Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World

📣 📣 I’m excited to announce that this summer I will be launching a mental health app called MindScribe! MindScribe is a self-help journaling app that employs the power of the research-backed Expressive Writing intervention to help people process their trauma and stress. Alongside the expressive writing tool, it uses a suite of wellness features to help people heal, both mind and body. When we were in the height of the pandemic and the awareness of racial trauma reached an inflection point around the world, I felt compelled to produce a tool that could help people cope when life gets tough, and I think MindScribe is just what the world needs. I’m so excited to introduce this amazing app to the world in the next few months. Stay tuned for the release date. 🎉🎉🎉

www.drjermainethomas.com

Hey, everyone. Check out my latest YouTube video: “Did Black-Africans Invent the Alphabet?”

https://youtu.be/tYdTps0F-c8.

Feel free to Like, Subscribe, or Comment in the comments section on YouTube. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

DID BLACK-AFRICANS INVENT THE ALPHABET? Patreon: www.patreon.com/jermainethomasTwitter Handle: : www.drjermainethomas.comThis video explains the little-known fact that Black ...

Is Christianity an adapted copy of the ancient Egyptian spiritual system? Find out by listening (10 min, 43 sec) to my latest Patreon article here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/is-christianity-60444898

On the Importance of Physical Touch

Listen here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57959199 (1 min, 42 sec).

In 1945, an Austrian-American psychoanalyst named Rene Spitz studied babies who were hospitalized for prolonged periods of time (several months to a year) and separated from their caretakers (Spitz, 1945). Spitz found that although these babies were provided with sufficient nourishment while in the hospital, many of them failed to thrive and struggled with intractable psychological and physical problems. Worst yet, approximately one-third of the babies died because they did not receive enough physical touch (Brown & Elliot, 2016). This seminal study demonstrated how important nurturing physical contact is to one’s physical and psychological well-being. Although adults will not die if they’re not physically touched, enduring protracted periods of physical distance from others can undoubtedly have a deleterious effect on people’s mental health. To put it simply, unsatiated touch-hunger is stressful.

It has been found that social isolation and the absence of touch can increase one’s stress levels and anxiety. Conversely, physical touch has been shown to have both an analgesic (reduces pain) and anxiolytic effect (reduces anxiety) on people, as it releases the neuropeptide oxytocin in our blood stream. Oxytocin has been affectionately named the “cuddle hormone” (Brown & Elliot, 2016).

In sum, we are biologically wired to experience a reduction in pain and anxiety when we’re physically touched by a caring other. So, if you, your children, or your romantic partner ever seem crabby, it might be due to skin hunger, and physical touch just might be the antidote that’s needed.

References:

Brown, D. & Elliot, D. (2016). Attachment disturbances in adults: Treatment for comprehensive repair. W. W. Norton & Company.

Spitz, R. (1945). Hospitalism: An inquiry into the genesis of psychiatric conditions in early childhood. Psychoanalytic Study of Child, 1, 53-74.

Do atheists and theists have anything in common? Find out by reading or listening (3 min, 06 sec) to my most recent Patreon article titled, "What Do Theists and Atheists Have in Common?" The link to the article can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57324753

If you like this article and want access to exclusive content, consider becoming a patron for as little as $1/ month.

“Why are you looking around for help? Do you believe that help will come from outside? What is to come is created in you and from you. Hence look into yourself. Do not compare, do not measure. No other way is like yours. All other ways deceive and tempt you. You must fulfil the way that is in you.”

- Carl Jung, The Red Book

Do you know what the original ancient Egyptian (Kemetic) meaning of Christ (KRST) is? Find out by reading or listening to my latest Patreon article titled, "The Butterfly and KRST-Consciousness." You can find the link to the article here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56824171

The Butterfly and KRST-Consciousness (Audio) [Jermaine Thomas, PsyD] | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Official Post from Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World

Ever wonder why Europe conquered Africa and not the other way around? Find the answer to this question by reading or listening (11 min, 51 sec) to my latest Patreon essay titled, "Why Did Europe Colonize Africa and Not the Other Way Around?" The link can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56529592

Are you struggling with communication in your relationship? Allow me to help. You can now listen to the audio transcription of my article titled, "Resolving Marital Conflict: A Road Map on How to Fight Fair with Your Spouse" (14 min, 51 sec). The link to the article can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55729814

Resolving Marital Conflict: A Road Map on How to Fight Fair with Your Spouse (Audio Version) [Jermaine Thomas, PsyD] | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Official Post from Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World

Hey, are you struggling to make a decision? If so, check out my latest Patreon post titled, "If You Can't Figure It Out, Go With Your Gut." It can be found by following this link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55680908

If You Can’t Figure It Out, Go With Your Gut (Audio) [Jermaine Thomas, PsyD] | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Official Post from Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World

The truth is finally told!

https://youtu.be/3foCSWVCx1Y

Joel Freeman: Ancient Egypt (The Untold Facts) Ancient Egypt, the untold facts.Black Egypt: The Beginning- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTyMpuTL8OwIntroduction to African Civilizations (Paperback) by Jo...

