The Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis

[Tamrin]

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN BASIC CONSTRUCTS OF PSYCHOSYNTHESIS?

[An Assignment Based on a Summary of Douglas Russell's, 1982 work,
Psychosynthesis in Western Psychology: Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis.
Published with Permission of the Author, Vicky K.]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part One of Ten]

1. INTRODUCTION

In order to discuss the seven basic constructs, I will briefly outline the process of psychosynthesis.

Psychosynthesis has been described as "The psychology with a Soul". It deals with the whole person -- the physical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual. The word spiritual is sometimes misunderstood. It is used here to mean the divine essence of an individual, that part of a person that urges them to continually improve and grow. It is the spiritual part of the individual that prompts him/her to be honest, trustworthy, respectful of others and cognisant of their infinite rights. It is the spiritual part of the individual that knows, respects, and reveres the Creator of all life, whether it be called God, Goddess, Great Spirit, Universal Energy, or by another name.
Psychosynthesis is composed of two Greek words; "Psyche," meaning Self or Soul, spelled with a capital "S", and "synthesis" meaning bringing together.

Psychosynthesis is a philosophy for living, a set of principles and a dynamic, open-ended approach to personal and transpersonal integration and synthesis. Wherever applied, Psychosynthesis seeks to enable the person or group to discover and take the next step toward greater inner freedom and responsible expression in the world. The Psychosynthesis process prepares one to choose consciously to cooperate with a natural growth and unfoldment, which leads to order and harmony within the individual and in society.

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS BEGAN IN 1910 WITH THE EARLY WORK OF ITALIAN PSYCHIATRIST, ROBERTO ASSAGIOLI. DR. ASSAGIOLI WAS A COLLEAGUE OF SIGMUND FREUD, C. G. JUNG, AND ABRAHAM MASLOW. FROM THE BEGINNING, ASSAGIOLI RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR A BROAD CONCEPTION OF HUMAN NATURE, FOR A CULTIVATION OF MAN'S NATURAL TENDENCY TOWARD HARMONY WITHIN HIMSELF AND THE WORLD. WITHIN HIS WORK, HE COMBINED METHODS AND IDEAS OF WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY WITH SPIRITUALLY ORIENTED EASTERN TRADITIONS. THIS EVOLVING APPROACH PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK TO FACILITATE SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL GROWTH, AS WELL AS A MEANS TO RELEASE THE MORE SUBLIME AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN NATURE.

IN PSYCHOSYNTHESIS ONE LEARNS TO RECOGNISE AND EXPERIENCE THE SELF AS AN ACTIVE, OR DIRECTING AGENT, WITH THE WILL HARMONISING THE VARIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS COMPOSING THE PERSONALITY. ONE LEARNS TO MOVE ONE'S CENTER OF AWARENESS TO DEEPER LEVELS WHICH INCLUDE THE TRANSPERSONAL OR THE HIGHER SELF. IT IS AT THIS LEVEL THAT OUR JOURNEY TOWARD EXPERIENCING AND LIVING WITH UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, JOY, BEAUTY, WISDOM, COMPASSION, CREATIVITY, AND UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS BEGINS. PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS REGARDED AS A SOUND APPROACH, PARTICULARLY HELPFUL AS A COUNTERWEIGHT TO MANY OF THE ONE-SIDED TRENDS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY.

THE WORD "PSYCHOSYNTHESIS" IS OFTEN USED IN TWO DISTINCT WAYS. IN ITS BROAD SENSE, IT IS A NAME FOR THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF SYNTROPY-NATURE'S TENDENCY TO EVOLVE TOWARD EVER-MORE INCLUSIVE AND HIGHLY-ORGANISED WHOLES IN THIS MEANING, PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS A PROCESS, A TREND. A GOAL; AND REDUCING IT TO DEFINITIONS OR THEORIES CONFINES. LIMITS AND DISTORTS WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A LIVING PROCESS-ONE OF THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE. HOWEVER, IN ITS MORE NARROW SENSE, "PSYCHOSYNTHESIS" DENOTES A PARTICULAR FORM OF TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY. AS SUCH IT MUST BE EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF PROPOSITIONS AND HYPOTHESES WHICH CAN BE TESTED USING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

THE FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS OF PSYCHOSYNTHESIS ARE PRESENTED BY D. RUSSELL THROUGH A DISCUSSION OF SEVEN CONSTRUCTS: SYNTHESIS, PERSONALITY, EVOLUTION, ENERGY, HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS, THE SELF, AND THE WILL. EACH CONSTRUCT IS A DETAILED SET OF RELATIONSHIPS AND IDEAS. ALL SEVEN ARE INTERWOVEN IN PSYCHOSYNTHESIS SO THAT EXPLAINING ANY ONE OF THEM INVOLVES MENTIONING SEVERAL OF THE OTHERS.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Two of Ten]

2. SYNTHESIS

As I said above, the word "synthesis" comes from a Greek root meaning "to put together." "Synthesis" is the combining of various parts to form a coherent whole. Psychosynthesis puts together various aspects of Western psychology with mystical and religious viewpoints. In its methods, psychosynthesis combines techniques of psychotherapy, education and spiritual disciplines. Its goal is to foster a synthesis of the psyche. When there is a true synthesis, the result is something new. For individuals, a personal synthesis begins with the resolution of inner conflicts and the combining of diverse personality elements leading toward a sense of wholeness and harmony. The ordinary personality is fused with extraordinary human qualities and abilities so that a transformation occurs internally and in relationships. Limitations are transcended and a new sense of identity emerges. Two people in friendship, partnership or marriage can generate new possibilities far beyond the capacities of the two individuals alone. Both partners are thus enriched by their union as individuality and separateness are transcended.

A form of synthesis can also be observed in groups. The team seems to act as one entity, with its many facets perfectly related within the whole.

Psychosynthesis also recognises a potential for the synthesis of humanity as a whole. Great ideals or principles could be applied to all human behavior for the realisation of planetary cooperation and harmony. Such ideals of conduct have been presented in many spiritual traditions and in such political documents as the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, and the Atlantic Charter. Such teachings and documents embody principles which, if followed, would lead into an era of goodwill, peace and disarmament.

Psychosynthesis aims to foster this synthesis of individuals, couples and groups contributing toward the synthesis of humanity. Psychosynthesis promotes synergy, where people joining together generate ideas and projects that release tremendous power. Synthesis creates fusion and the birth of new wholes. Psychosynthesis holds the belief that the potential for positive change on our planet is enormous when many individuals unite in a spirit of cooperation to strive toward common goals. From the standpoint of synthesis all polarities can be seen as potentially harmonious - as interrelated and complemental rather than necessarily opposed and conflicting.

