Carl Gustav Jung's Dream

Hey guys! Before I’ll start with Jung’s dream I’d like to tell you that he is my favorite Psychologist. I’ve read about his works when I was still at the moment of my decision making of what course I might take for college. Indeed his works influenced me to pursue psychology, and that’s why I’m here in its grasp. Anyways, Jung’s interest somewhat paralleled to mine. Jung is the only psychologist who first considered hope in his works though he never emphasized it. Moreover, according to Victor Von Weizsaecker, it was Jung who first understood that psychoanalysis belonged within the domain of religion. That his theories compose the view on God as part of the Collective Unconscious and thereby present anybody’s psyche. He also emphasized that the process of integration is a state whereby anybody would want to reach. Thus wholeness is the everybody’s goal. Jung first got his idea on the collective unconscious when he had a dream, which Freud interpreted, and that which he disagreed. This occurred when Freud and Jung were both invited to lecture at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts .and for seven weeks, they spent talking and processing each other’s dreams.

Quoted under is Jung’s dream:

“He dreamt that he was on the top floor of an old house, well furnished and with fine paintings on the walls. He marvelled that this should be his house and thought 'Not bad!' But then it occurred to him that he had no idea what the lower floor was like, so he went down to see. There everything was much older. The furnishings were medieval and everything was rather dark. He thought, 'Now I really must explore the whole house.' He looked closely at the floor. It was made of stone slabs, and in one of these he discovered a ring. When he pulled it, the slab lifted, and he saw some narrow stone steps leading down into the depths. He went down and entered a low cave cut out of the rock. Bones and broken pottery were scattered about in the dust, the remains of a primitive culture, and he found two human skulls, obviously very old and half-disintegrated. Then he awoke-----”

To Jung, the house was an image of the Psyche. The top floor he called the conscious personality, whereas the lower floor he called the personal unconscious, while the deepest and darkest level he called the collective unconscious.

Wow! Amazing interpretation!

Gloomy Sunday

A friend of mine introduced me to this very mysterious name in Hungary, born on 1932, Reszo Seress dreamed of becoming a popular song writer, and at the same time writing songs was his only form of living. Unfortunately, he failed to empress the public. His fiancee, on the other hand forced him to get a full time job, but he was uncompromising and continued his passion in writing songs, which ended their relationship.

Depressed and sad of what happened, he sat on his piano in his apartment and played a very mysterious piece of which he titled "GLOOMY SUNDAY" it was a sunday evening, playing the song while the rain was falling heavily. thirty minutes later, he finshed the song and sent it to publishers and was rejected until it was finally acceted by another publisher. He was overwhelmed with happeness then.

After the song was published and exposed in the public, many strange occurencess occured. A boy in Berlin requested for the song to be played, and after listening to the song, he went home and shot himself dead. The relatives complained that the boy became depressed since he listened to the song. After a week, in the same city, a saleswoman was found hanging herself with a rope and found a copy of the song. Two days after a young secretary in New York killed herself  and found her suicide note requesting that the songs should be played during her funeral. Weeks later another New yorker jumped from his window of his seven-story apartment after playing the song. Another teenager in Rome also jumped of a bridge after the first time she heard the song. A woman overdosed herself with barbiturates, while the song was still palying.

Because of the deaths, the song was banned from being played in the public.What's even shocking was that after Seress wrote to his fiancee a letter of reconcillation, she poisoned herself and by her side was a copy of the song "Gloomy Sunday."

His song, however, was forgotten during Hitler's time.

After a long period time of oblivion, many versions of the song suddenly burst out to the public, such as Billy Holiday's version. Sarah Brigthman also sang the song, and another version of the song is included in the original sound track of the movie Blair Witch.

Personally, when i heard Billy Holiday's version, I can say that it is really sad beacuse of its lyrics, but it is also a very beautiful song. Reports say that the original version was way too sad, melancholy, death-wish-driven song, and extremely different to the several versions that burst today.

Lyrics:

Gloomy Sunday

by: Reszo Serres

"Sunday is gloomy

My hours are slumberless

Dearest the shadows I live with

Are numberless

Little white flower

Will never awaken you

Not where the black coach

Or sorrow has taken you

Angels have no thought

Of ever returning you

Would they be angry

If I thought of joining you

Gloomy Sunday

Sunday is gloomy

With shadows I spend it all

My heart and I have decided

To end it all

Soon there'll be flowers and prayers

That are said I know

But let them not weep

Let them know

That I'm glad to go

Death is no dream

For death I'm caressing you

With the last breath of my soul

I'll be blessing you

Gloomy Sunday!"

