"I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography." --Steven Wright, Comedian
Among all the noias, meta is my favorite. I so prefer it to para. The word, noia, of course, is from the Greek nous, meaning "mind." Paranoia is to be outside or beside one's mind. Meta means "change"; we see it in such words as metamorphosis which is to change form. Metanoia means to change one's mind.
Many of our attitudes, perceptions and incumbent behaviors are imprinted in our brain patterns early in life and thus determine many of our attitudes toward life, ourselves, and our place within the world. Authority may be the largest influence on how these attitudes and behaviors are set.
Of all the spiritual and psychological tasks toward individuation or wholeness, changing one's mind may be the most difficult. I once read a statistical estimate that one acquires over half of what he or she ever learns in the first five years of life. Think about how many misconceptions, falsehoods, and misrepresentations are sealed in our minds during those years of earliest development.
What we observe in word and deed from parental figures such as parents, clergy, teachers, neighbors and parental institutions like church, school, and government becomes the source for the way we view the world and our place within it.
Life is an evolution of the question of authority. The ego, when it leaves the birth canal, asks the question, "Who's in charge here and what are the rules for making it?" Therefore, most of our ego attitudes are adaptive to external authority.
It seems as though, at some point in life, irrespective of age, one arrives at a midpoint and life changes from biography to autobiography. The first chapters are written by external authority. Then, at this midpoint, life hands us the pen and we become the author of our own story and the sole authority. A man came into my office one day and began, "I feel as though I am a character in a novel written by someone else." He was ready to pick up the pen and write a life!
So what causes us to change our mind? That is to say, what is it that causes us to adopt inner authority, find our own values, change our attitudes and behaviors? Unfortunately, it usually comes in the form of a crisis. Old ways don't work anymore. The rules for the first phase of life simply won't serve the demands of the second phase of life.
Some accident, illness, trauma, tragedy or loss will create a conscious crisis that will demand change. This change is metanoia. Such change creates a new and expanded consciousness. Chekov wrote, "A conscious life without a definite philosophy is no life, rather a burden and a nightmare." By philosophy, I believe he would include a theology, a spirituality, a psychology - in other words, a framework or worldview through which to become conscious of, and to interpret, life's vicissitudes.
Christians associate metanoia with repentance and conversion. From the viewpoint of this tradition, changing one's mind is a religious discipline and even a religious experience. From the viewpoint of depth psychology, metanoia is a requirement for new consciousness and maturity. Religions, psychology, spirituality, are all possible frameworks for mind change and growth.
Jung's psychology defined metanoia as a spontaneous attempt of the psyche to heal itself of unbearable conflict by melting down and then being reborn in a more adaptive form.
Metanoia is a substantial concept to both psychology and religion. Rebirth and change are necessary to our lives. The clinical definition of death is cessation of change. If one is not changing, one is dying. Any practice or framework that is not curious and novel stands with its feet in concrete, which may be the definition of any form of fundamentalism.
No matter what time it appears in our life, the challenge and opportunity to write our own autobiography can be embraced as a spiritual practice. It is through this process of authoring our autobiography that we will experience the deepest journey and fullest awareness of our being.
Consciousness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Carl Jung - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I like your way of explaining it better.
I also love the quote from Jung. I had long heard of his idea of the "crucible" in which we are transformed but that seemed so abstract and frankly, painful, that I certainly didn't want any part of that. However, I know full well from my own life and that of clients, how one reaches a point where past dysfunctional ways of coping behavior become insupportable and one longs for a better way.
Again, you put it so clearly!
I will check out your books and I hope that you continue to post articles here!
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When you're down and out, even changing your underwear ain't so easy.
While I agree that a trauma can precipitate change, e.g. getting lung cancer might change your attitude to smoking, it is also obvious that trauma mostly creates negative change, e.g. PTSD.
While clinical cases might require pharmacological intervention and even crisis management, most counselling issues are approached via talk therapies, CBT, hypnosis, NLP, and a range of modern therapeutic techniques.
What we need to ask ourselves though is: Do we really need to change? Barring issues of self- or other-harming, do we really need to change?
Most of us grew up with various moderating and shaping influences from parents, media, culture, religion and school. This powerful socialisation affects our thinking and attitudes and beliefs at a young age, often creating benchmarks to help us decide if we are ok or 'good enough'. This is further reinforced via the mass media in our adult years.
The question is: Do most people lack an inner core of self-acceptance and self-love because of socialisation effects? If people found this beautiful inner core would it put most psychotherapists out of business?
Do people really need to change, or simply learn to truly accept and love themselves?
http://www.clifton-hypnosis.com/
So, yes, a person does need to change any limiting beliefs in order to discover, or uncover, the true beautiful core that exists within each of us. Jung said "Become that which you already are."
A TAOIST PRAYER
Oh Great Goddess and Great Spirit for they are all part of CHI, let me always be aware that the web that connects each to me weaves its tapestry throughout my being uniting me with all for separateness is an illusion for all are one.
And let me always rest content in the arms of the unfolding universe and always be aware that we are all prisoners of preconditioning and only through self discipline, mediation and self cultivation can we break free of those prisons so we may find our spiritual path and grow in enlightenment and spirituality.
Oh Great Goddess and Great Spirit for they are all part of CHI, thank you for guiding me thus far on my life's journey.
Guide me this day spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically that I may be in tune with thee and learn the lessons thou has to teach me that I many know the interconnection of all things in thy seamless web of life where everything belongs and nothing is lost and becoming, transformation, regeneration, mutation, evolution and change are the way of all things.
Oh Great Goddess and Great Spirit for they are all part of CHI, let me always be aware that the spirits are always above me, within me, surrounding me and engulfing me and all are one for there is no separation or barrier in the realm of CHI, in the harmony of ying and yang.
Oh Great Goddess and Great Spirit for they are all part of CHI, let me always be aware that I am my own work, I am the artist, I am the paint, I am the canvas and only through self discipline, meditation and self cultivation may I receive your abundant blessings that I may be a blessing to others.
Though sometimes I wonder if change is really that great..
Does God change? or does he stay the same..?
Its comforting to know that the sun will rise tomorrow and wont change its mind..
Its comforting to know that most of us will be born with arms exactly the same leagth..and
that the planets revolve in perfect synchronicity and...
Is nature constantly changing or is there a perfect order...
I have often wondered about "change" as humans explain it...