As individuals become more integrated as personalities, transpersonal qualities can emerge from the higher unconscious. To synthesize the personality with an inner talent or higher quality or transcendent human ability brings a profound change of identity. This kind of change goes beyond an inner adjustment: it changes our world.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Three of Ten]

3. PERSONALITY

IN PSYCHOSYNTHESIS THE PERSONAL ASPECT OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS SEEN AS INTERRELATED WITH A WHOLE NETWORK OF OTHER PERSONALITIES, AND CAPABLE OF TRANSCENDING LIMITATIONS BY CONTACTING AND EXPRESSING HIGHER HUMAN QUALITIES AND ABILITIES. THE PERSONALITY IS THUS A MULTIFACETED, DYNAMIC ENTITY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GROW THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE.

THE GROWTH PROCESS IS SEEN AS A SERIES OF AWAKENINGS. THE GOAL OF PERSONAL PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS TO PROMOTE GROWTH AND TO INTEGRATE THIS PERSONALITY: TO COORDINATE VARIOUS PERSONALITY ASPECTS, TO RESOLVE INNER CONFLICTS, AND CREATE A SENSE OF EASE AND HARMONY. THE PERSONALITY MAY BE VIEWED FROM SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES. THE PERSONALITY AS CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS ELEMENTS, HAVING A SET OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, CONSISTING OF A MULTIPLICITY OF SUBSELVES OR SUBPERSONALITIES AND HAS A THREE-PART STRUCTURE-BODY, FEELINGS AND THINKING MIND - WITH AN INTEGRATING CENTRE AND A RELATIONSHIP TO HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS. ONE WAY OF CONCEPTUALISING THE PERSONALITY IS BY RECOGNISING THAT IT IS INFLUENCED BY CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS FACTORS. ASSAGIOLI'S "EGG DIAGRAM" PORTRAYS THESE FACTORS AND INCLUDES BOTH PERSONAL AND TRANS-PERSONAL DIMENSIONS.

A second way of viewing the personality is to see it as a set of psychological functions. Assagioli diagramed these functions in the Act of Will, The Star Diagram.
1. Sensation 2. Emotion~Feeling 3. Impulse Desire 4. Imagination 5. Thought 6. Intuition 7. Will 8. Central point: The I, or personal self he believed that the will was the function closest to the Self-the energy employed by the Self to regulate and direct all the other functions.

The Egg and Star Diagrams

Psychosynthesis uses a number of "maps" or diagrams to aid in understanding the various components of the self. Although they are necessarily limited in both scope and perspective, they are useful in providing a partial depiction of the mystery of the self. Both diagrams are basic to psychosynthesis. The Star Diagram depicts the psychological functions with the will playing a pivotal role.

The Egg Diagram

1. The Lower Unconscious
2. The Middle Unconscious
3. The Higher Unconscious or Superconscious
4. The Field of Consciousness
5. The Conscious Self or "I"
6. The Higher Self
7. The Collective Unconscious

The Star Diagram

1. Sensation
2. Emotion-Feeling
3. Impulse Desire
4. Imagination
5. Thought
6. Intuition
7. Will
8. Central point: The I, or personal self

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Four of Ten]

A third way of seeing the personality is through the notion of subpersonalities or subselves. The idea of subpersonalities is a way of conceptualising how we shift from one identification to another as we move through life. In a single day we may move through playing the "victim," "critic," "lazy-bones," "striver," "lover," "frightened child," and so on. A subpersonality functions mechanically. It is like playing a tape, acting out a routine; or in psychoanalytic terms a "repetition compulsion." While a subpersonality is just a portion of the personality, we can become totally identified with it, placing its needs and perspectives above all else. Subpersonalities often act out unconscious motivations to the detriment of the personality as a whole. A fourth major way of conceptualising the personality is acknowledging it as a three-part structure-body, feelings and thinking mind- with an integrating center, the self. These three aspects are considered to be means of getting information about the surrounding world: they are instruments of knowledge. They are also means of self-expression: vehicles for sharing our inner world with others.

The goal of personal psychosynthesis is to integrate or harmonize the three aspects by recognising conflicts or splits in the personality and working toward healing them. A classic split in our culture is between mind and body, wherein we overvalue the mind and ignore the body's needs, leading to stress and disease.

This view of types can explain communication problems and misunderstandings that arise between individuals and groups. Thinking types may be critical of the expression of feelings, focusing on the irrational or illogical way the other is talking. The feeling type may be critical of the mental type, characterising that person as "out of touch," lacking warmth or empathy. Interpersonal difficulties can be relieved when each type can appreciate the style of the other and the value of alternative styles. A repeated theme on the personality is the idea of a central identity: the "I" which governs the various personality vehicles or functions. When governed by a succession of sub-selves, the personality is divided or conflicted and cannot function with integrity. When governed by the centered self or personal self, the personality functions in an integrated manner, with awareness of self and others, and a sense of inner freedom of choice. When governed by the Higher Self, the personality is capable of functioning at its highest and best level, actualising potentials and translating peak moments into actions which upgrade the quality of life for all. Psychosynthesis recognizes the patterns of growth that have become widely known through work in developmental psychology. A universal pattern based on the model of a three-part personality involves a focus first on mastering the physical body, then learning to regulate and direct emotional energies, which leads to mental development and the potential for personality integration and transcendence. In humanity as a whole this same sequence can be observed: the movement from focusing on physical mastery to emotional then mental mastery and beyond to higher consciousness. Only a minority of human beings today have highly trained thinking mind, and fewer still have the ability to live everyday as a centered self, in touch with the abstract mind and Higher Self. Within this universal pattern, each individual faces life's challenges [at] their own pace and in their own way. Psychosynthesis places a very high value on these individual differences, assisting people in discovering their unique contributions to the larger whole.

The construct "evolution" embodies a belief that there is an inner blueprint unique to our own development. Psychosynthesis assumes that human beings develop similarly: the higher unconscious contains a blueprint for growth which can be brought to awareness.

TOUGH-MINDEDNESS, BOLD ASSERTIVENESS AND A STRONG WILL ARE ASPECTS OF HUMAN NATURE THAT HAVE THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE WHOLE, ALONG WITH PEACE, LOVE AND JOY. TO BE IN HARMONY WITH OUR GROWTH MEANS MASTERING AND EXPRESSING ANY HUMAN QUALITIES WHEN APPROPRIATE.

