Why is it so hard to face the reality of the pandemic?

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 ~ myselfknowledge ~ 1 Comment

I remember seeing a story in the news some time in the recent past where a couple was trying to get into a restaurant in New York and were not allowed in because they would not, or could not, produce a proof of vaccination card. The couple became enraged and started quite a scene in … Continue reading Why is it so hard to face the reality of the pandemic?

Overcoming the Monster: Facing the Endgame of COVID-19.

September 2, 2021 ~ myselfknowledge ~ 3 Comments

We all know this story. The hero faces the monster and seems to have defeated it only to discover that the monster has not really been encountered in its full form. The hero is then forced to face the monster in the monster’s lair. Only when we reach the point where it seems the hero … Continue reading Overcoming the Monster: Facing the Endgame of COVID-19.

Psychoanalysis and the Jedi: The Oedipal Menace

March 15, 2020March 16, 2020 ~ myselfknowledge ~ 1 Comment

Give me a life wherever there is an opportunity to live, and better life than was my father's.― Sophocles, Oedipus Rex "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering". A quote from Yoda as he teaches the young Luke Skywalker the ways of the Jedi. The entire Star Wars franchise … Continue reading Psychoanalysis and the Jedi: The Oedipal Menace

Psychoanalysis and the Jedi: The Unconscious Awakens

February 26, 2020February 27, 2020 ~ myselfknowledge ~ Leave a comment

The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to the knowledge of the unconscious in mental life. – Sigmund Freud Accepting that we have an unconscious life is one thing, but gaining access to it is something entirely different. Just like in the Star Wars movies, where characters have to accept the concept of the … Continue reading Psychoanalysis and the Jedi: The Unconscious Awakens

Psychoanalysis and the Jedi: A New ID

February 20, 2020February 26, 2020 ~ myselfknowledge

Ever since the first episode of Star Wars came out in 1977 I've been fascinated by the struggle between the dark side of the force and the "good" side. As a psychiatrist with an interest in psychoanalytic theory, I find myself thinking about this struggle in terms of our individual struggles with our own conscious … Continue reading Psychoanalysis and the Jedi: A New ID