Who is Dr. Graham Harvey? Breaking from Early Theorists British scholar Graham Harvey, a prominent voice in religious studies since the 1990s, has played a key role in updating the anthropology of religion for the 21st century. His work breaks from the mold of early luminaries like E.B. Tylor, James Frazer, and Mircea Eliade, who tended to view indigenous and pagan religions through a lens of "primitive" superstition and irrationality. Tylor and Frazer, writing in the late 19th century, largely saw animistic and...

Who was James George Frazer? James George Frazer (1854-1941) was a groundbreaking Scottish anthropologist, folklorist, and classical scholar whose work laid the foundations for modern anthropology, psychology, and comparative religious studies. Best known for his monumental study of myth and religion, The Golden Bough, Frazer pioneered the comparative method in anthropology, seeking to unveil universal patterns and evolutionary sequences in human beliefs and practices across cultures. His ideas not only shaped...

What is the Psychology of Ritual and Animism? Ritual and animism are distinct but related concepts that offer insights into the workings of the emotional and preconscious mind. While they are often associated with religious or spiritual practices, they can also be understood as psychological processes that serve important functions in human development and well-being (Edinger, 1972; Neumann, 1955). Animism can be defined as the attribution of consciousness, soul, or spirit to objects, plants, animals, and natural...

How do Jungians and Freudians Conceptualize Trauama Differently? The understanding of trauma and its impact on the human psyche has been a central concern for depth psychology since its inception. However, the two pioneering schools of thought in this field, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis and Carl Jung's analytical psychology, developed divergent frameworks for conceptualizing the nature and impact of traumatic experiences. Freud's model of the psyche emphasized the central role of instinctual drives,...

F.A.Q. about Brainspotting What is Brainspotting? Brainspotting is an innovative psychotherapy approach that uses specific eye positions to access unprocessed trauma in the subcortical brain (Grand, 2013). It was developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003 as an offshoot of EMDR therapy. How does Brainspotting work? Brainspotting works by using focused eye positions to access survival-based subcortical parts of the brain like the amygdala that are often inaccessible through talk therapy alone (Grand, 2013). The...

 How to Optimize Your Therapy Website for Google As a therapist in private practice, attracting new clients is essential for growing your business. With more and more people searching for mental health services online, having a strong digital presence is crucial. However, simply having a website isn't enough. To get in front of potential clients, you need to optimize your site for search engines like Google. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. SEO is the process of improving your website's...

Reckoning with the Spiritual and Mystical in Neurology The Polyvagal Theory and Attachment Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized our understanding of the autonomic nervous system's role in regulating emotional states and social engagement (Porges, 2011). According to this theory, the autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in shaping our emotional experiences and attachment styles. In secure attachment, where caregivers are attuned and responsive, the ventral vagal complex promotes feelings of...