The medicalization of the self: how we learned to 'fix' our thoughts
In short: We treat changing our minds as a simple internal shift, but it is actually a complex historical evolution. From ancient practices of behavior modification to modern mental health services, the way we approach personal change reveals a profound shift in how society views the human self.
The concept of 'changing your mind' carries immense weight across social, commercial, political, and religious spheres. Historically, these processes have often functioned in parallel: one path focused on self-improvement as a personal virtue, while another sought to treat mental illness as a medical condition. For centuries, these two trajectories remained distinct until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this pivotal era, a significant shift occurred where the goal of self-improvement became inextricably linked with the concept of general 'health.' This transition effectively turned the 'Self' into an object of medical improvement.
By framing internal thoughts and personal narratives as things that could be clinically adjusted, modern mental health services began to adopt frameworks that prioritize changing thinking and stories over merely modifying outward behavior. This evolution has wide-reaching implications for how we understand various forms of influence today. It allows us to analyze everything from the persuasive power of advertising to the more militant processes of radicalization and 'grooming.' By examining this history, we can better understand the mechanisms by which minds are shaped—whether through intentional self-transformation or external intervention.
Professor Gwen Adshead delivered this lecture as part of a long-standing tradition at Gresham College, which has provided free public lectures since 1597. The institution currently hosts over 1,900 such lectures online, offering a vast repository of intellectual discourse on how human concepts evolve over time.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Changing Minds and Mental Health - Professor Gwen Adsead
- Also: Changing Minds and Mental Health
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