A TWELVE WEEK PSYCHOSYNTHESIS PRACTICE
Compiled and Edited by Thomas Yeomans, Ph.D.
Practice
Roberto Assagioli was fond of saying to his students “practice makes perfectly imperfect”. In this statement, usually accompanied by his characteristic chuckle, he touched on several central aspects of psychosynthesis.
First is the importance of practice itself, the consistent “doing” of certain exercises that support the process of psychosynthesis within oneself over time.
Second is the paradoxical affirmation of our “perfect imperfection” as a way of pointing to the fact of continual growth, that we are never “finished” in an infinite universe, and that this is “perfectly” all right.
Third is that we can actively cooperate with our development and can choose to practice in ways that enrich and deepen our lives. We don’t have to wait for this to happen, but rather, through practice, we can use our awareness and will to heal and strengthen our personalities so they gradually become more coherent and creative instruments for the expression of our true Selves.
And fourth is that there actually is a perfection in this process of psychosynthesis, of “life living itself more deeply”, a perfection that is both mysterious and orderly, that is beyond us and within us, and that we touch both together and alone. This perfection we can gradually realize in our daily lives through conscious practice, and, of course, through simply living our given lives to the full, which is the most central practice of all.
Why these exercises?
These twelve exercises have, over the years, proved central to a conscious cooperation with the process of psychosynthesis. Some were developed by Roberto Assagioli, some by members of the San Francisco Psychosynthesis Institute and the Canadian Institute of Psychosynthesis, and all have been revised over time as we have learned more about what really helps. They are published here in this pamphlet format for the first time with the thought that having them in one place will better reveal the relationships between the different dimensions of psychosynthesis which they address. In this regard, the earlier (1-5) predominately deal with the personal dimension, the middle (6-9) with the transpersonal, and the last (10-12) with the spiritual. Together the twelve constitute a “practice” that can be used by anyone wishing to foster healthy psycho-spiritual growth, either in him/herself, or in others. They are educational in the root sense of the word, in that they are designed as a means to educate (“lead out”) oneself to our true nature, to the discovery and realization in daily life of what Assagioli called our “Higher Self”.
Obviously these exercises can be combined with other practices, drawn from a wide range of psychological and spiritual disciplines, East and West, nor do they represent a complete compilation of available psychosynthetic practices. But these particular twelve have proven central, again and again, to work in psychosynthesis, and they are published here in the hopes that they will continue to be of such use in the decades ahead.
Thomas Yeomans
No. 1 – PSYCHOLOGICAL WORKBOOK
One of the most useful instruments for long term self-development is a workbook, diary, or journal. We use the term ‘psychological workbook’ because many people tend to associate the word ‘diary’ with memories of adolescence in which often trivial and burdensome accounts were kept of one’s daily activities.
The type of workbook suggested here has as its purpose the recording of your inner life and its developments. Outer events may be recorded in as much as they are related to inner events (feelings, thoughts, observations), but the focus should be on the unfolding awareness of oneself and the world, and on the new meanings, values, and inter-relationships one is able to discover.
Why keeping a workbook?
There are many purposes for keeping a workbook of this sort. One of the most important is to help ourselves formulate our thoughts, feelings, and observations with greater clarity. And in the act of putting something on paper we tend to commit ourselves to a greater extent. We are taking a step beyond simply thinking or saying something when we make the effort to write it down. Also, in the process of thought clarification through writing, we are obliged to choose between alternate points of view, we are thus less likely to deceive ourselves by holding contradictory views without being aware of it. If there is a problem to be solved or an area of real confusion, we are better able to define it and thus take the first step towards its resolution.
The act of writing is also a great stimulus to the creative process. When we are trying to grapple with a problem, it is a common experience that in writing down a few thoughts on the question, other related thoughts begin to stream in through a process of association, and these ideas in turn open up new avenues of thought, new possibilities we may not have considered before. If we can learn to let our minds range freely in this manner, we will be truly amazed to discover the depth of the insights already within us — just waiting to be liberated.
