Psychospiritual Foundation Of Personality Disorders 2009

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Lewis, Robert M. The Abandoned Heart. San Diego: Behavioral Science Applications, Revised and Abridged Edition, 2000

Copyright © by Robert M. Lewis, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2000. Printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Cover photo-art and graphics by Robert M. Lewis Illustrations by Vincenzo G. Adragna and Robert M. Lewis

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Preface To the

The Abandoned Heart A Dynamic Energy-Shift Model of the Borderline Personality Syndrome

Robert M. Lewis, Ph.D

Behavioral Science Applications San Diego, California

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Preface Revised and Abridged Edition Version 2000 In its original form, The Abandoned Heart monograph is a collection of three papers presented to the Association for Transpersonal Psychology at annual conferences during the summers of 1982, 1983 and 1984 held at Asilomar near Pacific Grove, California. These papers have gained a degree of recognition that could not have been anticipated. Inquiries for reprints have been requested throughout the 50 states as well as Canada and Europe. These continue to be received as of this writing, nearly twenty years since the first paper was presented. In several instances, one or more of the papers have been placed on required reading lists in graduate psychology departments that introduce their students to transpersonal issues. Although the original monograph included several additional papers that address peripheral issues, the majority of requests have been for the first two papers, which specifically discuss issues of onset and recovery of the borderline personality phenomenon. In order to meet this need, the revised edition is being made available in this abridged format. Nevertheless, since the first papers were presented, there has been a natural progression of research and understanding, which has led me to the following conclusions: 1) The original premise is correct, 2) there are many who suffer from an abandoned heart who do not display the full extent of the syndrome, and 3) the personal, interpersonal and transactional processes of human nature are imbedded far more deeply in man’s spiritual nature than I had originally assumed. These conclusions support the original assumptions, but extend them far beyond what is presented here. It is my hope that those who suffer from an abandoned heart, or who know and love them on a personal level as well as those who work professionally with these issues, will continue to explore their own spiritual nature ever more deeply. The rewards are worth the journey. Although I am presently retired from my private practice, I remain open, as I have in the past, to receiving inquires and calls from those who wish to discuss these important issues. I can be reached at the address and numbers listed below. If you wish to order additional copies of this abridged version, the cost is USD $29.95, which includes shipping and handing. San Diego, California January 20, 2000

Robert M. Lewis, Ph.D. Founding Director Behavioral Science Applications 4869 70th Street, Suite 8 San Diego, California 92115-3061 Phone 619-463-5350 / 619-750-7290 [email protected]

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The Abandoned Heart A Dynamic Energy-Shift Model of the Borderline Personality Syndrome Robert M. Lewis, Ph.D. Edited and Abridged Version 2000

Table of Contents Preface to Version 2000…………………………………………………. Introduction……………………………………………………………… The Model………………………………………………………………... Borderline Pathogenic Development…………………………………… Energy Dynamics and Symptom Formation…………………………... Recovery: Initial Considerations.………………………………………. Initial Summary and Conclusions……………………………………… Onset and Breakdown: Setting the Stage for Recovery………………. The Recovery Process…………………………………………………… Psychotherapy and the Recovery Process……………………………... Technological Advances: Hemispheric Synchronization……………... Altered States of Consciousness and Recovery………………………...

4 6 -13 14 - 21 21 - 32 33 - 36 37 - 42 42 - 49 49 - 55 49 - 55 56 - 59 59 - 62 62 - 65

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The Abandoned Heart A Dynamic Energy-Shift Model of the Borderline Personality Syndrome Robert M. Lewis, Ph.D. Founding Director Behavioral Science Applications San Diego, California

Introduction Historical Perspective The borderline personality syndrome is one of the more puzzling, complex, and difficult to differentially diagnose of the major personality disorders. It is also not without its special challenges in treatment. Historically, the borderline syndrome has been surrounded with controversy and a certain skepticism. Although the clinical picture had been formally described in 1911 by Bleuler, who used latent schizophrenia as the diagnosis, and while the terms borderland and borderline were utilized in 1918 by Englishman L. Pierce Clark, it was not until 1938 that the term borderline was introduced formally in American journals by Stern. Following a paper by Hoch and Polatin on pseudoneurotic schizophrenia in 1949, and two papers in 1953 by Knight, who used borderline as the descriptive term, the diagnosis of a discrete clinical entity became more common. The diagnosis has only recently been given permanent clinical status by the American Psychiatric Association, which has for the first time included the borderline personality as a diagnostic classification in the DSM-III.

