healing with breath and sound

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Noel Bell

This past weekend I attended the healing with breath and sound three day experiential workshop, a mandatory requirement for my postgraduate diploma in counselling and psychotherapy at the CCPE. This seminar explored the use of breath and sound in order to try and restore harmony in our bodies and our psyches.

The weekend covered rhythms of breath, balancing the breath, breathing and concentration and fundamental sounds. You do not need to be a student at the CCPE in order to attend a weekend course like this. If you wanted to attend you could come as a member of the public and sit with diploma students.

Everything in life is vibration. We are like notes in a symphony. We often say “that one is highly strung” or “that one is in tune with …”. Some in counselling and psychotherapy training don’t believe that bodywork is a worthy area of exploration either for their own personal and professional development or as a legitimate field of investigation between therapist and client. Ordinarily, I would be content to chat and debate psychotherapeutic theory all weekend, rather than explore and examine what my own body is trying to convey through sound. This reluctance on my part can often manifest as an intellectual defence against felt sense counter transference. My ongoing challenge is to embrace that territory that is beyond the rational. To not embrace the territory would mean doing what I always do, sticking to old ideas and remaining in my own comfort zone. Perhaps one way of being free is to break out of the comfort zone by taking chances, turning right instead of left, sitting in a different chair in the lecture theatre, mixing with different people, finding my voice when I need to or staying quiet when there is a need to contain.

remember that touch can evoke issues of intimacy

Good therapeutic bonding is a requirement for this kind of work and is not appropriate for clients with insufficient ego strength, who are psychotic, or who suffer from heart conditions, epilepsy , strokes or who are pregnant. You don’t have to use touch with this work. You can allow the client to indicate areas of stress in their body with their own hands. However, if you are planning to use your own hands, remember that touch can evoke issues of intimacy so it is advisable to proceed with great caution. Always seek permission first if you are intending to use touch with a client.

The key to this work would appear to be non analytical, rather we allow the body to reveal itself through sound.

the perennial philosophy recognises four levels or dimensions

Transpersonal Integrative Psychotherapy views the human psyche as having a central core Self or Soul as the centre of identity in addition to a personal ego. Psychological structures emerge from a spiritual source. There is a multi-layered view of consciousness that ranges from the wild, to the subtle and very subtle states. Huston Smith stated that at the simplest level, the perennial philosophy recognises four levels or dimensions: Body, Mind, Soul and Spirit. Like in Existential Psychotherapy, a transpersonal therapist may seek to address lack of meaning in life directly with clients, and accompany their client on their journey to finding meaning in their lives.

Where transpersonal psychotherapy is different to Existential Psychotherapy is in the set of assumptions about the soul journey. The transpersonal paradigm is that we are all connected and the way of working with visualisations can involve mirroring the soul or essence of the client.

The transpersonal journey is heartfelt and thereby transcends rational thought and embraces many creative tools and techniques such as creative imagination, meditation, visualisations and bodywork. Many different models and maps of consciousness have been created from ancient times to the present day. These include the Vedantic and Yoga systems of Patanjali, Buddhist, Kabalah and Sufi. More recently, Maslow, Assagioli and Wilber have produced systems for differentiating levels of consciousness. (Wilber, 1996.).

flicking through someone’s personal record collection is like seeing a reflection of their soul.

The voice can be an instrument of profound healing. The Sufi tradition says to discover the breath is to discover God. When I hear soul music I am touched by the intimacy and warmth of the sound. Flicking through someone’s personal record collection is like seeing a reflection of their soul. Being witness to a client narrative is similar. Can greater intimacy in the one to one relationship be created by sound? I would contend that to let go and go deeper is surely to be embraced. As a therapist, I need to practice meditation and breathing to ensure that I am not at risk of overload in my psychic capacity. This is of more importance in-between seeing clients. Have I recharged in the gap between each client? Alternate nostril breathing exercises are one way of seeking to remain fresh and revitalised.

somewhere to think, take stock or simply relax

It is interesting to see the developments with sound in the NHS. The legendary Brian Eno (pictured) has opened up an ambient sound room in the Montefiore Hospital in Hove, East Sussex. Eno uses technology to create music which is non-repetitive and ever changing. The project has been called ’77 Million Paintings For Montefiore’, and is designed to actively assist in patients recuperation. The “Quiet Room for Montefiore” is a room for patients, visitors and staff as a place to “escape” – somewhere to think, take stock or simply relax. ”77 Million Paintings for Montefiore” is an installation of light and generative music in the reception area of the hospital. See here for an interview with Brian Eno about the project. What I really like about his project is the exploration of the viewer/listener having a different and unique experience to the artist. This is not a defined finished product like a record we can purchase in the shop which can be a controlled experience.

