The term 'cult' often conjures sensationalist imagery and extreme behavior. However, a closer examination reveals a more complex relationship between cults, capitalism, and societal norms. This article delves into this interconnection, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of cults beyond their sensationalist portrayal. The Cult-Capitalism Nexus The rise of figures like Keith Raniere of NXIVM has drawn public attention to cults. However, the fascination with such figures often overshadows similar...
Roberto Assagioli and His Pioneering Role in the Evolution of Psychotherapy
Roberto Assagioli and His Pioneering Role in the Evolution of Psychotherapy Roberto Assagioli's contributions to psychology through his development of Psychosynthesis have had a lasting impact on the field, particularly in the realms of humanistic and transpersonal psychology. His work introduces a variety of techniques aimed at fostering psychological growth and personal development, along with foundational theories that have influenced therapeutic practices and self-help methodologies. This essay explores the...
The Chrysanthemum and The Sword: Guilt, Shame, and Cultural Trauma in Psychotherapy
"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" by Ruth Benedict, a landmark in cultural psychology, provides deep insights into the dynamics of guilt and shame within different cultures. Commissioned covertly as an exercise in weaponized anthropology by the OSS, now called the CIA, this book was originally intended to help Americans understand Japanese culture for post-war business and diplomatic relations. It offers an unparalleled window into how societies process trauma and how these mechanisms shape cultural identities....
J.L. Moreno: The Therapist Who Believed in Mutual Healing
The Revolutionary Influence of Moreno on Modern Therapy Jacob Levy Moreno, a name often whispered in the corridors of psychotherapy, brought a revolutionary perspective to the therapeutic world. His groundbreaking concepts not only influenced numerous therapists, including the esteemed Irvin D. Yalom, but also reshaped the dynamics between therapists and their clients. In this article, we dive into Moreno's philosophy, focusing on his belief in the mutual healing process of therapy, and how he openly sought...
⛵Carolyn Robistow on Gray Area Drinking and Brainspotting for Harm Reduction and Addiction
In this episode, Joel Blackstock interviews Carolyn Robistow, a life coach and brain spotting practitioner who works with clients from her boat. Carolyn talks about keeping a captain's log, dealing with potential pirate threats, and her involvement in the America's Great Loop Cruisers group for boaters. She describes her approach of using a "trifecta of change" with three pillars: 1) A personalized daily support plan based on the client's values, 2) Brain spotting and other somatic techniques to make subcortical...
Jungian Shadow Somatic Meditation
Meditation to Integrate the Shadow Welcome today we'll embark on a meditation journey to integrate aspects of our shadow – those extreme emotional reactions, feelings of shame, and overwhelming sensations that we often repress and run away from in life. Our journey begins in childhood, where we first learned to feel emotions and respond to the world. These early experiences, along with traumas or overwhelming events in life, contribute to the formation of our shadow. This meditation is designed to guide...
The Symbolism of Color in Dreams
What is the symbolism of different colors in dreams? What does the color red mean in dreams: In dreams, colors wield the power to mirror our deepest emotions and psychic states, and red, with its primal force and psychological weight, offers a particularly vivid palette of symbolism. The color red in dreams may reflect the journey of passion and emotion that color psychology outlines in phases of stimulation. Initially, a dream awash in pallid red tones could suggest a phase of emotional dormancy, where the...
What is the Pineal Gland: Neuroscience, New Age, Numinous and Nonsense
Crystals are not shaped like the Buddha's face When I was in a bachelors psychology class at Sewanee I had to listen to a student, who was a enthusiast of psilocybin mushrooms, go on a rant to the professor about how there were "magic crystals" in the brain. According to him the crystals were "shaped like the buddha's face" and had been used by "real scientists" to discover things about aliens and mythology. One of these things was that the city of Atlantis, a mythological city that sank, was actually the city...
Attention Pupils! Windows to the Soul; Extensions of the Brain
How Therapists can Use the Pupil to Heal Trauma One of the reasons that I left EMDR and started to pursue brainspotting as the primary brain based medicine that I use as a provider was because of pupil dilation. Years ago when I was just starting out as a therapist I noticed that pupil dilation patterns were a good indicator of how well a patient was processing trauma. I would use a patient's pupil dilation and movement to see how well EMDR was working. During EMDR patients don’t talk much until the end of...
How does Brainspotting and EMDR work in the Brain?
What is it that Brainspotting is doing in the brain? One of the questions that we get asked the most is how brain based medicine like brainspotting, EMDR, and ETT work in the brain. Like many discoveries before it we know often discover THAT something works and then later have to discover WHY it works. Antipsychotics are a good example of this. For years there was a dopamine theory of schizophrenia hypothesizing that medication effecting dopamine levels were some how stopping psychosis. After a decade of research...