Psychiatry and Psychology

I am wondering how people view pedophiles and child sexual abusers. Do you think they are insane? Do you think they are repeating a cycle of abuse? Could pedophilia simply be another sexual preference? Here is a link I found that is quite educational: http://www.darkness2light.org/faq/faqs_2.asp However, please understand that many of these people don't actually think they are doing something wrong. Some believe they are liberating children to express their sexual feelings. I think they are exploiting children. Because we do not know how to truly treat them, I think they should be identified early and isolated from the general population. This w…

I haven't been able to find any forums that deal with this without trying to tie it in with reading minds. Let me know please. This is a big problem for me and I need a place to go that have others like me. EDIT...If someone knows of another place, could you please post the link? Thanks Bettina

For the first time ever, I now have a new icon

Is there a method for hallucinating? Instead of using pyschedelic drugs like shrooms, acid, etc. Is there a way where u dont need drugs to make u hallucinate? Why i ask this? Because i want to experience hallucination, i want to know whats it like, visual and auditory, and other hallucinations. Is there anyway to induce it?

Andy Thomson, a practicing psychiatrist, uses his knowledge of the human mind and countless neuropsychological research studies to make the case of how religion and belief in god are by-products of our evolved neural architecture. Below is his talk titled 'Why We Believe in Gods' which he presented at the American Atheist 2009 convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Press play. Use full screen. 1iMmvu9eMrg&e Let us know what you think. Merged post follows: Consecutive posts merged If you understand the psychology of [why we crave] the Big Mac meal, you understand the psychology of religion. We evolved adaptations for things that were crucial and r…

After Orlando, there has been a huge conversation on TV news where commentators emphasize that love wins and hate causes more hate. But I have been confused as to how one is supposed to address people that hate them. For instance people gather to show their hatred for haters. They hate the haters, and give them no quarter, no benefit of the doubt. What is our current understanding of Hate? It must have a survival benefit, or we would not all have the emotion.

this is probably more of a joke than anything else but this is a miscillaneous observation/inquiry on the subject. i work at a television studio in Burbank ca. yesterday we had the first taping of a new show called the Ellen Degeneres Show. as you all may or may not know, Ellen is female and is gay. she is probably one of the more notable gay females in the US. the show had a live audience for the taping. let me tell you, these were some of the most hideous looking females i have ever seen. they were gay. they came in couples, holding hands. girl and girl, boy and boy. it was not a pretty sight. hell, i couldn't tell some of the guys from the girls. it wasn't like the…

With a few exceptions, Environmental defiency is responsible for psychological problems, and genetics is simply a source of variability. All that stuff about things being "biological" is just reductionist crud. LOL....

I've always been puzzling over this, and I know it seems silly at first, but do violent videogames really make people more aggressive? Answers can be based on studies or opinion. Thanks everyone.

Does psychology have an explanation of how we came to have morals? I heard that humans don't have insticts, is that true? If so the morals can't come from instinct and if so, i.e. nature plays no role then all that seems be left is nurture. Thoughts? Pete

Why Are Women Attracted To Violent Criminals And Psychopaths? I once e-mailed this question to Steven Pinker, a famous Harvard professor and evolutionary biologist: I have some questions to ask you that have perplexed me for some time. Many people seem to think that besides financially well-off men, women are deeply attracted to both thugs and gangsters. It seems that the conventional wisdom is that women are attracted to "assholes", but despise so-called "nice guys". Why is it that women seem to be so attracted to aggressive bullies, violent criminals, dangerous psychopaths, mass murderers, and drug-crazed gang-bangers? The fact that women are attracted to violen…

Are we wrong to hate religions? Afterall they do a lot of good, and many followers do become more selfless people. Would the world be a worst place without religions?

There is no scientific basis whatsoever to believe in many parts of it, so doesn't this irrational belief system separate people from reality, in a sense?

awhile back, i read a book that suggested a theory to end war... it was pretty detailed, woman could take sperm sample of men and then kill them, and have woman procreate thru artificial insemination. There were other contingencies of course but the point of the theory is that woman are more emmotional and less violent, therefore by eliminating the male sex (to a certain extent) war/fighting could end.... but i think there are a lot of physcological loopholes.... Do you think woman could take the part of men, is there any chance of this working to any extent if so how long.. just general points of vies since i thought it was interesting.....

