Cyber-Therapy, Driving Therapy, and Cyberspace Counter-Culture:

Table of Contents

1) Introduction:Here let me explain... Cyber-Therapy, Driving Therapy, and Cyberspace Counter-Culture, what does this all mean? "Is cyber therapy, better than the real thing?" "Driving Therapy, like I need therapy for driving, yeah right." When I first introduced these questions to my peers, these were some of the responses that I received. In the next three sections I have completed a modest attempt at trying to explain what this all means, and how it all ties in with one another.

2) Cyber-Therapy:"To be or not to be" In Tom Raymond's home page, "Emotional Fitness Online, Participational Theory", Tom talks about five major topics, Sanity, Love vs. Intimacy, Getting Along, Competence vs. Pretending, and Reality. The two topics that I was particularly interested in were Love vs. Intimacy, and Getting Along. From Tom Raymond's Love vs. Intimacy, "Love is something we can do by ourselves, intimacy requires a partner." After some thought I came to an agreement with this statement that one can love by one's self, but to be intimate, one would indeed need the participation of a second party. After some discussion with classmates and friends, I got some agreement and some disagreement. For some, they believe that love too requires the participation of a second party. For what is there to love if one does not love? In order to love, we must first be loved. At conception a young baby is loved by its parents. It grasps the warm concept of love, and being loved. Here the young infant learns the meaning of love, and how to love. What is love? Love is the desire to mke someone happy using what you have. In a different example, we can see people with some mental problem , maybe they hate all humanity, and are violently ill. This disorder can almost always be traced back to when this individual was a youth. Maybe this youth was not loved, or cared for like a normal youth. Perhaps, this youth was abused, and was never formally introduced to the concept of love. Thus not knowing how to love, let alone loving by one's self. "Participation Theory defines intimacy as the closeness and camaraderie that's created when partners are able to satisfy each other needs. While partners who are intimate may "love" each other, people who love each other are not necessarily intimate." In my life there has always been a distinction between intimacy and relationships. Like Tom describes in the above, so true does this relate to my own personal life. Friends, are the first people that I find myself sharing an intimate lifestyle. Going out with each other and establishing that personal bond that "camaradership" that really stands the test of time. While girlfriends, family and other people are types of people that I am more apt to love, but in most cases not be intimate. My second article comes Dr. Susan Graysen, PH.D., a psychologist from Beverly Hills she talks about Grief, losing a parent. As an online Psychologist/therapist, Dr. Susan Graysen deals with this issue with the utmost care and respect for the writer in morning. First Dr. Graysen does a great job of explaining the problem to the writer, "Usually, suffering a loss of a parent is very serious and is met with a grief reaction of at least 3 - 6 months. Usually one would have a supportive community of family or friends who also miss that person and grieving is expressed and shared by all." Then in a very sympathetic way, gives advice as to what one would do in attempts to help ones self. I would recommend that you see a counselor to whom you can express your grief and with whom you can discuss your mother. If necessary, antidepressants can also be employed to allow you a good night's sleep. Desyrel or Pamelor can typically provide that sleep without negative sexual side effects or addiction. In conclusion in regards to Cyber-therapy on the web, I feel that like any other thing, there exist both advantages and disadvantages. It can be very inexpensive means of getting councelling done. Some people may argue that you may not know who you are really talking to, and that in fact the person may not even be a doctor, but rather just a bum off the street, just telling you some lie and laughing at your problem. But who says that you have to listen, and who says that when you go to see a professional psychologist, that they are really listening to you, and that they really care about your problems? How do you know that there are really giving you the advice they think would really help and not the advice that would just shut you up? Of course not everyone can afford to see a professional psychologist and this can be the very next best thing. Another advantage is time. Because all one really needs to do is to log on and then write to the therapist, there is much time saved. The client can do this before he/she goes to sleep. In the morning, the answer would be there. Also many people have a greater ease writing there problems down rather than talking it out, diaries for example. Here this type of therapy would be ideal. There are some disadvantages, which people argue about the personal relationship established at a one-on-one interview, which really is an issue of question, because of the fact that so many therapist get too involved with their clients. Also the non-verbal communication is another issue that brings about question to cyber-therapy. Trying the on-line therapist is really a no risk situation, there is really nothing to lose. If the advice that you receive is unacceptable, then don't follow it, at least you didn't waist too much time, or more importantly, too much money. But from the many different readings, I feel that it is safe to conclude that Cyber-Therapy is a very bright and innovated idea that will some be much more than it was cracked up to be.

