Introduction In previous posts we have profiled each of the three pre-Human mentalities: the reptilian mind (as seen in Donald Trump’s behavior), the old mammalian mind (as seen in Temple Grandin’s understanding of animals), and the new mammalian mind (as seen in Tara Westover’s intellectual journey). These profiles are not meant to demonize anyone, but […]
Fences, Neighbors, and Zoos
My friend and colleague, Dr. Paul Lehman, writes an informative and incisive blog, America’s Race Problem. In his most recent post, “Paul R. Lehman, Our history tells us why the mob stormed the Capitol,” Paul describes the attitudes of America’s earliest “white” settlers toward the indigenous people—an attitude he links to the violent assault upon the U.S. […]
Introduction In the quadrune mind model of spirituality, there is no spiritual merit in the killing of another person—ever. In this blog we will describe some moral arguments for killing other people and indicate which level of pre-Human consciousness, as described in the quadrune mind model, best corresponds. We will end with an examination of the circumstances […]
(Good but Weak, Strong but Bad, or Good and Strong) Background During the 1960s a popular and accessible model of psychotherapy, Transactional Analysis (TA), was developed by Eric Berne. Berne described his approach in his famous book, Games People Play. Everyone will recognize the players in TA’s examples of transactional “games.” TA continues to be a […]
Introduction I developed this model of behavioral change during my work as a mental health counselor. However, this model is presented here solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be used in place of professional counseling. Originally, these steps to change were not associated with the quadrune mind model of spiritual consciousness. However, […]
(Understanding What Is Good, Great, Evil, and Human) Introduction Most of us believe that people possess one mind. Sometimes that mind has the wisdom and courage to declare in the face of widespread civil violence: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies”—a thought that surely comes to us from “the better angels of our nature.” Other […]
Creationism is a dramatic story. The Supreme God commands the universe into existence, touching the earth to make humanity. But I think a more powerful story is the extraordinary evolutionary force that brings a universe into existence and gives rise to stars, life, and human consciousness. Every atom in our bodies was once stardust. Biblically, angels […]
Introduction The quadrune mind model of consciousness describes four levels of consciousness, or minds, which can emerge from the human brain. Each level of consciousness, when it is the dominant mind, will produce a distinct pattern of behaviors in our adulthood. These levels of consciousness are associated with different groups of our pre-human ancestors and stages of […]
The quadrune mind model of consciousness states that the human brain can support not one, but four distinctly different minds. Three of these minds are associated with parts of our brain that we share with our evolutionary ancestors: reptiles, herd mammals, and primate mammals. The fourth mind in this model, associated with the newest part […]
Thomas L. Friedman recently wrote a New York Times opinion piece in which he warned that America is becoming like Lebanon—a place where everything is politics. The issues Freidman raise are perfect examples of why the quadrune mind model is important in real life. What he calls “politics” is the old mammalian group/herd mentality. And the warnings he […]