Evolutionary Psychology “Locks in” Hermetic Dialectic Thinking;
Creating the Illusion of Free Will Choice
Psychology is the, “scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour in humans and other animals” according to Encyclopedia Britannica, While this may sound logical and rational to your mind, it has two glaring problems. First, science deals with the empirical and as such the mind is beyond the purview of science. Second, Man is reduced to the level of an animal, albeit a sophisticated animal. This view is supported by evolution which envisions that all life developed into higher organic life forms based solely on random chance; another inherent contradiction since by definition random chance degenerates into chaos. It is from this view, the only view allowed to be taught in public education, that Sigmund Freud developed his psychoanalytic philosophy based on the trinity of: Id; Ego and Superego. This view became the basis for modern propaganda, masquerading as public relations, through his nephew Edward Bernays. Its utilitarian practicality was shown by Ivan Pavlov making this view of immense importance to the burgeoning empires developing in the late 19th and throughout the 20th centuries. How does that lead to the hermetic dialectic illusion of free choice?
Everything I am about to state can be found in standard psychological text books. While I am following one thread, I understand competing forms of understanding Man are either minor side branches or attempts to elevate one’s self above Freud in importance. Clinical Psychology, heavily influenced by Freudian psychology after World War II becoming “became both a thriving profession of practitioners and a scientific discipline that investigated all aspects of human social behaviour, child development, and individual differences, as well as the areas of animal psychology, sensation, perception, memory, and learning” {Encyclopedia Britannica}. It became the basis for parenting guidance books, public education methodologies, nursing theories, as well as inputs into sociology and political theory, read exploitation. In other words, this fundamental view became the basis for postmodernism which I have shown in previous posts to be simply a modernized hermeticism employing Hegel’s Dialectic approach.
According to psychoanalytical theory, Man is composed of three natures developed by the evolutionary process. The Id represents Man’s animalistic primitive nature bent solely on satisfying basic physical desires are quickly and easily as possible regardless of the impact on others. The Superego was the last to develop based on the need to Control the self-destructive Id lest societies disintegrate in ravages of degrading violence; i.e., morality. It becomes the source of guilt when its conventions are ignored or violated. The Ego is defined as the great Compromiser between the Superego and Id. This is where personality lies as well as self-aware thinking. It seeks to satisfy the needs of the Id without violating, too much, the demands of the Superego. Now, all this probably sounds pretty normal and boring but there are some slight problems.
Where did these divisions spring from? What was the basis for knowing these divisions in fact existed and interrelate as expected? The simple answer is, from an evolutionary viewpoint. Man developed from animals and thus the Id was born. The man-animal developed into Man to birth the Ego. As Man multiplied to form societies the need for the Superego emerged to prevent devolving back to the animalistic state; i.e., survival of the culture. But what proof exists that these divisions exist? What proof exists that they interact as theorized? The word science is bandied about and research abounds but what is actually being measured and can one prove that what one observes correlates to what one believes? Not through science which can only measure the empirical and by definition the mind of Man falls outside empiricism; in other words, science is useless as a tool to understanding Man’s mind. Therefore, psychology, no longer in the domain of science, becomes a religion based on faith which rejects Christ and the Bible (Ro 1:18-28).
This religious philosophy actual trains one to think, view the world, in hermetic dialectic terms. The Ego forms the Thesis, the compromise between the Superego and Id. The definition of a compromise is the dissatisfaction of all parties in order to achieve some sort of goal; hence, the Superego and Id are constantly attacking the Thesis with competing Antitheses to gain supremacy and realize its goal at the expense of the others. This is the Dialectic methodology by definition {Noble Savages to Gods via Hegelian Hermeticism}. If the Solution or Goal is achieved then a new Thesis is developed and new Antitheses arise in response. The ultimate goal(s) arise outside the individual who seeks security in alchemic of societal change {Propaganda: Illusion of “Elitist” Normalacy. Controlling the Hermetic Cycle of Alchemy.}.
But by what criteria is each Antithesis picked to overthrow the Thesis? While there are many philosophies waxing eloquent they all suffer from the same problem as psychology’s theories; lack of empirical proof as they lie outside of science. Evolution gives us its foundational guiding precept in the phrase, survival of the fittest, or only one rule-Win. Everyone competes for supposedly limited resources whether material, emotional or spiritual. The prize goes to the strongest and occasionally where the strong gives the prize to the weak {Hebel or Abel} he or she is applauded as compassionate. In other words, a momentary gain is traded for a more significant longer term gain to improve one’s position in society (Ro 5:7).