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Clinical Picture of the Borderline Personality 1 Much has been written concerning the clinical picture presented by the borderline personality. Although a comprehensive review is beyond this paper’s scope, a brief description will be useful. The text of the disorder, as presented in the DSM-III manual, is reproduced below: The essential feature is a Personality Disorder in which there is instability in a variety of areas, including interpersonal behavior, mood and self-image. No single feature is invariably present. Interpersonal relations are often intense and unstable, with marked shifts of attitude over time. Frequently there is impulsive and unpredictable behavior that is potentially physically self-damaging. Mood is often unstable, with marked shifts from a normal mood to a dysphoric mood or with inappropriate, intense anger or lack of control of anger. A profound identity disturbance may be manifested by uncertainty about several issues relating to identity, such as self-image, gender identity, or long-term goals or values. There may be problems tolerating being alone, and chronic feelings of emptiness or boredom. Some conceptualize this condition as a level of personality organization, rather than as a specific Personality Disorder. Quite often social contrariness and a generally pessimistic outlook are seen. Alternation between dependency and self-assertion is common. During periods of extreme stress transient psychotic symptoms of insufficient severity or duration to warrant an additional diagnosis may occur (pp. 321-322). 2 The symptoms presented by the borderline are varied, and overlap with other disorders. The most important of these are:

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(1)

Absence of a centered sense of self-identity;

(2)

Strong approach-avoidance, or vacillation, in relationships;

(3)

Depression of significant duration; cyclothymic mood swings;

(4)

Anger as a primary affect, often explosively or inappropriately expressed;

(5)

Somatic complaints and/or hypochondrias;

The contributions of Vincenzo G. Adragna to the development of this model are gratefully acknowledged.

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It is now interesting to note that the current DSM-IV includes abandonment issues as an essential feature of the borderline personality diagnosis.

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(6)

Anxiety, phobias, and panic anxiety states;

(7)

Dependency and fear of dependency;

(8)

Feeling of being empty, unfulfilled, bored, with difficulty being alone;

(9)

Inconsistent work habits, and faltering long-term career patterns;

(10) Difficulty being in touch with true affect, or lack of congruence between thoughts or feelings and their expression; (11) Fear of separation from or abandonment by others; (12) Self-condemnatory thoughts, with high risk of self-mutilation or suicide; (13) Possibility of psychotic-like states of limited duration; (14) Obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Disagreement among clinicians and therapists regarding the borderline personality as a discrete syndrome stems from the fleeting and cyclical nature of the symptoms, and the not uncommon shift from neurotic patterns, to the loss of ego boundaries associated with psychotic-like episodes of relatively short duration, and back again. In addition, many borderline patients function within normal ranges a good portion of the time, and may be quite successful in their careers. It is the complexity of these processes, which shift and recycle between neurotic, normal, and psychotic-like episodes, and the observation that many symptoms of the borderline are shared with other diagnostic categories, which have contributed to the clinical controversy, and have delayed its acceptance as a diagnostic category. Even now there is disagreement concerning “borderline” as an appropriate term for this syndrome. Questions such as the following continue to be asked: What is the person afflicted with this disorder borderline to? Is it primarily a thought disorder, associated with the psychotic states of schizophrenic processes? Or is it more closely aligned with the rigidity and internal constraints of the neuroses? Is it primarily an affective disorder,

