Back in the early days of psychology, Freud described a specific “oceanic” ego condition that he regarded as the root of all religious experience (Freud, 1930/1961). Inherent in this oceanic state is a fusion between the inner and outer world. This state can be found in any creative activity and is, in fact, fundamentally necessary for successful symbol formation. The central feature of the oceanic state is a lack of differentiation, a dissolution of hardened cliches. In this state,...

The immutability of sexual orientation has long been a topic of debate in political, academic, and legal spheres. Advocates of gay rights have often centered their positions on the “born that way” and “not a choice” arguments. The basic claim of these arguments roughly follows the same form: “If same-sex sexual attractions were inborn or unchangeable, then it would be wrong to discriminate against lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LBG people), it would be wrong to criminalize same-sex sexual...

As previously discussed in this blog series, queerness challenges underlying assumptions and norms regarding the nature and meaning of intimacy; it challenges us to think more broadly and expansively about human relatedness and connection. The queer paradigm posited by Hammack et al. (2018) explores seven axioms across which these dominant narratives are challenged, elucidating the diversity and creativity inherent in queerness: “A queer paradigm challenges the normative privileging of...