3) Driving Therapy: Rules for the Road " The Driving Therapist" is Sy Cohn, MFCC, a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor, who has been helping people, in the car, to overcome their driving problems, for over 30 years. She has uniquely combined his experience as a professional driving instructor with his training in behavior psychology. He is a member of CAMFT (California Association of Marriage, Family Therapists) and ADAA (Anxiety Disorders Association of America)." Although Dr.Cohn home page on driving therapy isn't really much more than an advertisement, Dr. Cohn does happen to give some free tips that can help better one's self in the art of driving. Besides the tapes that Dr. Cohn is so desperately trying to sell, she gives some tips on changing lanes and learning how to use your eyes. "A good rule to remember is the word "SMOG"(.i.e.) Signal, Mirror, look Over your shoulder & Go. Give a signal first to let others know what is your intention. Look in the rear view mirror to see if they respond, or not. Look over the shoulder where you are going, out to the side of the rear fender. Whether the other car responds, or not, keep your same speed, if possible, give more gas when it's safe to change and Go. All the while, don't forget to also be looking far ahead where you are going." "Look far ahead, keep your eyes moving and get the big picture. People who are feeling fearful, stressed, tired, etc., look too close at the hood of their car, stare and have tunnel vision. You don't look down at your feet when walking,and your feet go where your eyes are looking." Of course these two are both very good tips in driving. Too often we find car accidents related to one of these two ill practiced procedures. Or course there are many other things to driving, but these are just tips, and the most part of Dr, Cohn's page basically talks about his tapes, and that one can better one's self, immediately by simply purchasing the tapes. On the other hand, the second article by Dr. Driving, is more helpful and therapeutic means of driving therapy. Unlike Dr. Cohn, Dr. Driving tries to help the user immediately on-line. He lists possible suggestions, tips,questions and answers and much more chapters covered in his home page. Dr. Driving home page is not an advertisement and quickly lists the issues that may make one a better driver. Dr. Driving also lists some psychological principles to help us think about being rational and humane drivers. For example "Slay your diving dragon," "conquer your beast within," "learn how your thoughts and feelings respond to methods of self control," "acquire personal self-management techniques as a driver." He also says to "Acquire Inner Power at the Wheel," "Learn the strategies for emotional self control and hassle free driving." Besides these psychological principles, he also lists on-line help, questions and answers. Unlike Dr. Cohn, Dr. Driving is a much more direct approach to driving therapy. Dr. Driving's home page is an excellent example of driving therapy while Dr. Cohn on the other hand is a better example of how to sell stuff off the net. As for Dr. Cohn and her methods for improving one's driving skills, I guess I'll never truly know until I get a handle on those tapes. From what I heard from my Instructor, Dr. Leon James, the tapes aren't really instructional tapes, but rather soft sounding music. Personally though, I don't think that It'll make to much of a difference. When I drive, the type of music really doesn't have an influence on the effect of my driving. Rather, what it does help me do, is pass time, and when I am driving home late at night, keep me awake. On the other hand, I can really make good use of Dr. Driving's tips. Sometimes I can find myself feeling like I own the road, just waiting for that certain someone to try and cross my path. I take things personally, for example when I get cut off, or someone stops suddenly or turns without signaling. This gets me extremely upset and I immediately want to see who this person is and how I am going to get back at this person. Unfortunately for me, that "driving dragon" really takes a strong hold on my actions. I remember once when I was looking for parking in Queen Medical Center's parking lot, and I just accidentally went the wrong way. As I entered this empty one way street, I quickly proceed to an open space. But just as I got there, another car entered the same street, but only coming the right way. But by this time I was half way in the space. As I settled in the space, the car passed by and stopped right in front of me, and I happened to gaze into the other drivers eyes. He noticed that I was looking and he shook his head. That did it. I exploded and ran out of my car, screaming profanities throughout the complex. I followed this poor ill-faithed person and I committed to really scare the ---- out of him. He was really luck that was all that I did. This is bad example of how our dragons can get out of control. After reviewing both Dr. Cohn and Dr. Driving, I feel that Dr. Driving would be much more therapeutic for me, that would be listening to a tape.