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manifesting as depression, countered by explosive episodes of anger? Is its onset triggered by abnormal developmental patterns, and is it therefore a learned behavior? Or is it more closely tied to genetic and constitutional factors? This paper is the initial attempt to present an alternative, yet integrative, approach to understanding the development, symptoms, and recovery of the borderline personality. The approach may be considered unorthodox by some, perhaps radical by others. However, it is not an attempt to dispute or to replace the current ideas of others. It is, rather, an attempt to further explain the puzzling dynamics of the borderline, using a frame of reference uncommon to Western psychology and psychiatry, and to suggest some alternate means for therapeutic recovery. The concepts herein are presented in terms of a model, rather than to prematurely elevate them to the level of theory. In addition, the idea of a model more adequately encompasses the dynamics of energy flow central to this presentation, although many of the concepts lend themselves readily to the generation of testable hypotheses required of theory construction. The rigors of hypothetico-deductive thinking and empirical procedures must await the prerequisite of more intensive clinical observation, from which the ideas contained herein were initially obtained. The model to be presented has had its own historical development. Although covering a relatively brief time span, it has evolved through certain stages, each one having a bearing on understanding the model. The author made the initial observations and tentative hypotheses in the clinical setting of his private practice in individual and family psychotherapy. As the clinical model crystallized, and there began to be evidence of its application in psychotherapy, these observations were shared and explored with research associate Vincenzo Adragna during weekly discussions. It was during these discussions that many of the spiritual implications began to unfold.

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Stage I was a period of exploring the dynamics of reactive (functional, uni-polar) depression with clients responding to some form of situational loss, great or small, and its relationship to anger. Stage II, a closely related and natural extension of the first, involved the complex reactions, dynamics and symptom development of clients working through the grieving process of separation, death, or their own terminal illness. It was during this period that a most interesting observation was made. Each of these clients was able to describe a certain set of somatic complaints, primarily involving deep visceral pain, in the region of the lower thorax, heart, and upper abdomen. Also experienced was a great emptiness, or void in the same region, accompanied by a sense of personal powerlessness. This symptom was more commonly expressed during periods of depression, and was often accompanied by intense separation or death anxiety. As this observation was pursued, it was noticed, consistent with object relations theory, that the symptoms disappeared when a strong emotional connection was made. This fact in itself is not surprising. It has always been a part of the human condition. However, we began to ask the question “why?” Why did the symptoms disappear? Were they related to an inner process, perhaps an energy dynamic, which could, if understood, be helpful in the recovery phase of loss and grieving? Was the feeling of emptiness or void a literal subjective interpretation, rather than a psychological metaphor? If so, what “disappeared” to produce the void and pain, and what “returned” to provide the feeling of fullness? Sometimes the fullness was associated with love, and a yearning to give of oneself. In these moments, the pain disappeared, replaced by a sense of warmth and contentment, as well as increased excitation and body tone, accompanied by a lessening of depression. At other times, the emotional response was fully experienced anger, in

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which the pain temporarily disappeared, and a sense of personal power returned, but which was often accompanied by increased anxiety, sometimes reaching panic proportions following awareness of the anger. Stage III was a period of working with clients experiencing phobias, a large proportion of whom were diagnosed as agoraphobic. It was during this period that an understanding developed of the complex dynamics between intense separation anxiety, dependency, deep visceral pain, emptiness, depression, anger, panic responses and the fugue states of ego boundary dissolution, which were key to recycling and perpetuating the process. Later, similar processes were to be seen again and again in the borderline personality. Stage IV was a period of contemplation and integration. What did these observations mean? The most important observation seemed focused on clients who were experiencing intense loss of an important emotional relationship. For these clients, there seemed to be genuinely something we could describe as a “broken heart.” But what was it that was “broken?” Certainly it was not the physical heart. Besides, the symptoms were not necessarily located in the left lower thorax, but were in a broader, although still circumscribed, region. And rather than broken, it was more as if something vitally important was temporarily missing. It was, as some clients would describe, as if there were a deep hole in their very center, a hole which, when present, produced such a deep ache or pain that it seemed at times unbearable, and which prompted many of them to first seek medical attention, before being referred for psychotherapy when all diagnostic tests proved negative. An assumption about human nature, which had gradually been evolving into acceptance over the years, was the eastern religious philosophy of an energy matrix or system contiguous to and interactive with the structural system of the physical body. Was it possible that the broken heart and the symptoms, which corresponded to it, were

