The Journey
of Psychology in Relation to the Modern Mind
“The study of human and animal behaviour” (Collins Pocket Dictionary,
2002). This is the official definition that is presented by the Collins
dictionary. It is immediately apparent that this very definition is grossly
restricted and somewhat undermines the discipline of psychology. One who is
acquainted with the subject understands its true entirety and complexity. To
encompass every aspect of psychology into one single definition is almost
impossible.
To the layman psychology is just the study of human behaviour and
mind. To those who are well in tune with psychology understand that it arises
from love, meanings and finding one’s self. To delve deep into the
unprecedented depths of the human unconscious and deciphering its contents is
what it is really about. To understand the context of certain events and what
impact it may have on the psyche. As a psychology student myself, this is the
image I conjure when I contemplate what the discipline really is what its true
goals are.
Every civilisation throughout the course of history has had its own
take on psychology. Not in the terms we see psychology today, but with the
consideration of creation myths and one’s relation (with meaning) to the
environment. From the Aborigine people of Australia to the eminent polymaths of
Greek philosophy, and right through to the prominent psychologists of our time,
their thinking has been somewhat inspired by the issues and conflicts in
relation to the time they were alive.
The primary objective of this essay is to explore and evaluate the
voyage psychology has undertaken throughout the noteworthy periods of history.
How the discipline has changed and whether the changes have led to advancements
or a deterioration of the area of interest. These concerns will be examined in
the light of modern day psychology.
The arduous task of identifying the origins of psychology takes us
back a minimum of 40’000 years. It is with the prehistoric people of indigenous
Australia the journey of psychology begins. The Aborigines of Australia
perceived the world through the notion of the Dreamtime (Bowles, 2010). The Dreamtime is the embodiment of all
things in existence. It appropriates meanings to every aspect of life,
including, the earth, humanity and ultimately, the creation myth. It is a
medium through which they gain an understanding and respect for the natural
world that surrounds them. The Creator of the universe is known as the Rainbow
Serpent, it manifests itself as various entities as it journeys around the
earth. It is the trail of the Rainbow Serpent that fashions the earth into
mountains, deserts, trees, etc. The trail is merely symbolic and is not to be
taken literally. As the Serpent journeyed around the earth, its sacredness
exuded on to the natural articles of the world. It is through this
understanding the tribe attach sanctity to all living objects, after all, all
entities are an extension of the Rainbow Serpent himself (Crystalinks, n.d.).
The method of communication of such legends and fantasies are
principally oral. These tales have descended from one generation to another by
word of mouth. The legends can also be inscribed into inanimate objects such as
rocks, hence we have Aboriginal rock art and paintings. These visual detailed
accounts can date back to many thousands of years. Since they are extensions of
the psychologies of the Aboriginal people, they can provide invaluable
depictions into the minds of the earliest humans.
In terms of their psychologies, right away it is evident there is a lucid disparity between the Aboriginal man and the modern human. Contemporary society is of an individualistic nature. The sense of ‘community’ has been broken and consequently, we live in society that is fragmented. The Aboriginals had an unambiguous reference point to which they could relate their issues. In secular society today, where the reference point is consumerism, one easily becomes disenchanted and lost. It is imperative that life has a sentimental meaning and purpose with the inclusion of a creation myth. Man must grow up with a certain connection with his past and hold to it in order to give his life direction and reason. This argument is embodied wonderfully in the subsequent quote, “If you grow up with no connection with the past, it is just as if you were born without eyes and ears…. (and) that is a mutilation of the human being” (Jung, as cited in Jacobi, 1971).
In terms of their psychologies, right away it is evident there is a lucid disparity between the Aboriginal man and the modern human. Contemporary society is of an individualistic nature. The sense of ‘community’ has been broken and consequently, we live in society that is fragmented. The Aboriginals had an unambiguous reference point to which they could relate their issues. In secular society today, where the reference point is consumerism, one easily becomes disenchanted and lost. It is imperative that life has a sentimental meaning and purpose with the inclusion of a creation myth. Man must grow up with a certain connection with his past and hold to it in order to give his life direction and reason. This argument is embodied wonderfully in the subsequent quote, “If you grow up with no connection with the past, it is just as if you were born without eyes and ears…. (and) that is a mutilation of the human being” (Jung, as cited in Jacobi, 1971).
The psychology of the Aborigine people was completely integrated.