HARMONY IS ALSO FOSTERED BY LEARNING TO RECOGNISE AND ACCEPT THE NATURAL CYCLES OF CHANGE. PERSONALITY ELEMENTS ARE REARRANGED FROM TIME TO TIME, ACCOMMODATING NEW AWARENESSES AND ABILITIES. WHEN THIS PROCESS OF INTEGRATION, DIS-INTEGRATION AND REINTEGRATION IS UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED, INNER PEACE CAN PREVAIL EVEN IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY OR CONFLICT. A BROAD SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE CAN BE EXPERIENCED THROUGH ALL DIFFICULTIES. THERE IS THE WISDOM TO APPRECIATE THAT WHATEVER OUR CURRENT EXPERIENCE OR SENSE OF IDENTITY MAY BE, IT IS ONLY A MOMENT IN TIME-A STEP IN A LARGER PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Five of Ten]

4. ENERGY

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS CONCEIVES OF THE HUMAN BEING AS AN ENERGY SYSTEM. ACTIONS, IMAGES, EMOTIONS, AND THOUGHTS MAY BE SEEN AS BASICALLY VARIED FORMS OF ENERGY. AS PEOPLE BEGIN SEEING THEIR BEHAVIOR SIMPLY AS ENERGY, WITHOUT THE USUAL LABELS, THE POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION BECOMES MUCH MORE REAL AND ALIVE FOR THEM, OPENING MANY NEW OPTIONS FOR EXPRESSION. A BEHAVIOR PATTERN OR BELIEF SYSTEM OR TYPICAL EMOTIONAL REACTION MAY SEEM VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE, YET WHEN THE UNDERLYING ENERGY OF THESE PATTERNS IS CONTACTED, IT CAN BE REDIRECTED. THEN THERE CAN BE A MOVEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM "HERE COMES MY USUAL ANGRY REACTION" TO "I SENSE AN ENERGY: DO I WANT TO EXPRESS IT BY YELLING, OR STATING I'M ANGRY, OR WITHDRAWING, POUTING, ASSERTING MYSELF, CREATING SOMETHING, MOVING, OR PLAYING?" PERCEIVING THE SURROUNDING WORLD FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ENERGY EVOKES SUBTLE AWARENESSES.

THINKING IN TERMS OF ENERGY IS ALSO VALUABLE FOR GETTING INNER GUIDANCE THROUGH ENERGY AWARENESS, PERCEPTION EXTENDS BEYOND THE FORMS OF ONE'S LIFE INTO THE REALMS OF HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS. TO LIVE AND MOVE IN THE WORLD OF ENERGIES EVOKES INTUITIONS, REVEALING NEW INNER QUALITIES AND SENSE OF THE NEXT STEP AHEAD. WE LEARN TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF PERCEPTION BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE PHYSICAL SENSES.

ASSAGIOLI BELIEVED THAT A MAJOR FORCE IN PSYCHOLOGY IN FUTURE YEARS WILL BE "PSYCHOENERGETICS," HAVING ENERGY AS ITS MAIN FOCUS. (ASSAGIOLI, 1980) IN THIS VIEW, THE MORE CONCRETE REALMS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE-THE WORLDS OF THE PHYSICAL SENSES, EMOTIONS AND CONCRETE THOUGHTS-ARE AREAS OF DENSER VIBRATION, OF LOWER FREQUENCIES. HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HIGH-FREQUENCY. (GOLAS, 1971) THE ENERGY OF FEAR OR HATE WOULD BE OF A LOWER FREQUENCY THAN THE ENERGIES OF LOVE AND JOY. TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR EXPANSION OF AWARENESS AND SELF-TRANSFORMATION BASED ON CONTACTING, ABSORBING, CIRCULATING AND RADIATING HIGH-FREQUENCY ENERGIES.

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS, THEN, CONCEIVES OF THE UNIVERSE AS ONE ENERGY WHICH MANIFESTS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Six of Ten]

5. HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS

The exploration of an expanded experience of human identity, capacity and potential is a journey into transpersonal dimensions. People experience their higher consciousness when they are their highest and best, when their talents, abilities or higher qualities are manifesting. This is an experience of going beyond the usual personal concerns, beyond the semi-automatic and unremarkable activities and awarenesses of dressing, eating, going to work, and relating with others to sustain our existence.

The experience of a higher consciousness includes such phenomena as peak moments, transcendence of the consensual social reality, times of extraordinary insight and clarity, times of great love, joy, deep understanding, a strong sense of purpose or meaning; as well as abstract thinking, intuition, religious or mystical experiences, ESP, out-of-body experiences, telepathy, reincarnation clairvoyance, precognition and psychic healing but not necessarily. Psychosynthesis is interested in understanding all these extraordinary ways to actively develop them when appropriate. Psychosynthesis fosters growth toward higher consciousness in two overlapping stages: personal and spiritual psychosynthesis. In personal psychosynthesis there is a process of mental centering: learning to use the mind to transcend the limitations of being governed by drives. Stepping further into higher consciousness is fostered by transpersonal or spiritual psychosynthesis which facilitates contacting an expressing energies of the Transpersonal Self or Higher Self. The consciousness of the Higher Self includes intuitive awareness, a broad perspective of one's and the human condition and a sense of purpuse. The field of awareness of the Higher Self is the "superconscious," where transpersonal qualities and experiences are easily accessible. While the construct "higher consciousness" points to the direct experience of an altered state of consciousness which transcends ego and personality, in another sense, "higher consciousness" is a relative term.

Psychosynthesists have observed a great deal of guilt and pain coming from the inability to actualise our potentials-the lack of contact with higher consciousness. One of Assagioli's most significant contributions to psychology was to incorporate the idea of a "higher unconscious" - an area of the psyche where higher human abilities are hidden from awareness. He believed that neurotic patterns could often be transcended or eliminated by creating conditions or techniques which allow the emergence of higher human possibilities from the higher unconscious into the world of everyday reality.

Many of the defenses which are used to keep the drives or complexes hidden are also used to keep higher qualities from conscious awareness.

