One of the psychology graduate programs that I am applying to is the University of Dallas. This is one of of my top five graduate programs of choice of the ten total that I think are worth applying to, considering my concentration and goals. One of the faculty members at the University of Dallas whose research and interest I found pertinent to my own was Dr. Gilbert Garza. I initially contacted Dr. Garza via email and accordingly scheduled a telephone conference that took place this morning. Below, you will find my notes on the 20 minute plus conversation we had. The first part is a discussion of Garza's various works and interests. The second part was an interview conducted on my behalf concerning my own current research. The third part of the conversation, not included here, was a few questions that Dr. Garza asked me regarding my background and interests in the program. For more information on Dr. Garza you can review his University of Dallas faculty listing here.
Call Log: 11/21/11, 9:58 a.m.
Part I
One of the topics Dr. Garza has researched is Neurobiological Reductionism. I asked him to elaborate on some of his work on the topic. Garza stated that the Cartesian model of knowledge reduces consciousness to a biological process, this is not accurate. According to Garza psychology has a problem of heart and this has lead to furthering the study of neurobiology. Garza mentioned, and I agreed, that one of the problems we face in the world today is the relentless and "unreflective" use of knowledge from natural sciences without thinking things through.
Dr. Garza has also published material on the meaning of self in a wireless world. Dr. Garza was quick to cite a study done by Carnegie (Carnegie Mellon University, link provided if detailed review is desired). Garza summarized the study saying that Carnegie did a study offered free internet service to those who agreed to have their internet usage monitored. The result was that visits to social networking sites exploded, it was also noted that with this increase, person-to-person interaction was noticeably decreased on campus during the time of the study. Garza says that social media is not necessarily a bad thing, however, modern technology has changed how we define words like "social" and "communication". "It's not the quantitative use (of social media), but the qualitative character of the user that matters", says Garza.
Garza also served as the chair moderator for a discussion on Heidegger's metaphysics of meaning. As this was not research directly done by Garza, he only mentioned a few philosophers relevant to the discussion such as Gadamer, Heidegger, and (Garza's primary research target) Lecand. The importance of intentionality, application, and methodology were also mentioned.
Part II
[I am currently conducting post-undergraduate/pre-graduate independent research on the importance of philosophy in psychology, specifically psychotherapy. The primary concentration of the research is existential philosophy, particularly the works of Albert Camus.]
I asked Dr. Garza what some of the problems that he saw with modern therapy were. He, almost comically, responded that that was not a short question to answer. One of the problems mentioned was the delivery and payment of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy today is co-opted by the medical model. Thus, the focus of psychological treatment is dictated by the economy and has chosen symptom reduction as its focus. Garza was critical of the beurocratic procedures associated with clinical psychology. Garza stated that after completing his doctorate it took nearly a calendar year for him to become licensed. Given the medical and economic influences on psychotherapy, Garza seemed critical of the current trend of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). [In my own personal and semi-profession opinion I am very skeptical of CBT. My reason for this is primarily the focus of the therapy. The essence of being is far more than behavioral practices and the output of neurological functions. CBT seems to me to be using tricks of the mind to tame psychological symptoms (see above comments with Dr. Garza). Dulling symptoms is not effective treatment so much as it is economically sufficient. CBT, in my opinion, is like playing head games with yourself, in effect moderating symptoms of rather than seeking resolution to psychological or behavioral problems. The economy is awful... and I'm not just referring to the mothballs in my wallet.] Dr. Garza says that psychology needs to decide if therapy should be defined as a medical practice or not.
The next thing discussed was the importance of philosophy in psychology and in psychotherapy in particular. Garza, with good humor, referred to the expression about everyone having an opinion (...and they all stink). Garza expressed that everyone has an implicit philosophy but only a few choose to make it explicit. He states that philosophy is not worthless, however it needs to be outwardly expressed and carried out. According to Garza, we need to take ownership of our philosophical framework. Garza also commented that our values and beliefs shape our approach to essentially everything. "There is an implied philosophical underpinning to psychology... that underpinning factors into everything in psychology." It was specifically expressed that phenomenology, to be more specific, factors into everything in psychology.
I also asked Dr. Garza for a comparison of traditional psychoanalytic therapy versus the, relatively new, field of philosophical coaching. Philosophical coaching seems to be having a rising following but not gaining much of a foothold in the therapeutic field. Dr. Garza's comments are as follows. "I would be suspicious of anything called philosophical coaching... a newspaper columnist can give advice, the difference is that a therapist is trained... the goal of therapy is to increase responsibility."
