January/February 2002
Feature Articles
What's Newz?
by Dee J. Findlay
Holistic Health Q & A
by John DeCosmo, D.O.
Of September 11, stress, getting back
to basics, and God is in the details.
What are... Sweeteners?
by Robert Roman
Not all sweeteners are "equal."
A healthfood store manager guides us through some of the options.
EnergyUpDate
by David Findlay
UNCOMMON SENSE ! - Who's next?
David Findlay
Minerals from Mother Earth
by Judy Power
Featured stones for January and February:
Onyx and Opal.
Your Astro Guide
by Janet Sciales
Articles on the theme "Freedom"
Freedom From Fear
by Kelly Menges
Freeing ourselves from limiting beliefs
to become connected with our true nature.
No Limits
by Yvette Monet
The freedom to live life as an expression
of love.
Spiritual Freedom
by Rev. Pat Cross
The inner freedom that comes with the
recognition of our divine nature.
Psychological Freedom
by Patrick Plaskett
Increasing our freedom by changing
the reality in our minds.
Hormonal Freedom
by Lela Lilyquist
Of the harmful effects of synthetic
hormone treatment for menopause and the growing awareness of more natural
approaches.
Free To Create
by Ken Sutton
The freedom to create our own lives...
both the good and the bad.
Freedom Within Bounds
by Rev. Stephanie Kubilius
How the boundaries of a relationship,
such as marriage, can actually provide greater freedom to grow.
Seven Basic Freedoms
by Rev. Linda Lou Kearns
Seven ways to exercise our freedom
to become what we really are.
A Free Mind
by Charles Larsen
How we as individuals may restrict
our inner freedom.
The Age of Freedom
by Jan Carter
Of plants and asteroids, gods and goddesses.
The Freedom Solution
by Constance Joy Angeles, Esq.
A nine-step approach to freedom
A Free Mind
by Charles Larsen
Freedom, what a word! The dictionary refers to freedom as the quality of being free to act and enjoy all the rights of a citizen, also to act without external restraint or domination. There is an oxymoronic quality to the above, since we must, in order to enjoy the rights of citizenship, allow some domination by governing forces. Civilized living is similar to residing in a condominium you are expected to follow rules determined by the majority of your neighbors. Although we consider ourselves free, most of us follow the rules of law, condo rules, and, the most powerful constrainers of all, social customs and mores.
This day, in December 2001, I hear CNN talk of the progress of "Operation Enduring Freedom." Certain Afghan groups are referred to as "freedom fighters." Because language is vague when out of historical context, one might, upon reading these terms three hundred years from now, believe those groups are fighting against freedom. Nguyen That Thanh, better known as Ho Chi Minh during the United States involvement in the Vietnam War, was a "freedom fighter" during the Second World War, allied with us against imperial Japan. During the Vietnam War he became referred to as an enemy of freedom. The Taliban were "freedom fighters" when the USSR invaded Afghanistan, now they are termed tyrants. The relativity of terms to their historical time and place is essential to keep in mind, even though there are also qualities of permanence to them.
It is that quality of permanence that will be useful to examine in this essay, both in terms of society, and of our individual psyches. Those two, the societal and the individual, overlap all of the time. Freedom is a major aspirational foundation of our country, as well as an essential value in every theory and hypothesis about the functioning of the human mind.
First, though, it may be helpful to relate an example of severely restricted societal freedom. In 1973 I traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The purpose was to experience the conflict there first hand, in hopes of gathering material for a novel. When I stepped off of the train from Dublin I was immediately searched by a young, pink-faced British soldier, while his partner held an automatic weapon at my churning stomach. "Be careful here, Yank," he admonished, as I gratefully walked out onto the street. A sarazan (armored car) was stationed outside of the coils of razor wire surrounding Great Victoria Station, in reality a platform with canopy overhead the mortar and brick station had been blown up the previous year. Before reaching my hotel I was searched several more times. Sarazans rumbled along the streets, several machine gun nests bordered my stroll. It was Remembrance Day, celebrating the heroes of wars past and present. A parade occurred. I stood alone, under gray, weeping skies, as soldiers and armored vehicles passed by. It seemed security was very high, that although without freedom of movement, or from unreasonable search one should be safe. The next morning I was awakened to a pop, pop, pop, bang! The first of sixteen car bombs exploded to put a lie to the notion of security, even under martial law.
Applying this to the human psyche, we can see that much of what we do as individuals is similar to what societies do. We try to build systems, to give us security. Those charged with public safety in Belfast were attempting to provide security, even though it would curtail freedom. Individuals also do this through psychological devices or coping methods. Most of us have fears, some of which are related to real world threats, others which are related to what we have been taught. These fears may restrict our activities completely, or in part the key: evaluating whether or not they are based upon a present-day reality, something we were taught, or a past circumstance which no longer has validity.
Another way individuals may impair their internal freedom is to submit to others even when aware that what they demand is wrong. This occurs on the playground when bullies strut around and rule; when gangs run rampant terrorizing neighborhoods; or when we allow ourselves to be under the rule of tyrants of any stripe. As Steve Biko stated in 1976, "The most powerful weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Abused persons are examples of this, as they often feel so unlovable that no one but their oppressor would care for them, hence they submit.
Multitudinous psychological dysfunctions are ways that we impair our internal and external freedoms in the search for security. Phobias, i.e., unreasonable fears that restrict our internal and external activities; sadness which is not immediately reactive to a situation but as a way of living; obsessing over and over again and becoming indecisive these are some ways we impair our psychological liberty. Freeing people from the constraints of their pain and angst is one of the most challenging and gratifying aspects of being a psychotherapist.
The human mind is capable of wonders from fantasizing about what might be, to creating whole lives and persons, as the novelist does. Returning to history, it has been said that the German constitution prior to the Third Reich was the document most conducive to freedom of any then existent. It was thrown away in order to give Hitler the power to rule absolutely and provide security. Your mind, my mind... these potentially have unlimited freedom to explore, to invent, to soar. Perhaps, in the current talk of freedom vs. security, it is wise to be careful not to fetter our minds unduly. The Confucian statement that, "the cautious seldom err" seems to offer a warning since they also do not allow themselves to fully utilize that most potentially free place, their minds.
Charles Larsen L.C.S.W. has been practicing psychotherapy and hypnosis for over thirty years. St. Petersburg, FL (727) 894-3088. harrymorgan@earthlink.net
Home Page
Display Advertisements
Category Index
Calendar of Events
Classifieds
Previous Issues
Copyright (c) 2002 Altnewtimes, Inc. All
rights reserved.
No part of this web site my be reproduced without written permission of Altnewtimes, Inc.
E-mail info@altnewtimes.com