Self-Awareness
and Meditation
Meditation is a process of stilling the mind. It can be practiced for relaxation, to feel more whole and complete, or to gradually reveal ones higher Self. In it's deeper levels meditation can be likened to a self-psychoanalysis as correctly applied meditation techniques help to clear and reprogram our thoughts, habits and conditioning to slowly reveal the Self within.
Meditation is a process which can be used throughout the day and not just in quiet periods of silence. All areas of life are important in the ongoing process of personal growth; spiritual, emotional, mental and physical. To grow we need to acknowledge and sustain and balance all of these areas. Meditation is a way of life and leads to health, balance and happiness.
The theory of psychoanalytical meditation was proposed by Dr B S Goel. His theory divides a person's being, or Psyche, into first, second and third stage selves. The first stage self is the soul, the second stage self is the unconscious (animal) self and the third stage self is the ego. We need to understand that much of our ego drives (third stage self) are an attempt to deny our innate animal drives and the creation of a self that we believe to be acceptable in the world. By accepting that the second stage self is a closer reflection of who we really are we can dissolve them revealing the first stage self or soul.
Goel believed that psychoanalysis, and even self-psychoanalysis, can be used to uncover the past and transcend it to reveal the first stage self. Once an understanding of how the mind works transcendence is attained through a combination of techniques involving:Self-analysis during the day
Dream analysis
Balancing techniques for the physical, emotional and mental 'bodies'.
Meditation
Meditation can be likened to a self-psychoanalysis as correctly applied meditation techniques help to unravel the soul within. Dr Goel recommended that an individual undertake self analysis during the day and take unsolved problems into meditation during which answers may arise. The day can also be spent analyzing the results of meditation, self-analysis and meditation thereby going hand in hand.
After years of meditation on the third eye center an experience occurs which Goel referred to as the 'jet experience'. A pin prick of light is seen and one's consciousness shifts to that point and one becomes a 'witness' to events and aspects of oneself experienced in meditation. This experience will vary from individual to individual. With regular meditation this point of consciousness enlarges and at the same time exposes the past formations in the mind before the consciousness and freedom is obtained from them. Meditation is thus actually performing a similar process as psychoanalysis and Goel believes that all our past object relations must be transcended before our worldly consciousness can merge with soul consciousness.
Many different accounts of the experiences to be had in the higher stages of meditation point to a gradual destruction of the ego and the reality it has built up around itself. This is often experienced as a kind of death which, in reality, is necessary before a person becomes a soul infused personality, when personality or ego consciousness is replaced by soul consciousness operating through the Self-aware personality.
When we approach the soul from an existential perspective, a moving forwards and alignment with the soul, we are moving in a similar direction to that offered by meditation, however, our past complexes will still need to be overcome or dissolved in some way and this is often achieved through the crises experienced during the stages of soul and personality integration. The more we prepare ourselves for these crises the less painful they will be. There are many techniques that assist one's spiritual path, whether psychodynamic, existential, humanistic, behavioral or cognitive. Whatever is most relevant at the time can be used. psychospiritual coaching and meditation will help you move forwards to fulfill your greatest potential while psychospiritual counselling will help when past patterns or conditioning present obstacles to overcome.If you would like any help or advice, please feel free to contact me for further information.
Copyright © Charles Attfield, 1999-2006