What is the Purpose of Life?

The purpose of life is to rediscover your divinity. Before being born in a corporeal body, you were once in complete oneness with the divine creator. At that time, your divinity was fully realized. However, when you were born, you lost the awareness of your divinity. One of the most important tasks in life is to remember your divinity. This is why the ancient Kemites encouraged people to “know thyself.” In other words, know or remember that you are divine.

Given that human beings are divine but are born unaware of this, it naturally begs the following question: Why would God create a world in which human beings are born unaware of their divinity, but then are tasked with regaining the awareness of their true identity? An ancient Jewish koan partly answers this question. The question is – “What does an omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent being lack?” When considering the classic attributes of God, it would appear that such a being has everything, but that is indeed where the answer lies. Such a being lacks limitation. When God created human beings in their image, their aim is to experience limitation through the constraints of humanity (note that the neutral gender pronoun, “their,” is being used because God or Elohim is both symbolically masculine and feminine). Conversely, when human beings realize their divinity, we’re then able to experience the infinite. The creation of humans is thus a balanced trade-off between God's desire to experience limitation in human form (e.g., hunger, drowsiness, pain, aging, memory loss, etc.), and humanity's desire to experience the infinite through divine identification (e.g., a nearly boundless capacity for knowledge, a vast creative capacity, an immortal soul that survives corporeal death, etc.).

Much of learning is just remembering what you once knew when you were in complete oneness with the divine creator. Once you understand that you are divine (Psalms 82:6; John 10:34-36), your task in life is to become a co-creator with the ultimate creator and craft a meaningful life for yourself and others. You can regain the awareness of your divinity by studying different disciplines, and develop a meaningful life by taking on personal responsibility for yourself, your family, and your community. Moreover, it’s your task to make them all better, and you can do this by improving yourself daily.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/55065568

My latest Patreon audio post (53 min, 04 sec) may ruffle some feathers, but the truth often does. Check out my latest post titled, “The Symbolic Meaning of the Story of Christ and Its Ancient Afro-Egyptian Roots.” Follow this link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52562013

This epigraph captures it in a nutshell:

"While Christian scholars will readily admit the influence of Zoroastrianism on Christianity, they would go to any length to deny that basic tenets of their religion such as Life After Death, Resurrection, the Trinity, the Ten Commandments and others, are of Egyptian origin. The reason for such denial . . . [is that] Christianity is always presented as the only true religion, the only way to salvation, and as such, it could not have borrowed anything from a religion they have dubbed pagan or heathen. In their eagerness to elevate Christianity, the Christian theologians have to downgrade Egyptian religion, and by extension, African religion in general as pagan and demon worship." – Harrison Ola. Akingbade, PhD

Is logic more important than emotions or vise versa? Find out by subscribing to my Patreon page and listening to my latest audio post titled, "Logic or Emotion? Which Mental Faculty is Superior?" (15 min, 26 sec). You can find the link here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52046300

Check out my latest Patreon audio (6 min, 26 sec) post titled, "How Do You Determine Capital ‘T’ Truth?" It can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50911499

Are you struggling to understand your child's misbehavior? Check out my latest Patreon audio publication titled, "Demystifying Your Child's Misbehavior." The link to the publication can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50604495. If you liked this publication and would like access to others like it, consider becoming a patron for as little as $1/month. Thanks in advance for the support.

Demystifying Your Child’s Misbehavior (Audio Version) [Jermaine Thomas, PsyD] | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Official Post from Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World

“There are, for example, conflicts of duty no one knows how to solve. Consciousness only knows: tertium non datur [law of the excluded middle]! The doctor therefore advises his patient to wait and see whether the unconscious will not produce a dream which proposes an irrational and therefore unexpected third thing as a solution. As experience shows, symbols of a reconciling and unitive nature do in fact turn up in dreams, the most frequent being the motif of the child-hero and the squaring of the circle, signifying the union of opposites. Those who have no access to these specifically medical experiences can derive practical instruction from fairy tales, and particularly alchemy” (Jung, 1969/1952, p. 454).

https://www.patreon.com/posts/49134451

What Does it Mean to be Made in God’s Image? A Meditation for Your New Year’s Resolution (Audio Version) | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Official Post from Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World

Hey, everyone! Check out my latest Patreon article titled, "The Religious and Scientific Mind: What's the Brain Got to Do With It?" Become a patron and gain access to this article and many other exclusive articles for as little as $1/month. You'll find the link to the article here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48459314. If you don't have the time to read and you'd prefer to listen, you can find the audio version (3 min, 51 sec) of the article here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48476801.

The Religious and Scientific Mind: What's the Brain Got to Do With It? (Audio Version) | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Join Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon to get access to this post and more benefits.

