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cartesian dualism
May 2008 
The Philosophy of Talk Therapy (resolving the Cartesian Split)
Posted on May 27th, 2007
by 
Steven
Steven
Anyone whose practice involves psychology, science, or religion will at one time or another face the questions inherent in Cartesian dualism; whether the mind and body are separate and if so how they can interact. Moreover this holds true whether you be a surgical M.D., brain researcher, a professor of theology, or a talk therapist. In addition, for chapters now, I've been telling you things about something I've discovered; the actual mechanism which connects the mind. And what this discovery implies. In the next few chapters, we'll explore the history and science behind these statements. Who and what I'm basing my work on, and how I can be so bold. Beginning in this chapter of Plain Talk about Talk Therapy.
Philosophy again? Ah, come on already . . .
To Rene Descartes, there were two kinds of experiences. The experiences of the mind and the experiences of the body. And while philosophers before and after him have said many similar things, from his writings on, no serious philosopher could ignore this idea. Or the problems it created. Mainly how two such seemingly disparate experiences could possibly exist let alone interact. As well as how they could sum to a single person. In other words, if what Descartes said is right, meaning, if the experiences of the mind and the experiences of the body are truly the ingestions and outpourings of two separate and distinct substances (the physical and the non physical), how can we, at the same time, experience life as a single being?
Why bring up Descartes again? Because for several chapters now, we've been exploring the implications of a recent discovery I've made. The actual mechanism which connects the mind and body; our perception of time. In this chapter then I'll begin to ground these discussions with the work of others. As well as with the science behind my claims; that I've found a way to potentially cure ADD. And the over eating part of obesity.
The thing is, in several cases, I've already accomplished this and am now in the process of exploring many more conditions. Things like stuttering. And dyslexia. And anxieties related to playing music. And repetitive motion injuries. And the psychophysical parts of addiction.
Of course, I am well aware of how all this sounds; too good to be true to be sure. In fact, were I reading these words, I'd probably feel the same. The thing is, I've based what I've been telling you on years of practice and have the case studies to back it up. Thus if you'll reserve your judgments a bit longer, I promise to make it all clear.
Know that unlike most folks who discuss mind body dualism, I have no interest in debating these questions philosophically. Nor do I wish to offer you a new logic. Rather, I simply wish to present you with a pragmatic solution to what has been a seemingly unsolvable dilemma. How the body and mind can connect.
Where will we begin? With a brief recounting of how philosophy has attempted to solve this problem. Why philosophy? Because beneath all therapies, there is a philosophy. A set of assumptions as to how we work. It is from these assumptions in fact that all talk therapists proceed. Moreover, even outside of talk therapy, we still face these questions in our everyday life. Can't see how? Well consider this.
Do you ascribe to any sort of spiritual beliefs? The differences between the temporal self and the eternal self? Or whether we have a soul which survives physical death? If so, then you have made assumptions about Cartesian Dualism.
How about the arguments between science and religion. Ever find yourself taking sides? Or wondering why they fight? They fight because they believe different things about Cartesian Dualism.
How about holistic health care? Are you a person who tries to care for both her mind and her body? Do the right thing for your health? If so, then you've made personal assumptions about Cartesian Dualism.
Then there's talk therapy. And the issues we all struggle with most. Like our parents dying. Abortion and illness. And the issues behind raising children. Ever face any of these issues? If so, then you have had to face the problems inherent in Cartesian Dualism. The mind body connection. And how it works.
What am I saying? I'm saying that whatever your beliefs and interests, we all, in some way, make assumptions about Cartesian Dualism. Even folks who have never heard of Descartes and have no interest in philosophy. Speaking of which, did you know that in Descartes' time, he would not have considered himself a "philosopher." Nor would any other like minded person. Rather, this title; "philosopher," is merely the way we have come to refer to folks who spend their lives exploring the nature of things. Including some folks we do call philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle. As well as some of science's brightest folks, such as physicists Richard Feynman and Fritjof Capra.
Have you ever read the doctoral parchment of a Ph.D. psychologist? If so, then you have in all likelihood read the words, "Doctor of Philosophy." Which means we could include these folks in the philosopher group too.
