by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 10, 2025 | Psychology of History, Psychology of Politics
The Architecture of Collective Identity Edward Edinger, in his seminal work Ego and Archetype, describes the fundamental psychological dynamic that governs both individual and collective development: the ego must separate from the unconscious matrix to achieve...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jun 2, 2025 | Executive and Physician Burnout, Metamodernism and Deconstruction, Psychology of Politics
A Guide for Immanentizing the Eschaton in Therapy Why a Dead German Philosopher Matters for Your Therapy Practice Picture this: You’re sitting with a client who can’t stop talking about how “the system is rigged,” or maybe they’re...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 29, 2025 | Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing, Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology, Phenomenology and Existential Psychology, Philosophy for Therapists, Psychology Topics and Articles
Psychology, as a field, stands at a critical juncture. Over the past few decades, the focus has shifted away from the fundamental nature of human consciousness and towards a more mechanistic, symptom-focused approach to mental health. Manualized therapies, diagnostic...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 29, 2025 | Christian Mysticism in Therapy, Comparative Religion for Therapy, Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology
Gnosticism as a Metaphor for Consciousness: Meaning, Evolution, and Healing Gnosticism is an ancient spiritual and philosophical worldview that offers a profound metaphor for the nature and dilemmas of human consciousness. While Gnosticism should not be taken as a...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Aug 1, 2024 | Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers, Psychotherapy Biographies: Historical Figures in the History of Psychology, Spirituality and The Transcendent Function in Psychotherapy
Who was Pierre Teilhard de Chardin? Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), the French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, and philosopher, devoted his life to reconciling the realms of matter and spirit, science and religion. His unique vision sought to bridge the...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jul 5, 2024 | Christian Mysticism in Therapy, Depth Psychology Approaches and Techniques, Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers
The Radical Pantheism of Amalric of Bena In the constellation of medieval mystics, few stars burned as brightly—or were extinguished as violently—as Amalric of Bena (died c. 1205). A theologian at the University of Paris, Amalric proposed a vision of God so radical...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jul 5, 2024 | Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers
The Mystic of Paradox: Johannes Scheffler’s Transformation In the history of Christian mysticism, few figures are as polarizing and profound as Angelus Silesius. Born Johannes Scheffler in 1624, amidst the chaos of the Thirty Years’ War, he began his life...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jul 5, 2024 | Christian Mysticism in Therapy, Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology, Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers, Psychotherapy Biographies: Historical Figures in the History of Psychology
The Mysterious Monk of Divine Darkness In the history of Western thought, few figures are as enigmatic or as influential as Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Writing under the pseudonym of a convert of St. Paul mentioned in Acts 17:34, this mysterious 5th or...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jul 5, 2024 | Depth Psychology Approaches and Techniques, Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers
I. Introduction: The Bishop Who Calculated the Light In the modern world, we operate under a convenient fiction: that science and spirituality are non-overlapping magisteria. We are told that one deals with facts, the other with meaning, and never the twain shall...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 16, 2024 | Phenomenology and Existential Psychology, Psychology of Conspiracy Theories, Psychology of Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers
What is Gnosticism? Gnosticism, a multifaceted religious and philosophical movement that flourished in the early centuries of the Common Era, has captivated the minds of spiritual seekers and scholars alike. Originating in the Mediterranean region, Gnosticism derived...
