Mental Health
The conventional scientific paradigm – called Newtonian, Cartesian, mechanistic, and materialist – sees the universe and humans as fundamentally physical matter, and consciousness (thoughts, emotions, images, expectations, memories, dreams, subjective states in general) as not real but only a by-product of physical and chemical processes.
According to the materialist/mechanistic paradigm, the mind is what the brain does.
With that assumption, if there is a problem with someone’s emotions, thoughts or attitude, the solution has been to focus on the brain. Add chemicals, study neurons, electroshock the wiring…even perform brain surgery. Fortunately that practice was stopped, but the push to medicate people and children has only stepped up. Sobering statistics
At Continuum Center we are convinced, by the research and the field reports, that the mechanistic model of the universe and humanity (actually all of life), has caused great harm along the continuum of life; though some have benefitted greatly.
The view that we are just physical/chemical machine-like animals fit well with the launch in the late 1920’s of the first cartel – pharmaceuticals.
After Rockefeller joined forces with Farben, large donations were made to universities and subsequently their medical curriculum changed to teach pharmaceutical science. A report was made to congress about the odious impact of such money and influence on the whole of education; the committee making the report was immediately disbanded.
Foods, attitudes, exercise, diaphragmatic breathing, stretching, emotions, focusing, all profoundly impact brain chemistry. Meaning – the transcendent kind – and optimism are central ingredients for a healthy mind but the current paradigm describes a vast cold inhospitable and meaningless universe, with so much to be worried/ anxious about and feel overwhelmed, victimized and depressed by. We are but cogs in the grinding wheels of the accidental, meaningless machine…set in motion randomly. Indifferent to your dreams and visions, heartache, and disappointment. That’s what the mechanistic/materialist paradigm was bound to deliver.
The Dangerous World theory http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-009-9247-9# states that psychological states can be adversely affected by negative world views, and the resulting anxiety affects attention. Instead of providing a conceptual framework and internal resources for mastering internal states and personal transformation, kids (and adults) are given ADD medication.
The man who invented ADHA has declared it was a made up disease: http://www.worldpublicunion.org/2013-03-27-NEWS-inventor-of-adhd-says-adhd-is-a-fictitious-disease.html
Converging fields of science, dovetail many time honored teachings which paint a picture of a universe far more like a mirror than a machine…responsive and unpredictable…magical and friendly. Where internal states of consciousness are not only real, but can – and do – influence the world that quantum physics (and ancient cultures) tells us is not as it appears. It is a world run much more by emotion than logic, a universe where we can make dreams come true rather than feel trapped in boxes. We are led to believe that emotions aren’t real. We understand them as merely chemicals, so how could we possibly know how to deal with them as something FAR more.
There is evidence that “mental illness” is a relatively new labeling for symptoms and behaviors resulting from emotional pain that is not properly addressed. The mechanistic/materialist model of “emotions aren’t real” and “the problem must be with the brain” was the perfect partner for the chemical approach to therapy.
It has now been shown that changing your thoughts and emotions changes brain wiring and chemistry. Consciousness can even affect gene expression.
Instead of the brain producing consciousness as the materialist/mechanistic model has insisted, the new interpretation of brain science (according to Nobel neuroscientist Roger Sperry), “instead of renouncing or ignoring consciousness, gives full recognition to the primacy of inner conscious awareness as a causal reality.” “Causal,” not to be confused with “casual”. Just because stimulation of the brain can cause certain emotional reactions, does not mean the brain is always the cause of emotions and consciousness.
Come and explore evidence for a new understanding of your brain and your mind…of consciousness and a new, meaningful, universe of possibility.
“In the 1847 the Materialist Manifesto – a statement that all life processes would eventually be explained in terms of physical and chemical events – was issued by a group of European scientists. It contains the following statement from the famous materialist scientist, duBois-Reymond:
“Brucke and I have sworn to make prevail the truth that in the organism no other forces are effective than the purely physical-chemical…” From the book ONE MIND by Larry Dossey, MD
“I believe that in a few years, a new kind of natural selection will have its way with humanity. Hopeful, stress-hardy people will rule the world.” Joan Borysenko, PhD