Interestingly enough, were you to consult a book on the history of mathematics, you'd find Descartes listed in there as well. Right along with many other famous philosophers like Pythagoras and Leibniz and Pascal. And if you were to page through a book on the history of science, you'd find Descartes listed in there too. Along with many other famous philosophers such as Plato, Kant, Helmholtz and so on.
My point?
Even if you do not consider yourself a "philosopher," if you are reading this book, then you may as well admit it. You are one at heart. And if you struggle to believe what I've just said, then know you are in good company. None of these famous philosophers saw himself as a "philosopher" either. Rather, they were all just folks looking to learn more about the human condition. And if you feel this same desire then you are a philosopher as well.
Why focus so much on philosophy? Because no one who aspires to be a better person can escape the philosophical questions. Including the dilemma implied by Descartes dualism. So yes, while some prefer to call these questions dilemmas of the mind body connection and others, questions about the Cartesian Split or Cartesian Dualism, what you call them matters little. The fact is, anyone interested in human nature must ask philosophical questions. Including questions about the mystery of the mind body connection.
Now allow me to tell you what we are about to do. What exactly will we be doing?
First, I'm going to take you on a ten cent tour through the beliefs of four philosophers; Descartes, Spinoza, Herbart, and Leibniz. Brief mentions only about their thoughts on dualism. Nothing too deep and fanciful. I promise. Hopefully we'll get through most of this in this chapter.
In the next chapter then, I'm going to show you how what they have to say about dualism relates to a modern technology. Specifically to the technology behind digital systems; how everything from DVD players to whole rooms full of equipment manage to stay in sync with each other.
Why parallel philosophy with this technology? Because it turns out that the key to understanding how the mind and body connect lies in understanding the physics behind modern digital technology. Thus we're going to be doing a bit of psychophysical reverse engineering.
Oops. Did I just use lose you? If so, I can certainly understand. This little phrase; psychophysical reverse engineering, is a mouthful. At the same time, it is also the primary vehicle from which I've made my discoveries. On dualism. On human nature. And on everything else. Which means I must at least briefly touch on what this phrase means before we launch into our discussion.
What is psychophysical reverse engineering? It is using the laws of physics to discover the laws of psychology. The laws of the natural world to reveal the laws of human nature.
Know I am not the first person to seek knowledge this way. Far from it. For instance, many famous philosophers have walked on this same path. Which is why I suppose so many of them also made discoveries in science and math. Socrates to Spinoza. Carneades to Kant.
What do we gain by doing this though? We gain insights into how non physical things like the mind; psychology, can connect to physical things such as us to our bodies; physical health, for instance. As well as us to other people. Which makes contrasting and comparing human psychology with technology with an incredibly useful tool.
We also gain something equally valuable. A way in which to know if what we believe about human nature is true. You see, if the world is truly psychophysical, then whatever we say about our psyches must be mirrored in the laws underlying our technology. Why? Because this is just the way we are. We make things in our likeness and image. Which means when things in psychology do not mirror things in the world of physics, our assumptions as to what is true become suspect. And may be false.
Of course to call this process psychophysical reverse engineering is to give it a modern spin. However people have been practicing this idea for hundreds of years. Moreover, I'm not even the first person to call what I'm doing, psychophysical. People were using this word in the seventeenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century though, it seems this word fell out of favor, as the hard physical sciences began to push the soft sciences into the new age closet. Ergo the current crop of "there is no God" books.
Finally, before we begin, I'd like to share with you what William James said about the mind body connection at the end of the nineteenth century. After years of exploring the same questions we'll be discussing here, he wrote, "the simplest psycho-physic formula and the last word of a psychology which contents itself with verifiable laws, and seeks only to be clear and to avoid unsafe hypotheses, would appear to be a blank unmediated correspondence, term for term, of the successive states of consciousness with the succession of total brain processes . . ."
Yes. These words are dense and difficult. After all, James is one of the greatest geniuses of all time. Even so, isn't it amazing how what James advises us to do here so mirrors what the brain researches of today are doing?