“Like every other human being, I am a splinter of the infinite deity.” - Carl Jung

Hey, everyone! Check out my latest Patreon article titled, "Why is Evil Symbolized as a Snake?" You can find the link here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42173098. Consider subscribing for as little as $1 a month in order to gain access to exclusive content.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"Today, most modern people do not encounter snakes in their everyday lives, but when we occasionally do, it often results in paroxysmal anxiety. Given that this is the case, it stands to reason that we often symbolize evil as a snake. For example, in the Book of Genesis, Satan, the ultimate personification of evil, is depicted as a snake within the Garden of Eden. Additionally, in the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort appears reptilian, and he is almost always accompanied by a terrifying snake named Nagini. Lastly, Venom is one of the antagonists in the Spider-Man series, and he is also a serpentine figure. The regularity of this pattern is an indication that the depiction of evil as a snake is largely archetypal (Jung, 1938/1969). In other words, snakes are an inveterate psychological phenomenon that pervades the collective unconscious of all human beings primarily due to our shared evolutionary heritage."

There have been many complaints made about the high rates of intraracial homicide within select pockets of the Black community. However, many are unaware that this phenomenon is largely due to historic trauma and systemic racism. If you'd like to learn more about this, please read my latest Patreon article, "What about Black on Black Crime?" It can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38897285. Also, I've devised a 10-point plan that would resolve this issue, and it is as follows:

1. The phenomenon of mass incarceration needs to end. In order for this to occur, privatized prisons need to be deconstructed, or businesses that rely upon prison labor must either pay prisoners a fair wage or discontinue such labor practices altogether.

2. Non-violent drug offenses need to either be decriminalized or absolved of their felony status. This is important so that Black men are not legally prevented from the social mobility that is necessary in order for them to thrive in life.

3. After being incarcerated for an offense, one has paid their debt to society. Consequently, the policies that are in place which keep those with prison records from gaining access to social supports and privileges (e.g., public housing, food stamps, employment, professional licenses, financial aid, and voting rights), must be abrogated. These policies which relegate felons to a second-class status akin to the rank that many Black men held during the Jim Crow era results in many returning to a life of crime and/or drug offenses to survive or to quell their angst. This then inevitably leads to recidivism.

4. Black men must be provided with well-paying job opportunities. This ought to be facilitated by incentivizing large businesses to nest an arm of their company within inner-city communities. Additionally, providing financial incentives for Blacks to learn marketable trades is important as well.

5. There needs to be more funding for schools and greater compensation for teachers that educate students within low-income communities.

6. There ought to be legislation enacted that atones for the Great Society welfare policies of the 1960s, which incentivized father absenteeism and divorce. I suggest an act that would financially incentivize people to marry, called the Marital Incentive Act (MIA). The Marital Incentive Act (MIA) is a suitable name given all the fathers that have been missing in action for decades. I believe that it would be to our nation’s benefit if the federal government incentivized marital intactness through financial subsidies that share the same ilk as the standard welfare programs. With the 2020 presidential election on the horizon, former presidential hopeful, Andrew Yang, proposed a unique initiative that might be the very solution that is needed. Yang proposed the Freedom Dividend, which was a plan that would guarantee each American adult $1,000 a month. He argued that this proposal could be funded by instituting a value-added tax on technology, given that automation is slated to dispossess many of their jobs. When considering the viability of this idea, it made me think that, in principle, our nation has the means to reward, rather than punish, intact marriages via monthly subsidies. I propose that we allot $500 a month to each married couple and a tax credit that can be dispersed via annual income tax returns. I believe that this is something that can be implemented in addition to or in place of Yang’s policies.

7. Given the trauma that Blacks have had to endure throughout this nation’s history, there needs to be an initiative that facilitates access to quality mental health services. Additionally, I believe that mental health services should be subsidized for Blacks by the federal government if they are unable to afford services. Also, given that the pool of Black mental health professionals is so shallow, Blacks, particularly Black men, ought to be incentivized to go into the mental health field. This can be achieved if the government ensures that their education will be paid for. This will also increase the likelihood that Blacks will pursue mental health treatment, as they can be rest assured that there are therapists that they can solicit services from who look like them and are more likely to understand their experience at a tacit level.

8. Our society needs to discontinue the sanitization of history being taught in schools. History courses ought to expose students to the dark past of this country, particularly what Blacks have experienced due to racism. Furthermore, students ought to be educated on the utility of being aware of such history so that terrible atrocities from the past are not repeated, and people are not misinformed concerning the historical contributors to contemporary problems.

9. Within school settings, people across the demographic spectrum ought to be educated on ways to best mitigate violence by having mental health professionals provide instruction on this matter.

10. Police officers need to be better trained, and policies need to be enacted that forbid the use of excessive force (e.g., outsized reactions to low-risk scenarios) when policing.

Some may be wondering how the solutions proposed would reduce homicide rates in parts of the Black community, but in order to contextualize such solutions, you will have to read the article.

"What About Black on Black Crime?" | Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World on Patreon Official Post from Promoting Wholeness in a Partisan World : IntroductionIn the wake of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd’s murder at the hands of law enforcement officers, much attention has been drawn to the phenomenon of racially biased police brutality. As this trend has been exa...