Tag Archives: self-improvement

Hypnosis Motivation

MOTIVATION is largely a function of the subconscious. Perceiving what is needed to implement change and mentally mapping out the strategies necessary to achieve the desired results is merely a conscious exercise of thinking. The real challenge is repetitively integrating those strategies into your life so they imprint in your subconscious mind—meaning the rewiring of new neural circuitry—which requires experiencing a certain degree of emotional and physical discomfort in order to change your established patterns of behavior.

Part of the reason the subconscious mind is more powerful than the conscious mind is because it controls the autonomic nervous system that regulates impulse traffic in the neural pathways from the brain, including maintaining body temperature, composition of blood, heart rate, respiration, digestion, and interacting with the hundreds of chemicals and billions of cells comprising the human organism. Even when your blood pressure, pulse rate, and blood sugar become elevated due to stress, your reactions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The homeostasis of the total functioning of your body, which is your comfort zone, is maintained within the subconscious mind.

“For the present is the point at which time touches eternity.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Replacing old attitudes, thoughts and behaviors with new ones happens by focusing your awareness in the here and now. Hypnotherapy teaches you to pay deliberate attention to the current moment, without attachment to outcomes predicated upon past experiences or expectations for the future, so that you become more present in your life. You begin challenging limiting beliefs and casting aside knee-jerk actions and reactions; you develop a more sensory-driven relationship with the world around you—an open minded and non-judgmental existence based on increased self-awareness—a connection of mind, body and spirit that enjoins the conscious and subconscious mind.

Hypnotherapy invites positive insights and empowering realizations, inspiring your commitment to new behaviors and disciplines necessary to rewire neural network pathways. The experience engenders passion and excitement about achieving goals and making changes, helping you visualize your desired results while creating motivation to continue moving toward your image of success. This is why hypnotherapy has been a catalyst of motivational change for so many people.

©2019 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

 

Composing Our World

How do you talk to yourself? How critical are you? How forgiving? How much of this self-dialogue actually makes it into the spoken narrative of your life? And what is the overall consequence? Let’s take a closer look at some of the dynamics of the inner voice, which begins in the subconscious.

The subconscious is the most powerful part of the mind and reflects our deepest and most genuine attitudes, feelings, and beliefs. These are conveyed in the way we talk to ourselves, which represents our mental state of being, our true disposition, and arises primarily from the nurturing we receive in the formative years of our upbringing. Ultimately, our inner voice is the most potent force which moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day fashions our relationship to ourselves and the world around us.

Three important ways our inner voice effects us are:

  • Confidence
  • Poise
  • Motivation

The words that transmit our attitudes, feelings and beliefs create an immediate and meaningful impact in our lives. Although our memories and associations to them, our life scripting—the knowns and unknowns of our existence—are stored in our subconscious as images and surface through stimulation of our thought and sensory processes, we nonetheless express them as language. Over time, certain expressions may grow to be habitual and serve to define us as individuals, even those that do not represent the true ideals, aspirations, and dreams of the person we are or wish to become.

As the mystical and beloved Persian poet, Hafiz, wisely wrote:

“The words you speak become the house you live in.”   

How we talk to ourselves greatly influences the manner in which we respond to challenges, resolve conflicts and overcome hardships, as well as how we enjoy, accept and embrace our existence. It is important to be mindful and choose our words carefully, for they are profoundly interrelated to the reality we manifest. Our inner voice, infinitely malleable and capable of being cultivated into a powerful conduit of conviction and intent, is the force of energy with which we compose our world.

©2018 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

 

The Final Boundary: Fear Of Death Or Fear Of Life?

It seems to me that death is no mystery. The corpse decomposes and returns to the cradle of the earth. This is not an enigma; rather, it is a certainty. All the questions about death are related to what happens after one dies―about the ever-after and further incarnations of the soul, about the numinous energy of being that transcends the flesh. But these are not questions about death; they are questions about life. Do we live on after death? And if so, how exactly does this occur?

So it follows then that perhaps it is not actually death we fear. Consider for a moment all the casualties of our existence which are born out of fear, little deaths such as judgment, arrogance, avarice, hubris, hatred, prejudice, vice, dominion―all the things that separate us from each other and the wonders of the world around us―all the things which in turn separate us within ourselves. Could it be that what we fear is life? And when the end draws near, we are afraid of how we have not lived, of the chances we have not taken, of the dreams we have not pursued, of the prideful masks we have hidden behind, of the precious love we have shunned and the miracles we have failed to recognize and celebrate. We come face to face with the cowardice of fear and we are loath to recognize it, for it is us.