4) Cyberspace Counter-Culture: A changing times Radio Underground In this article by Steve Mizrach, he talks about the radio underground, and it's three divisions, "scanner freaks" (people who use radio scanners to listen to eavesdrop on 'illicit' conversations ranging from cellular phones calls to police band radio to military frequencies), "radio pirates" (who transmit radio programming without a license, often from mobile sites of operation, to avoid FCC shutdown), and the "clandestine listeners," who are people who are doing nothing illegal, but can undoubtedly be classified in the realm of the underground. The radio pirates interested me the most. Here Steve Mizrach clearly explains the injustice about how the government can charge the people on just about anything. For example the FCC, "which sells off the airwaves to the highest bidder (when they are supposed to be public property), yet protests "spectrum scarcity" as the reason for shutting down pirate radio. Ham radio is allowed: it's OK for one-to-one communication using packet or pre-approved bands, etc., but you've crossed the line when you dare to transmit to large numbers of people - then you need to be profitable." Here we see a simple injustice with the government system, or more specifically with the FCC. I am sure that there are reason to why this is done this way and why that is done that way, but for now, Steve simply illustrates just one of the many underground features of the radio underground and asks the simple question who is really underground, is it the "scanner freaks" or the "radio pirates", or is it the FCC, who just exploits these people for breaking there own bias laws for their own personal gain. Electric Eroticians (Cybersexologist) Pornography no matter where you go there is one form or another that you'll find there. Whether you're reading the paper, or watching the old TV. A part of society has always set aside time and space for pornography, and the Internet is no different. In fact the internet is one of the most popular cites for pornography, according to author Steve Mizrach, "On the Internet, the most popular newsgroups have always been in the alt.sex hierarchy, and Web pages with erotic material often have to be shut down due to the millions of daily 'hits' of usage." The internet is so vast, you can read your mail, check the weather in another country, buy a plane ticket to a far off country, and many other things and yet, the number one newsgroup that web users visit daily is alt.sex hierarchy. As Steve Mizrach describes cybersex like... "What is going on when two people engage in 'sex' by rapidly typing erotic phrasings to each other in an AOL private chat-room? When they don't have 'VR cybersuits' to engage in foreplay in some impossible zero-gravity space? When their 'avatars' start fondling each other in some romantic, secluded little VRML world? First off, these people aren't even touching. And for gosh sakes, they don't even know what the other person looks like - or even what gender they might really be! You can't call that sex, can you?" Steve describes this new wave of technology as cybercondom in this period of sexual revolution. For he describes the experiences as two "avatars", fondling each other, while all along the two actual people are busy typing away. Never to see each other's true self, or maybe more importantly, their true sex. "Despite all our misgivings over pornography or this other stuff, the human race knows that honestly simulation, artifice, fantasy, make-believe, and role-playing has always been part of the erotic domain. In essence, not knowing may really add to the erotic fetishism that maybe within us all. Keeping us in a forever bewildering bliss of the unconscious. Technology and Transgression In this article, Steve Mizrach talks about the relationship between technology and transgression, and how technology is really power, and whoever controls technology really controls the power. He explains it as more than power but like as a weapon... "Technology is a weapon. It threatens the social order. More than words, more than ideas, it enables people to transgress the boundaries of their society. "If technology is outlawed, then only outlaws will have technology," and all that. Because technology is only an instrument, it can be used for domination." In some sence I can agree that techology is like a weapon, but I feel that it is how the weapon is used that determines the outlook of the techology developed. For example a computer can be developed to help children in elementary school with their math, or it can help a general strategically anialate his opposition. I believe that techology has the potential to do both good and evil, and it is up to the beholder that this faith of respondsibility lies. In the section above about the radio underground, I found a few articles that also felt somewhat the same way that I did. The first article was written by by Necross Sinister & Thomas Icom, "An Intro to Pirate Radio". In this article, Tom, and Necross, clearly explains the boundaries of being a radio pirate. The explain what they are, and exactly what they do. In fact they are so specific, it makes you wonder if they are actually telling you that you can get away with it and it is really cool. Another article was an exclussive pirate homepage, with very interesting sections, "how to build a TV transmitter with off-the shelf parts!" or A stolen file on how to build an FM transmitter. After reading both these two articles, it really helped me to understand how easy it is for someone to build a transmitter and transmit. I understand that whatever the reason is, transmitting without a licence is still against the law, to do such a thing, could easily get one thrown in jail. But because of the number of articles on the net writting against the FCC, it really makes me wonder who really holds technology, and who really holds the power In discussion about my second article, Electric Eroticians, I found many articles that really either supported or was against the idea of pornography. As for me, I believe that the web is a virtualfree place. People have the right to do anything they want to do here. But like any other thing, I believe that there should be some sort of eithical laws that determine what is eithical for children. They are just children and shouldn't be exposed to the slime of society at such a young and absorbant age. I found this one cite that helps to clearly illustrates the legal side of pornography and obscenity. I believe that we should really think about what we teach or show our children because they can directly influence the future of our society.

5) Final Considerations: In short After reading my first report, my feelings remain unchanged. I stick with the idea that the Internet is still no different than a phone or a letter, it is a means to communicate. But not only a means to communicate, unlike a letter or a phone it allows for multiple speakers in virtual rooms held only in cyberspace or as discussed in this paper, cyber-therapy, and much, much more. Because the internet is still so very young, like a teenager just going through puberty it faces a lot of changes, both mentally and virtually. The Internet has to break many old rules and ways of thinking. Ways of thinking our mothers and fathers thought were best. Where it was once advised to "see a therapist" maybe "reduced" to just going on line. The possibilities that the internet holds are endless, it can be anything, your therapist, your friend in Japan, or even someday your parents. After completing this second report, it helped to forward my understanding of the internet. It made me understand that it isn't just a mailing program, or a chat place, but rather a virtual world, unparalleled to ours, with places unlike any places in the natural world. A places where age, sex, or race has no real boundaries. A possible beginning to end of discrimination, segregation, racism and many other important issues discussed in the world today. A realm were freedom is truly free to fly among the vast sea of the internet without any waves of trouble. To go throughout the world, to say what you think and how you feel, freely.