My purpose of posting this paranormal phenomenon is not to scare the readers but only to expose such forgotten story of the man that sould have been part of history. This man is a legend to me even though he lived a simple life, armed with the desire to stand up for his passion and pursue his dreams.

Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday version

On Leahy's

Ph.D. in Psychology

According to Thomas H. Leahey, the traditional history of science was written by scientist themselves that resulted in smug and self-satisfied works, which made them biased in a certain extent that they only considered accounts in the development of science that they want to reckon. However, historians have written history on a different framework, seeing history of science as a weak human enterprise unresolvable from the rest of human history, imposing fear among scientist that this nontraditional perception on the history of science may influence their students to undermine their faith in science.

Despite the development of the History of Psychology, it is evident that much of psychology’s past have been ignore such that chapters on the books on History of Psychology provide no sense of the past and of what is like to be a psychologist, a physiologist or a philosopher before. Thus rationalizes Topics in History of Psychology is history without the past; also justifying Ebbinghaus’ famous line that “Psychology has a very short history, but with a long past.”

Even scholars or psychologist are historically ignorant about studying the field without even considering events happening outside the field that could have been significant in the study of psychology. In addition, they are shallow in a sense that even they who write about the History of Psychology commit mistakes, lacking depth of intellect or knowledge and concerned only with what is obvious resulting in many errors that new psychology historians have corrected and repeatedly written. Therefore justifying why we only have few references, whereas other books have become obsolete and others were never used.

In Leahey's article, mistakes on the study Psychology were emphasized, including how psychology historians or scholars place value judgments to the extent of writing one’s own perspective rather than putting focus on different perspective. For instance, Edwin G. Boring’s first textbook was not only published as reference book but also has a deeper motive, which is to be used as a defense weapon against John B. Watson’s growing Behaviorism.

Psychology historians have no respect for the value of the past not realizing that everything in the past influences the present; that the past plays an important role in the development of the theories in psychology that we have right now. This is what they consider as Whig and can be linked with the presentist point of view—looking at history from the present perspectives and ideas as a product of the present. There is also an issue on internalism, whereby historians tend to have studied what was happening within the field without regards to what developments other fields have that could contribute to the development in the theories of psychology. In addition, psychology historians associate history with great men and undermining women, because women before have no stand or place in society, which is really discriminating. Furthermore, History of Psychology was represented by only few personalities whereas other great minds were ignored; thus, psychology historians focus on individuals rather than works. Lastly, they are ignorant and shallow that they only have limited view on the study as a result on the mistakes presented above.

As a psychology student, I would have to say that its disappointing that even scholars of the very own field that I am studying now are ignorant, that I also see myself like them. The fact that I have not known much and that I only remember few names and dates make me want to know more about psychology. And as mush as possible I would not want to commit same mistakes that those psychology scholars have committed in the study of the History of Psychology.

On Scientific Paradigm

the creation of science

Okay, I'm a bit inspired by Khun. LOL
After nights of reading the book, it was worthwhile thiough I havent finished it.

Thomas S. Khun emphasized in his book “The Structure of Scientific Revolution” that a scientific community practices in reference to a set or rather sets of learned beliefs from accepted achievements or assumptions. And these beliefs become the foundation for learning and application. Paradigms are assumptions that contribute to the development of Normal Science, a research firmly based upon one or more past scientific achievements that some particular scientific community recognizes for the further research and practice, before a change or shift in paradigm occurs. These paradigms are being studied by students in order to gain membership to a certain scientific community. Basically the knowledge is being passed on to the students from their mentors, which may oftentimes lead to disagreement to basic principles due to student’s critical mindset or rather due to questions and inquiries formulated by them. However, researchers of the paradigm most often than not based their inquiries from the shared paradigm, and are committed to the rules and standards for the application of the certain paradigmic principles.

A paradigm is said to be of success and of having full potential to be of interest to scientists and scholars when it is a novelty rather a succeedent set of fundamentals based on another paradigm as a result of anomaly. From competition with a pre-paradigmic school, a paradigm emerges, especially when it seems to explain all facts which it was confronted with. Consequently pre-paradigms whose proponents never found their way out of the dilemma that they have been faced with, certainly entirely fades. This growing paradigm like an infant undergoes a process of development and within its development the more advocates it possesses, the greater is the probability for its strength to generate.

At its beginning a paradigm is limited in its scope and in precision, that is why mop-operations are relevant; and by which most researchers spend much of their time doing mopping. Thus, proceeding to more inquiries, and paradigm-based researching that “attempts to force nature into a pre-formed and relatively inflexible box that the paradigm supplies.” Anomalies usually happen but nobody seemed to have made effort to look for  anomalies since they are resticted and for those who tried to mostly were not tolerated. Sometimes the disadvantage of forcing nature to a box leads the paradigm to not function well that caused it to cease.

