Can joy coexist with pain? According to Assagioli, spiritual joy or bliss is the keynote in connection with spiritual ascension. It can coexist with the pain that the purification process causes
By Roberto Assagioli , Source:The Beacon, June 1942
When spiritual life and development are regarded from the traditional point of view there is very often associated with them the idea of renunciation, of suffering, labor, sorrow and pain. This is unfair, for a single aspect is over accented. It arouses perplexity, even repugnance and discourage the novice on the spiritual way.
Suffering constitutes the preponderant and characteristic element of only one phase, one level, of the spiritual life – the phase of purification which follows the awakening of the soul, the first revelation of our indwelling Spirit. That awakening is full of joy and exultation and joy is the note of the state that follows purification, the state of the illumined soul. After the “dark night of the soul”, that new period of shadow, labor and sorrow, comes the glorious goal, the transfiguration of the soul in God, the conscious communion of the individual with the universal Spirit. The Orientals call this Moksha and Vinmuhti (liberation, Nirvana) and the Occidentals the Mystic Marriage and the Unified life.
In this state the soul is filled with bliss, an enduring and ineffable joy. We should not marvel at it for bliss is the essential quality of the Supreme Spirit. Both Orientals and Occidentals testify to this. According to the Hindus, the three essential attributes of the Supreme Spirit are Sat, Chit, Ananda; namely, being, knowledge, bliss. Other authorities as the Manduka Upanishad call these characteristics of Atman, the Supreme Self, “shantam, shivam, advaita”; or peace, bliss, unity.
According to the Christians the communion with God in this life and the next gives conscious enjoyment of Him, of His glory and His bliss.
Spiritual joy is different than pleasure
Spiritual Joy must not be confused with the pleasures and joys of another nature. It possesses characteristics which enable us to distinguish it easily and surely. Spiritual Joy, above all, is permeated with peace. It gives a sense of calm, of security, of complete quiet which is entirely lacking in the tumultuous pleasures, in the violent excesses of another nature. Its effects are different, often opposite. The egoistic pleasures and exaltations make the whole being vibrate, consume the nervous energy and are followed by a reaction of weariness, depression and lack of vitality. On the other hand, Spiritual Joy gives strength instead of taking it away. It does not provoke reactions but leaves behind it a wave of energy and courage and often real physical relief. Finally, while the egoistic pleasures tend to separate us from others, to make us forget all the world in our own little personal satisfactions, Spiritual Joy is, by its nature, expansive. It renders us more loving, more compassionate and inspires us with the desire to help others participate in our joy.
Spiritual Joy possesses another trait that at first may seem strange and paradoxical, but which on closer examination is seen to be natural and befitting the character of that Joy, namely, it can co-exist with pain. Such an apparent contradiction cannot be explained as the materialists pretend, who know nothing of the Spiritual life. They consider it an anomaly, a perversion, a form of physic masochism. It can be easily interpreted, however, in the light of the Spiritual conception of man and of his complex inner structure. This is a conception which has been and is being continually strengthened by the recent development of analytic and synthetic psychology.
A human being, in his present stage of evolution, is not a harmonious and coherent unity. He is made up of a mass of heterogeneous and contrasting elements grouped around different centers that are found at different levels relatively independent of each other. For the purpose of this article we need not investigate the more subtle distinctions between these elements and centers. It is enough to remember that they can be divided into two great groups. Those that compose the ordinary human personality and those that constitute the superior individuality, the Soul properly so called. Now, while the ordinary joys and pleasures are felt by the personality, Spiritual Joy is the property of the individuality. The ordinary man lives inclosed in his own personality and ignores even the existence of the superior elements. On the other hand in “the perfectly awakened one”, in the liberated Spirit, in the soul completely and permanently united with God, the personality is dissolved and its elements regenerated and transfused into the individuality so that the whole being is unified.
The man who finds himself in an intermediate state, in whom the Spiritual consciousness is awakened but who still retains many elements of the ordinary man, has a more or less conscious duality of feeling and reaction. Thus we can understand how it often happens that while the personality mechanically suffers, the individuality exults in the Light of the Spirit.
It is to be noted further that the stages of the Spiritual development are not rigidly separated from one another but are often superimposed and partially interpenetrating. Thus during the phase of illumination the activity of purification generally goes on and it is the interweaving of these two which causes the co-existence of joy and pain.
The illumined soul which has vitally experienced the purifying and elevating action of suffering not only does no longer flee it, not only endures it patiently and accepts it with good will, but finally comes to rejoice in it. The strength of the Spirit renders the cross light, the light of the Spirit renders the cross luminous.
There is nothing abnormal in all this but rather something supernormal. It is a noble and beautiful experience and those who ignore or condemn it do not understand that “to suffer and to be unhappy are not at all the same thing”. They are the blind who are not to be heeded but pitied.
