Modern Psychology and the Impact on Human Enlightenment

Psychology today is defined as the study of behavior and mental processes. It is a way to study how people think, feel and behave. Within this field of study clinical psychologists are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of various psychological problems. In other words, clinical psychologists have the ability to look at a behavior that someone is exhibiting and give an explanation for that behavior through the use of classifications or diagnoses. As a part of the evolution of psychology there is an emphasis on studying human beings in order to better identify disorders. Modern psychology is continuously defining new categories which people can be placed under. The constant redefining and evolution of this field of study illustrates the overall mindset of modern society. This mindset involves the need to continuously advance or evolve. However, when looking at the state that we are currently in as a society we must ask ourselves, is this how we want to evolve?

Let's investigate the results of the advancement which has been introduced by psychology. As a part of modern psychology’s need to advance, many new disorders have recently been introduced through a new edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM is a book that outlines characteristics which are commonly associated with specific disorders such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and autism among many others. The newest edition of the DSM has been received with some criticism by many mental health associations. Critics believe that the new disorders which have been revealed in this new edition are leading to an over diagnosis in the general population. Problems which may have been viewed as common life challenges in the past have been given a new name and are now being characterized as a disorder. One such disorder in the DSM-V is known as “Internet Disorder” which includes individuals who spend an excessive amount of time on the internet. This diagnosis would indicate that people who spend a lot of time online are suffering from an addiction disorder. Other new diagnoses include: Skin Picking Disorder, Hypersexual Disorder, Binge Eating Disorder, and Hoarding Disorder. In addition, some new diagnoses even identify children who exhibit tantrum behaviors as being 

disordered and can therefore receive a diagnosis. The introduction of new disorders is allowing a larger group of the population to fall into one of the many disordered categories. It has also lowered the standards for people to qualify for many well known disorders.

This over diagnosis is creating a society in which any individual can be classified as “disordered”. It is important to note that the danger of this over diagnosis does not lie in the identification of the problem itself, but the danger lies in the crippling effects of the label on the individual. Once diagnosed a common treatment that modern psychologists recommend includes medication. For example, many children and adults diagnosed with disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder have been put on medication for their inability to regulate their behavior. The side effects of these medications include nervousness, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headache, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and psychosis. Instead of solving their problem associated with controlling their behaviors, individuals simply mask their problem and take on a whole new load of challenges.

As if this list of side effects wasn’t enough, there are other less obvious effects which are not listed. There is a risk that the diagnosis may lead to complacency. In other words, medication can make people feel they have an excuse for their behaviors. By having a diagnosis, some people may feel that they finally have an excuse for their behaviors that should be changed.They may feel that they can’t change their behaviors because they have a disorder. A mother can do the same to her child when they think that their child can’t help their behavior because they have a disorder. This mindset creates a boundary between “normal” and 

“abnormal” that the individual with the diagnosis is never expected to cross. A person can live the rest of their lives feeling that they have a free pass instead of working on those problems. This perception that individuals have is contributing to the degeneration that we see today in our society. Modern society is constantly seeking new solutions to the psychological problems that we see, but the solution is to look back at our past.

Traditional cultures provide the solutions to many of the problems we are facing. These cultures do not seek to constantly reinvent their ideas or values. In traditional culture it is understood that our goal during our lifetime is to improve our qualities and seek the path of enlightenment. Every human is born with characteristics which can be viewed as their weakness or their strength. For example, the person who may be labeled as having Attention Deficit Disorder, may have characteristics which make them excel in work that requires energy and strength but may struggle with tasks that require patience and attention to detail. Traditionally, you would not just say “this person is broken”. The individual would be expected to grow in their area of weakness but would also be valued for their strengths. This is why in traditional culture, the concept of family and community are so important. Every person has a network of people to rely on to help them overcome their struggles and weaknesses. Working together is how traditional cultures realize these goals.

In order to achieve the goal of enlightenment, each individual must struggle and continuously work on perfecting their qualities. Nature aids us in the process by providing two paths, the path to enlightenment, or the path to degeneration. Knowing that enlightenment is the goal of a human, it becomes apparent that modern psychology may lead a person down the wrong path. It is giving people a diagnosis which cripples individuals by giving them a reason for accepting their flaws instead of working on them. Accepting these “modern” ideas is having a devastating effect on people as a whole and leading society down the road of degeneration. It creates more problems that may come in the form of side effects when taking drugs. Humanity needs to refocus on what our purpose really is. If our goal is to perfect our qualities then we cannot afford to accept any excuses for our imperfections which are presented as a disorder by modern psychology.

In traditional culture it is understood that humanity has received all of the tools necessary to exist as a culture from the Divine world. The foundation for all that we know from agriculture, to math, to science was handed down to humanity as a gift to help us on our mission to reach the level of a divine being. This is why, traditionally there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Why try to fix something which has already been perfected? How can we as human beings improve on something which is divine.

The Kemetic culture is humanity’s most ancient culture which stems from Merita (original name for Africa). This culture provided humanity with the tools needed to navigate and survive this world including knowledge of agriculture, language, math, astronomy and more importantly spirituality. This culture provided a blueprint for all of humanity to follow. By looking back at the blueprint which was left by our ancestors we can see that we already had all the tools in place to help us understand ourselves and evolve.

The society we are living in today prides itself on being an “advanced society”. The term “modern or advanced” is thrown around and used as a source of pride when describing the current times. The “modern” world is continuously reinventing its values and goals in the name of advancement. It constantly introduces new ideas which are meant to help humanity advance to the next level. But it is crucial for humanity to ask itself “with all of this change, what is it that we are actually advancing towards?” With this in mind, it would be wise for individuals to carefully examine concepts that are introduced by “modern” society before accepting them as truth when it comes to analyzing the self.