Indeed, it seems to me that life is the mystery, not death. Living is what we are afraid of and death merely serves to remind us of that poignant truth.

May we perceive such truth clearly then, in the perpetuity of each moment; that this grand mysterium tremendum of life beckons to us; our chances abound; our opportunities to embrace it are infinite. If we but listen, we will hear the orphans of love knocking at our doors―we have only to invite them in, warm them by the hearth of our spirit, and feed them the ambrosia of compassion. In this way, we fashion the final boundary as a place to rejoice in the eternity of giving, a destination of divinity and grace, a glimmering gateway where we may pass fearlessly into the land of evening.

©2018 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

The Learning Mind: Intelligence Beyond Measure

Intelligence is traditionally viewed as a genetically endowed trait that can be characterized and measured by a cognitive test. The conventional view emphasizes the academic skills of linguistic and mathematical intelligence and downplays other talents and abilities, such as the imaginal dynamics of art, music, dance, and entrepreneurship, as well as the intuitive aspects required for effective relational interaction or mechanical inclination. In fact, there are many forms of intellectual acumen; some of these are malleable and do not readily lend themselves to accepted standards of measurement. In this article, we embrace broader concepts and definitions of intelligence and cognition, and focus on the various and sometimes mystifying ways in which intelligence manifests.

Ambient Communion

At its core, intelligence is a confluence of energy, the sentience of our conscious universe transmitted via the sensorium of the living organism. Each of us is tuned to individuate this organic sentience through our sensual interaction with the world around us. Nature is filled with distinctive voices that speak in the imagery of smell, taste, touch, sound and sight, reminding us that all of life is vital and interconnected. This ambient communion calls upon our elemental character and can stir profound perceptual realizations. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence in the scientific community attests to our sensitivity to electromagnetic energy fields, akin to the migratory ability of birds, which may effect neurological functioning and manifest as psychic ability. These findings share a basis with quantum energy theory and the concept of ‘unity consciousness’, which was propagated by the late Stephan Hawking, among others, and contemplates reality as all life forces, all existence, interacting within a single, unified framework.

You can learn more about this fascinating research in the article Finding The Psychic Science.

Heart Entrainment

Since 1991, the HeartMath Institute has researched and developed the science of bridging the connection between the heart and brain, pioneering the concept of heart intelligence or “heart entrainment.” This groundbreaking research has revealed the heart as a sophisticated sensory organ that receives and processes information—an organ capable of learning, memory, and functional decision making independent of the brain’s cerebral cortex. Numerous experiments have demonstrated that the heart continuously sends signals to the brain that influence the functions of perception, cognition, and emotional reactivity.

The heart generates the human organism’s most powerful electromagnetic field and permeates every cell in the body. Compared to the brain’s electromagnetic field, the electrical component of the heart’s field is about 60 times greater in amplitude, and the magnetic component is approximately 100 times greater.

Data from the HeartMath Institute’s rigorous experimental designs has produced evidence suggesting that the electromagnetic field of the heart interacts with the heart fields of other individuals to convey information and is conducive to transmissions from energy fields beyond the space/time continuum, accounting for perceptual aspects of consciousness such as intuition and precognition. The studies indicate that the heart’s electromagnetic energy field may link to subtle fields of energy containing holographic waveforms encoded with systemic information in non-local order. These compelling findings, which align with evidence of the unified field of conscious energy referenced above, have profound implications and support holonomic brain theory and the concept of reality as a quantum hologram.

You can learn more about this seminal experimental evidence in the article Heart Entrainment: Connecting Our Love Energy.

Multiple Intelligences

In his book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, psychologist and Harvard University professor Howard Gardner sets forth the theory that people are not limited to the mental intelligence measured by the typical IQ test. Instead, he proposes that we possess eight different types of intelligence which reflect the diverse ways we interact with the world.