It is true that there have been some cases, especially in past centuries in which the thirst for, and the pleasure in, suffering have assumed an excessive intensity and an abnormal character. However, these are deviations from the true Spiritual path, impure admixtures, counterfeits of the genuine mystical experience.
Spiritual joy is a duty toward others
The distinction between the egoic pleasures of the personality and the Spiritual Joy of the individuality also aids in explaining the error of those who (as we pointed out in the beginning) on the basis of a too rigid, dualistic and pessimistic view of life and religion, accentuate exclusively the side of sacrifice and suffering. They view with suspicion and with condemnation anything which speaks of the joy of the soul. In reality, Spiritual Joy is not only permitted to all but is truly a duty, and it is so for many reasons. In the first place it greatly helps the outpouring of gratitude and the voluntary dedication of oneself which constitute the best response of the soul to the flood of light which has been poured upon it from on High. Spiritual Joy also facilitates the transformation and sublimation of all the personal elements, a work which the soul must accomplish in ever increasing measure upon the ascending path.
Finally, Spiritual Joy is a duty towards others. At every step on our way we should help our brothers to share in the treasures which we have discovered, in the benefits which have been showered upon us, in the powers which are developing in us. This is the unchangeable law of justice and of love, the direct expression of the fundamental unity of all beings. Thus whoever attains the first illuminations must share them with others. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by pouring out upon them our own joy.
Poor humanity, tormented by a thousand sorrows, agitated by a thousand fears, distracted by a thousand doubts, searches anxiously (whether it knows it or not) for peace, certainty, a serene and stable joy. It is irresistibly attracted towards anyone, who by the example of his own life, by his own silent radiation, shows that he has touched that inner center of calm, of harmony and of satisfaction.
It is only after having proved the positive results, after having recognized the value and benefit of the Spiritual life, that a man is willing to subject himself to the necessary discipline, to pay the price that at first may seem excessive, but that later will show itself justified, indeed inadequate, for such an inestimable treasure, our possession for eternity.
At this time it is right course and our plain duty towards ourselves, towards others and towards God, not only freely to accept Spiritual Joy but intentionally to awaken it within ourselves and to preserve and increase that which we have obtained.
Let us then adopt the glorious motto of St. Paul, fervently aspiring to live it every day ¾
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice”.
Here you will find more inspiration
Here you can buy The Soul of Psychosynthesis, By Kenneth Sørensen
Read the intro article about Integral Meditation
Read the intro article about Psychosynthesis
Read the intro article about The Seven Types
Hi!
I was wondering how much was Assagioli influenced by Advaita Vedanta?
Good question, he was very aware of Advaita Vedanta and acknowledged that his most prominent disidentification technique was based on Vipassana and the Neti Neti approach.
Sorry, only seeing this now. Many thanks. I see huge similarities here and between psychosynthesis which I studied in Dublin at Eckhart House, the school of philosophy – with its emphasis on Advaita and my present work in Logotherapy (I’m the founder of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Ireland). Very exciting parallels.
Sorry, only seeing this now. Many thanks. I see huge similarities here and between psychosynthesis which I studied in Dublin at Eckhart House, the school of philosophy – with its emphasis on Advaita and my present work in Logotherapy (I’m the founder of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Ireland). Very exciting parallels. Such a shame there is now no psychosynthesis in Ireland.
Yes I am sure, there must be many parallels. Here is a couple of quotes from Assagioli about Frankl:
Investigation of the Superconscious
The basic premise or hypothesis is that there exists – in addition to those parts of the unconscious which we have called the lower and middle unconscious, including the collective unconscious -another vast realm of our inner being which has been for the most part neglected by the science of psychology, although its nature and its hu man value are of a superior quality. The reason for such curious neglect would in itself constitute an interesting piece of psychoanalysis and would shed much light on the psychology of psychologists. This higher realm has been known throughout the ages and, in the last decades, so me daring investigators have started to study it in a scientific way, thus laying the foundations for what Frankl aptly calls the “height psychology” (Frankl : Der unbewusste Cott, Amandus, Wien, 1949) . (Assagioli in his book Psychosynthesis)
“Another form of persistence is that of endurance. It is outstandingly demonstrated
in the endurance of physical hardships, in sport in general, especially in mountainclimbing,
and recently was admirably apparent in the astronauts. It is a saving quality when one finds oneself in protracted painful and unavoidable conditions.
One outstanding example of endurance is that of Viktor Frankl’s willed survival of Nazi concentration camps, vividly described in his book From Death Camp to Existentialism. Such heroic cases can help us overcome any tendency toward grumbling, selfpity, and giving up when faced with much much lesser physical hardships or adverse conditions.