Keeping a workbook as a technique of self-development also functions in other ways. It gives us an opportunity to express in a harmless way any powerful and disruptive emotions we may have bottled up inside us. If we can learn to ‘let off steam’ through writing, we will have a useful means of discharging tensions, and of becoming aware of what underlies them. Writing is also a useful exercise for developing the faculties of concentration, attention, and control of the will. It may help a person who is somewhat shy, and reluctant to express himself in a face-to-face setting, to explore certain aspects of himself more freely.
For all these reasons keeping a workbook can be an important aspect of the psychosynthesis process in that it is a method which one can employ on his own initiative, as he takes the process of his growth and self-realization increasingly into his own hands.
You can also read about Phillip’s Ellington’s experience about writing and keeping his journal. Phillip is a Trust’s graduate and a psychosynthesis counsellor.
Drawings and visual aids
In addition to written material, one can make drawings and other visual aids a part of the workbook. These may be of various kinds. In one category are images — which may come to you in the form of dreams, fantasies, or visualizations. In another category are diagrams, more abstract symbols, or visual aids which we can use to express our ideas in graphic form. This is useful in developing dear concepts and in communicating these concepts to others. A final category is what one might call ‘spontaneous drawing’. This should be done when we are in a relaxed state of mind and when our attention is fixed on something else—as when we are doodling.
Such drawings reflect the activity of the unconscious mind and may be of value in self-understanding. Thus, drawing as well as writing can be part of a complete workbook.
Ryan O’Kane, one of our graduates, produced a useful presentation about note-taking and imagery, whether you think you can draw or not.
What to write about?
Here are headings of possible areas for inclusion in your workbook. It is suggested you choose among them the ones that, according to your own needs and experience, are likely to be of greater value. But, of course, your choice can be revised at any time. It is important to date each entry, in order to provide a developmental perspective.
Dialogue with ideas
Include a heading for any area of vital intellectual interest in which you are trying to advance your own understanding—e.g., Education, Religion, Mathematics, Systems Theory, Ecology, etc.
Dialogue with persons
Insights into or questions about your relationships.
Dialogue with events
Your response to meaningful events in your life: note occasions on which you are aware of ‘synchronicity’.
Inner dialogues
Miscellaneous thoughts, musings, intuitions, questions, or speculations which do not fit under other headings.
Dreams
Description, context, associations, and amplifications of your night dreams (which are most easily recorded immediately upon waking.)
Imagery
Visualizations, or experiences in other sensory modalities. This may include images which come spontaneously or while using one of the guided mental imagery techniques. These can be recorded in writing and/or through drawings. It is helpful to record the feelings and associations you have in response to the image, or to different parts of it (form, color, etc.), its meaning for you, and a tentative interpretation if possible.
Imagination
Fantasies, stories, situations, etc., which might serve as the seed for an imaginative work. This category is best limited to those fantasies which have some creative potential.
Diagrams
Graphic models of theoretical constructs (though you may wish to include these under the headings of the various areas of intellectual interest instead). These will help you express your thoughts visually, and this may be useful for purposes of clarification and visual communication.
Meditation
Notes on techniques of meditation with which you have experimented, seed ideas used, and results obtained. Note any insights or intuitions which come through.
Self
Notes on your sense of personal identity, answers to the ‘Who Am I?’ questions, experiences with ‘self- remembering’ and other meditative techniques related to the question of essential being.
Will
Notes on your experience with the various stages of the will, and evaluation of your areas of strength and weakness. Note any occasions and their distinctive circumstances in which you were aware of yourself making use of the will, and record your results with the exercises for developing the will.
Techniques for growth
Your experience with the various approaches which do not fall under other headings. Please note as fully as possible the circumstances under which the various approaches were helpful or not and your opinion of the reasons underlying success or failure with a particular method.
Peak experiences
Any ‘high’ or ‘deep’ experiences of peace, joy, love, expansion, awakening, etc., and their circumstances and effects.
Hangups
Personal weaknesses of which you are aware and on which you would like to work. Particular emphasis can be placed on the techniques you can use to overcome them. Record also any strong negative reactions you have to other people as they may clarify your own unrecognized and projected problems.
Quotations
Personally meaningful quotations from your readings.
Time perspectives
To make the contact with your own movement through time, through the past into the present and toward the future. Stepping stones (bridges from where we were to where we are or hope to be), intersections (roads taken and not taken), and memories may be noted.