What could this mean in the light of Psychosynthesis? Let’s see.
In psychosynthesis, there is an idea that we have these parts of us (called sub-personalities/sub’s). They can be developed as coping mechanisms when something has been “overwhelming” and can develop the way of functioning in the world. Also developed in different ages of our lives and how we behave in different relationships, how we might get attention (positive or negative).
When there is no awareness of these ways of “behaving and reacting and thinking..” they can easily just highjack (the self), even moving from one sub to another. A brief meaning of “the self” will be found later in the text.
And what could be a sub-personality exactly?
See if for example; do you behave differently in different settings? Home, work etc. Short of having these various selfs (or call it roles).
Any time you react (rather than consciously responding), there can also be sub coming on surface to rescue, to protect..
‘We are dominated by everything with which our self becomes identified.’
- Said by Roberto Assagioli (the developer of the Psychosynthesis).
The thing is that these sub-personalities want to evolve and integrate to become whole. The experience of integration brings a new level of growth.
Integration process could be in a form of practices and meditations to get to learn more about these sub-personalities. Wants of them and the needs of them and eventually the quality/the core that would be their expression. For example one of sub’s want is to be with people, the need might be connection and quality being union (the need and quality can be met other ways as well). Another example:
"I want Ice cream!" (want is often rigid). The need could be comfort, because there is feeling of misery underneath (need is more flexible). And there could be quality of love as an expression that is to be met.
So the process moves from identification (observing part of our personality/behaviour, really experiencing how it is to be this part of our personality, accepting) to dis-identification and to self-identification. Into a harmonious whole.
Self-identification to what can be called the essence of “the self” which is pure self-consciousness, the centre of free will. The one who is able to observe and direct our experience.
What happens then?
We will still have these personalities but those might not be where we are identified anymore, they may have evolved, do not take the stage that reactively in our lives anymore (highjack). We still express through these personalities but there is awareness. There is alignment, roots to self. Self that can also use the word soul. Soul that has always been there; seeking expression from birth to death. So this inherent wisdom and power as a soul can be connected by dis-identification —> self-identification process and other ways as-well.
Coming to the beginning: “So many people from your past know a version of you that doesn’t exist anymore”. People might “know” just some of these parts of you that may have been evolved and integrated.. you have grown and there might not be a need to carry on the patterns.
There can be much light and love in our essence that is wanting to express through our persona. There can be a lifelong creation, transformation within awareness through the “light and dark”. Both are examined and “worked” within psychosynthesis (+ the middle). Figuratively talking about a whole house + surroundings: Middle floor (middle unconscious, the field of awareness and “I”), basement (lower unconsciousness; the most primitive part of ourselves which is not bad but just earlier), and attic (the higher consciousness where our higher potentialities seek to express and where the creative inspiration, spiritual insights and higher intuitions are said to be received) + collective unconsciousness. These sub-personalities are situated on all levels of our house. And evolve through acceptance, time to understand them, integrating through meditation to synthesis/the process of sub-personalities becoming a new larger, organic whole.
This organic whole can be looked at as an example of an orchestra. Sub-personalities being different musicians and each of them having their unique expression and purpose (want’s, needs and quality). Conductor would be the “self”, “I”. When we are not aware of the musicians, they just most likely start to take the stage whenever necessary and steal the show, but who is the conductor?
This not yet the whole picture: There is also a composer; the transpersonal Self. (+the surroundings; not just you or me.)
* In psychosynthesis there can be two aspects: personal and transpersonal. The personal psychosynthesis includes the integration of personality (functioning in relationships, work, in living that is meaningful for the individual) and in the transpersonal stage there is alignment of transpersonal self that can manifest qualities such as wisdom, inner guidance, love, responsibility and global perspective. Many times these stages overlap and a person can experience transpersonal activity long before personal integration is complete. *
* www.synthesiscenter.org
