Psychological Science

Happy Chinese New Year!

The Chinese believe that this is the year of the wooden horse; and according to Mas Leo, the wooden horse is the Trojan horse in the Western world. A Trojan horse seems harmless, they look very similar to the wooden horses children like to rock on top of. However, others never know what lies inside the Trojan. They never need to know. The Trojan is full of surprises: Once it is let in, it opens up, and shows the world what they never knew the Trojan was capable of. Let us be Trojans ;)

Anyway, I am taking an introduction to Psychology class here at Amherst College. One thing I learned so far is the fact that Psychology is the scientific study of the mind. Psychology dismisses all superstitions, Freudian psychotherapy and dream interpretations are left behind, and empirical evidences are required for every single theory put forward.

I definitely love the class, it contained many interesting facts and developments. I learned a lot about numerous branches of psychology, and the experiments that lead to the discovery of important theories of the cognition, behavior, and development of human beings. I like the professor too. She looks astonishingly beautiful and young for a person who had her PhD (she has been teaching for quite a bit before coming to Amherst, and she is not even new here) but more importantly, she is kind, intelligent, and very helpful to her students. I just came back from her office hours and received answers to certain doubts I had about Psychology.

However, I could not stop thinking.. Is that how are the Westerners taught? Talk about rejecting everything and having no belief in anything but science.

But then again, this reminds me of a conversation I had with Mbak Mary a few weeks earlier in Jakarta. She told me that the atheists actually believe in God, and to actually learn from them. As in, not in the conventional religious sense of the word "God" capital G, but in having faith and belief. It is just portrayed/structured differently.

Anyway, one of the conversations I had with my professor was where the materialistic mind ends and the dualistic mind starts. It is a philosophical question, so I am left on my own to figure it out. For now, I believe that there is no disjoint between the two. The materialistic mind is the dualistic mind that can be explained/uncovered by science. I cannot say for sure if there will be a point where science can cover everything, and there probably won't be one, but it doesn't make either sides irrelevant.

Anyway, I am not too sure that is it her energy, or is it my emotions about the possible flight, or both, that left me feeling drained. She's an interesting person: I should be more sensitive next time, but meanwhile I shall thank the Universe for providing me a hug when I needed the most.

Truly Indonesia's Finest,