The Psychologist As Systems Analyst

"That's So Cold"

     Once I was discussing the concept of biocontroller with another psychologist. She reacted quite negatively, saying, "It's so mechanical, so cold. Surely the mind of man is more than a machine!''

"Of course," I replied. "The brain is the hardware, while the mind is the software."

     "Even so," she countered, "I don't treat my clients as though they are nothing more than a computer. To me, they are living human beings whom I care a great deal about."

     "Does the heart surgeon who sees the heart as a pump care any less about his patients as human beings?" I asked.

     “I guess not," she reluctantly agreed.

     My friend was raising a common objection that thinking of the brain as a biocontroller is somehow dehumanizing. One reason for this view may be that technology can be used for immoral or undesirable purposes. For a generation of humans living with the specter of nuclear war hovering constantly in the background of awareness, a mistrust of technology is understandable.

     The thought of a scientifically based technology of mind is frightening. It calls up images of Big Brother, of brain washing and mind control. Unfortunately, there is validity to these fears. Any technology can be misused and the potential for abuse is clearly there for psychotechnology. Psychology as a profession is already well aware of this possibility, as shown by licensing laws, a strict code of ethics, peer reviews of ethical complaints and guidelines on the use of subjects in research.            As psychotechnology matures, there will undoubtedly need to be more safeguards. However, the potential for abuse is not sufficient reason for abandoning a line of inquiry in science.

     On the other hand, technology can serve humanitarian purposes as well. The same science that led to the nuclear bomb has revolutionized our lives. Nuclear science has saved many more lives with new medical techniques than have been lost to the bomb.

     Similarly, psychotechnology can help people live happier, more productive, fulfilling lives. What's wrong with being able to help people more quickly and effectively? That is exactly what advances in the science of mind can do.

     The more we understand ourselves, the better our chances of being able to use constructively the vast forces we have unleashed through science. I believe advances in psychotechnology are essential for human beings to achieve the level of maturity we need as a race to play safely with the awesome toys we have created.

    Furthermore, these advances are coming whether you like it or not. Emerging biotechnology is raising some knotty ethical dilemmas. So will psychotechnology, but it is coming. It may have a greater impact on our lives than all the advances in the physical sciences, because psychotechnology will touch most aspect of our daily lives. Further, it promises to unlock the untapped and unexplored potentials of the human mind, possibilities we may well find are essentially limitless.

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