These posts explore the themes developed in my monograph, Narcisso-Fascism, which is itself a real-world test of the central concepts of the Biocognitive Model of Mind for psychiatry.
I noticed in some of your articles over the last couple of years and in one quite recently, you touched on the subject of spirituality in relation to mind and psychology.
I am a person, probably around your age, who has lived life most of my life with significant recurring mental health problems (psychosis).
In an effort to throw off the cloak of this enigma I have spent quite a lot of time attempting to understand spirituality within and outside of the context of religion.
You are no doubt aware of Abraham Maslow and his five hierarchal levels of needs. What I didn't know until recently was there is a sixth level that evolved in his later years and which nobody seems to know much about. He called this level self-transcendence noticing that some of the mentally healthiest people he studied seemed to move beyond personal achievement to become increasingly concerned with things like truth, justice, compassion, beauty, unity and service.
I recently read Maslow's last book, "Religions, Values and Peak Experiences". I relate to his pragmatic approach to "spirituality" which to a large extent seems to bypass religion without dismissing it. He claimed science had become too mechanistic and ignored human values and meaning while religion monopolised these experiences, falsely claiming they required belief in a supernatural God, dogmas, and rituals.
I would be interested in your views on this subject, as I suspect would many others. Perhaps you would consider this for a future article.
Thank you for that interesting comment, I wasn't aware Maslow had extended his work. Totally agree science has become mechanistic but this is due to influence of positivism as interpreted by people who don't actually know what it is. I'll see if I can get that book and look at it.
The mechanistic approach to life in world today is largely due to neoliberalism, which assigns a cash value to everything it can and rejects anything that can't be cashed, such as the values you mention, " truth, justice, compassion, beauty, unity and service" rejects these as artificial or even phony. As for organised religion, I'm afraid it's become as I said in the past couple of weeks, either money-hungry or attempting to dominate people, or both. Cheers, JMcL
I honestly find this type of analysis excruciating. Why we cant just respect all beings is beyond me. Big wrapps for having the balls and gusto to actually try to understand everyone's idiosyncratic evilnesses, Niall.
We are not programmed to treat each other with respect, i.e. as equals. We are programmed to try to treat others as inferior, which they resent and fight back. The "program" is the testosterone-induced sense of exhileration which comes from pushing another person in the dirt. You can see it in that video of the "settler" saying millions of Palestinians should be killed. He realy enjoys that.
I agree to some. We are not programmed as such. There are humans of many types, and enjoyment of an activity has many indicators. For example, a drug-addict has in some way been "programmed" to rely on drugs. Intrinsic behaviors is a contentious concept. I enjoy the socratic method and playing sanction to those who would be evil.
The "programming" of a drug user is simple: the great majority of them are anxious and learn early that drugs and alcohol calm their anxiety and they can function. But then the drug takes control and it's too late. They're not "programmed" to find drugs as we find somewhere to sleep or something to eat, their distress is personality-based and thus can be rectified. if they choose, which a lot don't. They see anxiety as a moral failing, rather than a self-reinforcing trap.
I noticed in some of your articles over the last couple of years and in one quite recently, you touched on the subject of spirituality in relation to mind and psychology.
I am a person, probably around your age, who has lived life most of my life with significant recurring mental health problems (psychosis).
In an effort to throw off the cloak of this enigma I have spent quite a lot of time attempting to understand spirituality within and outside of the context of religion.
You are no doubt aware of Abraham Maslow and his five hierarchal levels of needs. What I didn't know until recently was there is a sixth level that evolved in his later years and which nobody seems to know much about. He called this level self-transcendence noticing that some of the mentally healthiest people he studied seemed to move beyond personal achievement to become increasingly concerned with things like truth, justice, compassion, beauty, unity and service.
I recently read Maslow's last book, "Religions, Values and Peak Experiences". I relate to his pragmatic approach to "spirituality" which to a large extent seems to bypass religion without dismissing it. He claimed science had become too mechanistic and ignored human values and meaning while religion monopolised these experiences, falsely claiming they required belief in a supernatural God, dogmas, and rituals.
I would be interested in your views on this subject, as I suspect would many others. Perhaps you would consider this for a future article.
Thank you for that interesting comment, I wasn't aware Maslow had extended his work. Totally agree science has become mechanistic but this is due to influence of positivism as interpreted by people who don't actually know what it is. I'll see if I can get that book and look at it.
The mechanistic approach to life in world today is largely due to neoliberalism, which assigns a cash value to everything it can and rejects anything that can't be cashed, such as the values you mention, " truth, justice, compassion, beauty, unity and service" rejects these as artificial or even phony. As for organised religion, I'm afraid it's become as I said in the past couple of weeks, either money-hungry or attempting to dominate people, or both. Cheers, JMcL
PS the book is readily available as pdf.
“ For that, we will need an entirely new set of leaders“ (at the end of your piece).
Everything crossed.
I honestly find this type of analysis excruciating. Why we cant just respect all beings is beyond me. Big wrapps for having the balls and gusto to actually try to understand everyone's idiosyncratic evilnesses, Niall.
We are not programmed to treat each other with respect, i.e. as equals. We are programmed to try to treat others as inferior, which they resent and fight back. The "program" is the testosterone-induced sense of exhileration which comes from pushing another person in the dirt. You can see it in that video of the "settler" saying millions of Palestinians should be killed. He realy enjoys that.
I agree to some. We are not programmed as such. There are humans of many types, and enjoyment of an activity has many indicators. For example, a drug-addict has in some way been "programmed" to rely on drugs. Intrinsic behaviors is a contentious concept. I enjoy the socratic method and playing sanction to those who would be evil.
The "programming" of a drug user is simple: the great majority of them are anxious and learn early that drugs and alcohol calm their anxiety and they can function. But then the drug takes control and it's too late. They're not "programmed" to find drugs as we find somewhere to sleep or something to eat, their distress is personality-based and thus can be rectified. if they choose, which a lot don't. They see anxiety as a moral failing, rather than a self-reinforcing trap.
Its really astonishing good luck that so many of us made it this far living.
As humans, many. Many humans have suffered terribly. And then...the animal holocaust! We're talking quadrillions.