Adam Blatner
Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner
May, 2014
The “Real” Easter Bunny
The real Easter Bunny is a Christianized image of embodied Grace. In itself, it is neither a small furry rabbit, nor does it lay or give eggs. What it is, I imagine (and you must realize that I am only imagining and have no factual knowledge of which I speak), is a visualized archetype, an […]
Posted in Art (Mandalas, Doodles, Scripts), Foolin Around, Play and Spontaneity, Spirituality and Philosophy | No Comments »
Scientism Criticized
Scientism is a term for applying the methods or criteria of science to assess whether something is true. It over-reaches, assuming that it is the only way to assess the usefulness of an idea. I think that scientism is wrong; while there are many things that merit being tested by science, there are other things […]
Posted in Current Events, Psychodrama, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
Moreno’s “Idee Fixe”
I wrote about what Moreno called his Idee Fixe in 1996 and was reminded of it in a correspondence by a colleague, Ed Schreiber. The article that J. L. Moreno (1889-1974) wrote was published in a booklet last year, titled The Future of Man’s World. Moreno wrote: “Why I chose the course of the theater […]
Posted in Psychodrama, Psychology, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
Pioneering?
A friend, Dr. John Christie-Casson in England wrote, in response to my saying that I considered him a pioneer in his researches into the actual authorship of Shakespeare’s plays, “…the fact is I have only travelled on from where others had previously gone.” I appreciated his modesty, but it occurred to me that most pioneering […]
Posted in Essays and Papers, Spirituality and Philosophy, Whassup? | No Comments »
Gemeinschaftsgefuehl
This mouthful translates from the German, a feel for the togetherness-group, a social club. Alfred Adler, the individual psychologist and physician, used this term as the pro-social alternative to egotistic competition, trying to be one up. He saw it as the primary alternative to neurosis—and I agree. “I get to help” is one of my […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Psychological Literacy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
Where the Weird Things Are
When my son David was little he had a fear of monsters for a while. To treat it—this was when he was about half-past-2—we role-played a book he enjoyed, Where the Wild Things Are. I worked on the key element of the book, looking into their yellow eyes without blinking once, and saying firmly, “Be […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Foolin Around, Play and Spontaneity | 1 Comment »
Psychiatry History
Yesterday I put up some ideas about permeability that in their implications, metaphysically, may challenge the entire materialistic and positivistic paradigm of the modern era. Lest I seem grandiose, it’s only speculation. I might well be mistaken. But still, that’s my role, to fool around, to explore, to draw cartoons, dance, joke, get serious, get […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Current Events, History, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
Responsibility for Spiritual Journey
I’ll be giving a talk in mid-May, 2014, on the topic of Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Spiritual Journey. (This will be for our local club in Sun City Georgetown Texas, Spirituality Anonymous.) Dare we realize that we do have the freedom to find our way to the Divine in our lives? Indeed, perhaps we […]
Posted in Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
A Contemplative Blog?
It occurred to me that this blog may (or may not) be one of my most lasting contributions. I should not assume that it’s just tossed-off nothings, whereas books and papers are real stuff. That may assume that paper-based stuff is intrinsically more valuable and meaningful than “just” a blog. Well it’s true that this […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Essays and Papers, My Favorite Things, Play and Spontaneity | 1 Comment »
Permeability and Ability
My thesis this morning is that extraordinary abilities are to some significant degree due to an innate permeability of the mind to what some call “psychic” and others call “inspiration.” It occurred to me that our model of mind may be limited, overly materialistic. The reigning paradigm is that the contents of the mind are […]
Posted in Follies, Psychology, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | 1 Comment »