Gardner posits that each of us possesses all eight intelligences, yet everyone has a unique profile, a signature of how these distinctive aptitudes fit together. Here are the eight types of intelligences:

  1. Visual-Spatial Intelligence: The ability to visualize things, such as being good with maps, charts, plans and diagrams.
  2.  Verbal-Linguistic intelligence: The skill of effectively using words in both writing and speaking, and comprehending written work.
  3.  Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: The ability to reason, recognize patterns and logically analyze problems.
  4.  Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: Excellent agility, hand-eye coordination and the ability to perform bodily movements such as sport and dance.
  5.  Musical Intelligence: A strong appreciation for music and comprehension of rhythms and sounds; for some, the ability to compose and perform music.
  6. Interpersonal Intelligence: The ability to communicate well and to understand and interact with different people.
  7. Intrapersonal Intelligence: The skill and proclivity for self-awareness and self-reflection.
  8. Naturalistic Intelligence: The aptitude for nature and interest in nurturing and exploring the environment.

Dr. Gardner contends that academia and culture are too focused on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, esteeming the highly articulate and/or logical people of our society. He believes we should place equal attention and value upon individuals who show gifts in the other intelligences: artists, architects, musicians, naturalists, designers, inventors, dancers, therapists, entrepreneurs, and others who enrich the world in which we live.

You can learn more about multiple intelligences at Howard Gardner’s official site, MI Oasis.

Brain Plasticity

The brain has the ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections between brain cells and is continually reshaping itself based upon our experiences. Changes in thinking, behavior, emotion and environment create alterations in the synapses of the brain and neural pathways of the central nervous system. This rewiring of brain circuitry is known and neurogenesis, or brain plasticity. One of the quickest and most effective ways to rewire brain circuitry is through the practice of mindfulness meditation. A set of landmark research studies demonstrated how mindfulness meditation promotes brain plasticity, with subjects having documented neuron growth in areas of the brain involving learning, memory, awareness, and emotional control, including increases in neurotransmission recorded by MRIs.

Research in neuroscience has shown enduring changes in baseline brain function—activity in response to specific emotional challenges that demonstrates brain plasticity―as a result of practicing mindfulness meditation.

By teaching us to pay deliberate attention to the current moment—without attachment to outcomes predicated upon past experiences or expectations for the future—mindfulness meditation helps us become more present in our lives. We learn to identify and challenge limiting beliefs and develop a more sensory-driven relationship with the world around us. We open ourselves to a non-judgmental existence based upon increased awareness and self-possession, fostering a potent connection of mind, body and spirit that diffuses stress and anxiety, expands cognition, and enjoins the enigmatic qualities of consciousness and intelligence.

You can learn more in the article Mindfulness Meditation & Brain Plasticity: The Science of Rewiring Neural Circuitry.

Creative Cognition

Researchers are actively seeking to define and account for the role of imagination in intelligence and correlate how this functions in the brain through neuroimaging. Cognitive psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman and neuroscientist Rex Young and their colleagues have been working to map out what is referred to as the default mode network, or the “imagination network.” This brain network has been largely ignored by cognitive scientists because it is mostly quiet when we are required to focus externally.

The imagination network is associated with daydreaming, retrieving memories and moderating emotional responses. This system is vitally important for internal reflection and assimilation of meaning, as well as triggering motivation, curiosity and learning. The instant we personally connect to something, our imagination network lights up. We begin making mental and emotional associations based not only upon our experiences, but our deepest seated aspirations—our hopes and dreams and secret longings.

While it is normal for the brain to toggle between the default mode network and the more outward-focused attention network, neuroscience is beginning to chart a more comprehensive understanding of this facet of creative cognition. Findings indicate that very creative people possess stronger connections between the networks and are better at navigating from one to the other.

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come close to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.”

~Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein often compared his thinking and creative processes to that of poets and musicians, describing his insights as “a sudden rapture.” Many brilliant individuals, Einstein and Mozart among them, credit imagination as the source of their creativity and genius. Thus the implications of this compelling area of scientific study come as no real surprise: that integration of the default mode network—the imagination network—is implicit in the function of intelligence.

You can learn more about creative cognition and the role of imagination in intelligence by visiting The Imagination Institute.

Deductions

In consideration of the foregoing, perhaps it is prudent to suggest that attempting to quantify and measure the vast and inexplicable dynamics of intelligence poses profound limitations on human potential. While certain intellectual abilities can be ascertained and gauged to provide a baseline perspective, the testing and labeling of intelligence quotients is at best a starting point in identifying the many capacities of the learning mind.