So what was James' solution to the mind body dilemma? Unfortunately, just when you think he is going to offer us his answer, he admits he does not know. He then goes on to say that we should continue "to live on the raged edge" of not knowing rather than indulge in the "spiritual chloroform" of admitting defeat.
We have been living on this raged edge for a long time now. Are you ready for an answer which I think would have satisfied even a consummate pragmatist like James? If so, here we go.
[click here to read the rest of The Philosophy of Talk Therapy (resolving the Cartesian Split)]
Philosophy again? Ah, come on already . . .
To Rene Descartes, there were two kinds of experiences. The experiences of the mind and the experiences of the body. And while philosophers before and after him have said many similar things, from his writings on, no serious philosopher could ignore this idea. Or the problems it created. Mainly how two such seemingly disparate experiences could possibly exist let alone interact. As well as how they could sum to a single person. In other words, if what Descartes said is right, meaning, if the experiences of the mind and the experiences of the body are truly the ingestions and outpourings of two separate and distinct substances (the physical and the non physical), how can we, at the same time, experience life as a single being?
Why bring up Descartes again? Because for several chapters now, we've been exploring the implications of a recent discovery I've made. The actual mechanism which connects the mind and body; our perception of time. In this chapter then I'll begin to ground these discussions with the work of others. As well as with the science behind my claims; that I've found a way to potentially cure ADD. And the over eating part of obesity.
The thing is, in several cases, I've already accomplished this and am now in the process of exploring many more conditions. Things like stuttering. And dyslexia. And anxieties related to playing music. And repetitive motion injuries. And the psychophysical parts of addiction.
Of course, I am well aware of how all this sounds; too good to be true to be sure. In fact, were I reading these words, I'd probably feel the same. The thing is, I've based what I've been telling you on years of practice and have the case studies to back it up. Thus if you'll reserve your judgments a bit longer, I promise to make it all clear.
Know that unlike most folks who discuss mind body dualism, I have no interest in debating these questions philosophically. Nor do I wish to offer you a new logic. Rather, I simply wish to present you with a pragmatic solution to what has been a seemingly unsolvable dilemma. How the body and mind can connect.
Where will we begin? With a brief recounting of how philosophy has attempted to solve this problem. Why philosophy? Because beneath all therapies, there is a philosophy. A set of assumptions as to how we work. It is from these assumptions in fact that all talk therapists proceed. Moreover, even outside of talk therapy, we still face these questions in our everyday life. Can't see how? Well consider this.
Do you ascribe to any sort of spiritual beliefs? The differences between the temporal self and the eternal self? Or whether we have a soul which survives physical death? If so, then you have made assumptions about Cartesian Dualism.
How about the arguments between science and religion. Ever find yourself taking sides? Or wondering why they fight? They fight because they believe different things about Cartesian Dualism.
How about holistic health care? Are you a person who tries to care for both her mind and her body? Do the right thing for your health? If so, then you've made personal assumptions about Cartesian Dualism.
Then there's talk therapy. And the issues we all struggle with most. Like our parents dying. Abortion and illness. And the issues behind raising children. Ever face any of these issues? If so, then you have had to face the problems inherent in Cartesian Dualism. The mind body connection. And how it works.
What am I saying? I'm saying that whatever your beliefs and interests, we all, in some way, make assumptions about Cartesian Dualism. Even folks who have never heard of Descartes and have no interest in philosophy. Speaking of which, did you know that in Descartes' time, he would not have considered himself a "philosopher." Nor would any other like minded person. Rather, this title; "philosopher," is merely the way we have come to refer to folks who spend their lives exploring the nature of things. Including some folks we do call philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle. As well as some of science's brightest folks, such as physicists Richard Feynman and Fritjof Capra.
Have you ever read the doctoral parchment of a Ph.D. psychologist? If so, then you have in all likelihood read the words, "Doctor of Philosophy." Which means we could include these folks in the philosopher group too.
Interestingly enough, were you to consult a book on the history of mathematics, you'd find Descartes listed in there as well. Right along with many other famous philosophers like Pythagoras and Leibniz and Pascal. And if you were to page through a book on the history of science, you'd find Descartes listed in there too. Along with many other famous philosophers such as Plato, Kant, Helmholtz and so on.
My point?