(Assagioli in The Act of Will)
Maslow has clearly described the “hierarchy of needs” in Motivation and Personality. He speaks first of the basic psychological needs; then of the personal needs such as belonging and love, esteem, and selfactualization; and also of a third group: Transpersonal or Metaneeds, Achieving the satisfaction of the first two groups of needs often engenders, paradoxically, a sense of boredom, ennui, emptiness, and meaninglessness. It leads to a more or less blind search for “something other,” something more. This is seen in many who, having had great satisfactions and successes in the ordinary world, become increasingly restless,
rebellious, or depressed. Viktor Frankl has dealt extensively with this condition, which he has aptly termed “the existential vacuum”: Ever more patients complain of what they call an “inner void,” and that is the reason why I have termed this “existential vacuum.”
In contradistinction of the peakexperience so aptly described by Maslow, one could conceive of the existential vacuum in throes of an “abyss experience.”
But this condition need not necessarily be considered pathological. Frankl goes so far as to say, “The existential vacuum is no neurosis; or, if it is a neurosis at all, it is a sociogenic neurosis, or even a iatrogenic neurosis—that is to say, a neurosis which is caused by the doctor who pretends to cure it.” (Assagioli in the Act of Will)
Tolstoi’s Statement is significant because it shows the fundamental importance of the need for understanding the meaning of life. Frankl in his book Man’s Search for Meaning gives ample testimony of this. While a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, he noticed that those who saw meaning in life, or who gave it meaning, demonstrated a surprising degree of strength and resistance. Finding this meaning proved to be of decisive survival value, as many of those who lacked such incentive gave up and died. (Assagioli, in The Act of Will)
“In recent years two developments have opened the way for dealing with the subject of the will in a more understanding and fruitful manner. One has been the rapid growth of the existential, humanistic, and transpersonal psychologies. The other is the emergence of a broader and at the same time more refined conception of the scientific method. This new conception has been brought to light through the ideas of general semantics, and, more directly, through the openminded and original analysis of the scientific method by A. H. Maslow.
In this context, Frankl’s concept and practice of logotherapy deserves mention and appreciation. He emphasized the “will to meaning” as a fundamental urge and
need. (Assagioli in The Act of Will)
The Viennese neurologist Viktor Frankl openly acknowledges the existence of superconscious experiences. The psychiatrist Urban of Innsbruck speaks of ‘higher psychology’ . (Assagioli in Transpersonal Development)
One of the ways to eliminate or prevent the vicious circles that these glamours are apt to create is that of catharsis, that is, expression, throwing out the emotional charge attached to the glamour. Another is the acceptance, the temporary acceptance, of the possibility we fear. Let us take, for instance, fear of failure; if we face the possibility of a failure we see that it will not be a catastrophe, that we can survive it, can learn from it, and next time may suceed.
This can be brought to the point of what Frankl calls “paradoxical intention”, that is, arriving at the point of desiring the very thing that we fear. He applies it as a therapeutic technique with success, particularly in insomnia.
therapeutic technique with success, particularly in insomnia.
People who have difficulty in getting to sleep or who wake too early often become too much concerned with it and fearful about it, and that of course fixes the trouble. Then, Frankl suggests, instead of worrying about it, we should welcome it and say “Oh well, I am glad I can’t sleep; I shall be able to read and make good use of the time”. Then one falls to sleep! It is the fear of it that enhances insomnia, and so by reading and forgetting it we get to sleep.
(Assagioli in Meditation for the New Age)
Victor Frankl wrote of the profound importance to the individual of this recognition in his book “From Prison Camp to Existentialism”, where he cites some of his own experiences in the last war. Those in the prison camps who had some deep faith or conviction and who acknowledged a purpose underlying life had far greater ability to survive than those who had no such beliefs, who were among the first to die. (Assagioli in Meditation for the New Age)
“A number of researchers—therapists and educators, most of them American—have produced a series of books and articles reflecting their humanistic orientation. Some of them have aligned themselves with existential psychology to the extent of speaking of a humanistic-existential psychology. Prominently associated with the emergence of this movement are Rollo May, Erich Fromm, Carl Rogers, and Gordon Allport. This movement has had its adherents also in Europe, and Adrian Van Kaan has presented a broad, if incomplete, survey of it in his paper, “The Third Force in European Psychology” published by the Psychosynthesis Research Foundation of New York in 1960. Its major representative in Europe is Viktor Frankl, whose book, The Doctor and His Soul, is a document of the highest humanistic value.” (Assagioli in The New Dimensions of Psychology: The Third, Fourth and Fifth Forces, By Roberto Assagioli, M.D.)
