Psychology and psychiatry under attack
While astrology and astrologers have been routinely attacked and criticized by members of the established scientific institutions the previous years, the same has not happened to psychology and psychiatry, probably because they are generally viewed as more "respectable" disciplines. This situation has changed this autumn, when Jupiter entered Virgo and Saturn entered Sagittarius, from where they challenge Pisces, representing psychology and psychiatry. Jupiter came from Leo, and Saturn came from Scorpio, from where they had challenged Aquarius, which represents (among other things) astrology. Jupiter stays in a sign for 11 months on average, while Saturn stays in sign approximately 2.5 years. Jupiter and Saturn are the giants in our solar system, and they have great influence on the matters, which are under debate at any given moment.
At The Guardian you can read an article about how the medical company SmithKline Beecham is responsible for several suicides among young people. The company produces and sells the antidepressant drug Seroxat (also known as Paroxetine), which according to tests do not benefit young people with depressions, but instead encourages suicide thoughts. According to Danish professor Peter Gøtzsche in a Danish article in MetroXpress the drug has the same negative effect on adults. The scandal is that SmithKline Beecham has known about the drug's negative potential since 2001 - and nevertheless continued to market and sell it.
At Alternet you can read about "10 of the Worst Abuses of the Psychiatric and Psychological Professions in American History". The 10 headlines are:
- Project MKUltra, in which CIA experimented with using drugs to break down individuals - with the collaboration of psychologers and psychiatrists.
- American Psychological Association Assistance in Interrogation/Torture.
- Pathologizing Homosexuality and Disempowering Gay Americans
- Enabling Genocide of Indigenous Americans
- Enabling Racism and Subjugation of African American
- Subverting U.S. Soldiers’ Resistance to the Military-Industrial Complex
- Enabling Authoritarian Standard Schooling
- Depoliticizing Normal Reactions to Dehumanizing Employment
- Medicating Noncompliance and Marginalizing Anti-Authoritarians
- Controlling Uncared about and Discarded Populations
Of course you can also find dramatized examples of abuse of psychology and psychiatry, like the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" from 1975 with Jack Nicholson as the protagonist.
Why are psychology and psychiatry abused? They were meant to be healing, right? To me the explanation is easy to see: Psychology and psychiatry are based in a rational, scientific and materialistic paradigm, according to which the soul doesn't exist except as a biproduct of the body's chemistry. Astrology is - according to Richard Tarnas - based in "romantic" paradigm, in which the soul exists as an independent entity, which can survive the body's death. According to this paradigm it does not make sense to treat a disorder in the soul with chemistry or surgery. Other remedies are needed here, like meditation, hypnosis or healing. I don't recommend going back to exorcism, but I know for certain that sending out positive thoughts or giving love while being in a dialogue with the patient do have a beneficial effect on him / her.