Researching, hence, is like solving puzzle that already has a fixed solution, thus discovering what was already known in advance. And when the result of what has already been anticipate (hypothesis) becomes null, and thereby, considered a failure. Because of the novel studies weren’t tolerated to compete with present beliefs, unexpected result in science happened.

A change in paradigm takes place as a result from discovery brought about by encounters with anomaly. And although Normal Science does not tolerate novelties, they are nonetheless challenged to pursue the belief, which would later on cause them to arise. Anomaly also excites the emergence of a change in an existing paradigm. This emergence occurs when a puzzle is being figured out. These failures are said to have been brought about by disparity and error between the new theory and the present fact.

The scientific revolution can be possible only if a novel theory is substituted to a present paradigm which occurring discrepancies doesn’t have a solution, thereby a failure, resulting in the denunciation of  the proponent for his disability to put the pieces of the puzzle back. And a paradigm shift, on the other hand is not considered a scientific revolution since it only based its inquiries on a particular paradigm. The assimilation of the new paradigm must be demanded them and the old paradigm be rejected. This is what scientific revolution means.

Indeed, progress in the fields of research and science became possible because of the structure of the past scientific methods and of course because of scientific revolution. Although there were lots of biases in the past, they became the tools for the development of science.

Cat Lore

Egyptian Goddess Bast

When and where exactly the cats were first domesticated is unknown; its because various breeds of cats were originated and tamed in different parts of the globe. There are some evidences  showing  that cats were perhaps first domesticated in Pre-Columbian Florida. Some believed that the Lake Dwellers kept house cats about 2000 B.C. Sanskrit writings 3,000 years old speak of cats as pets in India. Nonetheless, it was in Egypt that cats first came to the attention of what was then the civilized world.

The Egyptian household cats appear to have been closely related to the African wild cats, Felis ocreata, and Felis lybica. The Egyptian Mau cats looked like the Abyssinian, yet a little larger. They guard the field near the Nile from rodents. The Egyptian cats sanctified  the cat goddess Bast, sometimes Pasht, Ubasted, or Bubatis. She is depicted by a cat’s head and a woman’s body. She is also the goddess of  moonlight, fertility, wisdom, and hunting. Thus, one of the six major cities of Lower Egypt, Bubastis, was dedicate to her. The Bible also mentions the city by the name Pisbeseth, in Ezekiel 30; 13, 17.

Moreover, according to Herodotus, the murder of cats could be punishable to death in Egypt. When a cat dies, the owner mourns and the cat’s body would be mummified. During the embalming of cats, an embalmed mouse is placed next to the cat. Over 300,000 cat mummies were uncovered in 1890 in Tel Basta while a few of them can be seen in some American and Egyptian museums. They were still enclosed in their cases of engraved wood or wrapped in colored, intertwined straw, and wrapped in rich bandages of different colors. Faces were covered with masks of which the nose, eyes, ears, and whiskers can be seen. But, these sacred corpses were later used as fertilizers, most particularly the belief fade out. The worship of the Bast gradually began to decline after 350 A.D., and completely forgotten after the imperial decree to decline after 390 A.D.

However, during the Dark Ages and until the past two centuries, gave way to spread hatred and killing, because cats were associated with the old religion, that’s during the Pre-Christian Polytheism and Animism, and Witchcraft. Demonologists suggest that cats were the favorite familiars of witches. Thus, cats were put on trial before their owners. Some were burned alive. Such cruelty remained for long. Likewise, a man who has committed a crime would be punished through drowning him in a sack filled with irritated and hungry cats. Thus, a criminal dies not because it looses breathing but because of the scratches of the cats claws. Cats were also used for good lucks. They were fastened alive in the foundations of the buildings. Furthermore, the Western World has always considered cats a high value of the household and  the theft and murderers of the felines would be punished.

Cats were used as exchanged material for pure silk between Asia and Europe. They used cats because they are believed to be symbol of peace, fortune, and family serenity because of the beauty they possess. Before and even today, divine powers are attributed to the cats. It is also believed that from that time on, its soul speaks to the Buddha in favor of the owner that lives on earth. Remains of ceramic statues of Asiatic cats served as evidences to how the cats were highly regarded. Behind the statues’ hollow eyes are small oil lamps that would remind the mice that their enemies were awake and ready to catch them anytime. Since cats were active during nights, many Asiatic houses placed images of cats outside their houses. This ability to see clearly in the dark  made them useful to hold spirits at bay. According to legend, the more hairless the household cats, the more fortune the owner would gain. Buddhists prized the cats ability for meditation.