The next question was, what makes existentialism so pertinent to psychology? Garza's response was the emphasis that existentialism places on responsibility for one's actions. Garza also commented that, however, our culture has set us up against responsibility. What about existentialism and psychotherapy? "Good therapy gives the client a sense of freedom, this includes the freedom to continue suffering."
The final question, then, was; "Do be people want the responsibility that existentialism offers?" "No", Garza quickly replied, after brief pause, "absolutely not." [If you have been following the conversation thus far you will realize that our economy has swayed people towards a quick fix, not only for its immediate gratification, but because results have three defining characteristics. They can be good, fast, or financially cheap; of the three characteristics your results only get to contain two.] Garza cited Hiedegger, saying; "living authentically will kill you." Garza continued to say that no one can bear responsibility for their actions and that therapy should alleviate suffering. I then thanked Dr. Garza for the interview and he wished me luck on my application.
Selected parts of this interview, and others scheduled in the future, will be compiled as part of my current research project to be used as a writing sample with my graduate applications. My last "research" project was during the spring of 2010, my senior year at Mac Murray College. As my personal development, academic interests, and career plans evolve, so do the written samplings that are to demonstrate those categories to admissions committees.
As always, thanks for reading!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Back into Action: Your Resident Musing Philosopher Returns with Thoughts on Necessit
Hello again,
I apologize for my time away from this blog (as well as my others). Over the past few months I have been extremely pre-occupied. I won't bore you with the details, but lets just say I was only sleeping about 3-4 hours per night. That being said, lets continue with what this blog was meant to do... philosophize!
During my brief stint as a pre-med student (which I am no longer) I began pondering about what necessity does to a person's psyche. One of my Facebook status updates in the past few months stated that "Necessity breeds the monster begotten in us all." I'd like to expand on that concept here. This is a post that has been long overdue for and has been postponed due to previous circumstances. Which, as the case may be, is very fitting, considering what you will read below.
What is Necessity: Two of the definitions found here in Webster's Dictionary depict necessity as "pressure of circumstance" and "physical or moral compulsion." These two are particularly interesting to me as they have several relevant factors to what I was thinking and feeling at the time that I was mulling over the psychological and philosophical implications of necessity.
Physical and Moral Compulsion: Here we will focus on the physical compulsion, though the moral compulsion would fit better in this blog, the physical compulsion is what is most relevant to my circumstances. As some of you may know, I am an personal trainer and competitive athlete. Diet and nutrition play a tremendous role in what I do both as a hobby and for income. A paper that I was working on as a pre-med student (though it was never revised to a final copy) focused on the neurological impact and function of the dietary macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Most of the research centered around the effects that these nutrients have on neurotransmitter production. These neurotransmitters have direct effects on cognition and mood.
Prior to my fall enrollment in August of this year, at my last Jiu Jitsu tournament I weighed about 163 lbs at about 6% body fat. NECESSITY had its way of changing that. As a result of high stress levels and long hours body weight increased to ~170 lbs over the next couple months. This may not seem like a significant change, however, uncorrected is exactly the kind of problem that leads to long term obesity. What was the cause of this? I believe that the stress factor had a lot to do with it. It is not uncommon to hear someone talking about stress eating or emotional eating. This is not (always) an excuse for a lousy diet. Carbohydrates increase the level of Serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is often associated with positive emotions and can have a calming effect on the nervous system. Ever notice how when you're in a foul mood or exceptionally stressed you are not craving a lean steak and green vegetables, but rather a jelly doughnut and chocolate chip cookies? This is a possible explanation as to why.
Given the large amount of stress placed on my psyche via multiple jobs and full time enrollment as as student, the burden placed on my brain was immense. The solution? My body told me to eat things that (in spite of health and physique) would benefit my cognitive state and mood. (The weight gain should not be solely accredited to this, as I was not exercising nearly as much as before due to the time restraints of the previously stated obligations).
Pressure of Circumstance: This is where I really wanted to post in this blog. While the above story is also an example of a circumstance imposing pressure to do something out of the ordinary but out of "necessity", there is another direction I would like to go that better suits the intentions of this blog. I'd like to take a moment and ponder the thesis that I stated in the beginning of this post. "Necessity breeds the monster begotten in us all."