The spirit of psychosynthesis is to strive to integrate inner and outer, higher an lower to achieve a sense of wholeness. Unblocking the higher unconscious is often the major key to psychological healing. It is important to recognize that the synthesis of higher consciousness everyday life is not a matter of completely ending old patterns. Often it is a matter of expanding-of adding more varied experiences life. In fact, a person who begins to meditate, to unblock his personality, to contact high frequency energies, can find some negative frequencies being stimulated by the incoming energies. This is why personal psychosynthesis must accompany spiritual work: to ensure stability and balance in the face of powerful new experiences. One's inner life, the quality of one's inner experience can be vastly altered while roles and relationships-the forms of one's life-remain about the same. So as we evolve toward a higher consciousness, the forms of our lives may or may not change outwardly, but the point of view shifts and inner life expands to include a broader perspective, a greater wisdom, depth of understanding, and new meaning. In the spirit of synthesis we do not split off from our everyday needs and responsibilities to live in some transcendent realm. We have the notion that going "higher" does not necessarily mean to be above the everyday world, out of the body or beyond the reach of people around us. It means to manifest higher qualities of being, here and now, in this world. Ways of moving into the experience of higher consciousness include reading inspirational literature, listening to great music and experiencing great art. Such creations are produced by people who can touch and express higher consciousness. The highest human qualities are embodied in their works and evoked in us by exposure to them.

Psychosynthesis encourages development of habits which foster high quality living, and arranging circumstance and environments that evoke the highest and best from individuals and groups.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Seven of Ten]

6. THE SELF

Fundamental to psychosynthesis is a deep exploration into experience of the Self. "Who am I?" is a central question here as it is in some spiritual traditions. Psychosynthesists have developed ideas about the Self and techniques for exploring the many layers and dimensions of identity that one discovers in the course of pursuing growth into realms of higher consciousness.

The growth process can be described as a series of identifications with ever-more inclusive wholes. The personality moves through cycles of integration, dis-integration, and re-integration wherein the individual disidentifies from the person he used to be and identifies with the person he has become. At the center of each new whole is an integrating factor, a center of awareness and will, a point of identity: a Self. This construct encompasses the many dimensions of the human experience of identity from the sense of being a conflicted and fragmented person to the sense of complete transcendence of individuality. Psychosynthesis has focused on two particular experiential levels of Self: the personal self and the Higher Self. The level of Self which is the integrating center of the personality is named the "self" (with a lower case "s"), "personal self," or "centered self." The level of Self which is the center of the individual's higher consciousness is named the "Self" (with an upper case "S"), "Higher Self," "Transpersonal Self," or "soul." The personal "self" is considered to be a center of pure awareness in the personality; beyond any personality content. Its awareness encompasses one's present sensations, feelings and thoughts, and its will is the power to choose. It is a non-judgmental observer, who makes conscious choices with a perspective on the personality as a whole. This personal self is described as a projection of the Higher Self into the personality related to the personality. The "I" moves through many' states of consciousness: it is the subjective sense of identity at any given moment.

The Higher Self or Transpersonal Self is experienced as the highest and best within us. Its awareness is higher consciousness and its will is the sense of purpose and direction in life. Its awareness encompasses the past, present and future of the individual over a period of years, decades even whole lifetimes. This awareness includes the entire personality, the qualities and abilities of the superconscious, and a deep sense relationship with various groups and all humanity. The Universal Self is experienced as complete transcendence of separate individual or group identity. Its awareness is planetary consciousness and its will is the unfolding evolutionary pattern of humanity and all life on earth-the Universal Will.

Before we can sense our identity as a self and transcend the personality, we evolve through a period of identification with the ego For many this is their primary identity throughout life. The ego is the result of particular culture and time, reflecting the belief and structures of family and society. Its concern is survival and maintenance of life style. When the personality is ego-dominated there is a fair amount of automatic behavior many motives are unconscious and there is a lack of the sense of personal freedom. Often habit patterns predominate, even if one consciously doesn't like them and wants to change. The goal in psychosynthesis is not to eliminate ego, but to heal its neurotic aspects and to place it in perspective so it ceases to be the dominant force in the personality. Through personal psychosynthesis the centre of identity shifts to the personal self. The self can examine cultural conditional and choose alternative ways of perceiving the world. The self has the potential to discover the underlying dynamics of unconscious habit patterns and to choose new behaviors.

While ego-dominated behaviors reflect stereotyped responses, self-dominated behaviors are characterised by freedom of choice and spontaneity. While the ego is culture-bound the self can move toward changing conditions in society. In relationships, the ego-dominated personality focuses primarily on "my needs, my desires, my goals," with the sense that "my viewpoint, my experience is the truth." The self-dominated personality can perceive both its own needs and the needs of others It can enter into an "I-Thou" relationship.

The terms "Higher Self" or "Transpersonal Self" denote a distinct state of consciousness. Its major characteristics include purpose, wisdom, unconditional love and creativity.

When we transcend our everyday behavior and have a peak experience we are identified with the Higher Self. To illustrate that the Higher Self is a specific state of consciousness, an experiential level distinct from that of the personal self and the ego, let's compare the perspectives of ordinary consciousness and higher consciousness. For most people, their ordinary consciousness is of the "I" shifting between ego and self or embracing some combination of the two. When we are identified with the ego, the experience of the Higher Self is repressed in the higher unconscious. When identified with the personal self, the potential to connect directly with the Higher Self is available and we can evolve toward fuller expression of our higher consciousness. The Higher Self is experienced as something deep within, or as something beyond, above or outside of us. We have noted that a basic characteristic of the Higher Self is the sense of purpose. To ordinary consciousness there may be a lack of purpose. Life can seem meaningless, absurd. As the "I" is increasingly able to identify with the self, one's purpose is glimpsed as "the next step ahead." It may seem that the Higher Self is presenting a vision of future possibilities or calling. Some people sense the prompting of an inner wise guide, or the voice of the Lord. The energy of the Higher Self is experienced as a drive toward growth and transcendence. A classic symbol of the Higher Self in this aspect is a wise being, spiritual teacher or guide.