Even if you do not consider yourself a "philosopher," if you are reading this book, then you may as well admit it. You are one at heart. And if you struggle to believe what I've just said, then know you are in good company. None of these famous philosophers saw himself as a "philosopher" either. Rather, they were all just folks looking to learn more about the human condition. And if you feel this same desire then you are a philosopher as well.
Why focus so much on philosophy? Because no one who aspires to be a better person can escape the philosophical questions. Including the dilemma implied by Descartes dualism. So yes, while some prefer to call these questions dilemmas of the mind body connection and others, questions about the Cartesian Split or Cartesian Dualism, what you call them matters little. The fact is, anyone interested in human nature must ask philosophical questions. Including questions about the mystery of the mind body connection.
Now allow me to tell you what we are about to do. What exactly will we be doing?
First, I'm going to take you on a ten cent tour through the beliefs of four philosophers; Descartes, Spinoza, Herbart, and Leibniz. Brief mentions only about their thoughts on dualism. Nothing too deep and fanciful. I promise. Hopefully we'll get through most of this in this chapter.
In the next chapter then, I'm going to show you how what they have to say about dualism relates to a modern technology. Specifically to the technology behind digital systems; how everything from DVD players to whole rooms full of equipment manage to stay in sync with each other.
Why parallel philosophy with this technology? Because it turns out that the key to understanding how the mind and body connect lies in understanding the physics behind modern digital technology. Thus we're going to be doing a bit of psychophysical reverse engineering.
Oops. Did I just use lose you? If so, I can certainly understand. This little phrase; psychophysical reverse engineering, is a mouthful. At the same time, it is also the primary vehicle from which I've made my discoveries. On dualism. On human nature. And on everything else. Which means I must at least briefly touch on what this phrase means before we launch into our discussion.
What is psychophysical reverse engineering? It is using the laws of physics to discover the laws of psychology. The laws of the natural world to reveal the laws of human nature.
Know I am not the first person to seek knowledge this way. Far from it. For instance, many famous philosophers have walked on this same path. Which is why I suppose so many of them also made discoveries in science and math. Socrates to Spinoza. Carneades to Kant.
What do we gain by doing this though? We gain insights into how non physical things like the mind; psychology, can connect to physical things such as us to our bodies; physical health, for instance. As well as us to other people. Which makes contrasting and comparing human psychology with technology with an incredibly useful tool.
We also gain something equally valuable. A way in which to know if what we believe about human nature is true. You see, if the world is truly psychophysical, then whatever we say about our psyches must be mirrored in the laws underlying our technology. Why? Because this is just the way we are. We make things in our likeness and image. Which means when things in psychology do not mirror things in the world of physics, our assumptions as to what is true become suspect. And may be false.
Of course to call this process psychophysical reverse engineering is to give it a modern spin. However people have been practicing this idea for hundreds of years. Moreover, I'm not even the first person to call what I'm doing, psychophysical. People were using this word in the seventeenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century though, it seems this word fell out of favor, as the hard physical sciences began to push the soft sciences into the new age closet. Ergo the current crop of "there is no God" books.
Finally, before we begin, I'd like to share with you what William James said about the mind body connection at the end of the nineteenth century. After years of exploring the same questions we'll be discussing here, he wrote, "the simplest psycho-physic formula and the last word of a psychology which contents itself with verifiable laws, and seeks only to be clear and to avoid unsafe hypotheses, would appear to be a blank unmediated correspondence, term for term, of the successive states of consciousness with the succession of total brain processes . . ."
Yes. These words are dense and difficult. After all, James is one of the greatest geniuses of all time. Even so, isn't it amazing how what James advises us to do here so mirrors what the brain researches of today are doing?
So what was James' solution to the mind body dilemma? Unfortunately, just when you think he is going to offer us his answer, he admits he does not know. He then goes on to say that we should continue "to live on the raged edge" of not knowing rather than indulge in the "spiritual chloroform" of admitting defeat.
We have been living on this raged edge for a long time now. Are you ready for an answer which I think would have satisfied even a consummate pragmatist like James? If so, here we go.
[click here to read the rest of The Philosophy of Talk Therapy (resolving the Cartesian Split)]
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