I decided to leave an atheist forum because the people there were over sensitive to the use of the term evolutionist. It appears that the offense to the term arose because creationists use the term to refer to people who believe in evolution. Atheist laymen love to to argue with creationists about evolution and the creationists refer to them as "evolutionist" of course. I guess these layman see it as a derogatory term. I know from searching this forum that people here don't have this problem with the term so I'm asking here. People at the other forum can be quite irritating about it though, to the point of harassment and even insulting. For some odd reason, which I a…

Hello, I need an intelligence test database that was performed on subjects for a hypothesis I have. What should I do ?

Over the last 30 years or so, placeboes have become more effective against drugs in trials, but no one seems to know why. This has become one of the biggest mysteries in science. Drug companies can no longer use placeboes effectively against drugs that often test little better than the sugar pill, for example. I am wondering what you think. Is something outside the realm of known science going on? Dave

Hi Everyone I have seen in the media that some people are saying that alleged victims of sexual abuse and rape should be automatically 100% believed without doubt. The logical conclusion of this position is that the accused would be assumed guilty until they can prove themselves innocent. Is this an acceptable position? As I see it, your position on this debate ought logically to align with the choice you make in the very tough poll I am posting here. Thank you very much. Kind regards Tim

I realize this is a touchy subject but I would like to get other people's opinion whether homosexuality is natural or unnatural behavior. I personally believe it is unnatural. I have two logical arguments to support by opinion. The first can be understood with a hypothetical scenario. Picture if the whole world decided to embrace homosexuality and become such. In maybe 100 years the human race would not longer exist because there would be no babies or not enough artificial babies to offset the rapid decline in the population. According to evolutionary thinking there are two prime directives in nature; survival of the species and survival of the individual. As such, t…

https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-are-we-afraid-of-spiders-26405 I’ve been wondering a small bit about the irrational fear evoked by spiders and snakes. Some people say there may be an evolutionary component to it as a few of these creatures can potentially be deadly. But our visceral response to them seems to be far more excessive than the actual threat they would have posed throughout human evolution. Humans obviously have a limited capacity to empathise with animals. We can anthropomorphise our pets and we might admire animals in the zoo. But as the philosopher Thomas Nagal pointed out, “What is it Like to be a Bat?”. In other words what is the…

Maybe not everybody has them, but most of the people I've known did. At one time, sometimes or many times, we have a moment .... we hear something, see something, feel something, remember something.... otherworldly. A dead relative whispers a warning. A phantom pet hops up on the bed and curls up behind your knees. The grass calls your name. The stars threaten to suck you up into the sky. You wake up in the middle of the night and know that someone has died. You have an unaccountable urge to get in touch with with someone, because they need your help. When something weird like that happens, do you formulate a rational explanation? Do you ignore i…

I think the mental health service should maintain it's stance on suicide prevention efforts. But unfortunately some people have been advocationg a sort of suicide deterrence. Trying to stop suicide by stigmatising suicide victims is a recipe for disaster. Mental illness obviously does not discriminate. Indeed there are many different types of mental illnesses and therefore many different reasons as to why people die of suicide. Suicide and mental illness are very much related so telling people to get help while simultaneously stigmatising suicide would be very dishonest. The method of suicide is ultimately the same cause of death as any physical illness. For ins…

Psychiatry has no future. Yes, it is clear: they don't have evidence for a biological cause for problems with the human mind. And they have been promising results for almost an age now... But come on people: think about it a bit more clearly. How can the physical be the source for itself? The human mind is more then a product of the biochemical processes in the brain. If you have a problem with your brain, you see a neurologist. If you have problems with your mind, you need an expert on that field: a psychotherapist. Psychiatrists are scammers, this can't be denied if you know the facts. The maximum psychiatry can offer us as humanity is supressing probl…

On Vimeo there is a documentary about the effects of pornography on the BRAIN, aired also on CHANNEL 4, called "Porn on the Brain". The TRAILER is available on Vimeo: url deleted The synopsis: "This documentary features groundbreaking science revealing the effects of pornography on the brain for the first time. A journalist and father concerned by alarming headlines, and aware that his son will soon reach the age most children first see porn, wants to find some answers. Is it really bad for kids? We meet neuroscientists, therapists and educators who are all concerned about the effects of easy access to hardcore porn on vulnerable teenage brains." What do you think ab…

I strongly suspect my food is being laced with a drug! I have had a blood test with my dr, who tested for 7 illegal drugs, this test came back negative. I suspect it is strong prescription medication, a sedative. Who can i get to do a detailed analysis of my food/drink to identify the chemical being added? I live in the south of england.