Politics vs. Psychosis

Vitriolic political discourse did not incite Jared Lee Loughner to shoot twelve people in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve tried to understand how someone could reach such fallacious conclusions beyond wanting to increase ratings and reader traffic. I’ve tried to get beyond the fact that I’m a psychologist...

January 14th, 2011 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

The Rebirth of Awesome

Stephen Hawking recently told us that God didn’t create the universe; gravity did. Hawking said that the existence of life necessitates conditions under which life can evolve (we’ll sidestep the tautology of this argument for now). We shouldn’t be so surprised that we’re here and we’re not...

September 28th, 2010 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

The Myth of Modern Courtship

Ten or fifteen years ago, “courtship” became a buzzword in Evangelical culture. Books like Joshua Harris’ I Kissed Dating Goodbye* and Elisabeth Elliot’s Passion and Purity popularized the notion of replacing dating with antediluvian courtship rituals. It started a lot of conversations and sold...

September 2nd, 2010 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

Dexter, Breaking Bad, and the Underbelly of the American Dream

I like television shows where messed up people do good things in bad ways. Lately, however, I’ve been more interested in the cultural fascination with stories featuring Machiavellian protagonists. See, I’m not the only one who likes Dexter, Breaking Bad, The Godfather, The Sopranos, and several other...

July 12th, 2010 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

Beyond the Old Soul

When I was thirteen, I liked the idea that my soul was distinct from my body. I was fifty pounds overweight with acne that bordered on leprosy. More than a few people thought I needed braces. I hated my body. I shouldn’t have, but embodiment is a tough nut to crack when you’re crazy about girls...

May 13th, 2010 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

My First Yoga Class and the Importance of Consent

I had a bi-level spinal fusion in April 2009, but my back still hurts. My surgeon keeps moving the goalposts every time I tell him this. “It will take three months for you to notice a difference,” he said at first. Three months later, he tells me six months. At six months he said, “Well, for some...

March 25th, 2010 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

The Geologist from Hell

Here’s why there was an horrific earthquake in Haiti: It sits on an unstable fault line between two tectonic plates, just like the one a few miles away from where I sit in Southern California. The awful, simple truth is that the beautiful island of Hispaniola rests on a piece of the planet that’s...

January 15th, 2010 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

Lies, Doggone Lies, and Statistics

My wife TiVo’s The View and watches it at night. Sometimes I’ll catch a snippet while I’m waiting for my turn to watch Friday Night Lights, The Office, or Sportscenter. I do not watch The View on purpose. Ever. When I do it’s only for the sake of my marriage. Let it go. Anyway, I heard one of...

November 30th, 2009 | Columns, Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

Going Green

Let’s get something out of the way: I don’t smoke weed. As a psychologist, I discourage recreational use of marijuana. Chronic use can result in permanent neurological changes that give you Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. And smoking a joint has about the same effect on your lungs as half...

October 27th, 2009 | Featured, Spirit in the Material World | Read More

Toward Real Alternatives

The Kava plant grows in southeast Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. Pacific Islanders have known about its calming properties for centuries. They use the plant in beverage form to treat anxiety and insomnia. It’s also popular with tourists trying to relax into a vacation. One benefit of Kava...

September 29th, 2009 | Spirit in the Material World | Read More

Spirit in the Material World