I have to grab onto something – psychotherapeutic “orienteering”?  

It is difficult to go without a landmark, without some lighthouse, guiding star, system of values, someone or something to believe in and to hold onto. 

What is a person to do in this crazy, turbulent world when the lighthouses have gone dark?
Even worse, when everywhere there are fake lighthouses, self-proclaimed landmarks with good marketing. Imagine being in a stormy sea where the shore is not visible, and there are lighthouses in different directions, each overpowering the other with their light. ‘I am the real one, I am the real one… go this way… ‘ 

Go towards Europe, there is the ”garden of civilization”, in the east there are tyrants. No, go to the east, to your brothers, for a fairer world, for the victory of good over evil. In the west, there is decadence, colonialism, evil. 

Hold onto God’s word, the bible, the holy Scripture, there is the truth and salvation. Hold onto science, there is objective truth. Faith is an ilusion, an opiate for the people, created to rule the world… “trust science, not morons”. 

“God is light and a lighthouse, you are created in God’s image. No, you are the product of random mutations that have survived natural selection, you are a direct descendant of monkeys, an evolved monkey. Love your family as yourself. Man to man is a wolf, fighting for survival, be stronger, more powerful, prevail…” 

Be practical, do what is beneficial to you. Be spiritual and honorable, even if it may not bring material rewards, preserve your soul. What is the truth of all this? Which of these landmarks should I follow? If I follow conflicting landmarks, will I reach any destination? 

Why am I writing all this as a psychotherapist? Do people not come to therapy with questions different from those mentioned? They struggle with issues such as low self-esteem, lack of confidence, unsatisfactory relationships, anxiety, panic, depression, divorce, and the troubles of daily life. Isn’t the conversation focused on the conditions in which we live and work, on mothers and fathers who were inadequate as parents, on peers who have hurt us? Indeed, it is. However, all these life stories unfold within a broader context, in a world of lost lighthouses.