Modern Hysterics: What is the collective symptom for our current cultures repression? Anxiety, addiction, sexual dysfunction...

Gnosis of the Body

Sexual repression, porn, retreat to sacred space, shamans touching men... Matthew and Katherine pick up the discussion on the role of the body in modern society.

Spirituality is now the taboo sexuality was for the era of early psychiatry and psychoanalysis; Matt and Kat unpack our cultures modern "hysterics" and their collective "somatic symptoms" manifesting through our bodies.

We start with concept of body as block to spirit in West but mode of divine connection in the East, how the Gods are now present in our bodies (in Jung's view) as the body is what is real to us, versus spirit and how trends (yoga, breathwork, spiritual retreats, etc) of returning to the body is an urge to return to ritual, and bring spirit in via the body.

They explore the rediscovery of importance of retreat to sacred space for release of trauma, just in ancient times there was the return to cave to leave society, echoed now in the therapeutic space where the therapist holds space for transformation. We touch on retreats and healing for women versus shamanic healing for men where touch is so forbidden for men.

Katherine explores how pleasure in the body was so damaged by legacy of the protestant church and work became the main purpose of the body, and the pleasure of practices like yoga versus being good and forcing body into a desk all day.

WE return to exploring the the imbalance of masculine and feminine in current society in sexual fantasy, manifesting in the literature and TV where the "monster" is the object of sexual desire, where the feminine transforms the monster.

As a clinical sexologist, Katherine explores current sexual opposing trends: interest in Tantra and sacred sex versus pornographic sex. Then we explore the role of pornography as symptom of the culture attached to the image of perfect, potent, powerful magical sexuality that is unrealistic but sought after.

Works referenced: Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel

We reference the C curve position of hysterics studied by Charcot, teacher of Freud's, in Paris at Hopital Salpetriere in late 19th century.