Surprising indeed

• A Different Slant on CMT, Part I by Vic Comello, 11/14/98
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    • This WAS Surprising by Doug William, 11/20/98
      
      

It truly is surprising -- the profundity of discussion of human existance that can be found while poking through the electronic archives of BOL for the very first time, late on a Friday evening. More surprising (and validating) is to find such eloquent discussion of the abstracted questions, "Who am I?", "What is My place in the Universe?" discussed with such lucidity in a forum that all too often attempts to distance itself from this nebulous territory through data collection and measurement. As one whose undergraduate pursuits ranged from the somewhat narcissistic study of Architecture to the (potentially)even more narcissitic study of Philosophy and Religious Studies, I have frequently found myself adrift in the "sea of psychotherapy" in my current position as director of a residential treatment program for emotionally disturbed adolescents. Lacking any formal education in the psychological realm, I am truly a stranger in a strange land. Despite (or, perhaps, because of) the absence of credentials in this field, I have found often striking similarity in mission between the disciplines of Psychology, Theology, and Philosophy, and for what ever reason, I have been able to find significant points of attachment betwen the three in the daily operations of the treatment program over which I preside. In the interest of preserving accuracy in communication within this forum, I must acknowledge the significant differences in the linguistic mechanisms we, from different disciplines, employ to describe what it is we "do", and more importantly, WHY. My experience and sensitivity to what I perceive to be "human nature", however, tells me that the pioneers of our respective Schools each had in mind the same, singular goal of providing for their subscribers a vehicle for enlightnement that was both effective, and somehow comforting to both those to whom the particular belief system would be directly applied, as well as to the student and novice practicioner. Each discipline has also, in its own way attempted to assert itself as the one, true, vehicle for enlightenment -- a mantle which I feel is shared by all culturally constituted belief systems. The views expressed in this forum have, for me, supported the interconnected nature of these facets of human thought and behavior - a truth I have long espoused. I have found the ongoing discussions of CMT within this site, and other topical discussions in BOL to be highly thought provoking, and an enjoyable exposition of expertise on the part of all those who have contributed. I greatly look forward to further discussions by the professionals on this site. Thanks.

• There's More to Find Out About by Doug William, 11/23/98
  • Unconscious Communication by Jim Duffy, 11/23/98
    • Taking a Deep Breath! by Doug William, 11/23/98
      • Skepticism is Precious by Jim Duffy, 11/24/98
  • Take Note by Jim Duffy, 11/24/98