There are many models of the person
within the field of psychology. Transpersonal models include aspects of the spiritual. For this presentation Psychosynthesis
(1965), one of several Transpersonal models, is used as a vehicle for communicating Meditation with Grace. Roberto Assagioli,
a contemporary of Freud and Jung, developed the Psychosynthesis model during his lifetime.
The Psychosynthesis Model of the Person
1. The Lower Unconscious
2. The Middle Unconscious
3. The Higher Unconscious or Superconsciousness
4.
The Field of Consciousness
5. The Conscious Self or "I"
6. The Higher Self
7.
The Collective Unconscious
The Higher Self
The ability to focus
our attention is our most valuable personal freedom. Yet, for most of us our attention is captured by unconscious and sometimes
conscious processes. Substratum to these processes is the Higher Self. Meditating with Grace focuses attention/intention with
the Higher Self. Grace is very real, subtle and substratum to our everyday experiences.
Within
the market place our attention is a sought after commodity. By capturing our attention we may be:
Convinced into purchasing a product.
Give labor time and effort to a cause.
View
(shine or withhold shattered or coherent intention/attention) favorably or unfavorably upon another person, group or object.
Meditating with Grace
is focusing our attention upon or with Grace. Starting with short sessions (1/2 hour) we intend (intention) to focus our awareness
upon or with Grace until that intention is interrupted by a thought, revelry of imagination, feeling other than Grace or sensation.
We then repeat to attend (attention) to the focus of our intention again and again during the designated session time. As
we develop our ability to focus our attention with or upon Grace the sessions are interrupted less and less by thoughts, revelry
of imagination, feelings other than Grace and sensations. Our relationship with Grace is a personal experience that each individual
works out for themselves. We must be careful not to distort our experience (relationship) with neurotic or narcissistic fantasies.
If a spiritual crises emerges we should seek help. Grace manifests within and without and help can sometimes come from a spiritual
adviser or mental health professional. During meditation sessions Grace will sometimes feel to be far away from us, sometimes
as a beloved we are in relationship with and sometimes closer to us then our very breath, closer than any thought, transcending
object/subject boundaries.
Mostly we are unaware or only vaguely aware that there is a Higher Self. Those who
seek to transcend the human condition towards the Higher Self find the task impossible from the frame of reference of the
Consciousness Self or I. Asking assistance through prayer is essential. Shear will power and determination within the consciousness
of the human condition is not capable of transcendence. The Sages have acknowledged this inability. They have also confirmed
that transcendence is possible through Grace.
During the beginning of the twentieth century the neophyte field
of psychology strived to be considered a science based within classical physics, evolution theory and the scientific method.
Roberto Assagioli, decades ahead of his time, realized the importance of the new field but also realized that there was something
missing, the Higher Self. During the later half of that century it was demonstrated that not only classical physics but also
the new physics of quantum mechanics plays a large part in our ability to perceive our environment. This gave permission for
a few scientist and psychologist who had profound experiences of the Higher Self, to communicate and investigate those experiences
within their communities.
Common to most transpersonal psychologies and to the teaching of the Sages
is a philosophy that is multicultural and transgenerational. This philosophy termed the Perennial Philosophy is categories
into four areas (Huxley, A. in Walsh, 1993).
1. There is substratum to our experience a Source or Divine Ground that
interconnects us to each other, itself and to the environment. There was not a scientific mechanism for understanding
the operation of this Source until classical physics was supplemented with quantum mechanics in the twentieth century. During
the latter half of that century a few members of the scientific community investigated the hypothesis. There are many outcomes
that support the hypothesis. One is Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research, PEAR, (Schoch, 2008). This project placed random
number generators throughout the world monitoring them continuously. During times of national or international focus these
generators have significantly become less random and more coherent.
2. This Source or Divine
Ground can be experienced by individuals. Since the latter half of the twentieth century a few trained psychiatrists and
psychologists have experienced a consciousness that transcends the personal ego and have communicated the experience using
the language of psychology. So have a few scientists, authors, spiritual seekers and even an astronaut. Investigation into
these experiences stimulated the growth of transpersonal psychology.
3. Man has a double nature. It appears that
we control ourselves and our environment utilizing a singular personality. However, developmental studies, psychopathology,
the phenomena of hypnosis and the placebo effect all support multiplicity. Many ego bound states develop during our lifetime
when we have a strong emotion coupled with, beliefs, environmental stimuli and the body’s biochemistry. The way we experience
and resolve that situation becomes a neural network within our brains and can be triggered again when similar feelings, environmental
stimuli and biochemistry occur. We find ourselves utilizing a pattern to resolve a similar but not exactly the same situation.