The agencies that formulate consciousness and intelligence, both our internal interactions and those with the living, breathing universe, are not yet fully defined or understood by science. Yet these are processes that continue throughout our lives and can be altered and enhanced in any number of effective and significant ways. We can partake in the sanctity of ambient communion, practice meditation to expand our cognitive facilities, cultivate our creativity, and entrain our hearts to better transmit information encoded in the unified field of conscious energy. Indeed, we can focus and develop the multiple intelligences that comprise our unique manifestation of organic sentience—our fingerprint upon reality.

©2018 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

Healing The Wounded Child

The wounding of the inner child is a concept basic to modern psychology. A wounded inner child is one deeply affected by the sense of being unloved, or unlovable, or both. This perception can readily manifest into poor self-esteem, negative body image, addictive personality and other dysfunctions of suffering.

The wounded inner child is a psychological and phenomenological reality, one that can be extraordinarily powerful. As first intimated by psychologist Sigmund Freud, most destructive behavior patterns are, to a greater or lesser degree, related to this subconscious part of ourselves. Indeed, we were all children once, and that presence still dwells within us. Yet when we have endured neglect, abuse and emotional hardship, many of us dissociate with our child-like nature as we grow into adulthood. This abdication of an essential element of ourselves, which is typically driven by a determination to leave our painful past behind, is the basis of many behavioral, emotional and relationship difficulties.

Most commonly, it is within the framework of parental relationships and the nuclear family system that the wounding of the inner child occurs. Yet experiences such as bullying, abandonment, physical abuse, psychological abuse and physical or sexual assault—events that engender shame, guilt, rage and resentment—can also traumatize the inner child. Any experience of being physically or psychologically violated, even when it occurs in adulthood, can create this trauma.

In repressing the memories of such conflicts, we attempt to leave our child-like self behind and thus become emotionally attached to the past. We diminish spontaneity and the joy of cherishing each moment with awe and amazement, which allows our wounding to define us. Paradoxically, as a consequence of denying this essential element of our being, an internal rebellion occurs at times that empowers the wounded child to take possession of our personality and hijack our adult decision making process, creating disruptive episodes and scripting self-sabotaging behavior.

Within the psyche, emotion is a fundamental experience of the inner child. By attempting to block out the negative we also inhibit the positive, essentially muting ourselves at the emotional level. Yet this proves to be a precarious stasis which, in the presence of certain emotional, chemical and psychological triggers, can give way to fits of rage, grief, despair and depression, and may also lead to social anxiety, insomnia, obsessive compulsive behaviors and other disorders. Alas, these are the effects of being emotionally attached to unreconciled wounds of the past, dynamics that come to characterize us as victims—a volatile identity the inner child experiences as being exiled.

In adulthood, we want to believe we have left this wounded child and its emotional baggage behind.

Upon endeavoring to protect ourselves from unwanted reminders of our trauma, we project fear into new situations and confuse our perceptions, diverting our attention from the present to the past. This reaction is known as emotional looping, a symptom of what psychology calls arrested development that further tethers us to the painful memories from which we flee. This fragile vulnerability also draws us into unhealthy relationships with sketchy boundaries and unrealistic expectations, including those of rescued and rescuer, which ultimately prove to be unfulfilling and revisit aspects of the pain and hardship that trouble us.

Healing begins when we stop running from the traumatic memories and embrace the wounded child that refuses to be left behind—when we become emotionally capable of parenting ourselves and nurturing our betrayed innocence back to health. We then come to understand that the demons that haunt us are merely manifestations of the wounded child within, pleading for mercy and liberation from the traumas of the past. By letting go of our fear and delivering the inner child from its desperate longing for love and acceptance, something even more valuable than a lost part of ourselves is gained. Indeed, we come to understand the transcendent power of empathy and how it is rooted in the inner child—the redeemed aspect of our consciousness that is naturally guileless, caring, playful, uncomplicated, and whose manner is simple and straightforward.

This is why mindfulness training and the practice of mindfulness meditation have been a successful medium of transformation for so many people. In whatever ways the events of our lives have shaped us, we can only accept our fate and embrace our misfortunes as opportunities. While one cannot forget the past, it is important to acknowledge that change only occurs in the here and now. By developing the poise, self-possession and connective consciousness to actually be present with what is happening in the moment, we learn to recognize and move beyond ingrained defensive reactions and dysfunctional patterns of behavior sourced in the past, and are free to experience the boundless inspiration of reclaiming our child-like trust and wonder.

