Kiehl
Reading this makes me ask who I am, however outside my mind I already am. So then the question really is who are you?
According to the DSM (Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) the 'Professionals' actively seek to lump 6.5 billion people into a small collection of basic mental categories (dispite different cultures!). So before I can ask myself who I am, one has to know the categories in which he would be defined/judged within by a professional and the potential drive the professionals have to mass categorize humanity. After all, these are the people that lay claim to be an expert of not only their mind but others, and therefore set the laws and rules which we're forced to adhere to in the societal norm. I'm not going to explain the theories behind the DSM here, as it can be referenced on Wiki or here is a great link to summerize the content of the DSM.
And before we put faith in those professionals whom control our fate and mindset at any given time in life, let's first look inward of them, and specifically the ones that created the DSM. As they are potentially bias, as DSM authors define psychiatric disorders, and whether or not there is a vested financial interest in diagnosis
According to The Washington Post, a recent analysis published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics [4] found:
Every psychiatric expert involved in writing the standard diagnostic criteria (DSM!) for disorders such as depression and schizophrenia has had financial ties to drug companies that sell medications for those illnesses. The study found that financial relationships between DSM authors and drug companies "are especially strong in those diagnostic areas where drugs are the first line of treatment for mental disorders."
Which of course I found quite interesting. As one cannot ignore the DSM as it is the basis or basic 'bible' of psychotherapists and other branches of psychology, which many may not adhere to %100 of the time, but will have an influence. But leads me back to one of my original philosophy's, that other people dictating you how to think/feel is unfounded as everyone has their own agenda in life. (Act how you choose without prosecution, as normalcy is not everybody's ideal solution). I do recognize the need for professional help for those that are unable/unwilling to self diagnose themselves through observations (The same method the professionals use to diagnose you). In cases as such as that, I question the conscious extent of those people.
Which brings me to a point of observation of Philosophical Zombies. By definition a Philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from a normal human being except that it lacks conscious experience or qualia or sentience". Working in an office, observations in life, friendships, relationships tell me there are a vast array of personalities that exceed the narrow dogmatic view of the DSM, however "P.Zombies" I believe do exist in life. According to P.h.D Gerald Edelman in his book 'Second Nature", he recognizes the possibility of "PZ" due to brain injury, drug use or environment. Where as a human could function in life using their base knowledge before the event which would cause "PZ", but would be unable to learn new skills. As that function requires conscious learning. Unable to form new obsessions, new interests, new friendships etc, that person would technically be a detached form of a human.
Back to the point of clinical justification of your mental foundation, stated from another one of Edelmans books wider then the sky, "much of the cognotive psychology is ill-founded. There is no functional states that can be uniquely defined or coded computational states in individual brains and no procesesses that can be equated with the execution of algorithms" This was in reference to his clinical trail of using an magnetoencephalography to study possible patterns in thought given difference expereinces. Basically stated saying there is no empiricol professional proof that there is a correct way to think!!! Giving the freedom back to you in your mind to allow it to do whatever it wants to, hopefully with the faith in yourself that the path is not one of negativity.
So let's summarize what we have established here as to keep on point.
The DSM can be seen as a guideline of sorts for reference to the professionals, created by the same professionals.
Even Professional therapists are susceptible to the same emotional causality (They are human afterall) we all experience. They are simply trained to recognize it within themselves, and then through 3rd party observation of others (Through Clinical trials and practice) are able to reflect upon the situation and recognize it. The problem becomes far easier to defeat once the patient is aware of the mechanics behind the problem. (Purpose of phsycoanalyzation)
Those Professionals that help establish the rules in which our minds are governed by in a society are susceptible to corruption and have direct ties to pharmaceutical companies.
It's theoretically possible for an individual to be consciously dead, and not be aware of it. But those are not the majority that seek psychological attention, however I felt it necessary to show the contrasts of mental perspectives I believe possible in modern humanity. So I won't dedicate much more effort on that.
So what I've effectively done (at least in my own mind) is discount the validity of professional help to an extent which forces 'one to take complete responsibility for themselves and all their actions'. Which brings me to the point of asking one's self "who are you?". Remove the statistics, psychology, reference manuals, take responsibility to that question and u are posed with the essence of the question.
To answer the question I state the following: I am the conscious effort to steer my path in life in a direction in which my environment and experiences has allowed me to justify. Realizing the power of the mind, perhaps late in life I make no excuse for myself or actions that are a direct output of those conscious choices. A shallow existence to those whom have chosen a different path in life and feel above my solitary decisions. That the ever evolving sense that I'm a protagonist in my own mind has diluted my perception of reality. The fact that i'm continuously disappointed in the actions of others only makes me reflect back upon my own inept life. The clairvoyance of guilt for forgiving someone for something that I could not forgive myself for, makes me feel less of a human and is disrespectful to whom I thought I was.
Why write out the obviousities of humanity? It is practice to reconfirm my belief in my own perceptions. A lost art of sorts which has been around ages before me. Since so much of human interaction is subconscious interaction, writing out my knowledge of the specifics for human interaction (Within my microcosm of culture) seems a logical choice. I find creating and realizing this on my own and having the discipline to write down the mechanics of my perceptions allows me to notice my own subconscious perceptions (Why am I attracted to this girl? Why am I tapping my foot to this music?). Which I believe is the natural transgression for those that are aware of their inner monolouge. Putting it on the net based off my technical interest and background is far too obvious of a conclusion. Part is faith in google and Internet that these words will out last me, and thus I am reassured that humanity goes on. (Procreation without the obvious necessitation) And to have a reconfirmation that what I've created on my own is the correct path reconfirms the power within my own head. ( Narcissistic solipsist with obsessive compulsive hyperfocus disorder)
For what purpose? Since childhood from creating my own growth charts on my wall, to writing in my closet at 12 years old to "Remember when you are 25", i've enjoyed the contrasts from who I was to who I am. Which helped me to understand the concept of how "time flies as one ages". Simply because as one ages, we have a larger scale of time perception. So a single day is statistically less of your life time at 30, then it was at 7. Which despite my time ramble then comes down to "nosce te ipsum" Know thyself. And that's all this is, an attempt to know all the lil neurosis about me which I will miss most when my time here on earth is done.
I expose it all for the world to see and judge. Because I realize and accept all this. That I know there will be no harsher judge against me then myself, the judgement of others is meaningless to me. However I do appreciate their point of view against me. :)
© Kiehl 2006