Self-Actualizing?

You will find very few people who can pursue self-actualization without devaluing other selves. One of the marks of the man who concentrates on himself is a withdrawal of interest in other people and objects. Finally he comes to view outside concerns as interesting only insofar as they serve his own self-realization. They become merely means to an end. Tools. Throw-aways. This kind of attitude, of course, actually tends to subvert one’s chances for actualization. The self does tend to become more interesting as the world becomes less interesting, only more demanding and restless. Before long, the man who started off pursuing self finds it such a burden that he will make any kind of desperate attempt to get rid of it. He turns to drugs or alcohol, or to some other anesthetic. 

William Kirk Kilpatrick, Psychological Seduction: The Failure of Modern Psychology, pg.63.

Dignity NEEDS Responsibility

Half of popular psychology is devoted to praising human dignity and the other half to excusing us from responsibility. But what kind of dignity is that? It’s no good to tell a man he’s fully human in one breath, and then with the next suggest he’s no more accountable than a vegetable. These contradictions in theory eventually do show up in practice. … The reluctance to convict, the backlog of court cases, and the increase in criminal behavior are due at least in part to the new notion that right and wrong are to be measured by psychological rather than legal and moral criteria, and to the equally dubious notion that judges and juries should play the role of therapists.

William Kirk Kilpatrick, Psychological Seduction: The Failure of Modern Psychology, pg.84

A Problem With Psychobabble

Despite the creation of a virtual army of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychometrists, counselors, and social workers, there has been no letup in the rate of mental illness, suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, divorce, murder, and general mayhem. Contrary to what one might expect in a society so carefully analyzed and attended to by mental health experts, there has been an increase in all these categories. It sometimes seems there is a direct ratio between the increasing number of helpers and the increasing number of those who need help. The more psychologist we have, the more mental illness we get; the more social workers and probation officers, the more crime; the more teachers, the more ignorance.

One has to wonder at it all. In plain language, it is suspicious. We are forced to entertain the possibility that psychology and related professions are proposing to solve problems that they themselves have helped to create. We find psychologists making a virtue our of self-preoccupation, and then we find them surprised at the increased supply of narcissists. We Find psychologists advising the courts that there is not such thing as a bad boy or even a bad adult, and then we find them formulating theories to explain the rise in crime. We find psychologists severing the bonds of family life, and then we find them conducting therapy for broken families.

William Kirk Kilpatrick, Psychological Seduction: The Failure of Modern Psychology, pg.31

The Psychologists Are Naked

When psychologists don the cloak of expert in areas where they have no more authority than the average man—that is, when they invade religion, ethics, and politics—they will often be found upon a closer look to be wearing very little, and sometimes nothing at all.

William Kirk Kilpatrick, The Emperor’s New Clothes: the naked truth about the new psychology, pg.16

Psychology’s Destruction of the Culture

Many ideas which had their start in the psychological community (or received a big boost from it) have now worked their way into the heart of society. I think it fair to say that many of them have wreaked havoc. The subjectivism and relativism of psychological thinking, the confusion about free will, the overemphasis on autonomy and self-acceptance, the denial of guilt, the neglect of and even hostility toward traditional and religious values, the lack of any meaning system to replace these, the transmutation of virtues into hang-ups and perversions into preferences, the undermining of all forms of authority except psychiatric and bureaucratic—all have helped to bring our society to a crisis of catastrophic proportion.

William Kirk Kilpatrick, The Emperor’s New Clothes: the naked truth about the new psychology, pg.15.

