Principles of Memetic Therapy

Abstract

Memetic therapy may be geared both to the cause of the meme replication as well as to the pathogenic memes themselves. In order to treat the influx of memes caused by either exposure to external memes or through empathy, one has to block the continuing entrance of the pathogenic memes into the brain, i.e., perception and induction of memes. This will also treat the weakening of the dominant, healthy memes. Entrance of pathogenic memes may be blocked by separation from the meme source or by saturation of the perceptual apparatus with competing memes. In addition, memetic therapy should be geared to suppressing and/or eradicating the replicating pathogenic memes already in the brain. This may be accomplished by first identifying the pathogenic memes and their nature, identifying the components of the pathogenic memeplexes, and identifying their sensory capsules or vehicles, and neutralizing or suppressing them. Pathogenic memeplexes may be deconstructed and neutralized. Conventional meme-directed therapies include various forms of psychotherapy as well as music and dance therapy, massage. Avatar therapy is a promising novel meme-directed therapy. There is a need for development of more novel meme-directed therapies.