Psychology is the art of healing the self. Anyone who practices this art is a psychologist. The field of ‘traditional’? Psychology usurped by “scientific medicine” is in a sad state of disarray.

Traditional psychology and its practice is a political activity. The prime example of this fact is found in psychology’s role in relation to women, young, black and the poor white. In every case psychology’s neutrality represents the support of the oppressive status quo.

SOME PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN FUNCTIONING

  1. In the absence of oppression, human _ beings will, due to their basic nature, live in harmony with nature and each other.
  2. Alienation is a feeling within a person that, he is not part of the human species. He feels that he is “Just about” dead, or he does not deserve to live, or someone wishes him to die. Alienation is the essence of all psychological conditions. It is the result of oppression about which the oppressed has been mystified or deceived.
  3. Mystification does not allow the person sense his own oppression and become angry by it. He starts thinking that his ill feelings are his own fault and his own responsibility. An example is the woman who, angered by her husband’s domination, ceases to enjoy sex with him. If she fails to recognize her oppression she will conclude that she is at fault, that she is “frigid.” In other words, oppression + deception produces, alienation, and other psychological conditions, whereas oppression + awareness produces anger and/or desire to fight it out.
  4. An aware psychologist sees most people who think that they have a “psychological problem,” as being alienated, and deceived about their oppressions. He tries to make them aware of this phenomenon.
  5. For liberation of the alienated people one has to bring awareness through contact. One has to become aware of the oppression and sources of it. Awareness of oppression may lead to anger which is the first healthy step. But un channeled anger can become “Srrational” so nonviolent contact group is needed for the “social facilitation’ of anger. Anger can then acquire “sublimated” direction. Contact, without awareness has a capacity to pacify and reinforce the mystification of the oppressed. “Human potentialities’” movement of North America and many religions are good examples of contact without awareness.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 27, 1985