by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 29, 2025 | Psychology Topics
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 | Comparative Religion, Jungian Concepts
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 | Apr 21, 2025 | Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers
Richard Maurice Bucke and Cosmic Consciousness Richard Maurice Bucke (1837-1902) was a Canadian psychiatrist, philosopher, and mystic whose groundbreaking work explored the evolution of human consciousness and the nature of mystical experience. His most famous book,...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 21, 2025 | Anthropology and Evo Psych, Jungian Concepts
Is Psychotherapy a Type of Initiation Have you ever been part of a fraternity, sorority, or similar organization? If so, you may have experienced rituals or ceremonies that felt both challenging and transformative. Even if you haven’t, you’ve likely...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Mar 5, 2025 | Color Psychology, Depth Psychology Approaches and Techniques, Jungian Concepts
The Mystical Depths of the Psyche: Exploring the Intersection of Mysticism, Psychology, and Psychotherapy Throughout history, humans have sought to understand the depths of their own minds and souls through various mystical and spiritual traditions. In recent times,...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Feb 26, 2025 | Anthropology and Evo Psych, Color Psychology, Jungian Concepts
The Subcortical Brain and the Roots of the Unconscious The human mind is a vast and complex landscape, with conscious awareness representing only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface lies a realm of unconscious processes, instincts, and archetypal patterns that...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Feb 22, 2025 | Color Psychology, Jungian Concepts
Throughout history, mystics, philosophers, and wisdom traditions from around the world have independently arrived at strikingly similar insights into the nature of the human psyche, the path to healing and wholeness, and the fundamental structure of reality. These...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Aug 16, 2024 | Poets and Writers
Who was Rainer Maria Rilke? “Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Aug 1, 2024 | Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers
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 24, 2024 | Depth Psychology Approaches and Techniques, Mystics, Gurus, and Spiritual Philosophers, Phenomenology and Existential Psychology
What is Christian Mysticism? Mysticism is a spiritual discipline and a way of life that seeks direct experience and union with the divine or ultimate reality. It is a phenomenon that has manifested across various religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam,...
