Precursory Research: Entering the Realm of Neuroanalytics and Psychological Work

Preface

 

The pandemic is seemingly distant from us. It's almost three years past, like a dream, and we return to our normal lives in the wake of it. However, under the superficial phenomenon of restoring order and the recovering economy, people's psychological issues were being exposed gradually. Or, to phrase it in another way, psychological issues are ubiquitous, yet their intermingling with the particular historical background and social problems, forms an unprecedented scenario psychological workers are confronting a white spot.

 

Presently, pioneering technologies strides at unparalleled speeds, and economic production has also been experiencing geometric growth. However, developments in human civilization and mental aspects have always seemed to be stagnant, not capable of following the footsteps of technological advances, and causing a multitude of complications in ethics and the collective mentality. The human psyche is facing unusual challenges and reformations. Under such backgrounds, the role of a psychological worker demonstrates great significance. Not only that they have to deal with individual psychological perplexities, but also take the responsibility of providing capital construction for mentality and taking its lead for the public mental health, or even for the future development of mankind.

 

Our interview research project UM Meaning Cafe: Psychological Associates aims at deepening understanding of the work of psychological workers and the meaning and responsibilities to the modern society of various jobs in this field. By interviewing people such as forefront psychiatric counselors, psychoanalysts, psychology teachers, and professional personality analysis bloggers, we hope to reveal their challenges, way of working, unique insights into the human psyche, as well as their contributions to public mental health. We believe in the importance of psychological education in fostering people's mental elasticity and health. At the same time, we also don't hope to have people consider psychology as an academic theory with extremely high knowledge thresholds, but rather implementations that occur at any time in day-to-day life. While assisting individuals in resolving mental issues, psychological workers also carry on the elevation in public awareness of mentality, promoting harmony and development in society.

 

Meanwhile, we will discuss this topic from sociology, politics, anthropology, psychology, and philosophy, combined with theoretical knowledge from authorities like Nietzsche, Max Weber, and Jung, examining the impact of the post-pandemic era the human mentality, the influence on adolescent mentalities from the rat-racing competitions of modern society, the alienation on human mentality due to a speedy lifestyle and the rapid advances in Artificial intelligence... the list goes on and on.

 

In this article, we will start with the historical background, introduce some topics that are closely related to the modern mentality, and subsequently consider the situation of human mentality from the perspectives of scientific academia and sociology, and finally, using "psychological sequelae" as the main thread to analyze the concepts introduced in the beginning, as well as the connection and expansion of our current public mentality in detail.

 

01

Approaching the Human Psyche from a Post-Pandemic Setting and Philosophical/Humanities Perspectives

 

During the post-pandemic era, social media has already become the main platform for people to express ideas and opinions. According to debates on social media, aggressive discussions, and relevant research data, we can conclude that the appearance of radical opinions on social media is slowly increasing.

 

Perhaps due to mass panic, the declining of the economy, being bedridden, and the "boredom" during quarantine, leading to more time to immerse in social media, all sorts of societal events and controversies on policies brought forth many aggressive opinions and space for some to "stir up" and gain popularity on the internet... of course, this would cause manic depression, anxiety, and a rise in extreme opinions. Yet, forced control policies such as quarantine, lockdowns as well as long-term confined spaces may have also caused much increase in those opinions. People may be emotionally excited due to anxiety, discomfort, and confusion, and tend to vent their negative emotions via social media.

 

"Post-modern Deconstructionism"

 

Post-modern Deconstructionist notions believe that the traditional meanings and value systems have already been dissolved. Among the themes and plots of many post-modernist literary works, the questioning of conventional concepts, suspicion of authority, and criticism of modern society have become more popular.

 

Just as the “decadence” Nietzsche described, we have lost the superior faith in deities, and now it seems to be that we’ve lost all centralized, prevalent ideological pillars. All of the concepts surrounding us are subject to deconstruction and criticism – education systems, authoritative systems, and even societal morality and aestheticism. One of the fundamental principles of post-modernism is to be skeptical of grand narratives or absolute theories that claim to explain the world and human empiricism. Post-modernists believe such narratives are simplified and stifling, and they tend to marginalize or suppress other opinions.

 

However, when authoritative and social constructs are deconstructed to the extent that they’ve disintegrated, there’s nobody who can create a new system to substitute them. Hence, such deconstructions caused people a sense of turmoil, confusion, and anxiety. People are deprived of “the meaning to live” they’ve always been convinced of and begin to habitually question the meaning of everything around them, sinking into the quagmire of existentialism.

 

Rat-racing, Lying flat, and people’s alienization

 

Rat-racing means everyone ought to expend several times their effort to acquire the same item, compared to a situation without rat-racing. It refers to the pressure from societal competition and the cultural atmosphere of pursuing perfectionism, and individuals struggle incessantly and excel themselves to be successful in various fields. Such competitions caused people’s never-ending suspicion and anxiety about their capabilities, as well as the craving for societal rank and acceptance. Therefore, the notion backfires, as under the high-intensity intimidation of rat-racing, many teens proposed the idea of “lying flat”, which is the response to competition and pressure, referring to individuals forsake the pursuit of success and progress defined by social conventions, but instead chose to live a life they consider to be comfortable and joyful, to prevent the pressure from competition and social expectations.

 

The appearance of both phenomena undoubtedly aggravated people’s anxiety and pressure. Rat-racing causes individuals to be trapped in unceasing competition, and continuously pursue higher standards and accomplishments, and such pursuance often comes with the doubt and discomfort on self-values. On the other hand, those who choose to lie flat also constantly distrust their own choices and feel anxious or lost due to the absence of societal positive feedback.

 

Besides that, someone proposed that rat-racing and lying flat can also cause interpersonal detachment and isolation. The competition in rat-racing indicates people pay more attention to personal gains, rather than collaboration or mutual assistance. Such competition causes the intensifying hostility of social relationships, social networks in which people find it difficult to establish trust and support, and the phenomenon of an increasingly indifferent society. The present trend of rat-racing forces people to put effort unabatingly, while not receiving anything in return, leading to anxiety and frustration. However, this may not be an individual problem, but a symptom of the macroscopic societal structure, involving a wide range of institutional factors such as capitalist monopolization.

 

From the perspective of self-meaning and the missing principles, the rat-racing competition caused people to regard their merit to be dependent on social acceptance and success, instead of internal satisfaction and the quality of interpersonal relationships; while lying flat can cause people to lose their incentive to personal growth and pursuance of goals altogether, and weakening to attention of self-development. Those self-meanings and the missing principles can cause the emptiness of our psyche and questioning of the meaning of live, leading to the phenomenon of psychological alienation. Understanding and coping with that phenomenon is of high significance to promoting human psychological health and societal harmony. Society should make an effort to bring forth a more equal and tolerant environment and allow all kinds of lifestyles.

 

Further Read-up:

 

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Self-orientation and value alienization (considering oneself to be defined by work and achievements, being exploited by others, servility); alienization of interpersonal relationships (equally applicable to the contemporary society); alienization on individuals from society (the societal state of incessant anxiety)

 

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: “What we love will ruin us”, reflecting on the anxiety and emptiness caused by capitalism and tittytainment.

 

Advancement in Technology and Mental Stagnancy

 

Despite the geometric growth of technology in the modern era, people’s mental growth remains stagnant. Realistically, although we certainly understand more than our predecessors, and are more capable of controlling the environment (due to the ability for human knowledge to be inherited and accumulated throughout history), our connection with knowledge is not necessarily more lucid. Instead, it may have even been further away.

 

“Civilizations build many barriers while accumulating knowledge, and we need more retrospective work to digest those accomplishments of civilization.” Conversely, the sophisticated maze of information nowadays hinders people’s efforts to approach issues related to the vital essence.

 

Scientific development puts its emphasis on repetition and physical evidence, while philosophical and humanitarian fields are more focused on retrospection, considering both historical and epochal characters. Subsequent psychological issues are prevalent as well.

 

“For the ultimate question, such as where are we from and going, who are we, what is our purpose of living, etc. The cultural traditions we’re situated in have set up an entire system of answers. Those answers, or the phrasing of this ultimate question, constitute our scope of view, or the atmosphere of our mental livelihood… When one day we feel suffocated or when this invisible air becomes conspicuous, then it’s the moment when the epochal or individual livelihood confronts great danger and reformation. It’s also the moment when we’re forced to retreat, pause, and reflect on this ultimate question.”

 

Nowadays, as numerous AI technologies advance, such moments have arrived. Many started to explore the distinction between humans and AI and comprehend the human essence and self-existence. Upon discerning where lies the prevalent psychological problem in modern society, it is particularly important to clarify the societal meaning and position of psychological workers, as well as propagate the extent of public attention and comprehension.

 

Restoration and Infinity by Mingfeng Yu: the detachment of technological progress and the internal world of humans, along with descriptions of psychological confusion in modern society.

 

02

Perceiving the Interdisciplinary Significance of Psychology from a Scientific and Humanities Perspective

 

Neuroscience is closely related to psychology, and at its essence, psychology is human biology. A new perspective in cognitive recovery on the latent relationship between the gastric microbiome and the nervous system has proved of great importance in the aspect of neuroplasticity; the influence microbiota has on cerebral neuroplasticity provides new understandings and therapeutic methods for the cognitive recovery of psychiatric patients, The potential interrelationship between its dynamic homeostasis and neuronal plasticity in the brain has become the subject of intensive research in the field of neuropsychiatry. Research in this area focuses on the interactions of microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and neurotransmitter metabolic pathways and how they affect synaptic plasticity and synaptic transmission, thereby affecting the constancy of behavior and cognitive function and their impact on cognitive recovery in patients with mental illness.

 

In the field of psychiatric epidemiology, early research mainly focused on the impact of maternal depression on children, but an increasing number of long-term follow-up studies have shown that paternal depression may also produce independent emotional, psychological, and behavioral problems in offspring, among which exists gender differences, whereby paternal depression may be more likely to negatively impact male offspring. The phenomenon of intergenerational transmission of mental illness is of great significance to the prevention and intervention of psychological disorders. The way how family environment shapes the mental health of children and adolescents also raises the question of the interaction between the genetic neural level and the environment. Other potential factors such as family economic status and social support also play a role in this to a certain extent, and improved family intervention and mental health treatment strategies are expected to reduce the potential negative impact of parental depression on offspring.

 

The mutual exertion between individual values and career choices is of paramount importance in an occupational environment. Value survey modules are widely used in career consultation and the hiring process, but how to accurately explain and apply those tests to better match individual values and employment requirements remains a complicated and challenging problem. Usually, its theoretical basis is established upon the frameworks of personality psychology and occupational psychology, regarding individual values as a key factor in determining career satisfaction and success, and different psychological characteristics of different values can be used to match the compatibility of an individual with the occupational environment. Value survey modules can provide valuable information to help individuals understand their occupational tendencies, and there lies a non-linear correlation to some extent between individual career experience, alignment with the external environment, and satisfaction with long-term careers.

 

Academia gave plenty of explanations for why some individuals demonstrate resistance and avoidance when encountering academic pressure and challenges, and within the framework of fields such as individual psychological resistance and self-emotional regulation strategies, resistance against schoolwork is inevitably considered a complicated process of emotional and self-adjustment. Psychological disparities amongst different individuals, as well as how they explain why some have more tendency towards schoolwork resistance is a psychological motive that requires to be investigated. Besides that, analyzing the relationship between the formation of self-concept and cognitive characteristics' influences on academic resistance is also important. Some individuals are more vulnerable to being spiraled down by recurring negative sentiments, making it difficult to cope with academic challenges, and requiring implementation of customized support and confronting setbacks, while some other individuals demonstrate stronger self-adjusting capabilities and positive strategies to cope with emotions. Meanwhile, sentimental discrimination and stress by exhaustion are also urgent problems to be solved in self-control under supervision mode with limited resources.

 

Identifying and emotional development play crucial roles in understanding the complex dynamics between the internal self-concept hierarchy and external social recognition. Relevant research focuses on how emotional factors interact in the context of childhood anxiety. Individuals may exhibit cognitive differences in states of anxiety, including negative tendencies of instability and self-evaluation, showing clear emotional avoidance and suppression of emotional expression. This relationship varies across different age groups and cultural backgrounds.

 

The field of social psychology explores the complex motivations behind interpersonal relationships and individual behavior. The application of the two theoretical frameworks - Social Darwinism and Machiavellianism - in interpersonal interactions and behavioral choices is crucial for individuals seeking benefits and power in social environments. Social Darwinism theory emphasizes evolutionary psychology, suggesting that individuals seek resources and reproductive opportunities in relationships, with its theory focusing on examining potential mechanisms of genetic transmission and evolutionary pressures in mate selection and competition for social status, to which some feminists may fall for this notion. The Machiavellian theory, on the other hand, focuses on individual power and political strategies, positing that behavior in interpersonal relationships is driven by motives of power and influence, with individuals employing various strategies, including manipulation and deception, to acquire and maintain power. These two theories have strong applicability in understanding the psychological mechanisms behind individual decisions and behaviors in interpersonal interactions and behavioral choices. The biological basis of altruistic behavior, selfish gene theory, and the works of Cronin on sexual selection and species evolution provide important references. Furthermore, research on the cognitive relevance of antisocial personality traits and utilitarian responses to ethical dilemmas has complex and diverse implications for the evolution of long-term life models and status hierarchies.

 

Interpersonal relationships and developmental psychology tend to believe that love within the family and interpersonal communication have a significant impact on individual autonomy and decision-making to some extent. Building upon the theoretical foundations in family psychology and parent-child relationships, different family environments and parenting styles shape an individual's intrinsic motivations through communication and interaction. Individuals who feel supported and recognized by positive familial love are more inclined to pursue autonomy and decision-making freedom.

 

03

Analyzing the Multifactorial Influences of "Psychological Sequelae"

 

The "Psychological Sequelae" of Youths Under the Post-pandemic Era

 

After the pandemic, although social life is gradually returning to normal, the psychological impacts and exacerbated distress caused by the pandemic persist, continuously affecting the personality development, social status, and quality of people's livelihood. Among these, the youth, who are relatively active in societal engagement, have superficial life experiences, and possess heightened emotional sensitivity, are particularly vulnerable. Taking university students as an example, scholars like Chunmei Yan have researched the mental health of university students during the pandemic under lockdown conditions. In such case studies students exhibited higher levels of depression compared to non-pandemic and non-lockdown pandemic periods, with anxiety levels also higher than usual surveys targeting university students. As public attention shifts away from the perceived threat of the pandemic once it recedes, addressing the mental health of the youth should be one of the new issues that are worth our focus.

 

The root causes of "psychological sequelae", biologically speaking, coronavirus to immune function and neural inflammation ultimately lead to brain damage, manifesting as severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, as Medical experts have indicated through research. Scholar Huimin Li, through assessing changes in sleep, anxiety, depression, and brain function among insomnia patients at the neurology outpatient clinic of Jilin University First Hospital before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, discovered an increase in the proportion and severity of depression accompanying insomnia after COVID-19, as well as a phenomenon where insomnia with anxiety and depression occurred in a younger age group post-pandemic. This further confirms the existence of "psychological sequelae" among the youth in the post-pandemic era and the ongoing harm the coronavirus poses to people's physical health.

 

From a societal perspective, the vast youth population already grappling with modern anxieties like "rat-racing", "Buddhist mindset", and "lying flat" find themselves facing increased anxiety and unease in the aftermath of the pandemic. With cities experiencing a slow economic recovery, exacerbated rat-racing, and short-term uncertainties surrounding work and income, it's inevitable for individuals to feel anxious and unsettled. Many have reduced social activities as a result of pandemic restrictions, leading to social detachment; restricted living environments lowering their sense of value in life; altered learning modes, resulting in increased academic pressure and burdens; difficulty distinguishing between real and misinformation online, causing concerns about the future. All of these factors have had a significant impact on the mental well-being of the youth. As they begin to venture out again, some may have lost their jobs, developed a fear of crowds, or become anxious about uncertainties in decision-making, making it challenging to regain their former lifestyle and rhythm, eventually spiraling into prolonged emotional depression and potentially developing into illnesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has made individuals aware of their insignificance and powerlessness when faced with crises, prompting the instinctive reaction of avoidance when difficulties and pressures exceed individual tolerance limits. Self-isolation may indeed be one of the manifestations of "psychological sequelae."

 

In the rapidly advancing information age of artificial intelligence, the relationship between humans and AI has sparked increasing anxiety and unease among more and more people. Compared to the mechanical age, the productivity liberated in the information age is no longer constrained to the primary and secondary industries but is increasingly penetrating the tertiary industry. Machines not only replaced human physical labor, but also artificial intelligence is currently attempting to replace more human mental labor, even extending to macro decision-making, employee interviews, music composition, literary writing, "emotional" communication, and other areas that were once thought to be exclusively human domains. The uniqueness of humanity seems to be gradually fading. When the competitor becomes tireless and sophisticated artificial intelligence, anyone would feel a sense of despair and sadness and wound up questioning their existence and value.

 

People eventually start to feel that intelligent systems are more knowledgeable, reliable, efficient, and impartial than humans. It is believed that letting intelligent systems take over is to result in better outcomes than human investigation, evaluation, decision-making, and governance. After being captivated by this increasingly external technological social structure and the "technological logos," people consciously or unconsciously regard the rationality displayed by the "technological logos" as an ordinary law and view the social structures and governance systems shaped by intelligence as unsurprising social choices. People strive to adapt to the rhythm of intelligent machines and the life led by intelligent systems, adjusting to a life where experiences are increasingly colorful but life experiences are increasingly impoverished, and in the frenzy of "entertainment to death," they forget themselves, even questions like "Who am I?" "What do I want?" "What kind of life do I hope to live?" are "suspended" along with their subjective consciousness, retrospection, and spirit of criticism.

 

Based on this trend, some science fiction movies or novels extrapolate the future world's development: the true core of national management may not be the elites from a variety of fields, but a complex and sophisticated computer program. To prevent human factors that interfere with judgment, it is void of emotions and solely contains data, computing all possibilities with a gigantic database. Its domain is much broader, and its decisions are closely associated with the human future. Its only purpose of existence is to consider the survival of mankind as its ultimate goal, and the value of all of mankind's existence is to provide the data used in its predictions.

 

However, if human destiny is forever predicted by the computer, then we will always live within the program we have created for ourselves. The computer is set to ensure human survival, but how humans survive, whether mechanically under the domination of AI or proudly guided by their spiritual world, is not within the scope of the main computer's calculations. Such a future is a horrifying one.

 

Therefore, our contemplation of the human-machine relationship is forward-looking and of great significance. By reflecting on human nature, reconstructing the acceptance of human identity, refining the ethical framework of intelligent society, as well as establishing new divisions of labor in it, and attempting to solve the alienation problems caused by AI, we can optimize alienation as much as possible before the authority of AI crushes the human spiritual world. Using AI as a blade that does not harm ourselves, creating abundant materialistic wealth at minimal cost to improve social welfare levels, eliminate class differences, and henceforth liberate free time beyond necessary human labor, free from the pain of rat-racing and social stratification, worries about bread and sixpence, and fully enjoy the convenience of human-machine collaboration and the diversity of spiritual sustenance. Such a future is a gorgeous one.

 

The Significance of Visualizing Psychology in Films and TV Shows

 

Film and television, as a compelling and influential form of popular art, present character portrayals that are more complete and round. By embedding metaphors related to daily life in each plot, audiences are reminded of people, events, and relationships around them, prompting them to contemplate previously unconsidered issues and engage in reflections that they may have harmed others in the past. For this reason, film and television serve as a suitable medium for popularization and dissemination of psychology.

 

While the causes of psychological issues have been classified into various types, delving into the overall context of their overall emergence and development reveals significant individual variations. These issues often stem from an accumulation of seemingly trivial matters, which may appear insignificant to others, therefore typically overlooking the subtle abnormalities of patients. Even when problems are acknowledged, many are unsure how to address them. When incremental changes lead to dramatic transformations, the situation could be alarming. This property contributes to the general lack of understanding and importance attributed to psychological issues by most people, perpetuating societal biases towards mental health problems and significantly increasing social pressures on this group of the population. Even close family members, when confronted with psychological issues, are often left perplexed and puzzled about their origins, while the true victims have already lost their ability to express and confide with others.

 

Outstanding film and television works can vividly depict a patient's complex experiences, painful struggles, and helpless realities from a profound and intuitive perspective. They enable psychologically healthy individuals to perceive the varying magnitude of words and actions across different contexts, creating a soundless bridge of communication between the public and patients. This can enhance the public's ability to recognize abnormal emotional behaviors and awareness to seek medical help, guiding society as a whole to pay sufficient attention to conditions like depression and other mental disorders, while maintaining a social atmosphere without "shame" towards illness.

 

Conclusion

 

Through the systematic review and discussion above, it is obvious to see the pathological state of the overall societal mental condition. The rapid development of technology drives continuous economic growth, but what can guide our spirits to maintain a steady pace with the technological and economic progression? Social issues, conflicts, and the collective trauma of pandemics were imposed heavily upon the minds of modern individuals, forming a chronic root of illness. We hope to explore solutions to increasingly severe psychological problems, explore the true work content and significance of mental health professionals, and determine the roles they should play in contemporary society. We hope each person to attain a state of true freedom and happiness within their mentality.

 

Please look forward to our investigation into the fantastic world of psychoanalysis and psychological work together...

 

 

Producer: Isabella Wang

Editor: Johnson

Article Written by: Isabella Wang, Xiao Mao, Yang Liu

Members of the Project: Christine, Darla, Echo, Isabella Wang, Jennifer, Maddy, Yang Liu, Xiao Mao

Formatting: Yuxin (Michelle)

Proofreading: Danni