Solace Philosophy

"The psychotherapist frequently sees cases of this sort. Such a person considers himself as a most promising individual. He is full of talents and potentialities. One of his complaints is often that his capacities and interests are too wide-ranging. He is cursed with a plethora of riches. He could do anything but can't decide on one thing in particular. The problem is that he is all promises and no fulfillment. In order to make a real accomplishment he must sacrifice a number of other potentialities. He must sacrifice a number of other potentialities. He must give up his identification with original unconscious wholeness and voluntarily accept being a real fragment instead of an unreal whole. To be something in reality he must give up being everything in potentia. The puer aeternus archetype is one of the images of the Self, but to be identified with it means the one never brings any reality to birth" (p. 14)

"It seemed as though the dream itself was adequate reality, as though just the fact that he could have such magnificent compositions in fantasy were sufficient reality to relieve him of any sense of obligation to realize them in fact. Such an attitude is an identification with the original unconscious wholeness, the provisional life, which avoids the hard work required to make the potential actual. Although he though the wanted to write, fantasies were unconsciously considered sufficient reality in themselves. Such a person is afraid to make the commitment required to create something real. He would lose the security of anonymity and expose himself to disapproval. He is afraid to submit himself to judgment by being something definite." (p. 22)

The reality of any situation is often irrelevant to the emotional experience someone may be having. We can't convince our feelings through reason or logic to feel differently. An emotional experience or feeling is its own kind of truth. Often it is a more important truth in understanding what is happening than the actual logical facts of a situation because that is what is happening it is what is. The person having the experience could even know that rationally, mentally they are incorrect but they still feel what they feel. The reality of their feelings are not changed and the experience of a feeling is more real than the rational truth of a situation.

That is why we need to understand the what and the why of the feeling and enter into an experience of empathy and compassion, enter into the feeling and see what is really happening, internally, psychologically, spiritually, emotionally, what is at the heart? What is heavy on your heart and why is it there? What can we do to lift that burden? What can we do to stop the shaking of the bottle long enough to scoop out the oil that rises to the top?

Change is the denial of change, and now only can I put this question: is there change at all? This question can be put only when all movement of thought has come to an end, for thought must be denied for the beauty of non-change. In the total negation of all movement of thought away from what is, is the ending of what is.

I cried then I laughed

What's the difference anyway

Laughing and crying the

Tears taste just the same

I held you but I didn't hold you

And in the end I guess

I only kept myself