So you know who you are talking with…..

(This one may sound political but there is a deep psychological issue involved.) Ben Carson is a dangerous person.Although Donald Trump is a narcissist no doubt Ben Carson has paranoid tendencies and that is much worse for a political leader.His complaints about gotcha questions are seriously distorted.Journalists ask gotcha questions to everyone- not just to Ben Carson or Republicans.That’s what they do and I don’t like it either.But it’s not personal to him..As a therapist I can tell you that childhood trauma never goes away completely no matter how serious our spiritual and psychological work.The best we can do is remain conscious of its effects on our thinking and behavior.

My goal is to be the Ingmar Bergman of spirituality-to develop a path with the same refinement and sensitivity and depth that he directed his films with.No wonder my first sabbatical was in Sweden.With all due respect,I started my journey where Ingmar ended.Someone had to underline the human angst from which most art is born..I also started my journey from where Woody Allen ended.Someone had to underline the Jewish neurosis from which much of scientific discovery has issued.However where this journey ends is now more in the hands of Allah than my own.Luckily I have learnt, at least partially ,to get out of the way.Alhumdulillah Rabbil Alamin.

Efficient Causation

One of my favorite exercises these days is to look into scientific articles and find the flaws.They should have taught us this in school if they really wanted us to be critical thinkers- which is a lie actually.What they want,whoever those “they” might be,is for us to be believers in democratic theology.And they have largely succeeded.Really!~ In order to escape from that fate we need to re-examine the analyses that are presented to us-whether it be in “real science” or in social science.Here’s your first exercise.Look at this article and find the fatal flaw.Beware.This whole approach could lead to a belief in God!. Salaams,Joel Ibrahim

“And zo ,ve may to begin”-(Philip Roth: Portnoy’s Complaint)

A new initiative.Welcome to our new blog.I hope in this way to avoid much of the nonsense and distractions on Facebook!