So often we have little control over the sounds we are exposed to in the course of our day. Focusing on passing sounds and bringing awareness to breathing to these sounds can be transformative. Sounds as a stress reliever is an exciting concept to me.

crystalline structures will be well formed from soothing classical music and malformed if exposed to aggressive heavy metal music

Masaru Emoto is a Japanese author, best known for his claims that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water. Emoto undertook many experiments with water crystals. This involved exposing water contained in glasses to different words, pictures, or music. He would then freeze and examine the aesthetics of the resulting crystals using microscopic photography.

Emoto has claimed, through his research experiments, that varying water sources produce different crystalline structures when frozen such that water sample from a mountain stream would purportedly show a geometric design that is beautifully shaped when frozen. On the contary, Emoto claims that polluted water sources will be distorted and will be randomly formed. Similarly, crystalline structures will be well formed from soothing classical music and malformed if exposed to aggressive heavy metal music.

the one to one relationship in counselling and psychotherapy is the single most important component for the success of the therapy

There is a lot of research that suggests that the one to one relationship in counselling and psychotherapy is the single most important component for the success of the therapy – irrespective of the theoretical approach and orientation of the therapist. Paul Byers (1920 – 2001) trained as a cryptanalyst in Washington DC, and Melbourne and was relevant to the weekend after his work on the syncronisation of heartbeat between psychiatrist and patient. With Margaret Mead (1901 – 1978), he developed techniques using still photography to record human behaviour. Byers helped develop Mead’s interest in conference (or many-to-many) communications. The result of their collaboration was a book ”The Small Conference: An Innovation in Communication” (Mouton, Paris and The Hague).

Byers went on to work on photographic sequences that became the visual basis for a classic analysis of many-to-many communication. The resulting sequences illustrated the inattention, restlessness or eagerness of participants as observed by the speaker and others participating in the recorded conferences. He taught at Columbia’s Teachers College and supervised the dissertations of more than 100 other candidates.

modern medicine after all uses ultrasound as a diagnostic tool

Did you know that our bodies are 70% water? The effect of sound vibrations can, therefore, be huge. Modern medicine, after all, uses ultrasound as a diagnostic tool. Entrainment refers to the synchronization of organisms to an external rhythm, usually produced by other organisms with whom they interact socially such as human music and dance such as foot tapping. Four simple periodic rhythms recorded in the brainwave measurement in an EEG are alpha, beta, delta, and theta. It is said that sound harmonics and chanting helps us enter alpha state and even theta state. So, perhaps it is an idea to join the Hare Krishnas when you see them on the streets celebrating Rathayatra, or the Chariot Festival.

Noel Bell interviews Nigel Hamilton, director of the CCPE

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Noel Bell

I recently chatted with Nigel Hamilton, director of the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (or CCPE) about the Dream Research Institute (or DRI).

Launched in September 2012, the DRI promotes research into the connection between dreams and well being from a spiritual perspective. The Dream Research Institute supports and archives a synergy of research to advance our understanding of dreams. Click here to see the current research topics. Mary Zeimer is the manager and research officer of DRI and you can contact her by email on driinfo@ccpe.org.uk

Since its establishment in 1984, CCPE have grown to be the largest training centre for transpersonal psychotherapy in the UK. The centre occupies a five storey Regency building located on the banks of the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Out and about in Ireland

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Noel Bell

I have just returned from a trip to Dublin and it was good to see the Yeats exhibition in the National Library of Ireland. You can see an online version of the exhibition here. It was interesting to note the influence of alchemy on Yeats through the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a magical order and incorporated traditional European cabalistic magic and astrology.