When one identifies with the Higher Self there is immediate and complete understanding of the blueprint for one's life. There is a deep knowing that this individual life has meaning and that one's role in the world is part of a larger purpose. As a Higher Self, one is wise, with a profound understanding of self, others and life itself. There is a sense of having penetrated farther than usual into life's mysteries. The Higher Self has the quality of unconditional love for self and others. Human beings all over the world demonstrate a capacity to contact and express abundant love. Love is the basis of empathy and understanding: it holds relationships together and is a universal healing energy which nurtures our growth. Since people are deeply loving and empathetic when identified with the Higher Self, the Higher Self is said to of our interdependence and underlying unity. When identified with the Higher Self we experience directly our interrelated-ness with the whole human family. Our relationships are characterised by deep intimacy and rapport that transcends the usual boundaries of time and space and the usual world of the physical senses. The Higher-Self-dominated personality expresses a natural spirit of cooperation, participating in group activities to create a better world for all. The Higher Self is creative by nature. Maslow's observation that healthy people are naturally creative indicates that our deeper identity is related to universal creative processes. Spiritual psychosynthesis supports the development of creativity since this brings people into closer rapport with the Higher Self. Beyond this Higher Self, at the essence of human nature, at the spiritual core is an experience that transcends all sense of separateness which is associated with such experiences as mystical union, cosmic consciousness, communion with God. While the idea of a universal Self is mentioned by Assagioli, there is little detail in the psychosynthesis literature about this highest Self within us. Perhaps only a small percentage of human beings have experienced it. For people who have achieved a measure of synthesis, however, these become a natural next step ahead, and the work of psychosynthesis is transcended and included in an even vaster work on higher spiritual levels.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Eight of Ten]

7. THE WILL

ASSAGIOLI OBSERVED THAT MOST WESTERN PSYCHOLOGIES NEGLECTED THE WILL, YET AWARENESS AND WILL ARE TWO FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE SELF. EMPHASIS ON THE WILL AS POWER HAS LED TO AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITIES, RIGIDITY, CRITICALNESS, HARSHNESS, CRUELTY, AND OPPRESSIVE POLITICAL REGIMES. PSYCHOSYNTHESISTS SEE POWER AS JUST ONE ASPECT OF OUR MULTIDIMENSIONAL WILL. SEVERAL MAJOR PERSPECTIVES ON THE WILL ARE EXPLORED. THE WILL INCLUDES: (1) A WIDE RANGE OF QUALITIES; (2) THREE MAJOR ASPECTS: STRONG, GOOD, AND SKILLFUL; (3) SIX STAGES: PURPOSE, DELIBERATION, DECISION, AFFIRMATION, PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION; AND (4) THREE LEVELS: PERSONAL, TRANSPERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL.

ASSAGIOLI OBSERVED THAT MOST PEOPLE DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE A WHOLE RANGE OF EXPRESSIONS OF THE WILL. THEY DO MAKE CHOICES IN EVERYDAY LIFE, AND THEY DO SET AND ACHIEVE GOLDS. YET THERE IS OFTEN THE LACK OF A COHERENT WILL. THE TRUE SENSE OF A WILL DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL THERE IS A CAPACITY TO BE CENTERED IDENTIFIED WITH THE PERSONAL SELF. THE INDIVIDUAL IS UNABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON A DECISION, OR LACKS THE ENERGY TO ACHIEVE A GOAL. OUR BEST-LAID PLANS CAN BE FORGOTTEN OR SABOTAGED BY OUR OWN BAD HABITS OR UNCONSCIOUS DEFENSES.

IN THE PERSONALITY, THE WILL ENERGY MAY MANIFEST PHYSICALLY IN THE FORM OF DRIVES AND URGES, EMOTIONALLY AS DESIRE, AND MENTALLY AS GOAL-SETTING AND PLANNING. IN HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS WILL CAN MANIFEST AS PURPOSE, VISION AND IDEALS WHICH GIVE DIRECTION AND MEANING TO HUMAN EXISTENCE. THE WILL, THEN, TAKES VARIOUS FORMS AT PERSONAL, GROUP, PLANETARY AND COSMIC LEVELS. IT IS VIEWED HERE AS A MAJOR TYPE OF UNIVERSAL ENERGY WHICH IS EXPRESSED AS A WHOLE RANGE OF QUALITIES INCLUDING CONCENTRATION, DETERMINATION, PATIENCE, COURAGE, DISCIPLINE, MASTERY, INTENSITY, POWER, ORGANISATION, INTEGRATION, AND SYNTHESIS. THE MISUSES AND ABUSES OF POWER BY INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS DEMONSTRATE THE DANGERS TO HUMAN LIFE AND WELL-BEING THAT RESULT FROM THE OVEREMPHASIS ON THE WILL AS STRENGTH. PSYCHOSYNTHESISTS OBSERVE THAT THE WILL CAN BE DEVELOPED IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY BY BALANCING THE STRONG WILL WITH A GOOD WILL AND A SKILLFUL WILL. WITH STRENGTH. QUALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG WILL INCLUDE COURAGE, DETERMINATION AND DECISIVENESS. THE GOOD WILL IS AN EXPRESSION OF WILL BASED ON HUMANISTIC AND SPIRITUAL VALUES. QUALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE GOOD WILL INCLUDE PATIENCE, FAITHFUL-NESS AND RIGHT ACTION. THE SKILLFUL WILL IS AN EXPRESSION OF WISDOM AND THE DRIVE TOWARD EXCELLENCE. DISCRIMINATION, SUBTLETY AND REFINEMENT ARE NEEDED TO AVOID THE PITFALLS. QUALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH SKILLFUL WILL INCLUDE DISCIPLINE, ORGANISATION AND MASTERY. THE GOOD WILL IS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE PERSONALITY INTEGRATION AND A SYNTHESIS OF HUMANITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN TO DEVELOP TOLERANCE FOR OTHERS' WEAKNESSES AND TO ACCEPT OUR OWN LIMITATIONS AND SHADOW SIDE.

ASSAGIOLI DEVELOPED A MODEL OF SIX STAGES TO DESCRIBE THE ACT OF WILL. THE MODEL CAN CLARIFY THE NATURE OF THE PROCESS OF MOVING FROM IDEA TO ACTION. THE SIX STAGES ARE: (1) PURPOSE, (2) DELIBERATION, (3) DECISION, (4) AFFIRMATION, (5) PLANNING, AND (6) IMPLEMENTATION. THIS MODEL OF STAGES IS VERY HELPFUL FOR ACTIVATING THE WILL. MOBILISING ONESELF EFFECTIVELY. IDEALLY ALL OF US WILL HAVE DEVELOPED ALL SIX STAGES OF THE WILL SO THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR VISIONS AND DREAMS A REALITY WITH ECONOMY OF EFFORT.