This is why in retrospect we often ask ourselves, why did I do that? Or we say, “I could have handled that better”.
John Firman and Ann Gila (1997) have identified a cluster of these sub- personalities that center around experiences that
failed to reflect the reality of the Higher Self. These failures cause a primal wound and a cluster of sub-personalities based
on fear of non-being. Mostly this survival personality operates due to ignorance of the Higher Self which is the Source of
our Being. In an environment where the majority of people are ignorant of the Higher Self the survival personality abounds
and propagates. The main benefit of being in conscious relationship with the Higher Self is a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Since economic advantage, physical health or superiority over others is not the main benefit of the Higher Self the survival
self erroneously,when not ignorant of the Higher Self's existence, places little value on it.
4.Purpose.
As ignorance and devaluing of the Higher Self is lessened peace and harmony within the environment increases.
One way to indirectly describe the Higher
Self is to use an energy model developed by John and Helen Watkins called Ego States (1997). In this theory the Higher Self
is not mentioned but energies deriving from the Higher Self are examined from the reference point of the Conscious Self or
I. The primary unit of light is a photon. Depending upon the experimenters desire this photon of light can be experienced
through analytical measurement as a waveform (field) or as a particle. Similarly, energies of the Higher Self are experienced
by the Conscious Self or I as ego cathexis and object cathexis. Ego cathexis performs two notable functions.The first is that
of an energy that activates a process and the second is the process of the feeling of selfness. This ego cathexis moves into
mental and/or physiological content that has boundaries, activates that content which then becomes personal (my). During deep
sleep the ego cathexis withdraws from the content. The theorist realize that this is a living energy with the possibility
of transcending death of the body. Watkins (1978) defined Primary Awareness as "the awareness of existence that may inhere
in "self energy" independent of any impact by objects" (p. 519). Object cathexis is a non-living "it"
energy. The Conscious Self or I does not realize an object outside of itself until that object impacts The Conscious Self
or I through the senses. This energy model views existence as created from the impact of object cathexis upon ego cathexis.
The Higher Self when interpreted by the Conscious Self or I is paradoxical. It is not ego cathexis or object cathexis
(transcendent) but at the same time it is ego cathexis and object cathexis (immanence). Grace is a constant of the Higher
Self. However, because of the Conscious Self or I's entanglement within the field of consciousness this constant is not always
realized.
Grace is radiated from the Higher Self and experienced by the Conscious Self or I as the ability to
be immanent and at the same time transcendent. To be immanent is to be close, entwined within. To be transcendent is to be
able to experience independent of entwinement. Using the language of the energy model, ego cathexis uses libido force to integrate
and mortido force to differentiate. When this split of energies is not balanced communication and flow from the Higher Self
is distorted causing psychological, physical and relational problems.
The Conscious Self or I
Thoughts,
beliefs, feelings, sensation and revelry of imagination which we are aware of and which are constantly changing from
one instance to another make up the Field of Consciousness. This awareness can help us
to transcend or dis-identify from the contents within the Field of Consciousness directly experiencing the Conscious Self
or I. Using the language of the energy model a core self (ego) expands or contracts its permeable boundaries to include or
exclude psychological and sensory content. Ego states that developed to negotiate the environment are directly or indirectly
included in this expansion and contraction. When an ego states boundaries are not permeable then the ego state is dissociated
from the core self.
Using our awareness we realize that thoughts, beliefs, feelings, sensations and revelry
of imagination constantly change but our awareness does not. This awareness without content is our Conscious
Self or I. There is abundant research, literature and exercises to help us realize the differences between our Conscious Self
or I and the content we confuse to be ourself. Their positive use is to help us realize the Higher Self (Anonymous 1975, Goldsmith
1992, James 2007, Langford 2007, Peace Pilgrim 1991, Roberts 2005, Robertson 2000, ) or to help us overcome our neurosis through
psychological awareness becoming Self Actualized People (Maslow 1987) or a combination of both (Almaas 1988, Assagioli 1965,
Brown 2004, Deikman 1982, Firman 1997, Fredrick 1999, Robertson 2001, Wolinsky 1999).