I also enjoyed a day trip to Carlingford Lough (pictured opposite) which divides the border between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the only international land border for each country. I visited the pretty village of Carlingford (pictured above) in County Louth and met Adrienne M Finnerty at the Carlingford Craft co-op shop.

You know a place has something going for it when you notice a Four Seasons Hotel. Incidentally if you are a cash buyer and looking to invest in property you could do no worse than look at this area especially with the planned bridge linking the Republic and the North over Carlingford Lough. The Narrow Water bridge will link counties Down and Louth across Carlingford Lough.

Ireland is still on its knees economically but it is good to see the spirit of the people alive and kicking. I am always intrigued how individuals respond to serious cracks in the national psyche such as the effects of the recent Irish banking crisis that has witnessed a major housing price correction and helped produce much higher levels of unemployment.

However, the people appear to be resilient in spite of the housing market continuing to worsen and real wages continuing to drop in value.

I found an interesting bookshop in Dublin (pictured opposite) selling transpersonal psychotherapy books whilst out strolling one morning. Dervish bookshop is based in Aungier Street in Dublin and is well worth a stop if visiting the Fair City.

I also found a cool place for breakfast at Fallon & Byrne, 11- 17 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Whilst in the area a visit should be made to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin. The parish church of Saint Patrick on this site was granted collegiate status in 1191, and raised to cathedral status in 1224.You will pass by the Garda station on Kevin Street en route. The Cathedral is today the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland (a church of the Anglican communion).

Resources

Fintan O’Toole interview on Irish economic crisis
Yeats exhibition online
Affordable counselling Dublin

Setting goals: Identify with your saboteur in psychotherapy

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Noel Bell

This past weekend we had a two day experiential workshop on the psychology of accomplishment, a mandatory part of the diploma course. However, you do not need to be a student at the CCPE in order to attend a weekend course like this. If you wanted to attend you could come as a member of the public and sit with diploma students.

The power of the weekend was to identify the role of my inner critic, the little voice that says ‘give up now’ and to strive to continue to manifest the qualities to continue to boost my confidence, belief and esteem.

I had previously attended a life coaching course in London which was run by the Coaching Academy. That particular course had incorporated a lot of NLP tools and techniques such as the timeline exercise, the GROW model, the comfort zone exercise and the Wheel of Life exercise. I was, therefore, intrigued whether there would be much overlap with the transpersonal psychotherapy view of goal setting.

The weekend comprised of the following:

The art of choosing a goal.
What stops us from choosing right goal and why we fail to achieve the goal.
The role of concentration, meditation and dreams in achieving our goal.
Planning, motivation, sacrifice and completion.
The role of perseverance and how to develop it.

The Elements Model in its current form is unique to the CCPE‘s transpersonal approach to understanding personality as ‘an individual’s unique expression of the divine’; its focus is unfolding qualities (Gruber, 2007). The aim of the Elements Model is to bring balance and harmony between the elements. As a result, a lot of the work in therapy is to assess where your potential is in relation to the elements.

Accomplishment has three paths:

1) The path of the Master: This is the striving for expertise and reward. The master will employ a force of will to make things happen.

2) The path of the Saint: This can manifest as a commitment to a cause such as to an environmental cause such as Greenpeace. There is an inner discipline and self sacrifice.

3) The path of the Prophet: One can have power but also have humility to not abuse the power.

Earth qualities

Earth qualities can involve conserving, guarding, control, patience, perseverance and thoroughness. For instance, do you have the patience to see a goal through to the end and persevere? Do you tend to cut corners and often fail to have the thoroughness to maintain energy levels? Can you protect your idea or goal from other people’s negativity?

Water qualities

Water qualities involve the ability to sacrifice, engage with creativity and emotion (love). These qualities are crucial in seeing your goal through.

Fire qualities

Fire qualities include having hope, faith, courage, independence, power, self-confidence and dedication. These qualities help develop your initial idea and bring it into reality. You need to engage your fire in order to win others over and to make things happen.

