The Created Mind

Ashley Hageman, LPC

Exploring psychology, theology, Christian mental health, and culture. Hosted by Ashley Hageman, LPC, therapist and adjunct professor of psychology. Intellectual while still practical, the goal at The Created Mind is to fuel reformation in psychology by recovering a theological grounding for the study of the mind. The podcast covers topics such as the philosophy of psychology, critical analysis of psychological theories, worldview comparison applied to therapy and culture, and clinical perspectives oriented toward a kingdom focus rooted in a biblical worldview. Counselors/therapists, pastors, academics and therapy clients have all found this podcast to be a thoughtful, heartfelt, clear-sighted guide to discerning the claims in psychology from a Christian worldview. thecreatedmind.substack.com

  1. 18h ago

    Carl Jung and the Red Book Part 1: Demonology & Liber Primus

    The sensational question that is often asked by Christians when considering Carl Jung is: Was he communing with demons? And I get it, he describes his conversations with the character Philemon in his book Memories, Dreams, Reflections saying, “It was he who spoke, not I.” The problem is he also states, “At times he seemed to me quite real.” With Jung’s unique psychologized mysticism, it is difficult to determine exactly what this figure was. I really don’t think we can conclude either way. Regardless, I think the real question which underlies this is: Can we listen to anything he proposes which came out of these visions? In this episode, I trace several accounts of demon activity described in scripture to argue that the boring and perhaps frustrating truth is that we need to test the spirits against the Word of God. I then begin to do just that by walking through the Liber Primus section of The Red Book including: * The spirit of the depths vs. the spirit of the times * The soul as a “self-existing being” * The murder of the hero, and Jung’s claim that Christ descended into hell and became the Antichrist * Elijah and Salome, and the claim that the holy and unholy are one Stay tuned for part two which will cover Liber Segundus and The Scrutinies. My episode which describes the levels of explanation approach to spiritual and psychological phenomena: A free pdf of The Red Book: https://archive.org/details/carl-gustav-jung-the-red-book-liber-novu Join the conversation on Substack: https://substack.com/@ashleyhageman My private practice (Michigan only): https://www.solaceprofessionalcounseling.com/home Music by Douglas Hageman https://doughageman.bandcamp.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreatedmind.substack.com

    Carl Jung and the Red Book Part 1: Demonology & Liber Primus
  2. May 27

    Body, Mind & Soul: A Christian Evaluation of Somatic Therapy- Theory Critique and Practical Discernment

    Somatic therapy has grown rapidly in popularity for the treatment of trauma and other mental health conditions. However many Christians are suspicious of this form of therapy. Is it Eastern spiritualism wrapped up in therapeutic language? On the other hand, many Christians see the powerful effects of this therapy are tempted to accept its underlying explanations without careful examination. In this second of two episodes, I dive into modern theories of somatic psychology and affirm what they get right and what must be rejected through the lens of science submitted to theology. I then provide practical steps that clinicians and non-clinicians alike can take to evaluate somatic psychology on their own. Theories covered include: Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk and Polyvagal Theory. ____ Summer Book Club: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DDNAqji9y/ Speed shooting trained automaticity: https://www.forcescience.com/2022/02/firearms-training-for-real-world-assaults/ Critique of Polyvagal theory’s claims concerning the dorsal and ventral vagus nerves: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051123001060 Scientific refutation of “The Body Keeps the Score”: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/systems-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2026.1812957/full Join the conversation on Substack: https://substack.com/@ashleyhageman My private practice (Michigan only): https://www.solaceprofessionalcounseling.com/home Music by Douglas Hageman https://doughageman.bandcamp.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreatedmind.substack.com

    Body, Mind & Soul: A Christian Evaluation of Somatic Therapy- Theory Critique and Practical Discernment
  3. Apr 20

    Body, Mind, Soul: The Essential Failures of Reductive Mental Health Treatment

    A body-only, mind-only or spirit-only approach to mental health treatment leads each to an essential failure to effectively promote healing. In this episode, I discuss heritability studies, the limits of psychopharmacology, the insufficiency of purely cognitive approaches, and the unbiblical shame of over-spiritualization. I argue that we need to understand mental illness as a condition with multi-layered explanations requiring a multi-layered treatment for ourselves, our clients and those we love. All of this is modeled in God’s response to Elijah’s suicidal episode in the wilderness: God gives rest and food, corrects his thinking and reveals the spiritual reality of his presence. If you are facing a mental illness yourself, supporting a loved one or treating a client, this conceptual model offers a comprehensive approach to the person. A vision of wholeness rather than convenient reductionism. Schizophrenia Heritability Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14662550/ Depression Medication Efficacy Study: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5548444_Kirsch_I_Deacon_BJ_Huedo-Medina_TB_Scoboria_A_Moore_TJ_Johnson_BT_Initial_severity_and_antidepressant_benefits_a_meta-analysis_of_data_submitted_to_the_Food_and_Drug_Administration_PLoS_Med_5_260-268 Depression Remission Study: https://www.thecarlatreport.com/articles/4733-stard-reanalysis-causes-new-debate-over-antidepressant-efficacy#:~:text=Study%20type%3A%20Reanalysis%20of%20an,(STAR*D)%20study Chemical imbalance theory busted: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0 Antipsychotic Meds Shrinking Brain Study: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/antipsychotics-and-shrinking-brain Efficacy of Antipsychotics: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41784458/#:~:text=SG%20LAI%20users%20showed%20reductions,015)%20days Vocational outcomes of antipsychotic users: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396179149_Protocol_for_-_Association_of_antipsychotic_medication_usage_and_employment_outcomes_in_patients_with_schizophrenia_spectrum_disorders_A_Danish_register-based_study Vitamin D Deficiency Rates: https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1008.1 Conversion disorder Case Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9564367/ Misattribution of Arousal Study: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232519630_Passionate_love_and_the_misattribution_of_arousal Theological Anthropology Applications for Sexual/Physical Abuse Victims and Solace Professional Counseling: https://www.solaceprofessionalcounseling.com/ Understanding Psychology from a Christian Perspective E-Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/psychology-and-christianity/?referralCode=19B7AF26377BF0C154AD Music by Douglas Hageman https://doughageman.bandcamp.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreatedmind.substack.com

    Body, Mind, Soul: The Essential Failures of Reductive Mental Health Treatment

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Exploring psychology, theology, Christian mental health, and culture. Hosted by Ashley Hageman, LPC, therapist and adjunct professor of psychology. Intellectual while still practical, the goal at The Created Mind is to fuel reformation in psychology by recovering a theological grounding for the study of the mind. The podcast covers topics such as the philosophy of psychology, critical analysis of psychological theories, worldview comparison applied to therapy and culture, and clinical perspectives oriented toward a kingdom focus rooted in a biblical worldview. Counselors/therapists, pastors, academics and therapy clients have all found this podcast to be a thoughtful, heartfelt, clear-sighted guide to discerning the claims in psychology from a Christian worldview. thecreatedmind.substack.com