Introduction

to a broad exploration of philosophy for modern times,
bringing together psychology, science and metaphysics

When I was 22 years old, I graduated with a degree in physics. I didn't do much with it, but have retained a fascination with atomic theory. I spent the next 20 years exploring various interests : politics, yoga, Buddhism, New Age theories, theosophy, counselling courses, alternative therapies, history.

Starting in my mid-40s, I spent about seven years analysing myself, followed by several more years in metaphysical explorations. During my long psycho-analysis I had to acquire an extensive conceptual vocabulary in order to understand my problems and the way that the subconscious mind works. In order to formulate my theory of psychology I had to range over most of the domains of human activity – religion, mysticism, ethics, politics, sexuality, social relations, madness.

Psychology by itself is not sufficient for solving the problems of humanity. Philosophy too is needed in order to understand the overall framework of creation. Therefore I developed original philosophy that could support my original psychology. Though here, by  psychology, I mean ideas about how the subconscious mind functions - this is the preserve of psycho-analysis and depth psychology.

There is a spiritual side to my philosophy. To understand the concept of personal evolution, I use a perspective of reincarnation. The alternatives to understanding the evolution of the individual person are two. The present alternative is genetics (which does not interest me, since I believe it applies only to physical characteristics, and not mental ones). The past alternative was Kantian ideas on the universal structure of the mind, such as the synthetic a priori  (which I do not accept).

However, my theory of reincarnation, together with a spiritual psychology of enlightenment, is not on this site but on another one of my websites – Patterns of Spirituality.

Each original and creative thinker produces his particular formulation of truth from the influences and sorrows that have beset his life. The flow of my creativity has been shaped by both empiricism and existentialism. Within the latter influence, a thinker who had a profound influence on me was Friedrich Nietzsche.

Nietzsche was the first thinker to look closely at the foundations of traditional ethics, and he predicted that the task for the modern philosopher was to undertake a revaluation of traditional values. My philosophy can be seen in this light.

My views may appear strange, especially within the metaphysical topics. This is only because twentieth-century philosophy was artificially divorced from psychology (this was necessary for a time in order to facilitate the development of mathematical logic). However, many issues of modern life require both psychology and philosophy for their resolution ; take away the psychology, leave only the philosophy, and the issues become insoluble. This was the legacy of analytical philosophy.

It is no longer necessary to keep psychology separate from philosophy. I put them back together again. Psychology breathes life into philosophy !

My philosophy is philosophy for free spirits.

Note.
Some of the articles require a knowledge of my ideas on emotion, abreaction, and the process of social change. I have put a condensed version of these ideas in the article Emotion and Abreaction. And there are some short notes in the glossary. Otherwise, these ideas can be found on my websites on psychology : The Subconscious Mind and Discover Your Mind and The Strange World of Emotion.

See Links page for the addresses of these sites.

Copyright @2003  Ian Heath
All Rights Reserved

The copyright is mine and the articles are free to use. They can be reproduced anywhere, so long as the source is acknowledged.