Interpretation And Use of The Physical Instrument (Body)

Assagioli included the physical body in his Psychosynthesis, and in these notes, he gives us an impression of what that includes.

By Roberto Assagioli, undated, Undeveloped Notes, Assagioli Archives 3.6, From the Assagioli Archive Florence. Translated from Italian by Jan Kuniholm and Amanda Mattiussi. Original Title: Interpretazione e Uso dello Stumento Corporeo. See also his lecture about bio-psychosynthesis

A complete personal psychosynthesis must include the body. How?
Having a correct attitude toward the body means giving it its rightful place in the awareness we have of ourselves. Therefore:

Appreciation

Care

Development

but also:

Subordination

Utilization

Transmutation

Almost everyone feels at one with his body, and appropriates its conditions and sensations, saying “I am hungry, I am thirsty, I am tired”. And they struggle or even fail to conceive of their own existence separate and independent from their body. This is a lived materialism. It is necessary to get rid of it. It is the first door to be broken through or opened to get out of prison. It is necessary to consciously realize independence from the body. It is not enough to know this theoretically — this is already a help, but the real spiritual development begins when one feels independent from the body.

Warning: to disidentify from the body does not mean to despise it.

The body is our precious instrument, the necessary means for experience here.

We must respect it, and admire its complex and skillful apparatus. But we must also become the masters of the body, and not be its slaves.

Medieval asceticism was excessive, violent, and too separative. Modern man oscillates between hedonism, violent demands, and artificial stimuli. Let’s take a typical modern man as an example: dominated as he is by ambition, he forces his body to do relentless work in unhealthy environments (perverted asceticism!), and then at night he compensates for it by giving vent to his instincts and satisfying his cravings: gluttony, sensuality…

Modern healthy asceticism: control — vigilance — discipline — harmony with nature — purification.

Let’s realize that our physical body belongs to the animal kingdom! Related psychological and spiritual deductions …

Let us consider the body as a living, intelligent reality, permeated with psychic activity.

1. Disidentification
2. Self-realization
3. Vivification and renewal of the body

Active training of the body must be done with an attitude of right balance. Do not give it too much importance. Train it with detachment, without identification, from above —considering and using it as an instrument of perception, experience and action.

I. – Correct care of the body:

Heal it

Recharge it

Renew it

Regenerate and transmute it (talk to it)

II. – Discipline of the body:

Psychospiritual exercises (see Panorama of Psychological Living)

III. – Use, development, training, improvement: as a tool

IV. – Mastery:

… “Pushing a button”… (analogy to car)

In summary, discipline and training includes two stages:

1. Conscious “top-down” training.
2. “Unconscious” functioning — creations of habits, of “automatic” activities, thus freeing up attention for other higher tasks.

Other insights:

• Be in a friendly relationship with your body. Reward it when it has earned it!
• Discipline it firmly, but with good will and love — like a pet to be trained (“Brother Ass”).
• Appreciate it. Include it as part of the new organic unity, of our bio-psychosynthesis.

The body is the temple of God. Consider the functions of a temple. Be on guard against over-valuing and focusing on the building — the church!