Trust

Today, I knew one simple word, “trust.”  Of course, I knew the meaning of this word, but I didn’t know the true meaning of this word until today.  I felt the true trust.

Tonight, it was cold in Pleasant Hill.  But my heart was really warm.

The truth in our life is hidden in “true trust.”

Yoga and Immortality: Real meaning of Yoga

I was struck by the following sentences from a Novak’s book.

“When the five senses and the mind are still, and reason rests in silence, then begins the Path supreme.  This calm steadiness of the senses is called Yoga.  Then one should become watchful, because Yoga comes and goes….” (Novak, 1995, p. 14-15)

In my daily life, I practice various spiritual practices.  One of my main practices is Kundalini Yoga, whose origin is Hinduism.  Before reading these sentences, I thought that Yoga was some kind of body and mental exercise.  However, my perspective about Yoga dramatically changed after reading these sentences.  That was because I noticed that the real meaning of Yoga was the path to our real self, Atman.  Of course, Yoga includes the meaning of physical exercise, but its true meaning is to reach a higher self, beyond self.

When I practiced Kundalini Yoga, I sometimes felt serene, tranquil and peaceful…  I’m slow to realize that, but this is real Yoga.  The above sentences will make my Yoga practice more fruitful.

Reference:

The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions

The limitation of a disidentification exercise

I posted the way to practice the disidentification technique and its merit, so I’d like to describe the limitation of a disidentification exercise.  As pointed out, there are some merits in this exercise, but it is also important for us to recognize the limitation of this exercise in an appropriate manner.  Assagioli (1965) stated that this technique should be used in a careful manner for the patients who tend to focus on their inner mental world too much such as self-exploration or self-reflection (p. 122).  Furthermore, we need to be especially careful of the following point:

Under the limitations and contra-indications of this technique it is important to consider certain dangers which may be present in cases such as borderline-psychotics, particularly when there is a condition of “de-personalization,” e.g., when a patient has the feeling that his body does not belong to him.  Then the added emphasis on “I am not the body” may further widen the split and run contrary to the fundamental idea of bio-psychosynthesis.  (Assagioli, 1965, p. 123)

We should use this technique not only looking at the useful aspect, but also understanding the above limitations in the proper way.

Reference: Psychosynthesis

The effect of "Disidentification exercise"

Yesterday, I introduced “disidentification exercise”, but I’d like to explain the psychological effect of a disidentification exercise in more detail.  After the class or reading text books, I suppose that the aim of a disidentification exercise is being aware of the fact that “I” is not sensations, emotions, or thoughts but “I” is a person who perceives those experiences as they are.  As Firman and Gila (2002) pointed out, ““I” is ever the one who is aware, the experiencer not the experience” (p. 97).  This sentence was very insightful for me because I usually regarded my sensations, emotions, and thoughts as “me.”  In a word, I was frequently apt to identify with these contents, and I realized that I was not my physical sensation, emotions, nor thoughts thorough this exercise.  In regard to the effect of a disidentification practices, there are mainly two important points in it.  The first, the main effect of this exercise is that:

The effect and results of the exercise are and should be of a liberating nature; and in fact those who use the technique successfully say that they obtain a sense of freedom, a sense of being, and a spontaneous control of the psychological contents with which they were previously completely identified.  (Assagioli, 1965, p. 120). 

In addition to that, Firman & Gila (2002) argue that we could notice that “I” is not objective things but always and forever subjective things (p. 100).  In my view, the merit of this exercise is significant in our modern society.  That is because a lot of knowledge or experiences are flooded into our daily life, and we are overwhelmed by them, as a result, most of us are inclined to identify with those contents.

Reference:

1 Psychosynthesis: A Psychology of the Spirit (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology)

2 Psychosynthesis

Disidentification exercise in psychosynthesis class

In the last psychosynthesis class, we practiced “disidentification exercise” for 10-15 minutes.  I was intrigued by this exercise, because this exercise was very useful in that we could be aware of true “I.”  “I” is not sensations, emotions, nor thoughts.  As Firman and Gila (2002) pointed out, “I” is not an experience but an “experiencer.”  Well, I want to share this exercise in brief.  Please see the following steps.

In the class, firstly, we paid attention to our breaths, took a breath deeply and slowly 4 or 5 times, and relaxed.  Secondly, while relaxing, we noticed that our various experiences such as sensations, emotions, and thoughts, etc. happened in us.  Thirdly, we affirmed and became aware of the fact that “I have a body, but I am not my body.”  The next affirmation was “I have an emotion, but I am not my emotion.”  The third was “I have a thought, but I am not the mind.”  Please affirm these sentences feeling fully your inner world.  In this way, we tried to dis-identify with our experiences occurred in our inner world.  After these affirmations, we felt our entire body, emotion, and mind.  Lastly, we concentrated on our breaths and finished.

Let’s try this psychosyntheis technique.  This exercise I showed you is written in an Assagioli's book but another disidentification exercise is described in a Firman and Gila's book.

Reference:

Psychosynthesis p116-117

Sightseeing @ Berkeley and Oakland

Today, I went sightseeing at Berkeley and Oakland with my friend.  Both of cities are very nice for me.  Especially, Berkeley has a scent of academic. 

I’ve never seen hippies before…, but I saw them for the first time today. I don't know "hippie" is a discriminatory term?

Saw the light at the end of my first paper

Whew!  Eventually, I saw the light at end of my first writing assignment in Psychosynthesis class.  This paper does not require so heavy pages of me, but this is my first time to write in “APA” style.  APA style is the problem for me.  APA?  I’m already familiar with APA!!  That is because I frequently saw the word, “APA”, when I was an international tax consultant.  “What do you mean?” people may say to me.  Of course, that is a kind of my joke, and I know only the meaning of “APA” in the international tax world.  In the international tax world, APA means “Advance Pricing Agreement”, on the other hand, in the academic world, APA means “American Psychological Association.”  Needless to say, there is a big difference between them.  I’ll train APA style little by little to become a good writer.

Every journey begins with a single step!