One of the things implied by that statement is that we are all, in a sense, monsters. That is that there is an insatiable, irrational, unpredictable, vulgar and savage creature begotten (born as part of, and not made from) within us. There are philosophers numerous and various that will assure you that human beings are inherently evil, ie: "monstrous", and are anything but "humane." Pessimism of the human condition is not what I am advocating here. However, whatever view you hold of the state of humanity, it would be intolerably ignorant to ignore the "monstrosities" that have shaped and molded bold society and humanity since their inception. It is certain, one must admit, that if humans are not innately monstrous than there is at the very least an innate possibility, perhaps propensity, for humans to act as if they were monsters.
Moving on to the other part of the thesis; does necessity cause this possibility to flourish? By definition it certainly increases this possibility. But there is a specific word used in the thesis, it is not increase, or enhance, or strengthen, but breed. Breeding is a type of artificial selection (to play on Darwin's Natural Selection theory). It is a forced outcome of offspring. With that in mind the ideas of this thesis should come together. Literally the thesis would state; "The pressure of circumstance forcibly propagates the inherent un-human characteristics and potential that is innate to everyone."
In short, the pressure of a particular circumstance may cause a person to act out of character. This is necessity's finest hour. This is where the irrational and emotional override all this is rational and possibly all that is "human." It should be noted that this does not have to be an impulsive situation. Necessity can play over a long period of time. The particular situation I am referring to in my own experience lasted about three months. If an example is needed, here is one that I find appeals to my humanistic side:
It has become common knowledge that smoking cigarettes increases a person's probability to develop cancer. The role of health care providers is to ensure the health and treatment of illness and injury of others. Yet, many doctors and nurses smoke cigarettes. Why? There is an extreme amount of stress associated with working in the healthcare industry. Cigarettes or binge drinking may be poor choices of emotional outlets, but they are crutches (normally used with a negative connotation) and coping mechanisms that provide temporary relief to a burdening situation. One could also use the example of a truck driver taking up the habit of smoking to A) keep him/her awake on long drives and/or B) so that he/she does not have to stop, sacrificing time and money, to eat or sleep
The other part of the thesis that needs to be addressed is the verb usage. I did not say that necessity can or may or will increase the probability of, I stated that it does. That is, the result is certain. I believe that on a long enough time span, our psyche will collapse and give into pressure (of whatever kind). There is simply not enough willpower or cognitive horsepower available to the psyche to sustain a long-term struggle. If that is the case, certain behavioral, social, and cognitive dysfunctions are sure to develop. Hence we subconsciously make a decision (at some point) in a matter of nanoseconds; weighing the benefits/risks of our "crutches" versus the undesirable outcome of whatever pressures we are facing. What is your crutch? Is a drug? Is it psychotherapy? Or is it simply exercise or hobby?
In summary, for better or worse, it seems apparent that necessity does (in fact) breed the monster begotten in us all.
As always,
Thank you for reading.
...and, I do not endorse, profit from, or receive benefits from any of the links provided within this post.
I apologize for my time away from this blog (as well as my others). Over the past few months I have been extremely pre-occupied. I won't bore you with the details, but lets just say I was only sleeping about 3-4 hours per night. That being said, lets continue with what this blog was meant to do... philosophize!
During my brief stint as a pre-med student (which I am no longer) I began pondering about what necessity does to a person's psyche. One of my Facebook status updates in the past few months stated that "Necessity breeds the monster begotten in us all." I'd like to expand on that concept here. This is a post that has been long overdue for and has been postponed due to previous circumstances. Which, as the case may be, is very fitting, considering what you will read below.
What is Necessity: Two of the definitions found here in Webster's Dictionary depict necessity as "pressure of circumstance" and "physical or moral compulsion." These two are particularly interesting to me as they have several relevant factors to what I was thinking and feeling at the time that I was mulling over the psychological and philosophical implications of necessity.
Physical and Moral Compulsion: Here we will focus on the physical compulsion, though the moral compulsion would fit better in this blog, the physical compulsion is what is most relevant to my circumstances. As some of you may know, I am an personal trainer and competitive athlete. Diet and nutrition play a tremendous role in what I do both as a hobby and for income. A paper that I was working on as a pre-med student (though it was never revised to a final copy) focused on the neurological impact and function of the dietary macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Most of the research centered around the effects that these nutrients have on neurotransmitter production. These neurotransmitters have direct effects on cognition and mood.
