Roger B. Burt's Blog, page 16

A Vision to Explore Our Future

 

 

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Soon the second book of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy,  Gaia’s Majesty-Challenge: The Chosen Rise will be published. In these books we will trace a story of what might be crises coming on our lovely planet. The mythological underpinnings are woven together with the theme of the rising of women to power and partnership. The women in this story are called Tethyans and they are central to the future of humankind and our beautiful blue planet.

Let me tell you a story. 

The universe is a wondrou...

For the Holidays

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The holidays are here which means there are different demands on our time and our commitments. Accordingly I’m going to attenuate my posts for this season.

In a sense we can take a breather which we will need before we enter a demanding 2019.

I will resume my normal schedule in January with some new foci and directions and my newsletter in regard to my Gaia’s Majesty project will begin on a regular basis.

Have a happy holidays. Take some deep breaths and time for comfort.

Peace.

The Psychologist and the Unconscious

 

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Long ago and far away when I was in college and graduate school three men led me onto very different roads.

Leslie White

First came Leslie White, the father of cultural anthropology. An old man walked out on a stage before a bunch of college students and utterly mesmerized us about the meaning of the extrasomatic cultural stream. This was my introduction to the human unconscious because he spoke of something outside of us that flowed and shaped our lives.

Sigmund Freud

Then came Sigmund Fr...

Waves in Human Existence

A Living Planet

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The image of an ocean beach is always engaging. The movement and the sense of a living planet is essential and stirring. But, as we sense the attitudes of our life we can see that the waves exist everywhere and are compelling. 

Sometimes there is talk of the march of history but a march does not describe the essence of the experience of life on our planet. Certainly there is nothing steady and, for that, I am grateful. It is the overlapping waves at so many levels which makes...

Time to Revise the Medical Model (PTSD)

The Medical Model and Diagnosis

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By now I think it should be clear that I have serious reservations about the medical model and that includes diagnoses. As I’ve said, granted ,taking people out of the realm of possession by demons was a distinct move forward. But now it is time to reevaluate a great deal about what we call mental illness.. Once we have a diagnosis then we are supposed to have a clear course forward. As a psychologist I must say I do not agree with that viewpoint. I’ve seen ps...

Chasing El Chapo

Now that the election is over, how about another change of focus. Now that the shouting is over for awhile we need to focus on many ongoing needs

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How important did you think El Chapo was?

Stay Tuned!

El Chapo was a celebrity drug lord. In the news constantly, he showed the extent of his power by who he corrupted and how he escaped. A long television program was devoted to his most recent escapades and recapture. At the conclusion of the show I did not feel like celebrating. All I could feel...

Caribbean Diversity

 

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How about a little break from the American electoral intensity?

In the past I had been posting about the Caribbean. I thought I might now share some experiences and information about some of the islands. It is an amazingly diverse universe. We tend to think of them as just a collection of palm tree covered islands with beaches and numerous large resorts. Not so.

Martinique

This island is a possession of France and therefore has a large French population. The island itself is gorgeous. In t...

Beyond Speculative Fiction

 

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Are you searching for a fulfilling perspective?

In fiction we can speculate and explore. But is it mere foraging or are we looking to define emergence and process? Having an adventure is fine but we seem to be arriving at choice points. At choice points we are also looking at turning points. Certainly they are more than entertainment and it is my contention that our world social scene is enduring significant choice points. Information technology is exploding and our world is shrinking. Tha...

The Threat Imposed By Women

 

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Yes I used this picture recently and I’ve put it up again because I find it evocative. See what it evokes in you as we consider our changing world especially as it relates to women and our future.

From a Base of Suppression

Perhaps only now are we realizing that women have been deliberately suppressed. Often it seemed they simply stayed home because that is where women belong and, of course, they had to tend the children. Doesn’t that sound absurd now because we can see what the reality ha...

Building a Future in the Postcapitalism Era

What do you think will characterize our future?

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It Didn’t Work Out As Hoped

Not long ago we had the Arab Spring and the hope that there would be a graceful resolution for a troubled Middle East. There were other hopes and the world and America seemed to have drawn back from an abyss following the Great Recession.

Yes, the United States has made a good recovery but we seem to have unsettled footing which very much includes a rather surprising and frightening race for the presidency. There are...