Air qualities

Air qualities include the ability to discriminate and concentrate as well as having the wisdom, clarity and intuition to both set and achieve goals.What are my strengths and weaknesses? Richard Branson is apparently very good at knowing what he does not do well. He will delegate those things and stick to what he knows best.

we might all have these qualities but they are

often hidden

In transpersonal psychotherapy there is a process of transformation through manifesting qualities. We might all have these qualities but they are invariably hidden, latent or undiscovered. A transpersonal psychotherapist will use integrative tools and techniques and borrow from the Psychodynamic, Humanist and Existential schools in dealing with our psychological wounds and in uncovering potential.

Real power is a balance between your powerful energy and intelligence. Setting a goal was similar to the SMART principles of the GROW model in that your goals need to be achievable, measurable and realistic.

there are not many shoulds in psychotherapy

but here is one here

There are not many shoulds in psychotherapy but our hand-out referred to once you having started upon the path to your goal, you must attain it. The hand-out also stated that we should not change goals until they are finished, otherwise it would represent an incomplete Gestalt. Leaving a goal unfinished is damaging to the psyche whereas accomplishing a goal gives you power and confidence.

The process of accomplishment is always more important than in actually achieving the goal. Our nature influences our goals. Do you know yourself? Our accomplishments are largely a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. We are far more capable than we imagine. The goal is psychotherapy, after all, is to accomplish mastery, to become the person we can really be.

to know our old negative life scripts is to free up choices and give us freedom

Where do we trip ourselves up? Where is the limiting belief? Have we located our saboteur? To know our old negative life scripts is to free up choices in the present and give us freedom. Our old psychological wounds need healing, just like scar tissue needs healing.

I got in touch with my saboteur through meditation and reflection in my workshop and I was given the above image (which I drew badly). The remedy for recovery is consciousness. The word recovery comes from the old latin word recupaire, meaning to recuperate and to regain consciousness

The tools and techniques on the planning and the execution of the goal were akin to the guidelines as set out in any coaching text book and echoed the thoughts of any personal development coach such as Brian Tracy or Tony Robins. Examples would be the need for proper planning, action, self discipline, time management, self discrimination and self confidence. There were also elements of NLP in imagining and dealing with limiting beliefs.

Where the material differed was in the spiritual aspect of goal setting and in where goals can find us, rather than in us setting the goals. What is our divine journey? Where have we set goals that differed from our life scripts? What makes someone like a highly paid banker decide to quit and work instead with kids, for a fraction of their old salary? Or make a sibling choose a different career from the career which the family have chosen for centuries? These examples might be evidence of people getting in touch with their essence.

I managed to make an achievable realistic goal to be met by November 2013. So, I am off to start the process …….

See here for a list of future events. Attending a course like this would offer the opportunity to explore whether the CCPE could be the place for you to study, or merely an opportunity for you to work on something purely from a personal development point of view.

Resources

Feel the Fear and do it anyway
Brain Tracy talks about keys to success
The Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always get what you want

Where do our inherited qualities come from?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Noel Bell

Who are we? Where do get our good and bad qualities from? We can often be asked these types of questions in one form or another from prospective employers or from prospective partners. But we often don’t ask ourselves where we have inherited these qualities from.

We can inherit qualities from a number of sources.

Genetic qualities

These can be the realm of biology and the scientist where presenting issues are explained by a history of generational anxieties. The dependents of Holocaust survivors might be an example whereby clients carry generational anxieties to do with death and captivity.

Scientists will see addictions from a generational perspective.

Nurture qualities

This is the realm of therapy whereby clients are encouraged to look back into their early life to ascertain early scripts that get evoked. For instance, we get all sorts of messages from family and early school and we might learn to adapt to cope with these messages.

According to Eric Berne who developed transactional analysis (TA) we acquire a script by age 7. A script is an unconscious life plan based on the power of parental information. There are three types of scripts:

A. Winning scripts: these are positive
B. Losing scripts: these do not serve the person well.
C. Non winning: Not playing to win or to lose.

We, therefore, develop qualities that are to do with nurture. Often it is quite obvious when people have had good parenting. They can be self accepting and are resilient.

Jonathan Bowlby used the term “Internal Working Models” to describe how young children form mental representations within close relationships. Internal working models are based on the child’s sense of worthiness which is dependent upon other people’s availability and ability and willingness to provide care and protection.

Attachment behaviour is any behaviour designed to get children into a close, protective relationship with their attachment figures whenever they experience anxiety. The child’s instinctual attachment behaviour repertoire includes crying, clinging, sucking, following and smiling.

Addictions could be seen as a response to ambivalent attachment to primary care givers in early life.

Soul qualities

Transpersonal psychotherapists believe in the concept of the innocent soul and the work in therapy is to uncover the true qualities before the soul was impressed by the journey of incarnation. Qualities, it is argued, can be seen in the young baby when some are naturally very playful. The soul has its own journey and descends down through the planes of consciousness. This is in direct contradiction to the psychoanalytic school which views the neonate as having a blank canvass.

Transpersonal psychotherapists see soul as receptive by nature, it absorbs impressions, takes on impressions, consciousness starts to identify. The soul can shift and take on different shapes. Soul has a wonderful fluidity. It can be dynamic and ever changing. Our minds like to compartmentalise things in our everyday life. When we enter life, we require limitation, (parents, culture, race etc), but soul does not know limitation.

Of course, Adlerian analysts would counter that even young babies can be affected by the birth order and that the qualities can be attributable to these factors. For example, a second child might develop the qualities associated with the need to compete with the first sibling for the attention of the parents.

Addictions, from a transpersonal perspective, would be viewed as a loss of soul.

Angelic qualities

Qualities are deeply embedded. Some speak of divine qualities and that these qualities are evident in the first few months of life before they get overlaid with the challenges in life. But whatever our experiences in life, and they may be harsh, the soul remains innocent. Transpersonal psychotherapists will speak of the innocence before spoiling.

The Sufis say that we are all a hidden treasure longing to be known. So we created the Creation so that we may be known.

Transpersonal psychotherapy is not alone in encompassing spirituality into treatment. Other modalities allow for the spiritual in their therapeutic approach but transpersonal psychotherapy actively involves the spiritual element in the client work. We need, however, to work with all of these inherited qualities in order to be truly holistic and integrative in our approach. Therefore, we need analytic skills such working with the transference, dealing with resistance and understanding early childhood issues. We also need the empathy and authenticity of the humanist schools as well as the conflict model of TA. Embracing the existential school can also be useful in uncovering issues to do with mid-life crisis.

Transpersonal psychotherapy will go further and investigate the function of archetypes to help and transform our personality and character. The purpose of the spiritual archetypes, for Jung, is to reveal our true nature (soul) nature.

I believe that the real work in therapy is uncovering the story behind the story that the client is bringing. How can I facilitate another human being to manifest their real and positive qualities? I may have all sorts of theories in my head and techniques up my sleeve but these will be redundant if I am not truly conscious in the therapeutic relationship. However, when and indeed how I intervene is what makes psychotherapy an art form.

The Benefits of Exercising When You are Away by Mike Manning

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Noel Bell

Anyone who has left the comfort of his or her home has dealt with the stress that comes with travelling. Whether a person is travelling by car, bus, train, or plane, he or she will eventually become frustrated with the many headaches that travelling brings with it. If a person is travelling by car, he or she will get frustrated with the price of gas. If he or she is travelling by plane, then the long airport lines and airport screening policies will cause an undue amount of stress. Therefore, it is extremely important that the individual takes steps to avoid having too much stress. If not, he or she will be prone to many health problems. In order to reduce the stress that comes with travelling, the individual should be sure to exercise each day that he or she is away.

Many people are not aware of the ways that they can exercise while they are away from home. If the trip is designed for pleasure, a brisk walk through a shopping mall will produce the same results as any other type of cardio exercise. However, if the trip is designed for business, the person may want to walk the few blocks to the conference centre. This will also produce the same results as any other type of cardio exercise. Not only should cardio exercises be done during this time, but strength-training exercises should also be completed. Strength training can be as simple as doing push-ups on the hotel floor to lifting weights in the hotel’s exercise rooms.

Most hotels will offer some type of exercise facilities for their guests, but it is still a good idea to know if this is true before arriving at the hotel. A simple online search of the hotel will allow a person to see its exercise rooms. On a recent trip to Maui I was able to book a hotel with a great fitness facility by checking through a travel review’s site for all of the Maui hotels and scrolling through to see all of the fitness amenities. After seeing the exercise rooms, the person can determine if the hotel will have a facility designed to give him or her a good workout. If the hotel does not have a proper exercise facility, it is best to make reservations at a hotel that does. Additionally, it is important to note what types of amenities are offered near the hotel. For example, some hotels may have walking trails nearby, and these could be a good substitution for a treadmill or elliptical.

Finally, airports are also good places to exercise (http://www.airportgyms.com/). If people find themselves waiting for hours at the airports, they may want to take advantage of any yoga rooms or walking trails that may be available. Both the San Francisco International Airport and the St. Paul-Minneapolis Airport offer exercise facilities for its passengers.

Read more of Manning’s musings

If you would like to be a guest blogger get in touch.

Magically Heal All Your Relationships

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Noel Bell

Interested in hearing about how to heal all your relationships?

A friend of mine is holding an evening on the subject. Author of Secrets of Puglia Ana Capone will be sharing her personal experience regarding each exercise on 27 April, 2013 at Park Crescent Conference Centre in London.

The evening will consist of her sharing her personal experience and transformational exercises.

1. Learn an easy way of releasing a negative thought pattern

2. Get the tool to consciously create better and more empowering relationships

3. Lear how you can help a sick person heal quicker

Ana Capone is a mum, Author, Mosaic charity Secondary school Mentor, member of Alternatives team, a founder and President of a non profit organisation “Friends Forward”. She was born in Serbia, she travelled a lot moving to different countries including England, Italy and USA. Ana also worked for a Global American NGO as Italy Country manager for many years. She will soon publish her second book about relationships, a result of 20 years of research and her personal experience.

Judy Pascoe chats about her novels and transpersonal psychotherapy

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Noel Bell

In this interview I chat to Judy Pascoe, novelist and psychotherapist. Judy was born and brought up in Australia. During the writing of her novel Our Father Who Art in the Tree she drew heavily on the power of the Australia landscape to infuse the story with place. Judy talks about how her novel was turned into a film called the Tree.

Judy trained to be a transpersonal psychotherapist at CCPE in London and explains in the interview her journey in transpersonal psychotherapy.

Listen to the interview here.

Alchemical Operations in Psychotherapy

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Noel Bell

This blog has charted my journey through a transpersonal (integrative) psychotherapy training course at CCPE in London. I am now in year three. So far this year we have had lectures on existential psychotherapy, Jungian Symbolism and the transpersonal theories of Michael Washburn and Ken Wilber. In the first year we had lectures on the planes of consciousness and alchemy but now the heat is being turned up on the amount of transpersonal material to cover and, in particular, alchemical operations and further expansion of the planes of consciousness.

Outlined below is material from two recent lectures on alchemical operations.

The alchemical process of transformation has been variously described, depending on who you read, as being anything from a six-stage process to a 75 stage process. However, for our lecturer Nigel Hamilton, it is possible to understand the alchemical process in terms of four basic stages, this being most useful when starting out as an “alchemical beginner” and in trying to relate it to the psychotherapeutic process.

The process can be basically described in four stages as nigredo, albedo, citrinitas and rubedo and can be useful as a map in guiding client material in psychotherapy. It is important to remember that there is never a perfect balance in alchemy. As soon as you resolve one tension of opposites there is another waiting in the wings.

The processes in alchemy include calcinatio (fire operation), solutio (water purification) coagulatio (earth operation) and sublimatio (air operation). Dream analysis can be one way of accessing this material where images can reflect a particular stage.

Stage One: Nigredo or “Blackening”

In nigredo the fire is considered slow and mild as of the flesh or “embryo,” gradually helping to bring about the first stage of the work, culminating in the earthly nigredo or “blackening.” This stage involves a purification of the earthly nature in us.

In psychotherapy this stage is experienced as entering a dark and chaotic unconscious inner world. St John of the Cross has referred to this as the first of two dark nights, the dark night of the mind, which is an encounter with the darker aspects of our self (that which Jung called “the shadow”).

Jung valued alchemy for its rich symbolic content and imagery. The transformation of worthless metals into precious gold unconsciously reflected an internal developmental process of “wholeness” and health in the human psyche (which Jung termed as “individuation”).

The nigredo stage also involves the following processes mortificatio (when something dies), conjunctio (birth) and seperatio (needing to let go).

Stage Two: Albedo or “Whitening“

Just as stage one is called the earthly encounter, so stage two is called the stage of the moon. This requires a further purification of our psyche and a receptivity to our soul nature, which originally incarnated free of worldly impressions, of the family, the environment, and society. Becoming conscious of our soul nature is the first real step in answering the question “who am I?”

In psychotherapy this could be viewed as someone withdrawing from the mainstream of life. Clients can experience sudden realisations about themselves and they often begin to question their life direction. It is easier to see, in a moment of insight, what is important and what is not. Alchemists sometimes refer to this as “sublimatio,” much like the vapours that rise from the chemical vessel, which is undergoing heating, carrying the essence that is sought after and is to be extracted.

For those who pursue their therapeutic process thoroughly, deeply and persistently, this period leads to a heightened spiritual awareness and purpose.

Stage Three: Citrinitas or “Yellowing”

This is known as the stage of the sun, or what the alchemists see as the dawning of the “solar light” inherent in our Being. Often described as the Divine Intellect (as distinct from the human, mental intellect) it is said that the only true knowledge is revealed to us when this Light becomes conscious in us.

Clients may lose all sense of individuality and move into a world that is almost totally subjective. There is little or no ability to be objective, i.e. for the client to separate him/herself from the experience.

Stage Four: Rubedo or “Reddening”

In stage four, the alchemist awakens to the desire to return to the earth and to fully incarnate his or her state of “illuminated” consciousness into the mind and body. To achieve this, a purifying fourth fire, “burning and vehement, as of fusion,” must be used to bring about a new coagulation of spirit and matter. The culmination of stage three leaves the alchemist completely free in a state of Pure Spirit, Pure Intelligence, beyond space, time and form but without a consciousness of body or mind.

In psychotherapy this is when clients are faced with the task of implementing new realisations in their life and to transcend the nature of their problems or dilemmas.

It is worth adding that the principal of “solve et coagula,” or dissolve and coagulate, can be seen at each stage of the alchemical process.

Sources:

Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy (Reality of the Psyche Series) [Paperback] Edward F. Edinger

The Alchemical Process of Transformation. The Origins of Alchemy. Nigel Hamilton.

Go for high-intensity shorter intervals of exercise

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Noel Bell

I have often wondered about the long term affects on my health of working in a profession where I am predominantly sitting in a chair. Unlike other jobs I can’t easily get up and walk around my place of work when I am counselling and in listening mode. I have found, therefore, it is critical to find opportunities to undertake intensive physical exercise.

Finding the time for fitness work-outs can often be a challenge. However, I was heartened to learn today of the findings of research led by Dr Stuart Gray at the University of Aberdeen.

Researchers from Musculoskeletal Research Programme at the university found that if you spend two minutes and thirty seconds exercising at a high level of intensity, that this could be better than longer sessions of less intense exercise at protecting the body against risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

This is heartening as technically one can secure adequate levels of physical exercise by climbing a steep set of stairs at fast pace rather than having to go the gym.

Dr Gray, who led the research group, commented: “Although moderate intensity, longer sessions of exercise can help protect the body against CVD, the findings of our study showed that high-intensity shorter intervals of exercise might be a more effective method to improve health and reduce the time commitment to exercise. This is highly important as time is often cited as the main barrier to taking part in exercise.” Dr Gray added “We are now investigating how long the benefits of a short high-intensity exercise session last on the body to analyse how frequently a person should exercise at this level to help protect the body against CVD. Our initial findings suggest that this type of exercise session would need to be undertaken on most days of the week to maintain the associated health benefits for the body.”

What the research findings demonstrate is that it is not the length of time exercising but the intensity of the exercise. Therefore, even working in a job with limited opportunities to move around you could easily undertake short intense periods of exercise (such as walking up and down the steps of a fire escape at speed, if working in an office block, and not have to go to the gym for a work-out). I am not sure what these findings will do for the gym industry.

Noel Bell

Psychotherapist in Training

Category Archives: Theory