Prior to my fall enrollment in August of this year, at my last Jiu Jitsu tournament I weighed about 163 lbs at about 6% body fat. NECESSITY had its way of changing that. As a result of high stress levels and long hours body weight increased to ~170 lbs over the next couple months. This may not seem like a significant change, however, uncorrected is exactly the kind of problem that leads to long term obesity. What was the cause of this? I believe that the stress factor had a lot to do with it. It is not uncommon to hear someone talking about stress eating or emotional eating. This is not (always) an excuse for a lousy diet. Carbohydrates increase the level of Serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is often associated with positive emotions and can have a calming effect on the nervous system. Ever notice how when you're in a foul mood or exceptionally stressed you are not craving a lean steak and green vegetables, but rather a jelly doughnut and chocolate chip cookies? This is a possible explanation as to why.
Given the large amount of stress placed on my psyche via multiple jobs and full time enrollment as as student, the burden placed on my brain was immense. The solution? My body told me to eat things that (in spite of health and physique) would benefit my cognitive state and mood. (The weight gain should not be solely accredited to this, as I was not exercising nearly as much as before due to the time restraints of the previously stated obligations).
Pressure of Circumstance: This is where I really wanted to post in this blog. While the above story is also an example of a circumstance imposing pressure to do something out of the ordinary but out of "necessity", there is another direction I would like to go that better suits the intentions of this blog. I'd like to take a moment and ponder the thesis that I stated in the beginning of this post. "Necessity breeds the monster begotten in us all."
One of the things implied by that statement is that we are all, in a sense, monsters. That is that there is an insatiable, irrational, unpredictable, vulgar and savage creature begotten (born as part of, and not made from) within us. There are philosophers numerous and various that will assure you that human beings are inherently evil, ie: "monstrous", and are anything but "humane." Pessimism of the human condition is not what I am advocating here. However, whatever view you hold of the state of humanity, it would be intolerably ignorant to ignore the "monstrosities" that have shaped and molded bold society and humanity since their inception. It is certain, one must admit, that if humans are not innately monstrous than there is at the very least an innate possibility, perhaps propensity, for humans to act as if they were monsters.
Moving on to the other part of the thesis; does necessity cause this possibility to flourish? By definition it certainly increases this possibility. But there is a specific word used in the thesis, it is not increase, or enhance, or strengthen, but breed. Breeding is a type of artificial selection (to play on Darwin's Natural Selection theory). It is a forced outcome of offspring. With that in mind the ideas of this thesis should come together. Literally the thesis would state; "The pressure of circumstance forcibly propagates the inherent un-human characteristics and potential that is innate to everyone."
In short, the pressure of a particular circumstance may cause a person to act out of character. This is necessity's finest hour. This is where the irrational and emotional override all this is rational and possibly all that is "human." It should be noted that this does not have to be an impulsive situation. Necessity can play over a long period of time. The particular situation I am referring to in my own experience lasted about three months. If an example is needed, here is one that I find appeals to my humanistic side:
It has become common knowledge that smoking cigarettes increases a person's probability to develop cancer. The role of health care providers is to ensure the health and treatment of illness and injury of others. Yet, many doctors and nurses smoke cigarettes. Why? There is an extreme amount of stress associated with working in the healthcare industry. Cigarettes or binge drinking may be poor choices of emotional outlets, but they are crutches (normally used with a negative connotation) and coping mechanisms that provide temporary relief to a burdening situation. One could also use the example of a truck driver taking up the habit of smoking to A) keep him/her awake on long drives and/or B) so that he/she does not have to stop, sacrificing time and money, to eat or sleep
The other part of the thesis that needs to be addressed is the verb usage. I did not say that necessity can or may or will increase the probability of, I stated that it does. That is, the result is certain. I believe that on a long enough time span, our psyche will collapse and give into pressure (of whatever kind). There is simply not enough willpower or cognitive horsepower available to the psyche to sustain a long-term struggle. If that is the case, certain behavioral, social, and cognitive dysfunctions are sure to develop. Hence we subconsciously make a decision (at some point) in a matter of nanoseconds; weighing the benefits/risks of our "crutches" versus the undesirable outcome of whatever pressures we are facing. What is your crutch? Is a drug? Is it psychotherapy? Or is it simply exercise or hobby?
In summary, for better or worse, it seems apparent that necessity does (in fact) breed the monster begotten in us all.
As always,
Thank you for reading.
...and, I do not endorse, profit from, or receive benefits from any of the links provided within this post.
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