So much of human thinking is irrational. This kind of messed-up thinking, often referred to as cognitive distortion, perceives reality in ways that are misleading or flawed, if not completely wrong, false, or stupid. (Examples follow below and more are found … [Read more...] about Inner Conflict is the Source of Cognitive Distortion
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Notes to Psychotherapists on Addressing Inner Passivity
Earlier this month I received an email from a young psychotherapist, in practice for just a few years, who was struggling to understand how, despite his best efforts, a client of his had committed suicide. He wrote, in part: I recently experienced a therapist’s worst nightmare … [Read more...] about Notes to Psychotherapists on Addressing Inner Passivity
Are You Living Your True Story?
Everyone needs a story, as the saying goes. The best kind of story provides us with meaning and purpose, and it reflects values and beliefs to which we subscribe. Ideally, it tells us right from wrong, explains our suffering, and guides us going forward. Such stories, which go … [Read more...] about Are You Living Your True Story?
Get to Know Your Psyche’s Operating Systems
People tend unconsciously to falsify reality. We’re usually not aware of how and why our sense of reality is distorted, which is an impediment to our intelligence. What's causing this distortion of reality? At play in our psyche, with distinct and separate “operating … [Read more...] about Get to Know Your Psyche’s Operating Systems
Illustrating the Characters Who Mess With Our Mind
I’ve been slowing down my writing production over the past year, as my mind and psyche shift away from the mental side into more intuitive and contemplative states. For many years I’ve been “drawing” portraits of the psyche in the language of depth psychology—with words, phrases, … [Read more...] about Illustrating the Characters Who Mess With Our Mind