What Destroyed Many Baby-Boomers From the Beginning

In addition to growing up in abundance, the boom generation also was raised on the theories of the best-selling book of all time, Dr. Benjamin Spock’s Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946). Spock, thoroughly steeped in psychoanalysis and Freudianism, had been a Coolidge Republican in early adulthood, but along with his wife had moved steadily leftward, advocating positions that would have made Coolidge quiver. He advised parents to refrain from disciplining their children and to let children determine when and where everything took place, from bathroom habits to education. American homes overnight became child-centered, whereas spanking and other physical discipline was viewed as psychologically unhealthy. The dangerous combination of material comfort and loose control made for a generation that lacked toughness, one that literally fell apart under the pressures of civil rights, the Vietnam War, and economic stagnation. Not surprisingly, boomers turned to drugs and sex in record numbers, and divorce among the generation skyrocketed.

Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen, A Patriot’s History of the United States, pg.682-683

Psychology is the Antithesis of Christianity

Why is psychology taught in seminaries and Bible colleges? Because the modern church has abandoned the Scriptures as the final authority for faith and life. How ironic that even secular critics of psychology are being ignored by seminaries even though “there is a growing band of psychologists and psychiatrists warning the churches that they have bought tainted goods, and urging them to reappropriate a peculiarly Biblical wisdom about mental and spiritual health.”

Rather than heeding the warnings about psychological infiltration, seminary leaders react with defensive hostility. They have not only allowed the camel’s nose to sneak under the tent, but they have welcomed the entire double-humped beast into their dwelling with open arms and a warm kiss.

Ed Bulkley, Ph.D., Why Christians Can’t Trust Psychology, pg.222

People ARE Responsible For Their Actions

But choices are mental and spiritual matters. The unproven psychological theories of unconscious drives over which a person has no control are simply mechanisms for excusing irresponsible, immature, and undisciplined behavior and thinking.

Ed Bulkley, Ph.D., Why Christians Can’t Trust Psychology, pg.114

A Lie of Psychology

Psychologists are in error to state as fact that humans use less than a given percentage of their total mental capacity. It is misleading for psychologists to claim that they scientifically examine minds, emotions, beliefs, values, and behaviors. A major writer [Judi Striano] of integrationist materials admits that “it is difficult to use scientific standards to study emotions like love and hope, the behavior of street gangs, the religious experiences of churchgoers or the effectiveness of psychotherapy.” Still, he believes that psychology is scientific.

Ed Bulkley, Ph.D., Why Christians Can’t Trust Psychology, pg.51

Psychology Makes Nothing Better

Psychological studies have not shown that mankind is mentally healthier since the introduction of psychological theories and therapies. To the contrary, there is evidence that society has become more psychotic rather than better-adjusted. The increase of “mental illness” may someday be found to be in direct proportion to the number of psychologists and psychiatrists who set up practice.

Ed Bulkley, Ph.D., Why Christians Can’t Trust Psychology, pg.28

Emotions are not Illnesses

The brain is a physical organ; the mind is not. With this subtle semantic twist, the mind (disguised as an organ of the body) was elevated as a scientific and medical concept in contrast to the soul, which is a theological reality. A choice was made between a so-called scientific concept and a theological one. The average person does not see that both mind and soul are abstract concepts. One is an abstraction of psychotherapy and the other is an abstraction of religion.

At the same time that a physical organ (the brain) was replaced by an abstraction (the mind), another change took place. Whereas the church had believed that there was a relationship of sin and circumstances to mental/emotional disorders, the psychotherapist introduced the medical concept of sickness to explain such disorders. Nevertheless, mental suffering is not synonymous with sickness—we’ve only been deluded into thinking that it is. We easily accepted the word “sickness” to refer to mental-emotional problems because that was the “loving” and “understanding” way to cover up moral responsibility—ours as well as theirs.

There’s a serious problem when people confuse emotions with tissue and sin with sickness. Such confusion of words leads to erroneous thinking. This very confusion and error virtually ended the cure-of-souls ministry in the church.

Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan and T. A. McMahon, Psychology and Psychotherapy (Part 2)

There is No Evidence for Effectiveness of Psychotherapy

Today people wholeheartedly believe that psychological counseling theories, dressed in a wide variety of styles and shades, contain the secrets and answers for helping troubled souls. Their confidence in the curative power of psychotherapy has increased in spite of the absence of substantial proof of any great degree of effectiveness. Persuaded by the claims of psychotherapists, they fail to question the validity of those claims, refuse to examine research, and blindly believe popular myths about psychotherapy.

Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan and T. A. McMahon, Psychology and Psychotherapy (Part 2)

Psychotherapy is a Hoax

According to sound research, not only is psychotherapy less effective than it is purported to be, but in many cases it’s even harmful. After examining numerous efficacy (effectiveness) studies on psychotherapy, university professor and widely recognized researcher Dr. Robyn Dawes says, “There is no positive evidence supporting the efficacy of professional psychology.” Dawes further says “Evaluating the efficacy of psychotherapy has led us to conclude that professional psychologists are no better psychotherapists than anyone else with minimal training—sometimes those without any training at all; the professionals are merely more expensive.” In fact, Dr. Lawrence LeShan, when he was president-elect of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, said: “Psychotherapy may be known in the future as the greatest hoax of the twentieth century.”

Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan and T. A. McMahon, Psychology and Psychotherapy (Part 2)

Psychology is NOT a Coherent Science

Clinical psychology and its active arm of psychotherapy have indeed adopted the scientific posture. However, from a strictly scientific point of view they haven’t been able to meet the requirements. In attempting to evaluate the status of psychology, the American Psychological Association appointed Sigmund Koch to plan and direct a study that was subsidized by the National Science Foundation. This examination involved eighty eminent scholars in assessing the facts, theories, and methods of psychology. The results of this extensive endeavor were then published in a seven-volume series entitled Psychology: A Study of a Science.

Koch describes the delusion of people regarding psychology as a science: “The hope of a psychological science became indistinguishable from the fact of psychological science. The entire subsequent history of psychology can be seen as a ritualistic endeavor to emulate the forms of science in order to sustain the delusion that it already is a science” (italics his).

Koch says: “Throughout psychology’s history as ‘science,’ the hard knowledge it has deposited has been uniformly negative” (italics his). He contends that much of psychology is not a cumulative or progressive discipline in which knowledge is added to knowledge. Rather, what is discovered by one generation “typically disenfranchises the theoretical fictions of the past.” Instead of refining and specifying larger generalizations of the past, psychologists are busy replacing them. He adds, “I think it by this time utterly and finally clear that psychology cannot be a coherent science” (italics his). Koch suggests, “As the beginning of a therapeutic humility, we might re-christen psychology and speak instead of the psychological studies”

(italics his). And he would certainly criticize psychotherapy for living under “the delusion that it already is a science” when it is not.

Another reason why psychotherapy cannot legitimately be called a coherent science is because it attempts to deal with deep human complexities that can’t be directly observed or consistently predicted. Furthermore, the therapist and client are each individually unique, and their interaction lends an additional dimension of variability. When one adds time and changing circumstances, it’s no wonder that the therapeutic relationship escapes the rigors of science. In considering the dilemma between science and personal individuality, Dr. Gordon Allport says: “The Individual, whatever else he may be, is an internally consistent and unique organization of bodily and mental processes. But since he is unique, science finds him an embarrassment. Science, it is said, deals only with broad, preferably universal, laws….  Individuality cannot be studied by science, but only by history, art, or biography.”

Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan and T.A. McMahon, PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (PART 1). 

Psychotherapy is Based on Unscientific Opinions

Psychotherapy is based on theories of personality that are simply unproved opinions originating from atheists, agnostics, and other non-Christians. These theories aren’t like scientific theories. They’re simply collections of unscientific, secular, and, in many cases, anti-Christian beliefs that often contradict one another. The therapy itself is simply “talk,” which includes talking about the client and the client’s problems and helping the client to see himself/herself from the perspective of whatever particular theory is being used by the therapist. Psychotherapy (psychological counseling) is the most subjective and therefore the most deceptive branch of psychology.

Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan and T.A. McMahon, PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (PART 1). 

