|
What is the Self?
The Work of Hal and Sidra Stone
- Voice Dialogue
by
Bob Ledgewidge
In modern parlance the Self is nearly always considered
to be a unitary function. It is one, it is the "me"
and, in terms of Descartes, "I think therefore I am".
The problem with this model is that it does not seem to
be backed up by fact. For thousands of years religious,
philosophy and esoteric traditions suggested we were "many"
rather than one. For the ancient Gnostics we are a compendium
of many selves (Archons?) arguing against each other and
battling it out for supremacy. This model is also clearly
found in the Christian tradition with its demons and devils.
So often these supposed "external forces" end
up sounding like facts of the spiritual practitioner, rather
than as cosmological entities. For the Hindu there were
also many levels of self and a true complete self could
only be found by integrating the disjointed facets. In more
modern times Gurdjieff suggested the same as did many other
esoteric teachers such as Blavatsky, Steiner and so forth.
While they spoke of the "The Self",in acknowledging
various levels of consciousness they also accepted thatthis
Self manifested in the individual as a multiplicity not
a singularity.
When we enter the realm of psychology the picture is much
the same, whether we discuss the complexes of Freud and
Jung, sub personalities or even Enneagrams, man is many,
not one. While some many have seen these personalities in
a more negative light (Freud with his unconscious cesspool),
other say that they had great potential (Jung and his Archetypes).
The existence of many selves makes life difficult. If we
do not realize that there are many, many aspects of "our-self",
then we do not appreciate why we change so often in everyday
experience. Why can we be so loving and yet so cruel, so
wise and yet so ignorant, so caring and yet so distant?
Only by appreciating that we have developing a range of
personalities which all manifest at some time or other,
can we appreciate the truth of our unconscious experience.
While Jungian psychology, Transactional Analysis and other
forms of inner exploration explored these realms, it was
only in the work of Hal and Sidra Stone that a concrete
psychological practice was developed.
The Stones found that we consist of many autonomous and
semi autonomous sub personalities and that these express
themselves as voices within our minds. So of these personalities
are primary, that is, we consider them as "ourselves".
These personalities are dominant and control our perceptions.
At the same time there are many disowned personalities which
exist suppressed within the psyche. Our minds are then a
continuum of many personalities, both primary and disowned
with a controller (which is the most dominant personality)
and the potential for detached awareness.
This detached awareness or the witness consciousness is
of prime importance. It has much in common with the "Self'
discussed in most mystical literature. It occurs when I
come to experience the totality that is me and realize that
the many sub personalities are parts of me but not the whole
me. When this occurs I can watch the personalities and realize
their roles and functions and hence use them better. I can
modify them, integrate them and or make whatever changes
are necessary. There are many sub personalities which may
have lived past their function and hence need to be transformed.
Whether it be the critic, pusher, rebel or child, all exist
inside of us and must be acknowledged. They are all part
of me, they are all "me" but I can also exist
beyond them and hence control, modify and influence their
manifestations (much like I control various parts of my
body).
In Partnership (the latest book by Hal and Sidra Stone)
voice dialogue is taken a step further and they consider
how relationships are effected by the existence of multiple
selves. In some ways we are all like the "Brady Brunch",
big families of "selves" trying to relate to other
big families of "selves". Relationships are hence
far more complex that we realize as we relate to each other
through our sub personalities and can form "bondings"
which are between personalities rather than between our
total selves. These can be positive or negative and must
be explored in some depth.
Voice Dialogue, the system for exploring this new approach
is an exciting way to coming to understand ourselves. It
is remarkably simple and is based on thesimple fact that
sub personalities exist as voices within the mind and hence
can communicate if allowed to. This simple realization has
opened a way to a very new form of therapy and indeed, a
new form of inner exploration.
One of the best ways to understand the process is to watch
it occur and there are some great videos you can watch.
The Total Self by Hal Stone (An InnerWork Videotape from
Thinking Allowed http://www.thinkingallowed.com) is a superb
example. It offers a good 30 minute introduction to what
Voice Dialogue is and then offers a 60 minute demonstration.
The demonstration is quite moving and thought provoking,
especially when we see the presenter, Dr.Jeffrey Mishlove,
move through various personalities with related changes
in posture, characteristics and communication.
For further study is a superb series (which we will be reviewing
in detail soon!) called The Voice Dialogue Series. It includes
some 12 videos and 8 audio tapes and offers a comprehensive
guide to Voice Dialogue. It is professional produced and
is an Australian product so especially worth your attention.
It includes consideration of a wide range of sub personalities
such as rulemaker, rebel, pleaser, pusher, victim, spacer
and many others. It also includes some great training on
the use of illness, dreams, myths and archetypes. It is
produced by Wiseone Entertainment who can be contacted at
PO Box 340, Blackhealth, NSW 2785, Australia (jcoroneos@bigpond.com). |
|
|
|