There was no division between the mind, matter and God. The consciousness was
undivided and wholesome. In contrast, the modern mind has severed all ties with
deities (or archetypes), in essence, it has split the left and right
hemispheres of the brain (Bowles, 2010).
The images and oral legends provided by the Aborigines can be
interpreted as outward psychological projections. The whole notion of the
Dreamtime can be unravelled as products of the imagination, the projection of
the unconscious onto the environment. Fundamentally, what we view on the
outside is a creation of a plethora of psychic energies.
This projection of psychic energies was not exclusive to the
Aboriginals, to some extent; the Greek creation myth can also be understood in
a similar manner.
Much of Western civilisation and philosophy is indebted to the
scholastic works of classical Greek thinkers. To this day, Hesiod and Homer,
arguably the two greatest writers and the epitome of Western literature,
continue to influence the works of innumerable authors. When looked at through
the lens of psychology, the two remarkable writers can provide us with an
unparalleled picture of the psychologies of the time (Murray, 1988).
Theogony is the epic
poem believed to be written by Hesiod. In it, he masterfully conveys the Greek
creation myth of the Gods, Goddesses and how the earth came to be. It depicts
the plights, descent and characteristics of each deity (Works Of Hesiod, 2010).
Each archetype (or deity) is ascribed with a certain worldly characteristic,
for example, Aphrodite was the Goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. In order
to achieve a psyche that is stable and well adjusted, the Greeks proposed that
one must encompass and harmonise every deity. He cannot embrace Apollo (God of
order & rationality) and neglect Dionysus (God of the disordered element of
life). Or else, he is at the great risk of a disproportioned psyche, illness
and disease may follow.
One who discusses the influence of the ancient Greeks on western
civilisation cannot conclude without the mention of the Greek intellectual
power-houses. With these great scholars we move away from the world of
fantasies and mythology to the definite world of empiricism and observation. The
first of the 3 Grecian great scholars is Socrates, born in 469 B.C.
(Hothersall, 2003). His scepticism and sheer appetite for gaining answers to
never-asked-before questions eventually led to his death. Charged with
corrupting the minds of youth, he was made to drink hemlock poison. The vast majority of Socratic knowledge has
no descriptive basis. It is through the voluminous works of Plato, the pupil
and successor of Socrates, we are aware of his works. Plato, like his
predecessor, was preoccupied with discovery through observation. For Plato,
measurements and deductive reasoning were foundations of acquiring knowledge
(Hothersall, 2003). Plato understood that knowledge gained through the senses
is not definite, for the senses are fallible and easily misled. This idea is of
profound importance. It suggests that the world, as we see it, transcends human
intellect. There is far more to reality than meets the eye. The psychological implications of this are great;
it indicates that there are certain confines the human ego or intellect cannot
surpass. It gives rise to the importance of other deeper, psychological
structures such as, the unconscious.
The last of the three greats, is Aristotle. The Aristotelian methodology
is more objective and empirical than both of his predecessors. He was a student
of Plato for many years and even went on to teach Alexander the Great. The
modern day scientific approach is heavily indebted to the works of Aristotle. Although
his primary focus was on empiricism, he also understood human life is governed
by virtue and morality (Bowles, 2010).
With the emergence of these 3 eminent thinkers, the foundations of
science had truly been laid. Science was fast becoming the beacon through which
true knowledge could be acquired. However, one man was about to cease the
progression of science.
The birth of Christ had a monumental influence on society. Overnight,
the psychologies of the people were challenged. God was now One. He constituted
of flesh and bone. The Gods and Goddesses adulated by the Greeks and Pagans were
simplified into one pure, uncorrupted masculine being. It goes without saying
there were colossal psychological implications. It can be argued the emergence
of a masculine deity gave rise to the subjugation of women. Women were now
indirectly inferior to men. Moreover,
the utterances of the Son of Man (Christ) also had deep psychological
implications. “You are all built in the image of God”. “The kingdom of God is
within”. At face value, these statements do not appear to provoke much thought.
If looked at through the perspective of depth psychology, we can understand
these assertions hold more significance. Certainly, as a psychologist rather
than a theologian, these passages should be contemplated symbolically rather
than literally. When Christ utters “the kingdom of God is within” what does
this mean psychologically? It can be understood in terms of depth psychology
that what He is actually referring to is inward reflection. It is only through
knowing one’s self can one become complete psychologically. Even if Christ is
taken out of the equation, the essence of the story remains. The human psyche
beholds divine structures (archetypes) that when attended to, a ‘wholeness’ can
be achieved.