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actually the predictable outcome of a vital energy depletion of the Heart Center, or Fourth Chakra? It was recalled that Shafica Karagula had reported observations by certain sensitives concerning swirling energy vortexes, or “holes”, receding into the body structure, which seemed to be correlated with physical or psychological pathology. Was the pain of a broken heart associated with a “negative” energy vortex, and the fullness of being in love associated with a “positive” energy vortex which extended outward beyond the boundary of the physical body to make a literal energy connection with the loved one? Tentatively at first, this idea was advanced to clients experiencing these symptoms. With very few exceptions, there was a subjective response in which the idea made intuitive sense to them. In some instances, simply the idea itself seemed helpful. If nothing else, it “explained” to them something that had been so puzzling. Some clients also began to consciously attempt to “move” the energy outward, resulting in the alleviation of symptoms. Was there an important therapeutic principle hidden here? It remained for a concentrated period of work with borderline patients for the answer to become clearer. The movement of energy outward from the Heart Center to make a connection with a loved one was later to be viewed as an ultimate act of giving, but presented a basic paradox. Energy extending outward from the Heart Center produced more fullness, whereas attempts to “take in” energy from someone else from a state of neediness eventually produced a greater emptiness. Teaching the nature of this paradox, the flip side of our normal world view, became a basic task in psychotherapy with patients experiencing the pain of a broken heart. Stage V extended further the processes of observation, contemplation, integration, and application, with some surprising results. An increasing number of borderline patients were being seen in therapy during this phase. Gradually, some basic

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patterns began to emerge, which drew quite naturally upon the experiences and understandings of the previous four stages. In fact, the symptoms and dynamics of the borderline seemed a composite of these stages, with the addition of certain unique characteristics that presented a picture of greater complexity, variability, and difficulty. First, there emerged a consistent pattern of characteristics or traits, which suggested a predisposition or constitutional factor. Second, there seemed to be a typical set of developmental variables, which interacted with the predisposition-constitutional factors. Third, from this genesis arose a reasonably predictable set of dynamics which, when set into motion, could be viewed as accounting for the fleeting, cyclical, and unstable patterns of the borderline personality. Finally, as a cognitive model of the borderline syndrome emerged, opportunities arose to apply some unique therapeutic interventions derived directly from the model. The results were far beyond expectations. Indeed, for some patients recovery came so swiftly and so completely that one had to wonder if these patients were in fact borderline, even though they fit well the clinical picture. We were reminded of the medical “problem” of spontaneous remission, and were tempted to dismiss the event as misdiagnosis. However, since instances of spontaneous remission were being observed in case after case, it was felt that there might be value in sharing the model. The validity of these observations must of necessity await further corroboration by others.

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1.0 The Model Borderline Predisposition, Basic Assumptions, and Healthy Development The progressive stages of observation described above became the building blocks from which this model evolved. The most significant observation, which will be detailed as we progress, was this: The dynamics of the borderline personality appeared to be a derivative of the broken heart pattern, but with some fundamental differences. The basic symptoms of deep visceral pain, emptiness, and depression were the same. However, the symptoms of the broken heart were temporary, being the acute stage of response to intense loss. In the borderline personality, the symptoms of loss had become chronic. There had, for whatever reasons, developed a certain permanency to the depletion of energy in the Heart Center. Although it could, and often did, return temporarily, resulting in illusive feelings of euphoria, there eventually came to be an expectancy of the emptiness, void, and pain, which contributed to an ongoing dread and hopelessness. Although the depletion and void was the result of inner dynamics and processes, the emptiness and pain so often felt was not experienced as such, but was instead attached to the presence or absence of a loved one, or nurturer, which contributed to the feeling of helplessness and dependency: It was others who were perceived as ultimately in control of the borderline’s sense of well-being on the one hand, or vast emptiness and pain on the other, resulting in the constant dread of separation or abandonment. Thus the defense of projection developed and was maintained, and prevented the borderline from seeing the singular truth that would ultimately set them free. At a critical point in their development, the borderline had made a most crucial decision. Out of an agonizing sense of survival and self-protection, the decision was made to prevent the

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possibility of any further pain from abandonment. This was accomplished, in one intuitive leap, by removing awareness from the locus of pain, from their own Heart. With the removal of awareness, the energy of the Heart Center became increasingly depleted, numbing the pain through denial, but with ever so costly results. The borderline had made the decision that began the process of their own pathology. They had made the decision -- to abandon their own Heart. From this point onward, the constellation of personal beliefs, feelings, and behaviors symptomatic of the borderline personality progressed in a fairly predictable manner. However, the predictability that was observed was not simply the end result of mutually interactive dynamic processes. Further, developmental variables were not enough to account for the disorder. Gradually it became more and more evident that persons with the disorder had certain general characteristics in common, characteristics which, if isolated within normal development, were certainly not pathological. As these characteristics were identified, we came to view them as borderline-predisposed individuals.

1.1

The Borderline-Predisposed Individual Certain individuals seem more prone to the borderline syndrome than others. We

believe there are three primary predisposing characteristics. These are: (1) A highly sensate body, (2) a capacity for high emotional intensity, and (3) a naturally creative intelligence. A fourth, involving the possibility of a constitutional factor, will be discussed in a following section.

1.1.1 Sensate body. Borderlines have a highly sensate body, with lower than usual sensory input thresholds of pain and touch. Their bodies are very responsive to external stimuli, and

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therefore the environment, especially other people. They are also unusually aware of inner body states. As a result, they tend to be sensual and pleasure seeking, as well as pain sensitive and pain avoiding. The borderline’s low thresholds involve the peripheral nervous system. This is not the same as the inadequate CNS filtering of information input hypothesized to account for some schizophrenic processes. They, therefore, have the capacity for accurately “mapping” the external world, sometimes in great detail, which seems not to be true of the schizophrenic. 1.1.2 Emotional intensity. Borderline’s have a higher than usual capacity for emotional intensity. The intensity of their emotional energy makes them inherently responsive to relationships. In its natural, undistorted state, we might view this as a love-giving, love-receiving trait, that is, having a “full heart.” When distorted, it will shift to a deficiency state of neediness, and may become a preoccupation with sexuality, perversions, or gender identity, often expressed only in fantasies, which act as substitutes for the fulfilling emotional connection and expression in love-giving, love-receiving relationships. Under the strain of repeated separation, loss of important emotional relationships, or physical abandonment, this emotional intensity will eventually provide the fuel for the pain-generated anger and later, when insulated from awareness, will account for much of the depression experienced by the borderline. 1.1.3 Creative intelligence. Borderline’s have a naturally creative intelligence. Although not necessarily associated with a high measured IQ., the borderline-prone individual is intellectuallycognitively responsive. Paradoxically, this quality, as we will see later, is necessary for the development of the disorder. Their minds are often constantly active, and they frequently report difficulty shutting off their thoughts. An obsessive-compulsive quality

