“The discipline of suffering, of great suffering – do you not know that only this discipline has created all enhancements of man so far?”   Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Suffering is inevitable. It is an essential component of the human condition, and the sources of suffering are many. Some have gone as far […] The post Why Suffering can Promote Strength and Health first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.”   Carl Jung, Practice of Psychotherapy We live in a world consumed by an endless series of crises. But of all the crises we face the one that may be of the greatest concern, is one […] The post Why the Lack of Religion Breeds Mental Illness first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“Attention is not just another cognitive function. Attention is how our world comes into being for us. The altered nature of attention can appear to abolish parts of the world, collapse time and space [and] eviscerate emotion. . .It is a profoundly moral act.”   Iain McGilchrist, The Matter With Things As was explored in […] The post Anxiety and Depression – A Retreat into a Constricted World first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

Is the modern world caught in the grip of a fear psychosis and has a cult of safety entrenched itself the West? In this video, we are going to explore these questions. “Quite an experience, to live in fear, isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave.” Blade Runner Today we live longer […] The post Fear Psychosis and the Cult of Safety – Why are People so Afraid? first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“Anxiously we look round for collective measures, thereby reinforcing the very mass-mindedness we want to fight against. There’s only one remedy for the leveling effect of all collective measures, and this is to emphasize and increase the value of the individual.”   Carl Jung, Civilization in Transition We live in an age where two visions […] The post Is Humanity Doomed? – Carl Jung on Healing a Sick Society first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“The real question is whether the ‘brighter future’ is always so distant. What if it has been here for a long time already – and only our own blindness and weakness have prevented us from seeing it around us and within us, and kept us from developing it.” Vaclav Havel, The Power of the Powerless […] The post The Parallel Society vs Totalitarianism | How to Create a Free World first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“Authoritarianism in religion and science, let alone politics, is becoming increasingly accepted, not particularly because so many people explicitly believe in it but because they feel themselves individually powerless and anxious. So what else can one do…except follow the mass political leader…or follow the authority of customs, public opinion, and social expectations?” Rollo May, Man’s […] The post Why are Most People Cowards? | Obedience and the Rise of Authoritarianism first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“The State takes the place of God…the socialist dictatorships are religions and State slavery is a form of worship.” Carl Jung, The Undiscovered Self Since the birth of totalitarianism in the 20th century much has been written about this form of rule and millions have read George Orwell’s depiction of it in the classic novel […] The post Is Government the New God? – The Religion of Totalitarianism first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“I rejoice that horses and steers have to be broken before they can be made the slaves of men, and that men themselves have some wild oats still left to sow before they become submissive members of society.” Henry David Thoreau, Walking If this claim of Henry David Thoreau’s is true – that we must […] The post Is the Mainstream Media a Threat to Freedom and Sanity? first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“What is addiction, really? It is a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress. It is a language that tells us about a plight that must be understood.” Alice Miller, Breaking Down the Wall of Silence In the Buddhist’s conception of the universe, the wheel of life revolves through 6 realms, each representing a different […] The post The Crisis of Addiction – Childhood Trauma and a Corrupt Culture first appeared on Academy of Ideas.