AT THE EGO LEVEL, THERE IS THE LACK OF A COHERENT WILL. VARIOUS SUBPERSONALITIES VIE FOR POWER AND ATTENTION OR STAY LOCKED IN CONFLICT. THERE IS NO CONSISTENT ACTION TOWARD DEFINED GOALS. THE WILL OF THE EGO IS THE WILL TO SURVIVE AND TO SATISFY PERSONAL DESIRES AND TO MAINTAIN ONE'S LIFESTYLE. THE STRIVING TOWARD GOALS MAY BE AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PEOPLE. THE WILL OF THE PERSONAL SELF, THE PERSONAL WILL IS THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE AND TAKE ACTION BASED ON CONSCIOUS DECISIONS. IN SETTING CLEAR DIRECTIONS WE EXPERIENCE A STRONG SENSE OF PERSONAL IDENTITY. OUR CHOICES IN LIFE HELP TO DETERMINE WHO WE ARE IN THE WORLD.

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS WORKS SIMULTANEOUSLY ON PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL LEVELS SO THAT AS THE PERSONALITY BECOMES INTEGRATED, IT IS ALSO OPENED TO THE VALUES AND WISDOM OF HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS. THE HIGHER SELF, BY CONTRAST WITH THE PERSONAL SELF, FUNCTIONS ESSENTIALLY BEYOND THE WORLD OF EVERYDAY CHOICES. THE WILL OF THE HIGHER SELF-THE TRANSPERSONAL WILL-INCLUDES THE INNER BLUEPRINT, THE GROWTH PATTERNS UNFOLDING IN THE INDIVIDUAL LIFE OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS AND DECADES. THIS WILL IS BASICALLY THE SENSE OF PURPOSE.

THE TRANSPERSONAL WILL IS A NATURAL BLEND OF GOODNESS. SKILL AND STRENGTH. SINCE THE HIGHER SELF IS GROUP CONSCIOUS, INTUITIVELY AWARE OF THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ALL INDIVIDUALS, THE TRANSPERSONAL WILL MOTIVATES ACTIONS BASED ON A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. THIS HIGHER WILL MOTIVATES ACTIONS THAT INVOLVES SERVICE TO OTHERS, OFTEN REQUIRING SACRIFICES TO SERVE GROUP NEEDS AND PURPOSES. THE TRANSPERSONAL WILL GUIDES THE INDIVIDUAL IN POSITIVE DIRECTIONS. THE WILL OF HIGHER SELF SYNTHESISES THE PERSONALITY AND HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS, CREATING PERSONALITY TRANSFORMATION THAT ELEVATES THE QUALITY OF GROUP. THE WILL OF THE UNIVERSAL SELF ENCOMPASSES A GROWTH PATTERN THAT IS UNFOLDING FOR ALL HUMANITY. IT IS A PLANETARY TREND OF EVOLUTION THAT IS A SYNTHESIS OF ALL INDIVIDUAL PURPOSES IN A GRAND DESIGN OF THE UNIVERSAL WILL.

AS WE STUDY PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION OVER HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS, WE GET A SENSE OF THIS GREAT PLAN AND WE CAN CHOOSE TO COOPERATE WITH IT. THIS UNIVERSAL CHANGE IS A MOVEMENT TOWARD NEW VALUES, NEW WAYS OF BEING OURSELVES AND THE WORLD. IT IS A SPONTANEOUS MOVEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS ALL OVER THE WORLD TOWARD IDENTIFYING MORE CLOSELY WITH THE HIGHER SELF-A MOVEMENT WHICH COULD REACH CRITICAL MASS SO HUMANITY COULD BE GUIDED BY A PLANETARY SYNTHESIZING CENTER OF HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS, A UNIVERSAL SELF.

WITH MEN ON THE MOON WE HAVE HAD A VISION OF "SPACESHIP EARTH." (FULLER, 1969) HUMANITY IS THUS MOVING FROM AN AGE OF SEPARATENESS, NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND COMPETITION TOWARD AN AGE OF INTERDEPENDENCE, GLOBAL UNITY, COOPERATION . THERE IS A RECOGNITION OF THE COMPLEMENTARITY OF INTUITION AND REASON. (HARMAN, 1969) INDIVIDUALS ARE AWAKENING TO THE NOTION THAT THEY CAN CHANGE THEIR OWN CONSCIOUSNESS FROM WITHIN--THAT THEY NEED NOT BE CONFINED BY CULTURE-BOUND VIEWS. (FERGUSON, 1980)

People are now called upon to become responsible world citizens. There are enormous human potentials to be released, limits to be transcended and inner resources to be tapped by liberating ourselves from the viewpoints and values of the particular nation and subculture in which we live. Humanity is evolving mentally so that more and more individuals are learning to think for themselves, not blindly following leaders. As people find the means to change their consciousness from within they can form an enlightened public opinion that presses for world peace and goodwill toward all. These planet-wide movements toward synthesis are signs of the manifesting of an awareness of Universality and a Universal Will; and we are all subject to these unfolding evolutionary patterns. The choice for psychosynthesis is to participate in this progressive movement of a better world for all.

Finally the above summary presents seven sets of ideas which are the foundations for a theory of psychosynthesis: synthesis, personality, evolution, energy, higher consciousness, the Self, and the will. These basic constructs interweave to form a picture of a vast process of synthesis in human life. Psychosynthesis is one expression of that process in the field of Western psychology.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Nine of Ten]

THE APSECTS OF PSYCHOSYNTHESIS THAT APPEAL TO ME

The most important one for me would be the fostering of personal growth, this is the process of unfolding your full potential and achieving what you came to the earth for.

"We have made thee, Adam, neither mortal nor immortal, so that with freedom of choice and with honor, thou mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer..." —Pico della Mirandola, Italian humanist, 15th century. "All the evidence that we have indicates that in practically every human being there is an active will towards health, an impulse towards... the actualization of human potentialities..." Abraham Maslow.

From Pico to Maslow, and much before them, the recognition of Man's immense potential, the spark of the divine in him, has remained a constant factor. Maslow also states: "We enjoy and even thrill to the godlike possibilities we see in ourselves in our most perfect moments, under conditions of greatest courage." But where does this thrill go once that moment is past? Perhaps the solution lies in consciously striving for personal growth. Each area of your life that you are able to improve becomes a tributary that meets life's stream, making it a roaring river that eventually merges in the ocean, call it God or Universe. Personal growth, you may like to say, is holistic growth, which is not different from spiritual growth. Personal growth is by definition individual specific. Hence there is no place for panaceas and generalisations.

