When Laws Are Acting like they are “7-12 Years Old.”

Dr. Adam O’Brien’s “Industrialized Psychiatry” delivers a scathing indictment of our legal and governmental systems, not just for their policies, but for their very mode of thinking. One of his most provocative claims is that according to psychological science, the “level of moral development” and “logic of law is between 7-12 years old.” This isn’t a casual observation; it’s a profound psychological critique suggesting that the powerful structures governing our lives operate from a developmentally immature framework, leading to “immature laws” and systemic trauma. The observation also does not excuse the field of psychology because they have not named key critical concepts (O’Brien, 2023a) and definitions misinforming systems of law, society, and culture.

What does it mean for a system’s logic to be “7-12 years old”? O’Brien (PhD) implies a fundamental lack of abstract thinking, emotional maturity, and a limited capacity to handle “conflicting information” because abstract development has not been achieved (because it is not being applied, from a recovery perspective). Think of a child in this age range: their understanding of rules is often rigid, black-and-white, and focused on immediate consequences rather than long-term, nuanced impacts. They struggle with ambiguity and complex ethical dilemmas, particularly when honoring that we are in a “nation of laws” psychologically means that citizens are being made to follow the wisdom (cognitive and moral development) of a 7-12 years-old. From the dissociative perspective and educational experience, O’Brien argues that our legal and political system exhibits similar traits – and psychology would know the difference, if it was not living dissociated (denial) from the truth that it is in an abusive relationship and is 7 years-old and did not remember it until now. In short, if professions are corporations and professionals make up professions, then professional organizations that make corporations act on behalf of that belief system; therefore, if professions are afforded the same rights as people then they can be sick and treated as such. If professions were created separate but not equal, then we only need to look to the wisdom and logic of the professions who made them. To take this implicit logic further, why did they have to create business, ethics, moral clauses, religious exemptions, and professional laws when the constitution is enough to protect us from the government’s policies, power dynamics,and abuse?

This perceived developmental immaturity, he contends, leads to the creation of “immature laws that are not psychologically informed.” He points to examples like COVID lockdowns, placing psychedelics (includes all cannabis products) in the same drug class as heroin, mandatory vaccine policies, engaging in war without congressional approval, and the Patriot Act – actions he deems harmful, violative of individual rights, and indicative of a profound disconnect from the best interests of the public. These laws, he suggests, cause systemic trauma, mirroring the trauma experienced by individuals forced to obey “irrational drug laws.”

Furthermore, O’Brien cites Castlerock vs. Gonzalez to argue that “the law and government do not have to serve or protect the citizen when they did not directly cause harm.” This legal stance, in his view, enables indirect harm through “incompetence or illegal laws,” effectively absolving the system of responsibility for the suffering it inadvertently and indirectly causes. This aligns with the idea of an immature entity that avoids accountability for the broader consequences of its actions (e.g., follow the science on this, but not that).

The implication is chilling: society is structured by a “parental” legal system that, due to its own arrested development, perpetuates cycles of trauma and control (reenacts), preventing citizens from reaching full “developmental maturity” (emotional delayed and educationally underdeveloped). This isn’t just about bad policies; it’s about a fundamental flaw in the cognitive and emotional framework from which these policies emerge. To know psychedelics is to know what is good and right; to label them as having “no medical value” demonstrates their level of awareness, hence their level of addiction or dissociation to the truth they sell and require you to pay.

This blog invites us to step back and critically examine the underlying logic of our governing systems. Are they truly equipped to handle the complexities of human experience and societal well-being? What would a “developmentally mature” legal system look like? O’Brien’s work compels us to consider whether the very structures designed to ensure order might, in their immaturity, be inadvertently fostering chaos and preventing genuine progress.

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References

O’Brien, A. (2023a). Addiction as Trauma-Related Dissociation: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Addictive State. International University of Graduate Studies. (Dissertation). Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/

O’Brien, A. (2023b). Memory Reconsolidation in Psychedelics Therapy. In Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/courses/addiction-as-dissociation-model-course/

O’Brien, A. (2023c). Path of the Wounded Healer: A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness: Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/

O’Brien, A. (2024a). Healer and Healing: The re-education of the healer and healing professions as an advocation. Re-educational and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/

O’Brien, A. (2024e). Path of the Wounded Healers for Thrivers: Perfectionism, Altruism, and Ambition Addictions; Re-education and training manual for Abusers, Activists, Batterers, Bullies, Enablers, Killers, Narcissists, Offenders, Parents, Perpetrators, and Warriors. Re-Education and Training Manual and Guide. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/

O’Brien, A. (2025). American Made Addiction Recovery: a healer’s journey through professional recovery. Albany, NY: Wounded Healers Institute. Retrieved at woundedhealersinstitute.org/