Disidentification

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DisidentificationThe experience of self-identification, of having an �I�, distinguishes our consciousness from that of the majority of other living beings on our planet. As far as we can tell, other creatures do not have a sense of self-consciousness. No dog will ever think: �I am me, myself, separate and different from everything and everyone else.� We do not usually experience self-consciousness, in this way, either. It is usually experienced, not as pure self-consciousness, but rather mixed with and veiled by the contents of consciousness, that is, everything we are sensing, feeling and thinking at any time. In Psychosynthesis, we primarily see this separate unique self as the simplest part or �unit� of our total being. It is our core. The self, seen in this way, is

completely separate from everything else that makes us up - our bodies, feelings, thoughts, desires, all our subpersonalities, the different roles we play and so on. As it is separate, it is a place of unity and individual wholeness from where we can utilize and direct all these other elements that make us what we are in totality. And unlike these contents of our being, the self never changes, but remains the one static, unchanging, ever-present part of ourselves. One minute I am a father, then a lover, now I am feeling, then thinking - but I am always my self. The self is what makes us who we really are, separate not only from all the contents of our consciousness, but also from everyone and everything else too. As selves we are each have our own individual experience. Of course, we might be identified and see ourselves as, say, a sportsman. This person might then become so identified with

this role that he believes it is who he really is, rather than a role he is playing. Or someone might become so identified with their feelings they loose sight of the rest of their functions. Thus the great value of being able to disidentify from all these functions and roles and get to the true central core self. This self is not attached to anything, but is uniquely whole and centered in itself. From this place if you ask yourself: �who am I?� the answer is not a sportsman, a mother, a banker, an angry person, a thinker, a fool, an actor, or anything other than �I am me.� Being identified is a bit like being in a dream where you move from one identification to another without awareness. Some Eastern philosophies compare our waking �reality� to just such a dream. We don�t realize we have, say, a particular feeling, we become the feeling. I

don�t have sadness, I become sadness. Such identification and attachment limits our perceptions. If we can awaken from this limiting dream, and identify with the self, we can come alive with a new awareness We are usually attached to or identified with the contents of our consciousness. To make self-consciousness an explicit, experiential fact in our lives, we need first to dis- identify from our bodies, feeling and thoughts, from all our subpersonalities, from everything that fills us up and creates the contents of our consciousness. We have to become truly empty - then we find there is something left, this sense of �I�-ness, of being a self, or simply being. Through deliberate disidentification from the personality and identification with the self, we gain freedom, and the power to choose either identification with or disidentification from any aspect of our

personality, according to what is most appropriate for any given situation. Thus we may learn to master and utilize our whole personality in an inclusive and harmonious synthesis. We often find it most difficult to disidentify from our thoughts. We construct our world through our thoughts about it, so it can feel dangerous or difficult to stop thinking about it. Maybe our world will fall apart and we will be left in an unstructured, undifferentiated state. In actuality, however, we find we are left with the self. We find a new clarity in our lives we never knew could exist before. Indeed, when we stop our inner dialogue with ourselves, we find that special and extraordinary aspects of ourselves are able to surface. We can make more creative choices about our lives, and more easily find ways to manifest these choices. When we disidentify, we can then choose to re-identify. That is

the goal. We don�t want to be without our vehicles for _expression and experience; we want to have them rather than them having us. It is as if when we re-identify with thoughts, feelings or the body, we can take a little bit of our new self-awareness with us. Not only have we found our �I�, the self, and are more able to disattach ourselves from the contents of our consciousness, but also we can more effectively control our being and doing in the world in a positive, life-enhancing way. From this new perspective, we can truly say �I am simply myself, and I have a body, and feelings and thoughts in order to experience the world and express myself in it.� With this new strength, as well as being able to bring more clarity to what is happening in our lives, and having the ability to choose what is the best choice for us, we also find we are generally happier and more

effective in our relationships with other people. On top of this, we also then have an �safe anchor�, so to speak, which allows us to more easily explore our lower unconscious and sort out some of the blocks, complexes, obsessions and other life-diminishing facets of this part of our being. We have also, through this work, created more space for the influx of transpersonal energies into our personality. We are more able to manifest Qualities such as Beauty, Trust, Joy, Truth and so on. The benefits of disidentification, then identification with the self, cannot be over stressed. You have already learned in the last chapter what is perhaps one of the simplest ways to start disidentifying from various roles. Through recognizing subpersonalities, and naming them, you are separating yourself from these roles. If you can see, for instance, that part of you is, say, �a

