A source of the first dynamic psychiatry was imagination. Montaigne thought that imagination was a frequent cause of physical, emotional, and mental disease, of death, and of manifestations attributed to magic. Imagination could cause conspicuous physical phenomena such as the appearance of the stigmata or even the transformation of one sex into another. But imagination … Read more
In this post, I will give a summary of the first chapter of Ellenberger’s The Discovery of the Unconscious. The first chapter is a review of the history of dynamic psychology. Ellenberger begins with Freud and moves chronologically through the history of dynamic psychology. Ellenberger starts with Freud because he is the father of dynamic … Read more
Philosophy Pierre Janet was a psychologist who invented the idea of the “subconscious.” He had a religious background and he questioned the spirit of Darwinism. To him, the cult of progress is dangerous because it leads to hatred for the present, and the destruction of the past. After being interested in theology, Janet shifted his … Read more
In the book The Happiness Myth, Hecht observes that each generation had its prescriptions for ultimate happiness. Some of these included bizarre aphrodisiacs like Spanish fly, chocolate, and green M & M candies. But things are no less silly today, arguably, with things like feng shui, aromatherapy, and mood enhancing crystals. The old trope is … Read more
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. These stages, often called the “Five Stages of Grief,” supposedly describe an invariant sequence of stages that all people pass through when dying (Kübler-Ross, 1969, 1974). These stages are widely accepted in medical, psychological, and nursing communities. They have permeated popular culture through movies and TV shows. In The … Read more
If you are told to picture someone who is lonely, depressed, unable to keep up with technology, dependent, forgetful, physically weak – you may imagine an older person. But many of these perceptions are false. Our impressions of the elderly are cystalized at a young age. In Snow White, one of the seven dwarves, “Grumpy”, … Read more
The idea of the midlife crisis is so prevalent that there are internet sites and businesses that are built for the purpose of mitigating it. The Midlife Club and LifeLaunch through the Hudson institute are examples. We all know what a midlife crisis is through popular culture. In American Beauty (1999), Kevin Spacey quits his … Read more
Sigmund Freud’s Totem and Taboo is a book that explores the origins of human morality and religion. Freud argues that the primitive societies of the past were organized around a totem, or a sacred object, which was the focus of religious rituals and taboos. He suggests that these taboos were created to protect the totem … Read more
The Time Paradox is a book by Phillip Zimbardo and John Boyd that explains how our attitudes towards time shapes the way we live our lives, who we become, and what we value. Boyd recalls a Crypt of the Capuchin Monks that he once saw, it had an inscription at the foot of a pile … Read more
Brain Rules by John Medina is a book that combines the most important research findings about the human brain with advice that can help you make the most out of it. It is written for the layman, it is easy to read and is full of insights. Rule 1: Exercise Boosts Brain Power Jack La … Read more