#Staying the Course

Katharina Lehmann

Katharina Lehmann put her job on the line for the sake of the truth – and lost. 

As a psychologist, Dr. phil. with her own practice and a permanent position on the Zurich city police force, she could truly have had a quiet life. However, Katharina was not willing to compromise on the truth, stepped out of her comfort zone and put her employment and public reputation on the line.

The trigger was the measures surrounding the proclaimed Corona pandemic, which were incomprehensible to Catherine. She quickly came to understand the synchronization of the mass media, which tried to ignore or defame any opinions that deviated from the official narrative. To undermine basic rights under the guise of protective measures and philanthropy was highly repugnant to her. As a psychologist, she recognized with analytical precision the scattering of fear and terror and observed with distaste the unresisting adaptation of people to a “new” normality. It was clear to her that here the supposed protective efforts with all the new, centralized regulations and prohibitions must have tremendous side effects on people. Not only on the psyche, but on the whole life, up to the physical health, which is negatively affected by the measures and resulting stress. And of course, the consequences reach far beyond Switzerland, to global poverty and hunger, which increased at an alarming rate.

Then, as early as the 3rd quarter of 2020, a critical article by her appeared in the public domain: “Fear and opportunism: a psychological look at the Corona crisis”. In this article, she unmistakably and astutely points to the systematic generation of fear by those in power and to the machinations of industrial capitalism, specifically those of the pharmaceutical industry. The majority of people have been actively put in fear and panic, according to her analysis.

Katharina not only writes what she thinks, she also puts it into practice and lives it. Thus, she consistently and with full conviction refused to wear a mask. Without, of course, allowing herself to be restricted in her freedom of movement. She refers to undesirable psychological side effects such as the limited reading of facial expressions in mask wearers. Since the vegetative nervous system of the counterpart constantly notices and evaluates even the smallest muscle movements and decides whether the person is “friendly” or “threatening” (neuroception according to Stephen Porges) and is unable to do so because of the mask, this leads to insecurities. Masks are also perceived as a symbol of a muzzle and can be strong triggers for traumatization. The fact that masks do not provide effective protection against viruses and at the same time pose a considerable risk to the respiratory system has been proven several times in the meantime.

Her consequent refusal of the mask for above reasons lead to her summary dismissal by the police. Katharina’s employer distrusted her medical mask certificate and demanded her to consult the employer’s assigned doctor. Katharina could have relented and stayed in her comfort zone, but her conviction to do the right thing was stronger. Refusing to see the medical officer led to ther immediate termination of employment.

As Katharina is constantly striving to work on her own development and on the development of people, she is a co-initiator and future member of the foundation board of the VitaNetz Foundation. VitaNetz is building an innovative society that places health and the harmonious coexistence of humans, animals and nature at the center of its activities. This includes pesticide- and antibiotic-free agriculture and animal husbandry, solidarity-based economic management with its own monetary system, as well as – as the basis of all this, after all, Katharina is a psychologist – work on self- and community awareness. Further insights into her work and commitment can be found at www.katharina-lehmann.ch and www.vitanetz.ch .

A.W., Fribourg, June 2021