Short version: Raised within the strictures of Islam, facing the constant stress of war and political upheaval, my experiences of oppression, tyranny, and the darkness that can pervade the human soul was the genesis of my own maturation process. Although my process is yet ongoing, the time has come to share my experiences so that you, too, may choose to embark upon your journey. This work offers deeper insight into our shared experiences, touching on trauma, nutrition, movement, mythologies, and gender identities, in an attempt to reveal – and better prepare you for – the path toward the inexorable confrontation with our unconscious-selves.

Long version: For over five years Changiz has dedicated himself to decoding the inexorable process of individuation & maturation that remains the most salient feature of our human condition. “Mature Up” represents Changiz’ efforts to explore such wide-ranging features of our shared human experience as initiation, trauma, diet, movement, demythologization, symbolism, and gender identity, in an attempt to expose readers to a more productive approach to what he sees as an inevitable confrontation with our unconscious-selves.

The novelty of Changiz’ perspective offers readers an as-yet-to-be-explored coalescence of these shared experiences. Changiz’ project represents a collective product that explicitly acknowledges its place, perched firmly upon the broad shoulders of many of history’s greatest thinkers, such as Marie-Louise Van Franz, Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, Moshe Feldenkrais, Robert Bly, Jean-Paul Sartre and many others who have devoted their lives to searching for the truth of human experience.

“Mature Up” offers readers a chance to more deliberately, and effectively, embrace a conscious individual evolution and collective maturation of humanity, as we desperately hurtle ourselves toward an inescapably uncertain future. Changiz’ principle goal is to shine light upon the crucial components that comprise the very essence of ever human being.

Changiz provides readers with the tools needed to skillfully navigate the minefield of interpersonal transformation, by guiding them through his own, ongoing, maturation process. Originally migrating from Iran to the United States at the age of twenty-five, he details for his readers the struggles he underwent as he confronted his own failings in the face of having to rapidly adapt to a stark contrast of cultural contexts.

Broadly, “Mature Up” explores the depth of the unconscious, and more specifically our “subconscious neurocontructs”, positioning these features of human experience as the driving force behind all conventional motifs, be they biological, neuroscientific, mythological or environmental in nature. The reader will learn new ways of looking at timeless ‘human dramas’ such as evil, religion, love, infatuation, craftsmanship, and the nature of the human mind. Changiz challenges the reader by posing to them fundamental questions, such as ‘how can humans potentially transform one another through a cross-pollination process of conscious evolution, aiding each other’s quest to effectively deconstruct our long-held and cherished narratives of power and manipulation?’ And ‘how can we explore the deeper recesses of our minds while using movement or our craft as a modality of discovering and ultimately transforming our subconscious neuroconstructs?’

The purpose of this work is to bring awareness to our historically destructive misinterpretations of preconceived associations that exist within certain contexts in our lives. Alongside this aim, “Mature Up” seeks to inspire within us a new collective interdependency so that we have the skillset to confidently move through this world, embracing the hard conversations and inevitability of conflict, while avoiding the perpetuation of generational abuse and trauma.

In short, “Mature Up” sheds a new light on the age-old story of humanity and the trials and tribulations that will continue to demarcate the uniqueness of our shared experiences.