Psychology is NOT Science

Psychology hints at being a science but has failed to produce a significant body of information to prove itself in that way. Its primary emphasis is on human behavior, which can’t be quantified in any meaningful manner. The nature of human choices is extremely subjective, involving emotions, values, and consciousness—none of which can be measured; nor can the mind, being a nonphysical part of the human makeup. The issue of whether or not psychology is a science wouldn’t be worth debating except that just the term “science” carries a great weight of influence. Legitimate or not, the “science” label impresses the masses. Nearly 100 disciplines of psychology cover a wide spectrum of undertakings, from applied behavior analysis to transpersonal psychology. Psychotherapy, i.e., psychological counseling or clinical psychology, is the most prevalent.

Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan and T.A. McMahon, PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (PART 1). 

If Behavior is Okay, Why Treat It?

If a two-year-old says, “No,” rather than obeying, apparently that is to be accepted since he is a child.  If this behavior becomes a problem, a label from the DSM-IV is placed on his behavior, which gives further credibility to accepting the behavior and not correcting it.  Yet the same culture that labels behavior also attempts to change that behavior with chemicals, while avoiding personal responsibility. 

Robert D. Smith, M.D., The Christian Counselor’s Medical Desk Reference, pg.151

The Brain is NOT the Mind

One important biblical and anatomical concept to keep in mind is that the human being is both material and nonmaterial.  He has a physical body, which can be seen, and a spirit or soul, which is nonphysical and cannot be seen.  The brain is material and the mind is nonmaterial.  The mind uses the brain, but it is not the brain.  The brain can be diseased and sick, but not the mind.  If the brain is damaged, the mind is not sick.  With brain damage, the damaged part is no longer available to the mind, and thus function is altered.  But the damage can be demonstrated.  This is not a mental condition, but organic brain damage.

Robert D. Smith, M.D., The Christian Counselor’s Medical Desk Reference, pg. 96

Chemical Imbalance?

Chemical imbalance is a theory based on inconclusive research.  Even though considerable scientific study has been done, the conclusion is that the view is no more than theoretical.

There are true chemical imbalances in the body; but when they are present, the condition is no longer labeled chemical imbalance.  It is labeled according to the chemical that is out of balance, and it is given a medical disease label.  Low thyroid is a chemical imbalance, but it is called “hypothyroid” instead of “chemical imbalance.”  Low potassium is a chemical imbalance, but it is called “hypokalemia.”  High blood sugar is a chemical imbalance, but it is called “diabetes.”  When people talk about “chemical imbalance” as a cause for depression, it is because there are no laboratory tests to prove this.  Remember, an illness means something is wrong in the tissues of the body.  If there is truly something wrong with the body, it can be proved by objective tests performed by an objective observer.  The reality is that there are no laboratory tests that can prove the presence of a chemical imbalance.  The chemical imbalance diagnosis of an illness is not proven by tests, but is based on what a person thinks and feels as described by DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition).  Whenever the term “chemical imbalance” is used, it is as a generic term without proof that any change is present in any chemical.

Robert D. Smith, M.D., The Christian Counselor’s Medical Desk Reference, p.66

The Psychological Industry and Deception

The psychological way of life has infiltrated our society to such an extent that it goes unseen, accepted and undetected, affecting our thoughts and language, emotions, behaviors and beliefs.  By striving to see that which has become so common that it goes unnoticed, and by questioning the habitual reactions that reside even within ourselves, we can stand apart, determined to remain alert and alive.

The ancient Delphic injunction to “know thyself” refers neither to wallowing in psychological pain nor to basking in psychological empowerment.  It requires that individuals know their character, their strengths and limitations, their needs and gifts, their desire for truth and their tendency to avoid it.  Sadly, it is deception and self-deception, rather than these aspects of self-knowledge, which the Psychological Industry fosters.

Dr. Tana Dineen in, “Manufacturing Victims: What the Psychology Industry is Doing to People,” pg. 283-284