The most widespread reactions were, and still are, rebellion, denial, mental suffering and even despair. Existential attitudes and convictions of a negative kind (there are others with a positive slant) have led to life being labelled absurd, to the denial of every higher, transcendent reality, to a position of protest and challenge which, however, is felt at the same time to be useless and impotent. This has been termed existential frustration and accurately described by Viktor Frankl. Now Director of the Neurological Clinic of the University of Vienna, he underwent an exceptional testing experience in a concentration camp which lasted many months and was accompanied by acute suffering and continual threats of death. These conditions provided the background of a spiritual awakening which transformed his life and now forms the basis of his thinking and psychotherapeutic approach. In his book, Theorie und Therapie der Neurosen which I strongly recommend to doctors, he writes:
“Besides inferiority feelings, psychic illness can be induced in man also by the feeling of absurdity, i.e., by frustration aroused by his need to give life a meaning. In such cases, in which a person sees failure of his aspiration to give his existence sufficient meaning to make it worth pursuing, we speak of existential frustration…”If we seek to get to the bottom of this question and determine the pathogenic basis of these disturbances, we are continually made aware that it resides principally in this fact. What we term the ‘will to meaning’, in contrast both to the ‘will to pleasure’ (i.e., the pleasure principle in a psychoanalytic sense) and the ‘will to power’ (i.e., ‘self- assertion’ in the Adlerian sense) remains ungratified and frustrated”(Frankl, Theorie und Therapie der Neurosen, Ernst Reinhardt, Munich, 1956).
One of the ways in which this crisis manifests itself is the sense of oppression engendered by the immensity of the cosmos and the enormous time cycles revealed by astronomy. This is evident in some people’s reaction to the “cosmic test”. It consists in showing pictures of the universe increasingly enlarged in scale until the earth is seen to disappear in the immensities of space. Here is how Frankl speaks of this kind of anxiety;
“I remember a case in which the patient’s anxiety turned out to be of an existential character. ‘The infinite’, she confessed, ‘oppresses me. It bewilders me, I feel insubstantial to the point of dissolution.’ Here let us add an observation of Scheler: ‘The infinite emptiness of space and time is the void man experiences in his heart’. Inasmuch as this anxiety is in the last analysis, about nothing, ‘the infinite emptiness of space’ here assumes the place of nothing. But this macrocosmic void appears to be simply the projection of an inner emptiness, an existential emptying, that is, a microcosmic emptiness. It resembles the reflection of the insubstantiality of our Dasein (being).” (Assagioli in The Resolution of Conflicts & Spiritual Conflicts and Crises)
Thank you very much for those extensive quotes, some of which I knew from Assagioli’s works. To correct two points: Frankl was actually a prisoner for over three years rather than ‘a couple of months’ and the will to Meaning is more of a draw than a drive or a ‘need’. I see both Frankl and Assagioli as parallels thinkers. There seems to me to be huge points of equivalencies between them, some of which I’ve written on. I’m hoping to draw more explicitly on Assagioli in Logotherapy circles as I think his egg diagram and theorizing around the superconscious and transpersonal Self could combine with Frankl’s tri-dimensional ontology in very philosophically and therapeutically creative ways.
Sounds awesome, logotherapy was the first transpersonal psychology I encountered in the early nineties, at a conference in Copenhagen, where it was presented. 3 years of imprisonment, incredible that he was able to survive that.
Yes. That’s ironic because psychosynthesis was the first therapy I encountered! What brought you into psychosynthesis rather than Logotherapy?
I had begun my training in Eckhart House in Dublin but stalled then for a couple of years to finish my PhD but then unfortunately the director died and the institute went under. I then trained as a psychoanalyst before ending up in Logotherapy & Existential Analysis. But would love now to perhaps attend some psychosynthesis courses because I really believe that the combination of both therapies is a powerful agent for change and spiritual development.
I was involved in the Theosophical/Bailey society in the nineties and was made aware of Assagioli’s connection to this movement, so it was a natural choice to pursue Psychosynthesis. I guess you have to go to London then and join some of the excellent workshops there. I graduated from The Trust, but there is also some online courses in Psychosynthesis
Very interesting. Many thanks. Will definitely look into that Esp the online possibility as with my own work and patients and institute and weekend seminars it’s nearly impossible for me to go to London as much as I’d like to.
Hi Kenneth, after a recent hospitalization for diverticulitis and intestinal perforation I’ve become very interested in energy psychology and recalled that this is an interest of yours. So wondering how you rate ‘emotional freedom techniques’ and EMDR?
Hi Kenneth, how are you? Read your book and loved it on the 7 core principles of psychosynthesis. I did the same for logotherapy! I’m writing an article on Logotherapy and psychosynthesis. I approached the Trust but they’re not sure what to do with me aka my qualifications and experience as a therapist. So maybe some mentoring programme or shorter online conversion course for therapists to get more fully involved in psychosynthesis…I see Will Parfitt has some such one. Hope you’re keeping well despite the times in which we live.
Hi Stephen
Write to me via ks?kennethsorensen.dk and let us talk about it there, your background is quite extensive, so I am not sure what could be of interest to you – perhaps we should Zoom.
best, Kenneth