Welcome to Mind & Mythos! I’m Dan Ackerfeld, a psychologist from Australia. I write about psychology, philosophy, society, culture, religion, mythology, and everything in between.
Most of my posts are on topics related to the Mind & Mythos Project, my long-term project to construct a unified, coherent model that explains all of human psychology. If you’re an academic or practicing psychologist, or if you’re someone who just enjoys reading about psychology, consider starting with my two main series’ on the topic.
On Personality and Psychopathology (P&P)
This series lays the foundations for a unifying framework for psychology. Here I discuss the basics of human personality, including the ‘Big Five’ personality traits and the cybernetic control systems that drive them. I also introduce a new model of psychopathology and explore what it can teach us about the human mind.
The Stories We Tell (TSWT)
A person is more than just a handful of traits driven by cybernetic control systems. Who we are is rooted in the stories we tell—those we tell about ourselves, others, and the world. In this series I examine how our individual and collective identities, memories, and cultures are bound up with the myths and narratives we’ve been telling each other for thousands of years. I also explore the impact that our corrupted ‘narrative biome’ is having on us, and what we can do about it.
TBC
M&M Project Standalone Posts
Standalone posts related to the Mind & Mythos Project. If you want to go deeper on any of the topics covered in P&P or TSWT, start here.
Other Topics
I write about more than just psychology! If academic theories about the mind aren’t your thing, here are some posts on other topics that interest me.
For a while I also hosted Essay Club, a series where I reviewed great essays by famous authors and internet weirdos, and then hosted discussions about them. I don’t write these regularly anymore, but if you want to raid the archives, here are a few popular posts to get you started.
For anyone interested in such things, I also occasionally write fantasy fiction and poems over at Songs of Sarenthé.
I hope you find something here that interests you. Don’t forget to subscribe to be updated on future posts!