Once we realize our Conscious
Self or I we intend (intend) to form and maintain a Unified Synthesis Center (Assagioli 1965) between our
Conscious Self or I and the Higher Self by focusing attention (repetition) upon Grace. We know Grace exists because we have
experienced it (see Meditating with Grace) and have named that experience Grace. As the conscious Self or I focuses attention,
without content, upon Grace the subtle reality of the Higher Self is experienced. Fear, abandonment and rejection are lessened
and love, unity and peace are heightened. As the mediation practice grows through repeated effort and will, the boundaries
between the Conscious Self or I as subject and the Higher Self as object become more permeable.
The Unconscious
The unconscious is
an autonomous storage system of sensory data and patterns of behavior developed over time to negotiate the environment and
relationships within the environment. These patterns are strategies previously developed to handle environment situations
of coping and adaptation the best way we could at the time. Often they serve us well, giving many of us the ability to walk
or ingest food without the interference of conscious effort. Some previously served us well but are no longer appropriate
such as tantrums that served us as children to gain control but are not appropriate within adult relationship. Often they
are cued by the environment and are attached to contents of thoughts, beliefs and feelings making them state bound, manifesting
whenever similar contents of thoughts, beliefs and feelings are cued within the environment. Being state bound to thoughts,
beliefs and feelings they can appear as sub-personalities and are the reason why many of us have behaved in a manner that
we later regret.
Sporadic affirmations will not program the unconscious. According to the von Neumann/Stapp model
to program the unconscious intention must be reinforced by attention in rapid and repeated succession. This causes the quantum
wave form to endure longer. Maintaining the wave form longer retards a natural decoherence of neurons enabling coherence within
the neural networks forming templates for action.
There is a paradigm shift in science currently
occurring. Extrasensory perception has been proven experimentally (subtle) with supporting statistics (Radin 2006). Within
the human body there are sub atomic processes occurring that need the more accurate physics of quantum mechanics for explanation.
Based within research of how human intention and attention influence the physical world it is suspected that the calcium ion
channels within the human nervous system are influenced by quantum mechanics (Eccles 1994, Stapp 2007). This influence is
another regulator on when and where neurons within the brain fire, making possible quantum perception. The physics of quantum
mechanics differs from classical physics. In classical physics observing the phenomena has no influence upon the phenomena.
In quantum physics the observation influences the phenomena. In classical physics the proximity of an object or force influence
phenomena. In quantum physics there is entanglement and proximity is not a factor. Extrasensory perception can be explained
with the realization that our nervous systems are entangled within a quantum field making subtle quantum perception possible
along side of classical perception (Radin 2006).
Classical Physics
Quantum Mechanics
Reality
Independent of our
viewing
Influenced by our viewing
Locality
Direct contact or proximity
Not dependent on proximity, non local
Causality
Time
moves only forward
Dependent on frame of
reference
Continuity
Continuous smooth progress
Discontinuous
Determinism
Given all variables outcome is certain
Outcome is not certain
This subtle field to which we are all connected is continually communicating with
us through quantum perception along side of classical perception.
Some important aspects of quantum perception.
Extrasensory
perception, although subtle and not always reproducible, has been proven to exist statistically (Radin 2007).
A Nobel laureate suspected a Higher Self influenced human perception through quantum mechanics
operating within the calcium ion channels of the nervous system. Eccles 1994)
While
not taking a stand on a Higher Self or extrasensory perception, physicist have demonstrated that the choices that we select
coupled with our attention and intention are non local and affect our perception of natures outcome (local). Most pertinent,
the continued focus of attention and intention creates and activates Templates For Actions to occur successfully within nature
(Stapp 2007).
von Neumann/Stapp model
Process Zero
Process One
Process
Two
Process Three
Non Local - Being Human The freedom of
choice not based within determinism.
Non
local- Psychological Local- Physical, mechanical
The probing action that partitions an infinite amount of
possibilities into a countable amount of alternative possibilities. Based on the choice (yes, not yes) made by the human agent.
Process One (Von Neumann/ Heisenberg cut). Outcome is influenced but not determined. Determination is selected
through Process Three.
Local- Mechanical The Quantum mechanics performed by Schrodinger's equation. A mechanistic law of quantum evolution.
Local-Mechanical Statistical rules of probability that
chose how Process One will manifest within nature. Nature's feedback to process one. Collapse of the wave function.
Intention: Yes, not yes query of nature to illicit information.
Attention: Intensity or persistence of
that query.
