I listened recently to a fascinating radio broadcast where Adrian Shine was discussing how, to date, he had failed to find the mythical watery monster of Loch Ness (Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4, 18/08/07).
Two things made this conversation interesting for me and took it above the realms of the usual “the-monster-must-exist-coz-I’ve-seen-pictures” story. First, this [...]
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People sometimes ask me how I am coping with life now that I am no longer a Christian believer, and certainly no longer a card-carrying evangelical charismatic. Don’t I miss the sense of togetherness, or the joy and hope of the Christmas season?
The answer, of course, is that, in many ways, my life is much [...]
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It is one thing to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on yourself because of some unsubstantiated, fanciful belief system that you want to hold on to: it is something entirely different and more reprehensible to cause other people, especially dependent, innocent children, to suffer because of your beliefs.
If you want to self-flagilate because you think [...]
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Suicide is a painful subject for many - especially those who have lost partners, children, siblings, and friends. It is the final statement in a relationship - a statement made by the other person, something that you cannot argue with, but something that those who are left behind want to argue with so badly.
Whether the [...]
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Some people take great pride in proclaiming that they have no difficulty in telling others exactly what they think, whereas many of the rest of us would admit that we occasionally do. We may have a naturally reserved temperament, as children we may have been socialized in a household that trained us very well in [...]
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Posted in Psychology, Therapy on May 26th, 2008
I read this morning of yet another person claiming to be a therapist who had had sex with his clients. Carmine Baffa from Atlanta persuaded as many as eight people to have sex with him while claiming it was part of their treatment. He bought a Ph.D. online and claimed to be a [...]
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Posted in Existential, Faith, Psychology, Religion on Mar 14th, 2008
There were two stories yesterday illustrating both the power of self-delusion and the potential costs.
I have written elsewhere about the human ability to go to extraordinary and illogical lengths to create meaning (see Nessie, God, and the Creation of Meaning). In many cases it could be argued that this harms no-one, although I would [...]
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“We have the answer. If you have any problem coping in any way, there is a quick and obvious fix. It is free. All you have to do, is just take it. Let it rule your life and you will be free. Compulsive thoughts? No problem, just pray. Depression? [...]
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“There are only four people who think they are Napoleon in my borough, and I know all of them …”
This was an off-the-cuff remark made at a very informative three day course that I went to five years ago. The man delivering the training was a very senior clinical psychologist who has spent most [...]
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You may already have heard a version of this old joke.
The pope arrived at the pearly Gates and St. Peter greeted him and quickly told him that it was very difficult to get an audience with God. The pope said he did not mind because when he was alive he had the same problem. They [...]
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