Overview of Principles

 

There are a few basic principles behind our approach to resolving the negative patterns, attitudes and experiences in one's life:

1. We each have totally a positive eternal inner/higher/spiritual self or soul -- whatever term you feel most comfortable with -- that is a discrete center different from our normal sense of self or ego and that has within it a higher knowing and intention.

2. This inner self is itself an expression or aspect of the creative, purposeful life that is within and behind all things, i.e., God -- or whatever term you feel comfortable with.

3. The structure of the core images in our mind becomes externalized in the particular forms of our experience that directly reflect these. Or simply, what we believe (on the deepest level of living in and through) is created in our life.

4. Some of the qualities inherent in the soul are: beauty, love, wisdom, courage, peace, power, strength, independence, grace, creativity, joy, etc. Negative, false, distorted images and assumptions that therefore do not reflect the true nature of one's inner self, are reflected in negative experiences of some kind -- suffering, frustration, conflict, anxiety, loneliness, vice, addictions, unfulfillment, depression, etc. -- and thus allow us to become conscious of how we are denying or distorting the nature of our inner self.

5. The core images in our minds establish our fundamental interpretations about the nature of our self and the world, that we subsequently project on to it. These are created in childhood by an automatic preverbal, preconscious process that is a response to our experience. These images, that then order our emotional life, can be quite different from the rational , conscious set of beliefs and values that we adopt later.

6. Psychological pain, like physical pain, is nature's device to lead us away from things that aren't right for us. If we seem to experience a lot of things that we don't want or like, it's because we are either unconscious of our deep identifications or we mistakenly believe our conscious strategies are more powerful. However, we can change our minds.

7. Development proceeds organically. Regardless of the success, ideals, will or spirituality that we have in certain areas of our life, if we have unresolved false core assumptions, they will unavoidably set limits on our progress and act as anchors holding us back.

(It's important to acknowledge that children are more dependent on and conditioned by their environment than adults and therefore less responsible for their experience. Adults have a greater capacity to leave a negative environment or transcend its influence.

Furthermore, responsibility for negative experiences should not imply blame. The point is to learn and change, not to condemn and feel guilt.)