Quantum Zeno effect: Rapid
and multiple query (Intention/attention) which forces that system to remain within its wavelike, quantum in-determine state.
Vibratory patterns are formed in the brain which endure longer in the wave form. This longer endurance by the wave form increases
the von Neumann/Heisenberg cut of Schrodinger's equation which drives the statistical probabilities of Process Three.
Collapse of the wave function: In the wet,
warm environment of the brain, the quantum vibratory waveforms that influence whether neurotransmitters fire neurons via the
calcium ion channels collapse rapidly into decoherence. There are many classical probable brain patterns with the potential
for decoherence or coherence.
Templates
for Action: Influenced by the Quantum Zeno effect. Macroscopic patterns of brain activity that are selected to perform
the desired feed back of Process One (Stapp 2007).
During the first step of Meditation with
Grace we become in touch with our Conscious Self or I putting aside the content that we think of as ourselves training to
do this with a chosen dis-identification exercise.
Once
we find this core awareness we couple it to Grace, accomplishing this by recognizing the reality of Grace and Grace's ability
to be immanent and transcendent.This is our intention.
We then focus this intention until a thought, revelry of imagination, feeling other than Grace or sensation distracts
us. Intention is again attended to repeatedly until the designated practice period is finished. What we are doing is developing
a Template for Action (Stapp 2007) within the unconscious, or a Unified Synthesis Center (Assagioli 1965) learning to rest
within Grace.
Eccles-Beck Model
This model is similar to the von Neumann/Stapp
model in that quantum mechanics influence the release of neurotransmitters via calcium ion channels but differ in that each
cerebral cortex dendron is controlled by an unseen mental unit termed a Psychron. A second difference is that personal will
influences process three probabilities. In the von Neumann/Stapp model personal will can only influence Process One via the
Quantum Zeno Effect.
Appendix
Meditating
with Grace
Being in the human condition can be difficult. We constantly find ourselves
being captured by thoughts, emotions and situations that go against our desire for happiness. Yet, the human condition is
extremely precious because what is unconscious and unrecognized in animals can be made conscious and recognized while in the
human condition.
Meditation can be used to make the unconscious conscious. There are many different forms of meditation;
this writing tries to communicate meditating with Grace. Readers will have to look within themselves to interpret the meaning
according to their experience. This is not a proprietary method of meditation belonging to any individual or group. Grace
is a universal experience substratum to the human condition.
Most of us have had a subtle experience of Grace.
It might manifest as an ability to go through a difficult situation realizing that there was something not seemingly of you
that helped you overcome. This ability to endure might have been psychological, physical, or relational. This experience is
easily pushed to the unconscious and forgotten.
Not so easily forgotten are those who have had Near Death Experiences
and have felt Grace while not being fully within the body. They report feeling an overwhelming sense of love and caring that
goes beyond anything that is experienced while in the human condition. This is usually a life changing experience.
There are accomplished meditators who while in meditation connect with a consciousness different than the human condition.
While in this consciousness they are in relationship with a reality that is substratum to the human condition. Crime rates
in large cities have been repeatedly reduced during scheduled group meditation.
Rarely a person born into the human
condition manifests the ability to transcend the consciousness of the human condition and remain within the consciousness
of Turiya continually. These beings are one with Grace but still have a connection with the human condition. Their experience
of reality substratum to the human condition is not distorted.
Making the unconscious conscious is a process of
renunciation that takes time and patience. It is a process based upon our efforts while in the human condition to realize
Grace as substratum to that condition as well as the reality of Grace as an active and caring agent for that change.
Suggestion for making the body comfortable
Make the body comfortable, sitting in a chair
or on a cushion. The back should be naturally straight and the head upright. Shoulders should be square with hands on lap
upwards one placed on top of the other.
Suggestion for Meditating with Grace
Focus
on the word symbol Grace. Try to remember an experience that you had with Grace. Possibly during a situation that was
difficult but somehow you found within an ability to be kind and loving to yourself or another.
When you are ready,
try to feel Grace. This feeling will last for only a few seconds before a thought or another feeling interrupts.
What we are doing is focusing our attention on a word symbol that has meaning because we have experienced it. Because we
have experienced it we know how it feels. By doing many repetitions during a meditation session of focusing our attention
upon the feeling of Grace it becomes easier to focus attention for longer periods.
Grace is much closer to us than
we realize. The ability to focus attention is of Grace.
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