Chan Buddhist.
Writer.
​Martial Artist.
​Existentialist Philosopher.
Neo-Jungian Psychologist.

“Heroic Theory.” That is what I called it, in the beginning. When I was studying for my master's degree, I one day realized that I no longer believed in what had become of my soon-to-be field. Psychology, to my mind, had become all-too soft, fragile, reactive; it no longer even bothered to attempt to speak to me as a man or to any man I had ever known. Because of this, I began writing a criticism of the modern paradigm, and not only a criticism: I asked, "Just what would an heroic theory of psychology look like, exactly?" Along with that question came the seed of an idea, which in turn culminated in a host of projects.

Tribe

Tribe is my small group session for young men interested in personal mentorship and masculine self-development. Sessions are weekly, and we will form new small groups as interest increases. Tribe small groups are limited to twelve clients each and do include nominal monthly dues; please feel free to reach out for details.

ZenTactics

ZenTactics is my self-development protocol. It is founded upon principles derived from the warrior ethos, existentialist philosophy, and neo-Jungian psychology.

ZeroDarkPsyche

ZeroDarkPsyche is my Substack journaling project, which will include all manner of discussion both personal and professional. Through the ZeroDarkPsyche project, we can explore whatever may be hidden beneath the surface of consciousness in order to better understand ourselves and other human beings. Not for the feint of heart, ZeroDarkPsyche is psychology stripped of pretension- raw, inquisitive, exploratory.

Biography

Joshua van Asakinda was born 22 September, 1979 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He holds a master's degree in psychology from American Military University, and a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh. For years, he went traveling in search of himself; this led him to the Mahayana, and to the establishment of various protocols fusing religion, martial studies, and evolutionary psychology. Now he has self-published a number of books, including Slay the Maiden; Profiling the Left; Stranging the Beautiful Noise; Strategies of Guerrilla Psychology I: Valhalla; and Strategies of Guerrilla Psychology II: ZenTactics.  Finally, he is Chan Buddhist, First of the Zenshida’i, creator of Pencak Silat Cimande dari Zenshida'i.

Publications

A small novel about seven heroes that awaken in a tomb with no idea of why they exist or what they are to do. But the visions of a young boy lead them through a world of gods, where the mystery of mortal tragedy plays out across the backdrop of divine theatre. The first draft was written in seven days; it took years for me to figure out exactly what I had written. I have considered rewriting it; I have decided to leave it as it is. Based on the Persephone myth.

[ *Link in photo above. * ]
Is it well-written? No. But is the idea important? Yes, absolutely. When I wrote it, I wrote it in a fever of inspiration; ifI had written it today, I would have written it differently- very differently. But the seed if the idea remains: When we fail to integrate the self, we set the stage for a series of psychic changes that can only result in tyranny and centralization of control. Today, I call this reactive psychology, and I see it everywhere across the political spectrum, left and right. Still, this small book of 45 pages or so was the beginning.

​[ *Link in photo above. * ]
A poetry collection unlike any other. It was largely written in Jungian, stream-of-consciousness fashion. Yet the rhyme and meter of it all has an old school, classical aesthetic, which has been abandoned for quite some time. Some are short and trivial; some are long, mythic, and spiritual. But I love them all, for example…

Amaranthine

I dream of an unborn god in me
Oh, for that god to be set free!
And mount upon immortal wings
In the forever that died for his agony

”Haiku”

Ripping claws
From tiger’s paws
Will never make them better

Hunter & Quarry

I once wrote a tragedy; now I have wandered on
The skin that I shed yesterday I sought, and found upon
The rocks of a despoiled place where I do not belong
So now the quarry that I chase I capture in a song

​ [ *Link in photo above. * ]

Finally, in Case You Have Questions, Like…

[ * I love Calvin & Hobbes. * ]