I LIKE THE ESSENTIAL AIM OF PSYCHOSYNTHESIS AND THAT IT HELPS PEOPLE DISCOVER THEIR TRUE SPIRITUAL NATURE, THEN TO EFFECTIVELY UTILISE THIS DISCOVERY IN EVERYDAY LIFE. PSYCHOSYNTHESIS HELPS US TO REALISE OUR CREATIVE POTENTIAL, INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION HARMONIOUSLY IN THE MODERN WORLD, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ALL OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS A PARTICULAR KIND OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, YET IT IS MORE THAN JUST PSYCHOTHERAPY. IT IS A COLLECTION OF TECHNIQUES AND EXERCISES DESIGNED TO HELP US MOVE AWAY FROM WHAT WE DON'T WANT IN OUR LIVES AND TOWARDS WHAT WE DO. IT IS NOT JUST A THEORY, BUT IS A PRACTICAL, WORKING METHOD THAT INTEGRATES PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES FROM MANY APPROACHES TO PERSONAL GROWTH. UNLIKE SOME OTHER THERAPIES, HOWEVER, IT HAS NO FIXED IDEA OF WHAT SOMEONE 'SHOULD' BE LIKE - INDEED, WITH PSYCHOSYNTHESIS, IT IS QUITE THE CONTRARY. IT IS ONLY SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE HAVE BECOME MORE WHAT WE WANT TO BE LIKE. THIS IS NOT IN THE SENSE OF GRATIFYING UNBALANCED OR PARTIAL DESIRES, BUT WHEN WE HAVE BECOME MORE ABLE TO BE OURSELVES IN WHATEVER SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES, AND TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO WHEN WE TUNE INTO OUR INNERMOST SENSE OF SELF AND PURPOSE.

SO PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS A KIND OF THERAPY, AND IT IS A METHOD OF SELF IMPROVEMENT, BUT MORE THAN THIS, IT IS ALSO A PROCESS THAT CO-OPERATES WITH THE UNFOLDING EVOLUTION OF ALL NATURE. IT AIMS TO BRING AWARENESS, WHOLENESS AND CONNECTION TO THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION AS IT HAPPENS IN EACH OF US.

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS 'A PSYCHOLOGY WITH A SOUL', AND THIS IS WHAT DISTINGUISHES IT FROM MANY OTHER FORMS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY. EMPHASISING THE VALUE OF INTUITION, INSPIRATION AND CREATIVE INSIGHT, IT IS A FORM OF 'TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY'. WHILST IT CONCENTRATES ON THE PERSONALITY, IT ALSO INCLUDES THE REALMS USUALLY ASCRIBED TO MORE MYSTICAL OR ESOTERIC DOCTRINES. YET, WHILST IT EXPLORES THESE AREAS THAT WE COULD CALL SPIRITUAL, IT IN NO WAY IMPOSES ANY FORM OF DOCTRINE OR BELIEF SYSTEM UPON THE PERSON USING IT. PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS NOT A RELIGION, NOR WOULD IT EVER WANT TO BE. ALTHOUGH ONCE YOU START DOING PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IT BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE, ONE OF ITS GREATEST QUALITIES IS THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO BE AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. THE GREATEST BENEFIT IS THAT IT CAN ALSO BE INTERGRATED WITH RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND DOGMA. SO IT IS EQUALLY SUITABLE FOR CHRISTIANS, BUDDHISTS, PAGANS, MOSLEMS, ATHEISTS, AGNOSTICS - INDEED, ANYONE AT ALL.

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS A WAY OF UNDERSTANDING OUR LIVES, OF HELPING US TO KNOW OURSELVES AND TRUST IN OUR OWN PROCESSES OF GROWTH AND UNFOLDMENT. BUT PSYCHOSYNTHESIS DOES NOT DEAL ONLY WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, FOR EACH OF US IS PART OF MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR FAMILIES, OUR FRIENDS, OUR WORK MATES, AND SO ON. WE ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF A SOCIETY AND OF THE ONE HUMAN FAMILY THAT COVERS THE WHOLE PLANET. PSYCHOSYNTHESIS HONOURS BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE GROUPS OF WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL IS A PART. PARTLY BECAUSE OF THIS INCLUSIVE ATTITUDE, AND PARTLY BY THE NATURE OF ITS TRANSPERSONAL CONNECTION, PSYCHOSYNTHESIS IS NOT A WAY OF PUTTING OURSELVES ABOVE OR OVER ANYONE ELSE. WE CAN HONOUR AND UTILISE OUR OWN WISHES AND POWER BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PEOPLE. PSYCHOSYNTHESIS DOES NOT RIGIDLY ANALYSE OR LABEL PEOPLE AND IT IS EXPECTED THAT WE WILL NOT DO THIS EITHER.

I believe there is the 'crisis of meaning'. Particularly in the western world but increasingly over the whole planet, many people live in an existential vacuum, where life has lost its meaning (beyond, at the best, the purely material). Psychosynthesis helps with the healing of this 'illness'. The second crisis is that of 'duality' - we do not know ourselves as whole, single entities, but are constantly torn between different desires and wishes. Psychosynthesis also works on the healing of this crisis through moving all the parts that make us up towards a clearer harmony - synthesis in fact.

Psychosynthesis recognises that each of us is constantly growing. This viewpoint helps to put meaning and value back into life, and helps us make decisions about who we are and what we want. It can also help us realise our responsibility both to ourselves and the world as a whole. It can add a dynamic sense of self to the present moment, and a sense of meaning to ourselves and to our future. Psychosynthesis can help you to 'know yourself' in the fullest sense of these words. In our modern world situation there is much strife between people on an individual and collective level. The state of our world on an ecological level is so poor due to the greed of some people and the mindlessness of others. There often seems to be such an appalling lack of care and understanding and so much unbalance, particularly in the interaction between people. Anything which helps people know themselves better, both as individuals and in the context of living a life in accord with others, has to be useful.

