What Is the Opposite of Trauma? The Positive Power of Transformational Grace

Abstract

I began this book with a commitment to bring to bear the concepts of positive psychology to my own life in the hope of shedding light on the human condition. In the previous chapter I delved into the worst of the issues in what might be called “negative psychology,” namely, trauma, but sought to show how meeting this challenge with positive psychology can lead to growth and development, at least for some people, some of the time. But what then is the best of issues for positive psychology? I think it is to be found in asking, “what is the opposite of trauma?” But there is a prior question, namely, “how would I know?” And that is where I must begin, with the challenging of knowing.