About a year ago, last summer, I found myself halfway done writing a book I had titled Notes From the Unconscious. Back then, the idea was to compile all of the psychological and philosophical ideas that had resonated with me. The things I’d come across in my lowest points that instantly felt like some inner truth. Concepts that, in a sense, had saved my life in one way or another. As strong as I felt about these ideas, it was at this halfway mark that I became stuck. I loved the things I was writing about, and I’d spent countless hours reading and familiarizing myself with them all. Still, I couldn’t escape the feeling that for all I knew, I knew nothing at all. I was enrolled in college again after more than 10 years by the time Summer had ended. I decided on psychology over philosophy for practical reasons. In the long year that followed, I’ve learned much about the inner workings of the human psyche both within and outside the curriculum of my studies. Most notably, the missing piece of Notes From the Unconscious had become clear to me. Where I had originally started writing NFTU as a loosely related collection of ideas, I now feel as though I must reframe it in the sense of a somewhat more formalized theory of psychology. 

Not only would this add an element of cohesion to my ideas, but an additional layer of structure  would bring clarity to the murky depths of the psyche. It is my hope that the unwieldy image of the psychology of humanity can be brought into perspective. I’ve also chosen to write move to a blog format as opposed to writing in private. As important as self reflection is, I believe that one should have grounded connections to the outer world. I rarely use social media, so perhaps writing in a public forum will supplant my lack of participation. 

In developing a theory of psychology, one must first conceptualize the psyche and the root causes behind psychological phenomena. In the general sense, I take a psychodynamic and existential-humanistic approach. To put this very simply, I find that people are often caught in the tension of paradoxes that exist within the psyche. Who you are vs. who you want/wish to be. The heart vs. the mind. The ego vs. the unconscious. When presented with such conflicts, we typically choose one and deny the other. The problem arises because no matter how mutually exclusive two personality elements may appear, they are both part of who you are and will always work much better in tandem. Take rationality and emotion for example. Humans are capable of both to a degree not observed by any other animal on Earth. Societally speaking, rationality enjoys a place of superiority right now. For those that take this view of life, crisis occurs when their feelings stir and escape any attempts to be explained logically. Alternatively, someone who lives their life tossed about the choppy surf of their emotions will often find themselves in perilous situations that the logical thinker would have easily avoided. The introvert gains the greatest insight by being with others just as the extrovert can grow from the occasional night in. All that we are capable of, we should strive to be.

These concepts will be explained further as Notes From the Unconscious grows in scope. I can only hope I have succeeded in explaining the psychodynamic factors in a rudimentary way. The existential component of my theory is just as important, however. Modern humanity has had a plague of nihilism for over a century, which shows no signs of stopping. There is a disconnect between people and their own lives. We so easily forget that another human being is on the receiving end of our texts. Life has reached such a fast pace that we seldom ask what it is we want out of it. We seldom ask ourselves what it is that is meaningful to us and why. Ask someone of any political affiliation what it is about their party they connect with. Chances are you will be met with puzzled looks and very shallow answers. Philosophy can certainly be inspired by the views of others but should not necessarily be implied as a fact or as being correct. Focus less on being right and instead focus on developing the eyes to see. Through philosophy one can strengthen the sense of self and build a robust worldview. Believe in what you believe with every cell in your body and say that shit with your chest!

But I digress. These elements represent the two main pillars of my theory of psychology. In my writings, much will be borrowed from the greatest psychologists and philosophers whose words struck a chord with me in the deepest sense. Through my interpretations and contributions to these works, I aim to piece together an image of the psyche. Some good star that I can follow in my future practice, and if all goes well, my clients can too.