©2018 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

Daimonic Presence & The World Soul

Many religions and esoteric traditions embrace the transcendent power of the human soul. The soul is believed to be the source of intuitive insight and creative genius, giving rise to divine flashes that connect one to an ‘intelligent other’ often considered as an autonomous god, spirit, angel, muse or daimon; or alternatively understood as a facet of the human imagination or collective unconscious in a Jungian sense. Whether it comes from the artist, the monk, the shaman, the medium or the mystic, communication with this other order of reality is commonly attributed.

This article explores daimonic presence in a variety of aspects, presenting fresh insights into our shared relationship with the mysterious and numinous dimensions of reality. The purpose is not to prove or disprove the existence of such realms and beings, but rather to evoke their validity through the perspectives of history, art, literature, philosophy, psychology and science, demonstrating how they inform, and have always informed, human experience.

The Anima Mundi

In his work Timeaus, Plato first described the World Soul, also known as the Anima Mundi, which depicts the universe as a single living creature that contains all living beings within it—the soul of the cosmos—the intelligent and harmonious principle of proportion and relatedness that exists at the heart of the cosmic pattern and allows the living world to unfold in divine confluence.

“…Therefore, we may consequently state that: this world is indeed a living being endowed with a soul and intelligence … a single visible living entity containing all other living entities, which by their nature are all related.”     Plato, Timeus, 29/30; 4th century B.C.

This concept of an interrelated and beautifully ordered universe, animated in much the same way as the human soul animates man’s body, captured the imagination and admiration of numerous philosophers and theologians though the centuries. However, the scientific revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries came to describe the world in mechanistic terms, with intelligence belonging only to humans or to detached, theoretical deities, with no existent living connection with the universe. This engendered a profound alienation and denied human beings an inherent and vital bond with the living, breathing world around them.

Poets and philosophers of the Romantic era resisted this mechanical world view, and eventually discoveries in science, particularly in quantum physics and the principles of a unified field of conscious energy, presented seminal challenges to the Newtonian premises upon which much of traditional scientific theory is based. Consequently, the compass point of science appears to have pivoted toward this ancient metaphor of nature’s innate and majestic sentience, the World Soul, the Anima Mundi.

Hallowed Emissaries

In the original Christian reception of Platonism, daimons were identified with angels. The ancient Greeks viewed them as intermediaries between humans and the gods, spiritual advisers of a sort. Daimon literally means ‘divine power’, ‘fate’ or ‘god’. For our purposes, daimon (the Latin spelling of which is daemon) is recognized as a term that for many centuries was a respected characterization of these hallowed emissaries. Unfortunately, as Christianity transformed perception of pagan deities, traditions and rituals into agencies of Satan, the word daimon morphed into demon and came to represent hideous creatures of evil.

“We not only live among men, but there are airy hosts, blessed spectators, sympathetic lookers-on, that see and know and appreciate our thoughts and feelings and acts.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

By drawing on a philosophical tradition that flows down the centuries from the Platonists through the Romantics, and crucially in the poetry of William Bake and William Butler Yeats and the literary works of James Joyce, to the groundbreaking contributions of imminent psychologist Carl Gustav Jung—and the seminal interpretations of Jung’s work by renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell—one may trace an ancient history of understanding and embracing a daimonic reality, an alternate realm, an otherworld. This daimonic reality is the archetypal landscape of folklore and myth that populates cultures from antiquity, the perception of our world interpenetrated by another, shadowy yet powerful reality, one full of wonder, beauty and terror.

Indeed, Jung and Campbell would contend that this is not merely a realm of the individual psyche, but of the collective psyche of the cosmos, the World Soul, the Anima Mundi. The cave paintings of indigenous tribes, some of which include serpents of both wing and water, as well as strange beings with exaggerated eyes and large craniums thought to be ‘star people’. Dwarves, fairies, gnomes, elves and other ‘light creatures’, the legendary wee folk of ancient Celtic civilization, hidden magical beings which are still intrinsic to the cultures of Iceland, Western Europe and Russia. Dragons, centaurs, unicorns, trolls, winged lions; these are but a few examples of daimons rooted in myths that are prevalent in every civilization across the world, presences that aggregate the imaginal plane of the Anima Mundi.

