Psychogenic Therapy: An Evolutionary Approach to Meme-Gene Conflicts

This article presents Psychogenic Therapy, or the psychogenist approach, as a theoretical proposal for psychological intervention aimed at reducing conflicts between genetically based instinctive predispositions and culturally acquired belief systems. Such conflicts, termed meme–gene conflicts, arise when internalized norms and values oppose behavioral tendencies evolutionarily shaped to maximize genetic preservation, both of the individual and of relatives who share part of their genetic material, in accordance with the concept of inclusive fitness. The proposed therapeutic approach consists of identifying and reevaluating internalized memetic systems that produce persistent psychological distress, seeking greater consonance between biological predispositions and contemporary sociocultural demands. The model suggests integration between evolutionary psychology and psychotherapeutic practice, offering a theoretical framework for understanding modern psychological conflicts.