Have you ever been confused by the word "ego"? In this blog I demystify some nuances surrounding the term ego by reviewing historical contexts in which the concept was developed.
Is Ego a Dirty Word?
Psychoanalysis and Castration
Castration of male genital has long a history in mythology, religious rites, and as a means of controlling slaves. In contrast, Freud believed castration anxiety was an experience all boys went through. Like most psychoanalytic babel, the so-called universal experiences of infantile sexuality have no scientific basis and when the "evidence" to support them, i.e.,... Continue Reading →
Be gone Mr Pearson’s correlations coefficient! – Statistics and the Dead Poet’s Society
"Rip, Rip, Rip ... this is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your heart and soul!" exclaims Mr. Keating (Robin Williams). The book ripping scene in the Dead Poet's Society is a classic. A class of young men, quietly await to have their minds filled with instructions on how to interpret the... Continue Reading →
The connection between symbolism and mental wellbeing: The basics
Thinking and communication processes are based on symbols. Therefore, it logically follows that symbols would also play a role in mental wellbeing. In this blog, I discuss the basics of this connection.
Did the White Horseman have a bow, bow, or bow?
A bow and arrow? A bow made of ribbon? Bending down to bow? Words that look the same but have different meanings and/or have variations in pronunciations can be tricky to work out. Revelations 6:2 presents such a situation.
Flat Earth Myth
The other day I was doing some causal reading of Thomas Aquinas (not everyone's choice, I know, but I'm like that) and I found myself surprised to see him speak candidly about the earth being round. He wrote: ... the astronomer and the physicist both may prove the same conclusion: that the earth, for instance,... Continue Reading →
The Four Elements in Theology and Ancient Texts
Ancient philosophers often referred to a hierarchy of the cosmos as fire, air, water, and earth. These have often been mistaken as literal but they actually refer to a theological framework that describes components of human beings.
St Mark’s Lion: What does it mean?
Christianity did not evolve in a vacuum. It emerged from a conglomerate of Jewish, Greek, and other influences that impacted its formation. In this blog I'm going to touch upon theological issues that outside influences had on Christianity’s development, but mostly I'm going to keep focus on some of it's symbolism, namely, St Mark's winged... Continue Reading →
No Peterson, Chaos is not a universal feminine trait found across mythology.
Psychoanalytical's assumption that symbols have universal meanings is flawed. I demonstrate this by challenging Jordan Peterson's remarks about Chaos being predominately a feminine trait.
Can you see the turtles?
About three years ago, my son, then 15, and I went to an exhibition opening at a small community center in a suburb on the outskirts of Brisbane. It was a chilly winter night and many of the locals were there in their finest felt hats and colourful scarfs. I had submitted a couple of... Continue Reading →
The Art of Perception: sight and mental health
The process of seeing involves light entering our eyes and influencing the physiological mechanisms for sight in our brains. At the back of our eyes is our “retina” which is largely composed of “cones” and “rods” that interpret visual information. The cones and rods send communication signals via nerve impulses to our visual cortex and... Continue Reading →
Hysteria to PTSD: Freud’s hypnotism still has some people in a trance
Over a hundred years ago Freud created a name for himself with the invention of psychoanalysis. Since then, scientific research has disproven most of his work, especially that which relates to trauma. Nevertheless, many people are still dedicated “believers”. Amongst those still under Freud’s hypnotic influence is Jordan Peterson. The consequences of such means that individuals with PTSD are at risk of not getting the support that they need to recover.