Hegel Simply Codified Hermetic Dialectic Process
Change, Alchemy, Unbalances Understanding
Man’s understanding of his/her inner nature is based on a religious {philosophical} faith conjured up out of nothing; essence of the meaning of the Hebrew hebel or English vanity (Ec 1:2-11). It is reinforced through Pavlovian conditioning clothed in Bernays adaptation of Freudian psychoanalytical theories under the guise of education. This is the Bottom-Up approach. Modern Governments, and those influencers behind governments, develop institutions and laws reinforcing the constantly changing dialectic under the guise of Choice or elections. But, is there actually choice if you have been conditioned since conception to believe in only one process? True, there are disagreements as to goals and means to achieve those goals but does this negate the ultimate goal of finding Truth? No! What choice actually means is that one agrees with underlying religious philosophy because one has ignored the opposing message of Christ and the Bible.
Confirmation Bias Prevents the Intrusion of Truth
Keeping One Blinded to Christ’s Truth
One tends to believe what one already believes and chooses evidences that confirm one’s belief system, “See, I am right!” Man’s evolutionary underpinnings, without proof, form the basis for understanding man’s mind, without proof, supported by continual reinforcement through what one sees, reads and hears. The messages bombard one continual through the various entertainment medias reinforcing one’s predetermined view. They are altered slightly to appeal to the widest range possible. In fact, one tends to fight to hold onto one’s belief requiring even more supporting confirmational bias input. However, this ongoing onslaught cannot stop the fundamental, internal nagging that all is not right! The illusion threatens to disintegrate at any moment much like keeping all the plates spinning as they threaten to slow down, fall and break. Thus, chemical support is enjoined to the process.
The mind cannot endure the constant struggle between living in error and rejection of truth; we will leave out the subject of demonic influence in this discussion. This breaks forth as mental illness. Psychology needed to modernize and developed the illusion of science by codifying its diagnoses along a medical model, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM); but it is an illusion of science thus making it a scientism much like evolution. But the various psychoanalytical approaches, and other methodologies, were not enough to aid the mind to continue its confirmational biases in the face of God’s Recalcitrant Reality. Another ally was needed.
The advent of modern chemical medicine was largely underwritten by John D. Rockefeller and his enduring Foundation. While some good has sprung from this approach much evil has also grown to reinforce psychoanalytical evolutionary belief of mind. Several classes of drugs were invented such as anti-depressants and anti-psychotics to help control the mind. By the late 20th century these drugs were given out freely and by the early 21st century it is believed that nearly 50% of Americans were on some form of these drugs. These drugs claim to control brain neurotransmitters to achieve results but again, not supported by research nor can it be proven that controlling neurotransmitters control what one thinks {Theory that the mind is contained in the organic brain-again, unproven}. What is even more significant, with the increasing usage of these drugs the amount or degree of so-called mental illness as dramatically increased as has the increase in mass violence such as school shootings and other public mass shootings. But rather than examine the failure of both the philosophies of psychology and it psychiatric medicines, confirmational biases require one demonize the devices used. This turns the focus from the cause by postulating the behavior would not be as dramatic if different weapons were used.
Is there another view of Man and Mind that can explain behavior? If your knee-jerk reaction is to claim it must be proven by science then you are still in throes of the modern hermetic dialectic. Science cannot prove anything; it may confirm a belief but one negative outcome negates years of positive correlations. Science deals only with what is measurable and repeatable which eliminates scientific study of the mind which is neither measurable. If one is going to be able to break away from psychology’s iron grip one must break the confirmational bias cycle. Our next post will posit an alternative view based on the Bible. I have shown that current views are rife with contradictions and are primarily faith-based belief systems. The Bible is also a faith-based belief system thus they exist on the same level in that respect.
I want to leave you with one glaring contradiction the Bible-based belief system as compared to evolutionary-psychological-based belief system. Early Christians developed the hospital system to care for sick and injured; this is why many hospital systems were associated with faith-based groups such as Catholic, Baptist, etc. The modern hermetic dialectic hospital system preys upon the sick and helpless especially in the realm of psychology which has failed so miserably that any other discipline that failed so completely would by sued or legislated out of existence. I will leave you with one final thought to mull over until the next post:
