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Theory Conspiracy provides a state-of-the-art collection that takes stage on the meeting and/or battlegrounds between conspiracy theory and theory-asconspiracy. By deliberately scrambling the syntax—conspiracy theory cum theory conspiracy—it seeks to open a set of reflections on the articulation between theory and conspiracy that addresses how conspiracy might rattle the sense of theory as such. In this sense, the volume also inevitably stumbles on the recent debates on postcritique. The suspicion that our ways of reading in the humanities have been far too suspicious, if not paranoid, has gained considerable attention in a humanities continuously questioned as superfluous at best and leftist and dangerous at worst. The chapters in this volume all approach this problematic from different angles. It features clear engaging writing by a set of contributors who have published extensively on questions of paranoia, conspiracy theory, and/or the state of theory today. This collection will appeal to readers interested in conspiracy theories, critical theory, and the future of humanities.

Luigi Zoja presents an insightful analysis of the use and misuse of paranoia throughout history and in contemporary society. Zoja combines history with depth psychology, contemporary politics and tragic literature, resulting in a clear and balanced analysis presented with rare clarity. The devastating impact of paranoia on societies is explored in detail. Focusing on the contagious aspects of paranoia and its infectious, self-replicating dynamics, Zoja takes such diverse examples as Ajax and George W. Bush, Cain and the American Holocaust, Hitler, Stalin and Othello to illustrate his argument. He reconstructs the emblematic arguments that paranoia has promoted in Western history and examines how the power of the modern media and mass communication has affected how it spreads. Paranoia clearly examines how leaders lose control of their influence, how the collective unconscious acquires an autonomous life and how seductive its effects can be – more so than any political, religious or ideological discourse.This gripping study will be essential reading for depth and analytical psychologists, and academics and students of history, cultural studies, psychology, classical studies, literary studies, anthropology and sociology.

Paranoia. S. f. Psiq. Psicopatía, de que hay varias formas clínicas, caracterizada por la aparición de ambiciones sospechosas, que se acentúan, evolucionando para delirios persecutorios y de grandeza estructurados sobre una base lógica (Aurelio).Abra esta obra. No se trata de un libro sino de la puerta para el interior de una mente ajena. Entra, razona en conjunto y acompaña los pasos lógicos y convincentes de la víctima. Mira para fuera y ve el mundo perverso y amenazador… “Al escribir el informe el profesor J.C. Nos brinda una gran clase que demuestrs la fragilidad del chip orgánico llamado cerebro, de uso continuo, acumulando los archivos fragmentados de sueños deshechos, odios reprimidos, miedos, decepciones y tristezas sin que sea hecha en el transcurso de su vida útil un mantenimiento efectivo, una limpieza de disco, una desfragmentación, un escaneo con antivirus.”(Prof. Dr. Ernesto F. Wuller)

Humans are weak. Lacking the claws and thick skins of other animals, we are forced to rely on members of our own species to survive and flourish in the world. The fact that the human infant is born in an utterly helpless state also makes others'protective care necessary. Attachment, bonding, concern, and mutuality thus become cornerstones of human existence. Trust also enters this equation. Originating in the early mother-child relationship, trust continues to grow, get contextually refined tempered by reality testing, and gain nuances throughout the subsequent adult life. Its absence (mistrust) or malformation (distrust) contributes to psychopathology and is responsible for much intrapsychic distress and interpersonal strife. Given its formative significance and it crucial role in the therapeutic process, one is surprised by the paucity of psychoanalytic writings specifically devoted to the topic of trust and mistrust. Few, if any, monographs on trust exist. A collection of essays written specifically for this volume, it deals with the ontogenesis, psychopathology, cultural vicissitudes, and technical implications of trust and mistrust.

From the pathological killer who gunned down the innocents at Virginia Tech to the average citizen who suspects the government is monitoring phone calls, the signs of suspiciousness and paranoia are all around us. In this comprehensive overview of an increasingly serious problem, an experienced psychologist and researcher describes what paranoia is, how and why it manifests itself, and the many forms it takes, including stalking, pathological jealousy, as a reaction to post-traumatic stress disorder, and perhaps even militia movements. Using striking vignettes from the present and the past, each chapter illustrates specific manifestations of paranoia while also describing in layperson's terms the clinical analysis of the condition. Among the topics discussed are the evolutionary origins of our “suspiciousness system” and factors that can trigger it today, the connection between illicit drug usage and paranoid behavior, PTSD, violent expressions of paranoia, and options for treating various kinds of paranoia.The author emphasizes that life in post-9/11 America is a fertile environment for paranoia; in an era of computer hackers, omnipresent security cameras, NSA surveillance, and terrorism, “normal” people have good reasons to be suspicious as their sense of security and privacy is undermined. But in such an insecure atmosphere, everyday suspicion can easily be ratcheted up, resulting in paranoia and occasionally violent outbursts. He warns of a possible epidemic of paranoia and suggests public health measures that could be used to counteract this potentially dangerous trend.Whether you consider yourself susceptible to paranoia or know others who might be, this enlightening book will help you understand the many factors that can distort your mental outlook.

This is the shocking true story of a New York City cop caught in a web of paranoia, guns, a distorted sense of good and evil, and impending disaster…an actual case study with chilling psychological implications.His name was Pete Bon Viso, a poor city kid who made good by joining the Force. He knew and liked the street people. Having grown up in an impoverished neighborhood, he saw himself as a member of the ‘underclass'and identified with their problems. There were few cops in the Ninth Precinct as instinctively in touch with the criminal mind as Pete Bon Viso. According to his former partners, “He was no spit and polish cop…[but] a gung-ho cop and an intense booster of the brotherhood.”Then there were reports of a strange gun battle, and rumors of an attempt to murder a state official. Pete Bon Viso was in the middle of it all and nobody knew why or how. Pete claimed he was being stalked by a drug addict he had arrested and helped to convict, that man was trying to kill him and that his only hope was to “get him first.” There was a department hearing and Pete was suspended. Records showed that the addict in question was serving time, safely behind bars. But Pete persisted in his claim. His partner guessed the truth but tried to protect him. At twenty-five, married, and the father of a five-month-old son, Patrolman Pete Bon Viso was suffering from paranoid hallucinations.James Willwerth explores in depth what happened to Pete—his background and family, his view of himself in relation to the police department, and the reasons why he came apart.

Menschen unterscheiden sich in ihrem Selbstwertgefühl, in der Stärke ihrer Gefühle, in der Veränderlichkeit ihrer Stimmungen, in ihrer inneren Sicherheit. Die einen tun selbstbewusst das, wonach ihnen zumute ist, andere quälen sich mit Selbstzweifeln. Manche sind kaum aus der Ruhe zu bringen, andere geraten schnell aus dem Gleichgewicht, sowohl im Positiven wie im Negativen. Sie fühlen sich abgelehnt und unverstanden. Es kommt zu Konflikten mit Vorgesetzten, das Beziehungsleben ist oft anstrengend. Bei aller Sehnsucht nach Ruhe und Harmonie gestaltet sich das Leben wie eine einzige Berg- und Talfahrt. Was sind die typischen Auslöser für eine derartige emotionale Hochspannung? Weshalb ist es so schwer, etwas zu ändern? Welchen Sinn hat es, sich selbst zu verletzen? Was bedeutet Dissoziation?In diesem Buch wird auf die Probleme und Besonderheiten eingegangen, die zu einem Persönlichkeitstypus gehören, den Psychotherapeuten mit dem Begriff »Borderline-Persönlichkeit« oder auch »Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstörung« verbinden. Auf eine scharfe Abgrenzung zwischen dem, was noch oder nicht mehr »Borderline« genannt werden sollte, legt der Autor keinen besonderen Wert. Er geht von fließenden Übergängen von der normal-neurotischen Persönlichkeit mit Borderline-nahen Eigenschaften bis hin zu schwerst krankhaften Borderline-Störungen aus. Auch wer sich nur in bestimmten Aspekten der Borderline-Störung wiederfindet, kann von dem Wissen über dieses Störungsbild profitieren.Nur wer sich selbst versteht und zum Experten in eigener Sache wird, kann etwas ändern. Dieses Buch ersetzt keine Psychotherapie, klärt aber auf über Ursachen, typische Probleme und mögliche Lösungswege.

There is a curious parallel between the philosophy of science and psychiatric theory. The so-called demarcation question, which has exercised philosophers of science over the last decades, posed the problem of distinguishing science proper from non-science - in par­ ticular, from metaphysics, from pseudo-science, from the non­ rational or irrational, or from the untestable or the empirically meaningless. In psychiatric theory, the demarcation question appears as a problem of distinguishing the sane from the insane, the well from the mentally ill. The parallelism is interesting when the criteria for what fails to be scientific are seen to be congruent with the criteria which define those psychoses which are marked by cognitive failure. In this book Dr Yehuda Fried and Professor Joseph Agassi - a practicing psychiatrist and a philosopher of science, respectivel- focus on an extreme case of psychosis - paranoia - as an essentially intellectual disorder: that is, as one in which there is a systematic and chronic delusion which is sustained by logical means. They write:'Paranoia is an extreme case by the very fact that paranoia is by definition a quirk of the intellectual apparatus, a logical delusion.'(p. 2.

Do you often suspect the worst of others? Mild to moderate paranoia, or mistrust of other people, is on the increase, and although it may feel justifiable at the time, unfounded suspicions of this kind can make life a misery. Research says between 20

Thomas Phillips knows he's losing his mind. He's been losing it for as long as he can remember. And yet, when a strange old man asks him to consider that he, out of everyone in the world, knows the real truth, Thomas'life begins to spiral out of control. He loses interest in his job and is fired. He refuses his wife's suggestion of psychiatric care, and she leaves him. In the end, Thomas is alone. Except he's not, because someone seems to be following him. What if you were Thomas? Where would you go? What would you do? What if you realized every person in your life had been scripted to be there? What if you were haunted by the idea that you'd lived all these encounters before, hundreds or even thousands of times before? And what if the person watching all this time was you?Thomas World explores what happens when the borders of reality start seeming a bit pores... when things start bleeding through the edges, challenging ones perceptions of the universe. The grand tradition of Dickian, New Wave SF is explored by Richard Cox in this 21st century thriller!

This book reviews the dimensional conceptualization of persecutory delusion in the attempt to elucidate the transition from suspicious thinking to clinically relevant paranoia. A better understanding of psychosis may take advantage from the study of non-clinical population; to this aim this book's chapters review recent research work and theoretical framework used for interpretation. Current epidemiological investigations on psychotic features in the general population are summarized, and the findings are framed using the dimensional and quasi-dimensional models of psychotic symptoms distribution. Finally, the concept of paranoia as a general cognitive process, in the form of heuristic, is proposed to reconcile experimental and epidemiological findings.

Ten years after he first brought us the book Homophobia, which laid bare the harsh realities and harmful effects of this sexual bigotry, psychiatrist Martin Kantor delves again into prejudice and discrimination—even flat-out acts of absolute hatred—against gays in the United States. Have things changed? One might think so. Ten years ago Matthew Shephard was strung up to die on a fence because he was gay. But no such blatant hatred has made headlines here since the turn of the millennium. Ten years ago, Pat Robinson authored a book that assured lasting peace would only occur when a group including drug dealers, assassins, worshippers of Satan, and homosexuals are no longer on top. Yet, by 2007, Robinson was pledging support for pro-gay Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. And gays only longing for a formal relationship a decade ago are now entering into civil unions, even gay marriage, in states that have legalized the ceremonies. Hate crime laws have been revised to include gays, and gays are now recognized in domestic partner clauses common across insurance polices. People appear open about homosexuality in the media; gays are featured on television shows and in movies alongside straights. The advances seem great.But they are only surface advances, cautions Kantor. Because the consequences of hate crimes are a lot more severe than they used to be, gays and lesbians are being hunted down and beaten up less frequently than they once were. But people are still full of hate, just more wary of punishment so more circumspect about how they express it. In this new edition, Kantor tells in harsh detail how and why people still fire off slurs like faggot and dyke, and threaten harm, from blowing up their homes to bashing in their heads. Kantor takes us across sites in America - from city streets to hospitals, schools, broadcast stations, and churches to police departments—showing how homophobia is still very much alive. While the problem may be less acute it is still chronic, and while it may not take as many lives, it ruins perhaps even more, he explains. Homophobia is a phenomenon that in significant respects parallels mental illness, adds the psychiatrist. Education alone will not stem the homophobic tide. We also need to uncover and treat the psychoneurotic dimension of homohatred. Yes, we can admire the changes in homophobia over the last decade, but we must not forget or ignore the fact that the human beings who create homophobia haven't changed that much even over the centuries.

Are we living in a uniquely paranoid age? Catalysed by the threat of terrorism, fears about others have reached a new intensity. The roll call of apparent dangers seems to increase by the day: muggers, child abductors, drug dealers, hoodied teenagers. Crime has apparently reached such high levels that CCTV cameras are required in every town centre, and parents are so fearful that many children never go out alone. Until recently, no one suspected just how common paranoia was. But new research suggests that around a quarter of us have regular paranoid thoughts, and probably lots more have them occasionally. Paranoia is so prevalent that there's a very good chance that all of us will, at some point in our lives, be among the 25%. Yet, although paranoia is as common as depression or anxiety, most of us know almost nothing about it. What is paranoia? What causes it? Are some people more prone to paranoia than others? Are we more paranoid now than we used to be? How should we deal with our paranoid thoughts? And how can we reduce the amount of paranoia in our society? Co-written by one of the world's leading psychologists of paranoia, and drawing on the latest scientific research, this lively and accessible book answers these key questions, highlighting for the first time the central role of paranoia in our world today.

Sex, Paranoia, and Modern Masculinity explores how twentieth-century conceptions of paranoia became associated with the excessive or unregulated exercise of masculine intellectual tendencies. Through an extended analysis of Freudian metapsychology, Kenneth Paradis illustrates how paranoid ideation has been especially connected to the figure of the male body under threat of genital mutilation or emasculation. In this context, he also considers how both midcentury detective fiction (especially the work of Raymond Chandler) and contemporaneous autobiographies of male-to-female transsexuals negotiate the terms of this gendered understanding of psychopathology, thus articulating their own notions of moral value, individual autonomy, and effective agency.