However, as with all things totalitarian, there were certain
hindrances that emerged with the appearance of Christ. First and foremost, it
created a division within the psyche. The Church propagated all things that
arose from the head (i.e. intellect) was good and pure, for it can actively
approach the teachings of Jesus. The body, in other terms, sexuality, feelings
and emotions, was seen as immoral. It led to temptation and wickedness. As we
have already discussed, this is not the ideal mind frame to adopt if one wants
to be ‘whole’. Moreover, good and evil were split. Prior to the emergence of
Christ, deities where believed to be the embodiment of both good and evil. The
Grecians advised one to take on board all aspects of the archetype, whether it
is good or evil. For without both segments, one cannot be ‘whole’. However, Christ was perceived to be only
good, and all evil that exists are manifestations of the devil (Bowles, 2010).
As Europe entered the Dark Ages, science and the pursuit of knowledge
was halted. The Church had become the dominant force. All disciplines not
concerned with the affairs of the Church, were deemed futile, and therefore,
very little scientific progression was made (Harre, 2000). Another man from the distant lands of Arabia would again have a
monumental impact on society. His name was Mohammed, born 570 AD in the city of
Mecca, Saudi Arabia. According to Hart (2001), the prophet Mohammed is the most
influential person in the history of mankind. The Qur’an states that divine
revelations descended directly from God (Allah) to Mohammed via the medium of
angel Jibra’il (Gabriel). There is a common hadith (utterances of the Prophet)
that is commonly cited in Muslim and Non-Muslim literature alike, “Seeking knowledge
is obligatory upon every Muslim (male and female)” (Prophet Mohammed, as cited
in Ahmad, n.d.). It would be the first
generation of followers and the ones who came after them that were truly
impacted by this expression. Having memorised the Qur’an and Sunnah (Prophetic
traditions), Muslim intellectuals looked to other sources to fulfil their
‘obligation’ in regards to knowledge. Ibn Sina (Latin Avicenna), adopted classical Greek texts to use as a medium
to decipher the metaphorical literature posed by the Qur’an. Once again, at
least in the East, religion had found its place at the forefront of society
(Harre, 2000).
In the West, slowly but surely, intellectualism was starting to
re-appear. After the births of Roger Bacon and Thomas Aquinas; the foundations
that had been laid by Aristotle and the likes, were resurfacing. They argued
rationality and empiricism was superior to dogmatic beliefs. Shortly after
their deaths, science as we know it today began with the period known as the renaissance. There was rapid social
change moving away from the Church, the decline in its influence led to
individuals seeking truths through other means. This adjustment in social life
also presented massive psychological implications. People were no longer
dependent on the Church for universal truths; they could go out and learn it
for themselves. This changes one psychology completely, it gives rise to the
ego. Man is now God. These notions were exacerbated with Galileo’s discovery;
the earth was not at the centre of the universe. Since the earth was not at the
centre, how could it possibly be divine or meaningful?
A wealth of intellectuals continued to give rise to the machine that
was driven by reason and logic; this eventually led right through to the
Romantics. Rousseau, a prominent figure of the Romantic period, argued for the
‘Simple Life’. He detested reason, logic and enlightenment. Around a hundred
years later, through experimental means, Ebbinghaus and Wundt completely and
utterly detached the true sentiments of psychology from the discipline. Modern
day psychology is born.
This ultimately leads us to modern day psychology where the consensus
is belief in the scientific method and refutation of religion. In the modern
world where psychology has become synonymous with science, illness has befallen
society. Psychological disorders are rife and a fractured society is ever
apparent. The objectification of women and the degradation of the female are
also rampant. Looked at through Grecian mythology, it can be explained in terms
of the abandonment the Dionysian (sexual, feelings and emotional) archetype. If
left unacknowledged, it can manifest its self as pornography, lust or female
exploitation. When the modern psyche is analysed, it is no wonder the
magazines, newspapers and television advertisements are plagued with this
unrealistic, thin ideal of what it means to be a woman.
Foyzul Rahman 30/01/2013
Recommended citation: Rahman, F. (2011). Psychology: But not as we know it. http://knowledge-fozrahman.blogspot.com/2013/01/psychology-but-not-as-we-know-it.html
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