The Magnum Opus

The World Soul then, with all its presences, is not a fixed or defined phenomenon but rather a fluid entity comprised of the hopes, dreams and deepest imaginings which mankind shares with all living beings. This is the home of creation’s collective memories and the fantastical myths of humanity. Here are the arcane archetypes and powers that define our lives. Here are hidden destinations of magical meaning, places where dreams come into being. We are raised and live in a stark and barren landscape of rationality and reason, such that we easily forget the potency that lies just beneath the surface, connecting our divine wisdom in all its mystery and wonder. By exploring the pathways created by our conscious connection to the Anima Mundi, our light energy, our force of being, embarks upon magical journeys to alternate dimensions of conviction and purpose that exist within the world, places where deeper layers of meaning are waiting to come alive.

“The psyche is the inward experience of the human body, which is essentially the same in all human beings, with the same organs, the same instincts, the same impulses, the same conflicts, the same fears. Out of this common ground have come what Jung has called the archetypes, which are the common ideas of myths.” ~Joseph Campbell

It is no coincidence that the numinous realities of the Anima Mundi, the fantastical otherworlds of folklore and myth, are places of magical enchantment and alchemical wonder. Historical evidence of the existence of alchemy and magic is spread all over the globe, from compendiums that document rituals, practices, and techniques to historical texts describing these practices in context, including inscriptions, temples, sanctuaries and special tools used for such purposes. Over time, a separate branch of archeology emerged that deals with the discovery, research and interpretation of such items.

The Magnum Opus, also known as the Great Work, was the process in Western alchemy meant to create the Philosopher’s Stone, a primordial substance allegedly capable of transmuting inexpensive metals into gold, and from which the elixir of life could be derived. Jung published several major works on alchemy and is considered responsible for the subject regaining respect in academia. At the culmination of his career, Jung’s primary focus of research was alchemy and its relationship to the dynamics of consciousness. He perceived the turning of base metals into gold as symbolic of personal transformation, a metaphor for the alchemy of individuation and the morphing and mutating imagery of that process, which emerges from our stream of consciousness. The images and operations Jung encountered in his extensive studies of old alchemy texts related strongly to his theories of psychoanalysis and the unconscious.

Those unfamiliar with the subtle nuances of alchemy view it as the historical predecessor of our modern sciences. Yet Jung’s research revealed a far deeper, spiritual significance to the alchemical process. It is relevant to note that there is no single form of alchemy for one to examine. Alchemy is a cross-cultural phenomenon practiced in various forms by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Christian Europeans, and the Islamic, Hindu, and Taoist faiths. Yet all of these use symbols to depict a process of transformation, such as the Philosopher’s Stone, which contains the knowledge of creation and bestows enlightenment upon the maker, converting the base metal of his outer character to the golden properties of his higher self, thus concluding the Great Work, the Magnum Opus.

Mythical Reality

From physicists such as the late Stephen Hawking, as set forth in his book A Brief History of Time, and Nassim Haramein in his acclaimed Resonance Project, among others, there is mounting evidence that consciousness is a non-local constant of the universe, an interactive, unifying field of intelligent energy with which we connect. We then individuate this consciousness according to our own sensual interrelationship with the environment around us. These revelations, coupled with the fact that the existence of our physical world beyond subjective perception and sensory interaction has yet to be proven by science, merit credible contemplation of realities beyond our immediate discernment.

“In art, in myth, in rites, we enter the sphere of dream awake. And as the imagery of dream will be on one level local, personal, and historic, but at bottom rooted in the instincts, so also myth and symbolic art. The message of an effective living myth is delivered to the sphere of bliss of the deep unconscious, where it touches, wakes, and summons energies; so that symbols operating on that level are energy-releasing and -channeling stimuli.” ~Joseph Campbell

As science evolves beyond the mechanistic, Newtonian worldview and ventures into the reckoning of consciousness as an equation of energy, a renaissance of spirituality and the concept of divine intelligence is occurring. We are challenged to consider ancient yet enduring paradigms such as mythology and the Anima Mundi as more than mere psychological or philosophical concepts. The World Soul, replete with its fantastical realms of transformative magic, sublime mystery, and archetypal beings of wonder and terror, is a living, spiritual force within us and around us; it pervades all of creation and is a unifying principle within the world.

Indeed, these are the alchemical forces that help us heal and transcend the spiritually bereft state of individualism; to realize the primal truth of oneness and reunite with the whole. The science of the future will embrace these ethereal dynamics and explore how the physical and mythical realities interrelate, including how these daimonic presences of conscious and intelligent energy interact with and channel the forces of the universe. The shaman and scientist will work together to illuminate the shadowy depths of understanding, while the priestess and the physician renew their ancient connection of healing wisdom.

