulator of "core shamanism." Harner is known for bringing shamanism and shamanic healing to the contemporary Western world...
, then a professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City.
Noll's forthcoming book, American Madness: The Rise and Fall of Dementia Praecox, is scheduled to be published by Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
in 2011.
Erroneous Authorship Attribution
The website 'books.google.com' erroneously attributes to this Richard Noll the authorship of When Catholics Die: Eternal Life Or Eternal Damnation? written by an ex-Catholic who now believes that Roman Catholics go to hell. That book is authored by a different Richard Noll who is the founder of the television advertising firm Noll & Co., Inc. His correct biography can be found at 'amazon.com'External links
- Noll's page at www.desales.edu
- http://hpy.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/4/395