Psychology Articles

A statement constitutes a lie only if at least one of the interlocutors knows it to be untrue, yet insists or assumes that it is true. If all the parties involved in the exchange know that the statement is false or if none of them know whether it is false or true, then it is fiction or an act of faith. Lies are about facts or about states of being. Lies that pertain to facts cannot be rendered true by widespread consensus. But with regards to lies about states of being, if t

Many of today’s kids have been brought up hearing about how “special” and “smart” they are. The unintended consequence of this type of upbringing, (which, on the surface, seems like a wonderful way to build self-confidence and self-esteem), is that kids actually believe that they are special and superior to others – including their parents.

Acupuncture is a type of ancient Chinese medicine. It has been used for thousands of years, and works with over 2,000 pressure points and energy meridians in your body. As you probably know, acupuncture uses disposable needles as thin as a strand of hair placed just below the skin to stimulate ...Acupuncture is a type of ancient Chinese medicine. It has been used for thousands of years, and works with over 2,000 pressure points and energy meridians in your body.

Being exposed to a psychological trauma is a common experience in the life of an American: roughly 25 – 50% of all Americans (around 74 million to 148 million people) will be exposed to a psychological trauma at some point within their lives (Bremner, 2002). However, what exactly is meant by this term? What is a psychological trauma? A basic definition of trauma is being in a situation in which one is exposed to great danger and is rendered powerless . This great danger can

There are many ways of classifying the human mind and its ability to retain information. One of the most often used classifications are based on the duration of memory retention, specifically the sensory, short term and long term memory. Short term memory refers to the recent memory, and is usually only held for a very short period of time. A common example would be when you meet many new people, cursorily introduced at a party. Long term memory, on the other hand, can be tho

It has been going on for quite some time. You started as a joke, sexting an old flame you had not seen since college, but what was a joke at first has become a very intense activity you are involved in regularly now. You went from sexting your old friend to doing it with strangers you met on the internet, and now you are hooked to the chase and don’t even act very carefully any longer…

Biofeedback is interactive training using a display of your physiology. In biofeedback you expand self-awareness and practice powerful self-healing. This is often done with monitoring devices to train for relaxation. However, the true goal is expanding the dynamic range and flexibility of your ...

Let’s discuss one particular use of technology, sexting – sending lewd pictures and texting sexually explicit messages over the phone – in the context of relationships. A case of a public figure caught sexting has recently brought the use of this technological communication to everybody’s attention. There are two myths about this practice that need to be challenged:

What Your Favorite Color Signifies: Psychoanalysts relate that the color a person most favors, reveals moods and mood swings. They suggest that the very colors themselves have a direct effect on our state of mind. Beige: A tannish grey color exhibits impartiality. Though you certainly are not of a boisterous nature, many have a difficulty in understanding just what exactly your nature is. Black: The color of night, this darkness betokens a lack of warmth and often clear mi

Notes of first therapy session with El-Or (real name: George), male, 22, diagnosed with Schizotypal Personality Disorder El-Or's real name is George. He changed it as a result of an epiphany he experienced at the tender age of 9 when he encountered an alien spaceship in his back yard and "in ...

No one should feel responsible for the narcissist's predicament. To him, others hardly exist – so enmeshed he is in himself and in the resulting misery of this very self-preoccupation. Others are objects on which he projects his wrath, rage, suppressed and mutating aggression and, finally, ...

The subject of suicide has been heavily covered in the news lately. Mainly due to the time of year where most people believe suicide numbers rise (though some studies suggest otherwise) but also due to the well publicised suicide of an ex-sportsman in England and a number of celebrities `coming out` about depression and attempted suicide. While some of the stories have to be seen in the context that any publicity is good publicity, it does highlight the issue that suicide rates are rising.

Who has not been called stupid, fat or ugly at some time in their life? And, who has not felt hurt by such comments? Even as an adult, to be called any one of those can be hurtful. And, also, to be called the opposite of any one of those would make us feel great. How would you feel if you were told you were smart, fit and beautiful? Of course, it is not really being told either of those extremes that make us feel up or down; it is that we believe the words. If we know we are smart and are called stupid by somebody, it has no real effect, because we know, within ourselves, that we are smart.

A few days ago, the 22nd of September, marked officially the first day of autumn. Although today seems to be pretty similar to yesterday, or any day last week or the week before when it was still summer, somehow there seems to be a difference between then and now, though not quite disce ible at first sight. What is it?

It is telling that precious few psychology and psychopathology textbooks dedicate an entire chapter to abuse and violence. Even the most egregious manifestations – such as child sexual abuse – merit a fleeting mention, usually as a sub-chapter in a larger section dedicated to paraphilias or ...

The human tendency to adapt as life changes swirl around us, or to stand pat by holding to the past even when doing so is self-defeating - begins when we are infants. Our personality patterns, values, attitudes, expectations and all the rest jelled when we were deciding who we are, what life is all about and what we are worth in the scheme of things. Your life-theme, the prism through which you interpret what goes on within and about you, has also been called a person's world-view or mind-set.

The Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach developed a set of inkblots to test subjects in his clinical research. In a 1942 monograph, Rorschach postulated that the blots evoke consistent and similar responses in groups patients. Only ten of the original inkblots are currently in diagnostic use. They were selected by John Exner. He also systematized the administration and scoring of the test. The Rorschach inkblots are ambiguous forms, printed on 18X24 cm. cards, in both black

Question: What is the difference between self-love and narcissism and how does it affect the capacity to love others? Answer: There are two differences between healthy self-love and pathological narcissism: (a) in the ability to tell reality from fantasy, and (b) in the ability to empathise ...

Bess was a 34-year-old, attractive, single, accomplished attorney living in the Boston area. She lived comfortably in her condo, managed her finances, had no close friends and had a succession of unfulfilling relationships with men. She struggled with sustaining connections with others and often felt quite lonely. Only at work did she feel empowered and on her game. Bess could not figure out what got in the way of her having better relationships. Time was passing her by and m

The Systemic Constellation approach, as developed by Bert Hellinger, is a powerful tool for unlocking hidden family dynamics and events that may still influence and entrap individuals many generations hence. This approach has proved helpful in resolving issues of depression, suicide, physical and mental illness, relationship difficulties and challenges in the workplace. My primary training in this approach most often applied to group formats. In this method, some group member

Question: Can a narcissist ever get better and, if not, how should his partner end a relationship with him? Answer: The Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a systemic, all-pervasive condition, very much like pregnancy: either you have it or you don't. Once you have it, you have it day and ...

Question: Doesn't the narcissist ever feel sorry for his "victims"? Answer: The narcissist always feels "bad". He experiences all manner of depressive episodes and lesser dysphoric moods. He goes through a full panoply of mood disorders and anxiety disorders. He experiences panic from time to ...

When it comes to the subject of non surgical face lifts, there are many options that people use without even considering facial exercises because they wrongly believe it takes a long time to achieve any results. In these days of instant this or quick that, women look to covering up many their many years of good living in a flash. There are a list of things that are available. Botox, which is a form of food poisoning that relaxes the muscles or there are various forms of fillers that are injected into the skin to fill up the wrinkles.

If you are in business today – do you still feel the need to compete? Or are you thinking cooperation? These are two very different business models, which lead to different marketing strategies and outcomes. Competition When you think competition; there is or can be only one winner – all others are considered “losers.” My son is fond of saying there is no second best – 2nd place is 1st loser! Competition too often leads to a scorched earth policy. But when you scorch the earth it’s important to remember that you are on that space too and so is your business.

We all know the evils of infidelity. In previous blogs I wrote about them, citing statistics, characteristics of who is most likely to cheat, and what can be done to address these issues. Here I want to approach this subject from a different perspective: infidelity as an alarm system about the state of the relationship, and as an opportunity to make it stronger.

We are all members of a few families in our lifetime: the one that we are born to and the one(s) that we create. We all transfer hurts, attitudes, fears, hopes and desires – a whole emotional baggage – from the former to the latter. The narcissist is no exception. The narcissist has ...

Stop right now and translate your restlessness into productive energy with five simple steps: 1. Stop; stand still and consider opening up to a new perspective. Take a few deep breaths, and put your attention on the feeling of restlessness. 2. Ask yourself, “Where in my body do I feel ...

THE TIMID ON THE S. XXI The Latin root of the word timid means "be afraid". The people have used this word torn designate the timid because they are presented in society as people fearful. The timid do not sell well to himself, but at short distance they earn much and may be dazzled by his rich inner life, his creativity and his sensitivity. FORMS OF SHYNESS What is the underlying ideation on the timid? What are the engines of socially fearful behaviour? 1-THE SHY WHO HAVE A LOW SELF ASSESSMENTr

A friend of mine is the mother of four, grandmother of three, and jokingly told me that if she had one wish it was to put children entering puberty into a machine, in suspended animation, until they were mature - all the while feeding them a nutritious diet, giving them therapeutic exercise so their muscles don’t atrophy, and feeding them education through headphones. Now, I realize she was kidding, but I’m certain there are many parents who would vote for this if they were

I’m a survivor of two life-threatening postpartum depressions. For the last 20 years my mission has been to educate medical and mental health professionals and the public to promote postpartum wellness. I work directly with women and their families around the world to make sure they don’t ...

Bell bottoms, transcendental meditation, love beads, civil rights, protest marches: the 1960s, the Age of Aquarius, a time of radical social change that ushered in the “New Age.” Time passed, and gradually, New Age ideas made their way into the cultural mainstream. Among them is “spirituality,” the notion that beyond organized religion, people can directly experience a metaphysical reality that is greater than oneself. The once “flakey” not

According to Freud and his followers, our psyche is a battlefield between instinctual urges and drives (the id), the constraints imposed by reality on the gratification of these impulses (the ego), and the norms of society (the superego). This constant infighting generates what Freud called "neurotic anxiety" (fear of losing control) and "moral anxiety" (guilt and shame). But these are not the only types of anxiety. "Reality anxiety" is the fear of genuine threats and it com

