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Posts tagged with the category Psychology and Spirituality
A Love Thing
It is one of those 4 A.M. nights and my “blog” time is up, so I might as well go with what is upon me. After all, isn’t a blog really just a diary gone public; everyone putting their two cents in for all the world to see? Just the word “blog,” can make me cringe, and I did resist this whole idea at first. Now, each time the month rolls around, I...
Riding a Harley-Davidson—A “Vehicle” to Existential Joy?
What relationship does the experience of riding Harley Davidson-Motorcycles have to existentialism? A first response may be “Nothing!” Riding a Harley is a leisure activity—it is not related to existentialist philosophy or psychology at all. Because I have conducted extensive research on the meaning of riding a Harley for those who own them, I...
The Space Around Thoughts
Life. Running here and there. Pre-occupied with this and that. Swept away by one thought or another. We barely have time enough to notice time passing, never mind the preposterous proposition, dare I say, to notice not just our thoughts, but the space around them: a momentary peripheral reverberation, an infinitesimal synaptic break between...
The Problem of God
It started as a random comment posted by a friend on Facebook. The statement concerned God’s need for companionship, with a little twist at the end. I thought it humorous, checked that I like it, and moved on. Within a couple of days, however, there were comments from mutual friends asking our friend to show a little more sensitivity and...
In Every Generation
Now that the holiday of Passover is over, and I have eaten foods that were forbidden for the eight days of the holidays, thus satisfying my leavening-deprived body (if a body can actually suffer leavening deprivation), I am in a much better position to reflect on why, once again, I chose to endure this torture.
The author Jonathan Safran Foer (...
Dying to Live: An Existential Interpretation of Easter
As Easter approaches I find myself reflecting on the meaning of this holiday for our contemporary American culture, as well as how it may meaningfully intersect with the existentialist framework. Perhaps what should be acknowledged immediately is the basic fact that Easter is deeply embedded within the cultural fabric of our society as a national...
Smoke, Spit, and Suffering
"I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind." Ancient Hebrew Philosopher (The Message).
I love turtles. Those close to me know of my deep sense of connection with turtles. Turtles are fascinating creatures. They are beings of determination, focus, and dedication. ...
The Perspective Nature Provides
What role does nature play in your life? My family is divided between city and country dwellers. While I appreciate the numerous cultural advantages of living in the city of Philadelphia, occasionally I am annoyed by the downside – the noise, ugly alley and street views from our windows, not being able to see the stars, and most...
Flight from Shadow
Carl Jung brought into our consciousness the archetype of the shadow. He consistently warned us of the dangers of not integrating our shadow. Consider the following two quotes:
Taking it in its deepest sense, the shadow is the invisible saurian tail that man still drags behind him. Carefully amputated, it becomes the healing serpent of...
Finding the existential myth within
From, Dr. Louis Hoffman, in "Gordo’s Ghost: An Introduction to Existential Perspectives in Myth," published in Existential Psychology: East West Psychology.
"A myth is a collection of related symbols that create a worldview or meaning system. It serves as a reference for the way we see the world and as an interpreter of our...
Luminosity
It has been my privilege recently to watch people suffer.
Allow me to say what I mean. Sitting with therapy clients, with students in group process, with hurt relatives, I have watched as people unveiled their selves. I have watched as they allowed their hurt to surface, as they cried in front of me, as they expressed the deep pain they had been...
Listening and the Fasting of the Mind
Having introduced you to the Tao Te Ching in my last post, I follow up with another chapter from this wonderful text which expounds upon ways of knowing and the importance of emptiness, patience, stillness and tranquility.
Chapter 15
The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to...
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