Acknowledging daimonic presences and reuniting with the Anima Mundi liberates one from the stranglehold of materialism, awakening the soul to more meaningful purposes and dreams. Along the golden path of alchemical transformation we begin to see life differently; a new and perhaps even mythical reality becomes visible, filled with enchantments and infinite possibilities. Suddenly, we are aware of a different world that was always around us yet hidden from sight, one that does not belong to buying and selling but to the mystery of the soul. As our sense of wonder and awe is redeemed, the same redemption occurs within the psyche of the World Soul; and thus, guided by these hallowed daimons of living myth, we learn to wield the ancient magic of creation.


References

  1. Encyclopedia.Com
  2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  3. Encyclopedia Britannica
  4. The Gnosis Archive
  5. Resonance Science Foundation
  6. A Brief History of Time

©2018 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

Introvert? Extrovert? Or Ambivert?

In becoming complete human beings we integrate all aspects of our personality, even those to which we aren’t entirely conscious. This is a process that imminent psychologist Carl Jung called ‘individuation.’ Another term for this is ‘self-actualization,’ which is how the traits shared by all human beings uniquely come together for each of us, defining us as individuals.

“Jung’s concept is that the aim of one’s life, psychologically speaking, should not be to suppress or repress, but to come to know one’s other side, and so both to enjoy and to control the whole range of one’s capacities; i.e., in the full sense, ‘to know oneself.'”

~ Joseph Campbell

Personality labels are recklessly and carelessly bandied about, none more so than introvert and extrovert. It is important to acknowledge that these terms represent psychological theories, and that personalities exist on a continuum. If one considers the normal distribution of the bell curve, then about two-thirds of people fall somewhere in the middle. This is why many are confused when trying to apply these labels and often feel like “I’m not really either one.”

Introversion and extroversion were considered as mutually exclusive ‘attitudes’ by Jung, who noted that none of us are completely extroverted or introverted, but we prominently connect to one or the other attitude. In this direct quote, he gives an example of how both introversion and extroversion exist in the psyche:

“If you take an extrovert you will find his unconscious has an introverted quality, because all the extroverted qualities are played out in his consciousness and the introverted are left in the unconscious.” 

~ Carl Jung

Jung postulated that opposites create tension in the psyche, and that if we fail to address these tensions by denying the opposites, we repress or push the pressure out of our consciousness. This is what he referred to as part of ‘the shadow self.’  His process of individuation―his solution for overcoming our tendency toward this one-sided nature―is to intentionally integrate all the parts of our personality, even those to which we aren’t entirely conscious. In this way we transcend the shadow self and become complete human beings; we self-actualize.

Dr. John Kappas introduced a profound interpretation of Jung’s work focused through the lens of neurolinguistics, expanding the perspective and contemplation of introversion and extroversion in a number of intriguing ways. According to his formative model Theories of Suggestibility & Sexuality, an individual’s introverted and extroverted personality traits, which are delineated as ‘emotional and physical suggestibility and sexuality,’ begin with the dynamics of information processing inherent in child development and evolve into preferred ways of thinking, feeling and acting. These traits are flexible and adaptable to a certain degree; however, while introverted or extroverted personality traits may be altered based upon a given set of circumstances or conditions, a person remains fundamentally inclined to one or the other.

This interpretation succinctly captures the ambivert concept. Those leaning toward introversion still possess the capability for charisma and an outgoing personality when the situation demands it, and those leaning toward extroversion are capable of solitude, deep thought, and self-contemplation when necessary. The key is to be mindful of how and when these labels represent limitation—to step beyond our comfort zone and sharpen our skills on each end of the spectrum—so that we may actualize and empower our lives.

©2018 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

 

    

A Candle-Lit Pathway

Wisdom is comprised of many things, not the least of which is a complexity of sadness. This represents the reckoning, the measure of our misfortunes, as opposed to the sorrow and despair of yielding to them. Of course, wisdom also includes knowledge, understanding, perception, experience, compassion and perhaps inspiration―yet it is this leveraging of our woes, the willingness to be present with the disappointment and pain of a meaningful life―that opens the doorways to enlightenment.

We are ultimately defined by our challenges; we either succumb, or we overcome. This is the difference between victory and defeat. We recognize the heart-rending nature of our existence and walk bravely through it, or we attempt to hide away in the depths of the psyche, where the fear of feeling sadness festers into despondency.