Psychosynthesis includes the whole person, which is composed of the personality plus the spiritual realms, including The Self which is, in this sense, our connection to the divine (whether that is seen as some outside energy or ultimately within us). Using Psychosynthesis we can learn to grow on all these levels - so we can develop as a personality and find more effective ways to experience life and to express ourselves. We can also grow in our connection to the transpersonal realms, thus unleashing more positive, beneficial qualities into our lives. We find more effective ways of utilising our creative energies. Creativity, in the Psychosynthesis sense, is not just about drawing, painting, making music, sculpting or whatever (although it is these things as well), but acknowledges the fact that we are all creative in our own ways. With the right attitude we can be as equally creative doing housework as in painting a masterpiece, in changing a baby's nappy as in encouraging it to walk and talk. Everything in nature appears to be evolving towards increased wholeness. This could even be considered to be the definition of evolution. Psychosynthesis co-operates with this process. An atom comes together with other atoms to form a molecule, and these form cells, which then group into tissues which become organs that make up a whole body. A similar process of synthesis can be seen in our psychological world, too, as all the parts of us come together to make us into one, whole person. We can use Psychosynthesis to help us explore all these parts so we become more centred and able to function more effectively. If one molecule was at war with another, and your heart didn't agree with your lungs, you'd have problems. So it is with the psychological functions too - when our sensations, feelings, thoughts, emotions, imagination, intuition, everything that makes us up, are harmoniously synthesised, then we work well and without conflict-possibly eradicating the need for psychotherapy once the synthesis has occurred.

[Tamrin]

[What are the Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis? - Part Ten of Ten]

In summing the aspects of psychosynthesis that appeal to me, psychosynthesis in practice is a down-to-earth approach to human development with applications to personal and spiritual growth, psychotherapy, education, medicine, business and the creative arts. I have briefly summarised below some practical and viable growth techniques that can be used with a client. They have been developed by Assagioli and their aims are to “release or, help to release, the energies of the Self.” They are exercises for exalting Selfhood.

TRAINING THE WILL

• VIVIDLY VISUALISE ALL THE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED IN YOUR LIFE AS A RESULT OF YOUR INADEQUATE WILL. EXAMINE EACH INCIDENT CAREFULLY, FORMULATING THEM CLEARLY AND THEN MAKE A LIST OF THEM. ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE AFFECTED BY THE FEELINGS, WHICH THESE RECOLLECTIONS AROUSE—SHAME, DISSATISFACTION WITH YOURSELF, REGRET, AND THE DESIRE TO CHANGE.
  
• VISUALISE THE ADVANTAGES OF A STRONGER WILL. EXAMINE AND FORMULATE ALL THE BENEFITS AND SATISFACTIONS AND WRITE THEM DOWN. ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL THE JOY OF THESE BENEFITS, THE INTENSE DESIRE TO REALIZE THEM AND THE STRONG IMPULSE TO BEGIN AT ONCE.
  
• FINALLY, VISUALISE YOURSELF AS BEING POSSESSED OF A STRONG AND PERSISTENT WILL. SEE YOURSELF WALKING WITH A FIRM STEP, ACTING IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS WITH DECISION, CONCENTRATION OF EFFORT, PERSISTENCE AND SELF-CONTROL. VISUALISE YOURSELF SUCCESSFULLY ATTAINING THE DESIRED ENDS.
  EVOKING SERENITY
  
• ASSUME A PHYSICAL ATTITUDE OF SERENITY. RELAX ALL MUSCULAR AND NERVOUS TENSION. BREATHE SLOWLY AND RHYTHMICALLY. EXPRESS SERENITY ON YOUR FACE WITH A SMILE.
  
• TRY TO FEEL SERENE BY REPEATING THE WORD OR SOME APPROPRIATE SENTENCE.
  
• IMAGINE YOURSELF IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD TEND TO AGITATE OR IRRITATE YOU; FOR INSTANCE, BEING IN THE MIDST OF AN EXCITED CROWD OR CONFRONTING A HOSTILE PERSON. SEE AND FEEL YOURSELF CALM AND SERENE IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES.

PERFECT SENSES
Seek in the Dark

In our childhood, many children have played a game called ‘Dark Room’—hide-and-seek in the dark. This exercise is quite similar to that game, except that here you don’t have to hide, merely seek. Blindfold yourself in a dark room and try to locate various objects without having to feel around. Increase the degree of difficulty progressively, taking care against any physical harm. Seeing in the dark improves your level of visualisation and concentration. It also makes you more alert and aware about your environment. Your capacity to observe more at a glance also increases.

WATCH WHAT YOU SEE
START WITH THIS SIMPLE EXERCISE: WALK THROUGH A ROOM AND LIST IN DETAIL ALL THAT IS THERE IN THE ROOM. PROGRESSIVELY REDUCE THE TIME SPENT WALKING THROUGH THE ROOM. GRADUALLY, INCREASE YOUR FIELD OF OBSERVATION TO MORE AND MORE COMPLICATED PICTURES AND REDUCE THE TIME SPENT IN OBSERVING THEM—TILL YOU REACH A POINT WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE FULL DETAILS OF ANYTHING WITH YOUR MIND’S EYE AT A MERE GLANCE. FAST AND COMPREHENSIVE OBSERVATION GIVES YOU A HEADSTART WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS. AS A RESULT, INSTEAD OF REACTING, YOU CAN TAKE PREEMPTIVE ACTIONS. THIS EXERCISE IMPROVES YOUR CONCENTRATION.

USE THE OTHER HAND
THIS EXERCISE HELPS YOU UTILIZE BOTH THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR BRAIN. IN THE PROCESS, YOU ACQUIRE A BALANCED APPROACH AND A SHARPENED FOCUS TO LIFE. DO IT AT LEAST THRICE A DAY, CONSCIOUSLY, FOR 10 MINUTES. FOR RIGHT-HANDERS, THIS WOULD MEAN USING THE LEFT HAND AND FOR LEFT-HANDERS THE RIGHT. THIS EXERCISE CAN BE EXTENDED TO EVEN DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY, SAY READING A LETTER REFLECTED OFF A MIRROR.

Finally I believe that all of us have deep seated need to be seen and received as a soul. We feel cut off and sad. It feels like homesickness, we long for things to be perfect for us. As souls we need to be nourished, recognised and appreciated by those around us. If this doesn't happen we feel wounded and rejected. We then compensate by seeking recognition for our abilities as humans, not our uniqueness as spirits. This is an illusion and we hide our spiritual wounds in our addictions. The answer is being willing to 'see' ourselves and others as souls, each with our own unique spiritual purpose. We can discover more about our souls by understanding our spiritual archetypes. Many of us have fundamental fears of becoming a spiritual person. This is where psychosynthesis can nourish and aid this spiritual process.[/blockquote]
REFERENCES

Psychosynthesis in Western Psychology:
Seven Basic Constructs of Psychosynthesis by Douglas Russell 1982

www.psychosynthesis.com

www.personalgrowth.com

www.transpersonalpsychology.com

www.changezone.co.uk