Some of the New Phrenology head categories will make your blood boil—some because they challenge your beliefs, others because they challenge mine. Which ones do you disagree with?

INTRODUCTION

The idea that psychology is becoming the new phrenology isn’t far-fetched. While it once sought to understand the mind, it has increasingly become a mix of corporate influence, ideological bias, and overhyped theories disguised as science.

THE DSM: SCIENCE OR SOCIAL CONSTRUCT?

The DSM is often seen as the gold standard for psychiatric diagnoses, yet many of its disorders are questioned. Dissociative Identity Disorder remains controversial, ADHD diagnoses have skyrocketed, and conditions like Oppositional Defiant Disorder raise concerns about pathologising normal behaviour.

BIG PHARMA AND MENTAL HEALTH Pharmaceutical companies have played a major role in shaping modern psychiatry. From the OxyContin scandal to antidepressants marketed as miracle drugs, industry influence has blurred the line between legitimate treatment and profit-driven overprescription.

SSRIs AND THE PLACEBO EFFECT

Research shows that for mild to moderate depression, SSRIs often perform no better than placebos. Despite this, they remain a first-line treatment, raising questions about how much of their benefit is real and how much is simply an expectation.

THE OXYCONTIN SCANDAL

Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing of OxyContin as a "non-addictive" painkiller led to a devastating opioid crisis. The scandal exposed how corporations can manipulate medical guidelines and regulatory bodies for profit.

mRNA, EPSTEIN-BARR, AND AUTOIMMUNE CONCERNS

Emerging research suggests a possible link between mRNA vaccines and the reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus, which is associated with chronic fatigue and autoimmune disorders. While inconclusive, it raises questions about long-term health effects that were not fully studied before mass rollout.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY

Freud’s theories—repressed memories, the Oedipus complex, dream interpretation—have largely been debunked. Yet his influence lingers, especially in psychotherapy. Jung’s archetypes remain popular despite their lack of empirical support, and figures like Jordan Peterson have revived psychodynamic ideas, mixing them with evolutionary psychology and the infamous lobster hierarchy analogy. Psychology still struggles to separate science from philosophy and myth.

GENDER IDEOLOGY AND RED PILL PRAXEOLOGY: SCIENCE OR IDEOLOGY?

Both gender ideology and red pill praxeology claim to be rooted in science, yet both often rely on selective data and ideological narratives. The debate highlights the challenge of distinguishing genuine psychological research from politically motivated claims.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE PSYCHOLOGY?

Psychology is not a fraud, but it is often misrepresented. The replication crisis, corporate influence, and ideological biases have eroded its credibility. The challenge is to separate real science from pseudoscience before psychology becomes indistinguishable from the new phrenology.

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