AIR RAGE, like road rage, is the inability to cope with the challenges of congested traffic. Just like aggressive driving and road rage, air rage is so common that most travelers are unaware that they have it. It's just part of the background feeling that goes along with the stress of travel and transportation. This background below the surface simmering feeling of anger explodes into rage at unpredictable moments. What can the air lines do about it, and what can we do as tra

I re-programmed my sub-conscious mind and I now speak completely fluently. Speech Block For a stutterer, certain situations can be extremely stressful: you come to an office, enter into the reception and a beautiful woman walks up to you, greets you and asks you to feel welcome. And you are not able to utter a single word … and a man in the background jokes, in his mind in a friendly way, how her beauty is stunning …

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of where to find information on self-harm, the types of resources that are out there, and some of the treatments for self-harm. Below, we turn our attention to the specific ways in which you can go about finding help in your area, as well as some important ...

In order to bring the healing abilities of a comprehensive energy psychology to the public, I believe that in addition to the well-known energy psychology methods such as EFT, the field of energy psychology (EP) would be well served by expanding its terrain to include Qigong and methods of ...

Relationships are tricky! Most people would agree with this statement. Some relationships need to be constantly worked at, others drift along and are not too exciting, still others work without too much effort but all of them need a little give and take. One of the reasons for this is that we ...

Why do people tend to avoid feeling their feelings? It has everything to do with our early experience in life - what we learned and what we didn't learn. As I talk to people across the nation, most people agree that they didn't really learn how to make good use of their feelings when they were growing up. What they did learn was how to avoid certain feelings. * "It's not okay to be angry."rn* "Don't feel excited about yourself." These are the some of the common messages that

Attending a support group can be a very positive part of your recovery plan, as long as you understand what is healthy and what is dysfunctional. Let’s look at a few qualities of support groups and what happens when things get out of balance… Similarities vs Enmeshmentr When I join a support group and find others who share similar conce s, I have an immediate way of connecting. Why is this a good thing? 1. I don’t feel alone. 2. I don’t feel so awkward/strange. 3. I have others who have a similar body of knowledge about our concern. 4. I feel comfortable.r

Benefits of Qigong

It is normal to be overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, so don’t think you are unique or that there is something wrong with you. If this is your first holiday with your new blended family, expect challenges. Also, don’t think your situation is unique, as more than 50% of American families are re-married or re-coupled households, according to a survey by the Stepfamily Foundation. Here is what can make your holidays fun and provide good memories for everybody:

Taylor had never anticipated she would become a statistic in extra marital affairs. Married for only five years, independent, professionally successful and in love with her partner, she found herself flirting with a colleague who worked in the same office with her. At first it was just a friendship, with lunches, e-mails and text messages when not together, all “strictly about work.” Then the content of these conversations became more personal and intimate and, before she realized it, she started to create excuses to see this colleague.

This is an excerpt from the book "Mental Chemistry" by Charles Haanel, edited by Anthony R. Michalski, and is part of The Complete Master Key Course -- http://www.thecompletemasterkeycourse.com available through Kallisti Publishing. rnWe easily recognize three phases of consciousness, between each of which there are enormous differences. 1. Simple consciousness, which all animals possess in common. It is the sense of existence by which we recognize that “we are,” and “t

Emotional difficulties in women during pregnancy and after delivery are surprisingly common. For example, studies consistently show that approximately 14 percent of women suffer from postpartum depression (Paulson, Dauber, and Leiferman 2006). In addition, some studies have found around 16 ...

In the previous blog on sexting, we discussed who uses this technology – most popular among people in the 18-29 age bracket, but also being used by people up to the age of 50 – and why it is becoming more popular – it is fast and anonymous. Additionally, sexting is within reach for most people; it is easy to learn, always available and ready at the touch of a finger, any place, and any time. This coupled with a generally more open and relaxed attitude about sex, has created a huge market for sexting.

Binaural beats are auditory brainstem responses which originate in the superior olivary nucleus of each hemisphere.

Is it true that uncontrolled anger can lead to weight gain? Studies have taken place on this issue, from such highly regarded sources as the American Heart Association. Though initial studies have focused on teenagers, all ages are at risk for excessive weight gain directly resulting from uncontrolled anger. Why does this happen? Usually because the person is experiencing high distress and is choosing to suppress natural feelings of anger rather than confront them. Someone th

My approach to working with couples has always started with the following: Two people coming into a relationship with their own set of issues. They act out on these issues within the relationship. In order to deal with the issues that may be having a negative effect on the relationship, both people must first work through their own issues. What both individuals need to work on could range from minor issues or major issues like abuse or other trauma.

Every human being needs to get around satisfactory human relations, both in the family and other areas. Your emotional well-being will depend largely on the capacity you have to achieve this objective. In 328 BC, Aristotle said humans are social animals. Nowadays, more and more evidence is ...

Abusive conduct is not a uniform, homogeneous phenomenon. It stems and emanates from multiples sources and manifests in a myriad ways. Following are a few useful distinctions which pertain to abuse and could serve as organizing, taxonomical principles (dimensional typologies) in a kind of ...