Assagioli argues for the importance of spiritual psychology, which affirms the inner spiritual centre. He also encourages us to create inner silence, so the voice of the Spirit can be heard.
By Roberto Assagioli (1932). Translated from Italian by Gordon Symons; original title: Per Conoscere l’animo Umano; (Archivio Assagioli – Florence)
In our time, the desire to reach a deeper knowledge of the human soul feels more alive and demanding.
Men are seeking the way and the goal within themselves, but being uncertain still and restless, they ask for a guide. This should be psychology, but unfortunately, this science has so far not been adequate for this task, as it completely ignores the unconscious. Not even modern psychology, by remaining too materialistic, has met the requirements that are required for this high purpose – and even in its broadest developments it is only just beginning to glimpse the heights of the unconscious.
The typical school of behaviorism, created in America by Watson, considers our psyche to be a machine, and we wonder how this psychology was invented and accepted.
Other schools are also very superficial. For example, suffice it to observe the book “The Meaning of Psychology” by the Englishman, Ogden – the editor of the newspaper Psyche – to have proof of this assertion. In his book he deals with Behaviorism, animal psychology, the abnormal, facial symmetry, versatility and genius, individual psychology and races, the need for conscious domination. But it is interesting to observe the importance given to each of these subjects, to see how superficially some of them – and the most vital of them – are treated. Furthermore, the following topics are not even mentioned: religious psychology, meditation and enlightenment.
This which occurs in general psychology is also reflected in individual psychology.
Until quite recently, a subdivision of human beings called the theory of temperaments was accepted, which was based on the existence in our body of the so-called Galenic fluids: 1) blood 2) phlegm 3) bile 4) pituita, which gave rise to the distinction of four corresponding different temperaments: 1) blood 2) phlegmatic 3) bilious 4) melancholic, according to the prevalence in each individual of one of the aforementioned fluids. Needless to say, this theory is insufficient; yet the systems of Dorsch, Wound, Heine, Kant, etc. are all roughly based on this theory.
Other more modern systems are also very insufficient.
The endocrinologist Pende distinguishes three types: the morphological, the affective and the strong-willed. As important and interesting as his theory is, even though the author is essentially a medical man, the anatomical and physiological, rather than the spiritual side prevails in his system.
Investigations of individual psychology have also been made, which, as it studies the various functions of individual subjects, has been called differential psychology. The results obtained are very useful, however, it is too analytical and fragmented and it does not reveal the secret of the human psyche, because the studies have been done mostly on children.
A new system is based on the study of individual personalities, illustrated in psychograms. This represents significant progress, but is still too descriptive and external, and it also lacks synthesis.
Another way is that of the psychoanalytic method followed by Freud, Jung, Adler, etc., in which there is much more depth, and by means of which we have come to the discovery of the dynamics of emotional life. And it is in this that we find the positive contribution.
In Jung’s system we find a wide analysis of introverted and extroverted types. Adler’s psychology has given very acceptable results, relying in his individual studies on the theory […] of the latent powers present in each of us, thus combating the tendency that many individuals have, of feeling inferior to others, a sense of inferiority that has a great and very harmful influence on the life of the individuals who are pervaded by it.
These contributions are important and deserve to be taken into consideration, but they are still insufficient, since even in this system the spiritual center is ignored.
Man is not a very intelligent beast, he is essentially a spiritual center. And whoever does not admit this spiritual “I”, cannot understand the true nature of psychic facts. This mysterious consciousness, this spiritual center does not yet rule our life, but sometimes manages to make its voice heard.
A spiritual psychology is therefore needed. The materials for such a psychology exist, it is necessary to unite them and to make them into a constructive synthesis. To contribute to the formation of spiritual psychology, it will be very useful to follow an individual psychology course, based on these spiritual assumptions, which will be of great help in forming a spiritual consciousness, and help us understand our fellow men.
A very general subdivision of the psychological types is that of the impulsive and the inhibited. The impulses do not act effectively on their inhibiting power. The inhibited are instead self-critical, self-doubting, they never decide to act out of a lack of self-confidence, and as the Poet says: they swallow up their business through thinking.”. In them is needed an education in impulsiveness.
We need to study ourselves to know to which of these two categories we belong. So far, it is perhaps not difficult to succeed, but there are much more subtle distinctions that are not easy to perceive. Individual psychology aims to eliminate two big mistakes, and to let us know the two big tasks that each of us must accomplish in life:
- To fulfill our vocation.
- To develop our deficient parts and correct our defects, to succeed in forming the beautiful statue of the soul, in its harmonious perfection.
It is not uncommon for us not to recognize what our vocation is, and this occurs especially in passive types; no less difficult is it to recognize our shortcomings.
But with a sincere and deep desire, we will be able to carry out our task, aided by the choice of a good method.
Such a spiritual psychology will be of great use in the educational field. We must keep as a firm theme of every educational method the clear concept that in every child there is a spiritual center, and that we must do nothing other but support it in its development. Experience has shown us that any violence-based educational method does not lead to any effective results.
Our educational task consists only in curbing excesses and promoting harmonizing reactions.
The usefulness of spiritual psychology in psychotherapy is also evident, especially knowing how to adopt the methods best suited to the various psychological types.
Psychological exercises are truly and profoundly useful. First of all, they serve to give us an ever greater dominion over our mind, and also increase our practical efficiency in any field of activity.
But their greatest usefulness lies in their spiritual value. In fact, they favor our disidentification from the facts of ordinary life. Generally our “I” experiences our thoughts, our imaginations and reveries; the situation must be radically reversed: our “I” must prevail and finally become the master and not remain the slave.
To achieve this, it is a question of clearing the way, of sweeping away all obstacles, of creating inner silence, so that the voice of the Spirit can be heard.
Then we will feel in ourselves the existence of something dominant and divinely great. Everyone will be able to try it, to experience it, to live it.
To achieve such a result, gradual practice is needed: it takes patience and perseverance, and starting with elementary exercises. The first exercise is to visualize an image: try to evoke it as vividly as possible, and hold it without it being overwhelmed or replaced by others. For example, a black square on a white background, or a blue circle on a white background, etc.
(Editor: The original article stops here)
Leave a Reply