It has been a Hindu tradition to feed a cat who is at the present state of hunger. According to legend, the first Japanese cat appeared in 999 in Kyoto’s imperial palace. From that moment, cats were cherished, honored, and were given the attention as much as the lapdogs were. The felines were loved, pleased, and treasured for their beauty. Because cats were not allowed to hunt, the unhunted rodents grew in number. However, it was on the17th century when cats were already permitted to hunt prey. It was also foretold that Mohammed owned a female feline named Mnezza. This legend speaks of  how Mohammed tore his gellata to where his cat was stretching, so as not to disturb it from a sleep

Aesop was the Greek fabulist of the sixteenth century B.C., who discoursed novels about animals, especially cat tales with regards to their relationship with man. Many centuries later the Latin writer Fedro improved Aesop’s style in writing. Great personalities like the Greek historian Herodotus (480 B.C.), the Roman orator Cicero(106 B.C.), and the chronicler Pliny the Elder (23 B.C.) also wrote about cats.

At the beginning of the Renaissance, when the darkness of the middle ages was coming to an end, the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch publicly proclaimed  his love for cats.  He lived his life together with his cat and died in 1374 resting his head over an open book for the desire to comfort the cat. Furthermore, the remains of the cat were preserved in a museum in Padua in memory of the poet. Torquato Tasso, an Italian poet who wrote adorable sonnet for his cat in 1590. The sonnet was all about the comparison between the cat’s eyes and the stars, invoking the stars in heaven to give light on the page to dedicate his last poem in life. He was old and miserable, almost blind and didn’t even have the money to buy a lamp oil. The “Gattomachia” or “Battle Among Cats” was written by the cat lover 16th century Spanish dramatist Lope de Vega. The poem was an arrogant poem in which the virtues possessed by the felines are praised and the defects of men are snubbed.

The fabulist of 1600, with the leading French school La Fontaine, imitators of Aesop and Fedro, followed by Charles Perrault who was the author of “Puss in Boots” and “Cinderella”. He always treated cats to be characters oh his stories, representing man, depicting man’s defeats as well as their insincerity, their failures, and laziness. His style of writing somewhat criticizing man while he joke with his pen. The French naturalist Geoges Louis Leclere de Buffon, who lived in the mid-1700s, was knowledgeable about animals. In his Histoire Naturelle, he expressed judgments on the cat, describing it as “an unfaithful domestic, that we keep only out of necessity”. However, Ferdinando Galicani, man of letters, economist, and an Italian diplomat at the French court, acknowledged, “I had never found anyone who had profoundly studied the intimate character of cat, and that which was written about it was the fruit of supposition and acrimony.”

French poet Charles Baudelaire of the 1800s was a famous author of the collection of verses “The Flowers of Evil” who discovered the pleasure of the cat. He described how he felt while touching his fingers across its head, the elastic back, especially the body of a female feline resembling the feeling to be in contact with women. He mentioned in hi collection, “Come, my beautiful cat, unto my loving heart---pull back your claws and let me lose myself in your beautiful eyes----medley of sapphire and agate.” The writer of short stories, Guy de Maupassant’s last name starts with “mau” which means “cat” in Egyptian. He treated cats rather like carnal animals. He wrote, “I felt against my check the hollow and vibrant side in a continual hum, and sometimes, a stretched paw rested on my mouth, five out stretched nails pierced me, then immediately drew back in.”

Among  the various literary lovers of the cats was Francois Rene de Chateaubriand (1768-1848). He wrote a literary work entitled “Beyond The Grave”, wherein he mentioned about his contract with a cat as being one of the most important events of his journey life. He also disagreed and doubted Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon, a cat hater’s theory. Inspired Francois’ work, Pope Leone XII to send him a red marble cat as a gift. He wrote, “I love in the cat the supreme indifference and dignity with which it can carry itself from salons to gutters…” the famous French Cardinal, Richelieu, also loved cats. In fact, he always hosted cats at his table, and after his death, he left a great sum of money so that his cats will be well taken care of even without him.

Other prominent French cat-lovers of the 19th century include Alexander Dumas who was an owner of a private zoo. He was given the title, “Defense Lawyer of the Cats of the World”. Another is George Sand, who eats breakfast with his cat on the same plate. Victor Hugo fashioned an armchair for his cat. Other cat lover are the poet Jean Cocteau and writer Colette who photo-portrait the cat. Shakespeare also mentioned cats in his play, “the Merchant of Venice” and “Henry V”. Nobel-Priced winner, Rudyard Kipling wrote many things about cats. Another Nobel-Price winner was Albert Scheiter, who after being with leapers, and relaxed by playing the organ and going the hospital with cats. Other cat lovers were as follows: Montaigne, Merimee, Sardou, Eliot, and Hemingway.