This complexity of sadness is acknowledgment of the human condition. We accept it or resist it. Wisdom does not exist in the dark cave of the mind; rather, it arises by entering that cave and lighting candles for the heartache that dwells there. Wisdom sheds not tears for the pain of broken promises and shattered dreams, but for the neglect of self that resides in that squalid darkness―the inner children that have been left behind, the joy and whimsy that has been withheld from the world.

Wisdom is empathy for lost innocence, and innocents. Instead of agitators and troublemakers and brooding malcontents, it sees child-like wonder and awe, wounded and bewildered, relegated to the shadows of subjugated grief and loss. Personas of aggression, sarcasm, cynicism and resistance are viewed as manifestations of the still dark walls of that inner cave, bastions of fear and disillusionment.

Recognizing and understanding the disenchantment of failed ideals and fallen idols, abandonment of hope, the volatility of subdued rage, and the anguish of isolation, are rites of passage within ourselves, inner journeys that continue to define us throughout our lives. Wisdom eschews the fearful fissures and grottos of the mind by courageously embracing hardship, however calamitous or ill-fated, with gratitude instead of disdain. Thus, an enduring character and self-regard―a complexity of sadness―is forged into a candle-lit pathway of existence, one that casts a warm glow into the shadows and welcomes those who linger there.

©2017 by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

Mindfulness & The Eternity Of Giving

I start many of my presentations on mindfulness with a rhetorical discussion of love. What is it? What does it mean? How is it defined? Understood? Misunderstood? Characterized? Commonly depicted? How is love illusory? How is it enigmatic?

What typically emerges is a focus on the love that exists externally; the love which comes to us from others. Of course, we do share our love and in fact, that is the point of the exercise: to remind everyone that we all emerge into the world with love. Each new life, in every magnificent shape, form and fashion, is a miracle of connective awe and wonder, especially for those who bear witness. Thus we are reminded of the well-spring of love each of us carries within, and how this fundamental force represents the core mystery of life itself, the unifying energy of our living, breathing universe.

In being mindful of this elemental phenomenon, we cultivate and foster our innate “heart wisdom,” which serves as the impetus for altruism, philanthropy, social grace, creativity, and spiritual identity. Indeed, our embrace of compassion, empathy, and the power of love serves to align our conscious intention and inspire a more meaningful understanding and life purpose.

The Eternity Of Giving

 

©2017 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All Rights Reserved.


Cathexis Logo Pic MemeCathexis Therapeutic Imagery specializes in innovative approaches to workplace wellness, mindfulness training, and personal development. Via private coaching, presentations, workshops, training events, and our partnership in the unique online wellness community Your Wellness Room—used by Kaiser Permanente, EFactor and other notable companies—our nationally recognized programs and practices help people and organizations make positive changes. Please call for a free consultation at (818) 512-4371 or contact us via email.

 


Video Attributions:

“Eternity of Giving” written and produced by Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery.

Music “Tumult” courtesy of Kai Engel (edited) http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/The_Run/Kai_Engel_-_The_Run_-_07_Tumult
Licensed via Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Move The Mountain – A Mindfulness Moment

Mastering Mindfulness®

The essence of mindfulness is bringing the entire spectrum of your cognition—mental, emotional, and physical—into the present moment. This is accomplished through the discipline of focused breathing. Mindfulness moments help you step outside the rigorous demands of multitasking that occupy your attention, and invite you to inhabit a deeper and more meaningful conscious awareness, one that diffuses stress, enhances cognitive functioning, and quickens motivation.

Begin by taking a deep breath. Match your inhale to your exhale. Now repeat this deep, measured breathing and focus your attention on it. Notice the air moving. Touch your thumbs and fingertips together; wiggle your toes. Observe yourself in relation to the space around you. Just be present with yourself . . . in this moment. Let go of all resistance, expectation and judgment. Simply allow yourself to experience the here and now.


©2017 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. & Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All Rights Reserved.


Cathexis Logo Pic MemeCathexis Therapeutic Imagery specializes in innovative approaches to workplace wellness, mindfulness training, and personal development. Via private coaching, presentations, workshops, training events, and our partnership in the unique online wellness community Your Wellness Room—used by Kaiser Permanente, EFactor and other notable companies—our nationally recognized programs and practices help people and organizations make positive changes. Please call for a free consultation at (818) 512-4371 or contact us via email.