daughter�, then you can realize you are not just a daughter. This applies to all our subpersonalities, whatever roles we play. It is perhaps more difficult to directly disidentify from the functions of thinking, feeling and sensing, but it can be done. It is achieved chiefly through a form of introspection whereby we become the �observer� of our life. We can look at everything that happens to us as distinct from ourselves. If we are angry, for example, we can step back, become an observer, and see our anger. Then we realize we are not our anger, rather anger is something we have. We awaken from the dream, and see ourselves from a place of grater perspective. We might find it is right to be angry in the present circumstances, or not, but whichever is the case, we will have it rather than it having us. The most important self identification work we can do is

through life situations as just described, when we observe ourselves from a separate place. As we do this more, we start to realize the self as a continuous truth behind all that happens in our lives. But it is always useful to forge links and strengthen our connection to the self, to help and foster this natural process. The exercise that follows helps us to do just that, is the most important one in this book, and is central to the work of Psychosynthesis.Exercise: Self-IdentificationThe following exercise is a tool for moving towards and realizing the consciousness of the self. This exercise, called �self identification�, is of vital importance, and should be done with the greatest care. If you feel at all tired do not read on from here until you have at least taken a break. You will enjoy this exercise more if you are fresh when you first try it out.Relax yourself in the best

way you know how, putting yourself in a comfortable but alert position. Take a few deep breaths, and let go of any tensions from the day. Follow the instructions slowly and carefully.Affirm to yourself the following: �I have a body but I am not my body. My body may find itself in different conditions of health or sickness, it may be rested or tired, but that has nothing to do with my self, my real I. I value my body as my precious instrument of experience and action in the world, but it is only an instrument. I treat it well, I seek to keep it in good health, but it is not myself. I have a body, but I am not my body.�Close your eyes, recall what this affirmation says, then focus your attention on the central concept: �I have a body but I am not my body.�Attempt to realize this as an experienced fact in your consciousness.Now affirm to yourself: �I have feelings, but I

am not my feelings. My feelings and emotions are diversified, changing, and sometimes contradictory. They may swing from love to hatred, from calm to anger, from joy to sorrow, and yet my essence - my true nature - does not change. I remain. Though a wave of anger may temporarily submerge me, I know that in time it will pass; therefore I am not this anger. Since I can observe and understand my feelings, and can gradually learn to direct, utilize, and integrate them harmoniously, it is clear that they are not my self. I have feelings, but I am not my feelings.�Close your eyes, recall what this affirmation says, then focus your attention on the central concept: �I have feelings but I am not my feelings.�Attempt to realize this as an experienced fact in your consciousness.Now affirm to yourself: �I have a mind but I am not my mind. My mind is a valuable tool of discovery and

_expression, but it is not the essence of my being. Its contents are constantly changing as it embraces new ideas, knowledge, and experience, and makes new connections. Sometimes my thoughts seem to be independent of me and if I try to control them they seem to refuse to obey me. Therefore my thoughts cannot be me, my self. My mind is an organ of knowledge in regard to both the outer and inner worlds, but it is not my self. I have a mind, but I am not my mind.�Close your eyes, recall what this affirmation says, then focus your attention on the central concept: �I have a mind but I am not my mind.�Attempt to realize this as an experienced fact in your consciousness.Next comes the phase of identification. Affirm clearly and slowly to yourself: �After this disidentification of my self, the �I�, from my body, my feelings, and my mind, I recognize and affirm that I am a

centre of pure self consciousness. I am a centre of will, capable of observing, directing and using all my psychological processes and my physical body.�Focus your attention on the central realization: � I am a centre of pure self-consciousness and of will.� Realize this as an experienced fact in your awareness.When you have practiced this exercise a few times, you can use it in a much shorter form. The important point is to keep to the four main, central affirmations:I have a body and sensations, but I am not my body and sensations.I have feelings and emotions, but I am not my feelings and emotions.I have a mind and thoughts, but I am not my mind and thoughts.I am I, a centre of pure self-consciousness and of will.Some people find it difficult to follow the affirmations in this exercise that say you have but are not your body, feelings or mind, objecting that this

may cause a disassociation from these functions. A suggested alternative way of using the exercise, if this bothers you, is to change the disidentifying statements to �I have a body and sensations and I am more than my body; I have feelings and I am more than my feelings and emotions; I have a mind and thoughts, and I am more than my mind and thoughts.� This is almost as effective, but the original as designed by Assagioli uses the principle of affirmation through negation which can have a particularly powerful effect on creating the required conditions for Self Identification. You may have to repeat the exercise a few times to start with to get its full flavour, but then you will be able to do it daily from memory. The effort will be well worth it. All the influences that try to capture your attention and demand identification will no longer have the same hold over

you.__________ ________________________________HIMAVANTThe Layayogachakras-Group Owner!_______Join to:- prema-dharma- http://www.himavanti.orghttp://www.himawanti.org_______

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