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develops from attempting to avoid pain and find fulfillment. To use the colloquial, their minds are “sharp,” with a quick wit, and “fluid,” being able to make cognitive associations easily. These quick and fluid qualities also make their cognitive processes slippery,’’ being unable to maintain certain cognitive sets required for a consistent self-identity, and making long-range goal-setting and attainment difficult. These qualities may also make them prone to using dry humor, often to a degree that becomes annoying to others. Although eventually counter-productive, humor is an attempt to spontaneously bring relief to the pain or emptiness they are experiencing. Although they are able to put cognitive constructs together in unusual ways, this creativity may be for better or for worse. While it allows them to problem solve productively, it also provides the mechanisms for developing intricate defensive patterns, the cornerstones of which are projection and denial, which eventually become their undoing. These three predisposing factors, each of which in their positive forms are potentially enhancing of the self, have a negative side if distorted. In Abraham Maslow’s terms, they can become Deficiency-needs rather than Being-needs, with predictable adverse consequences. In combination, these three factors can account for the tripartite essence of the borderline personality: (1) A thought disorder, giving it pseudo-psychotic characteristics, combined with (2) an affective disorder, involving both a preoccupation with sensation and a denial of true affect, resulting in (3) relationship difficulties, which not only provide the primary genesis, but serve to perpetuate the disorder as well. These factors intertwine to form the relatively predictable dynamics, which are the predominant subjective experience of the borderline.

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1.2

Constitutional Factors: A Tentative Hypothesis Individuals with a borderline disorder often report somatic complaints in the

general region of the throat, thorax and upper abdomen. These generally include vague aches, pain, and neuromuscular tensions of varying intensities. We believe it may be of heuristic value to note that this is the region served by the Tenth Cranial (Vagus) Nerve, an autonomic efferent and afferent system, with motor fibers to the larynx, pharynx, lungs, esophagus, heart and stomach. It has lesser branches to several abdominal organs, and sensory fibers to the larynx and lungs (see Figure 2). We have noted, for example, that upper thoracic and laryngeal tension increases as primary emotional energy moves upward, away from the Heart Center, and decreases as the energy returns to the Heart Center. Voice register, an indication of laryngeal tension, also seems to rise and fall in correlation to the upward and downward energy movement. Other tentative observations include peritonitis, gall bladder disorders, nausea, upper respiratory ailments, heart and chest pain associated with the chronic nature of an abandoned Heart. Is it possible there is some causal or mutually causal relationship between Tenth Cranial Nerve activity (e.g., inhibition; dis-inhibition) and the instability of primary emotional energy of the Heart Center in borderline prone individuals? The question seems worth pursuing further.

1.3

Basic Assumptions of the Model

Several assumptions are basic to the model. These are treated “as if” true for purposes of hypothesizing certain processes and dynamics. Consequently, there is no attempt to support the validity of these assumptions with empirical evidence for, in fact, there is none. It is a theoretical procedure familiar to the physical sciences in which an unknown

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energy state, process or dynamic is advanced to account for an observable event. This has been particularly valuable to theoreticians concerned with developing a more unified theory. Assumption 1: The Heart Center, or Fourth Chakra, consists of out-flowing energy, which remains immeasurable and therefore unobservable to contemporary Western science. Only its effects are objectively observable. Assumption 2: This energy we shall call Primary Emotional Energy, and is the basis for the emotional connection between persons in a relationship. It is, therefore, the “energy of relationships.” Assumption 3: In its natural state, primary emotional energy ‘fills” the region of the lower thorax or chest area, producing the subjective experience of contentment, warmth, openness to others, trust, and giving of self (love). Assumption 4: Under certain conditions, primary emotional energy can shift away from the Heart Center, resulting in the subjective experience of a “hole” in the center of one’s self, producing either undifferentiated or specific somatic complaints of vague or unknown origin. Assumption 5: Primary emotional energy follows the “Law of Awareness” which states : (a) Awareness activates the energy; (b) The energy follows awareness; therefore, by shifting awareness, the energy will shift to the new locus of awareness; (c) Withdrawal of awareness de-activates the energy; it is potentially available, but latent; and (d) Reactivation of awareness reactivates the energy. Assumption 6: The natural state of the energy is without limit or constraint, and establishes connection (i.e., relationships) in an undifferentiated manner. That is, it “gives to all.” Assumption 7: Thoughts give form to (produce constraints upon) the natural state of the energy. Thinking (i.e., information processing) results in the formless energy being in-form-ation. Assumption 8: Thinking directs the locus of awareness. That is, one’s thoughts are responsible for shifting the locus of primary emotional energy. Assumption 9: Specific emotions are the result of thoughts (i.e., constraints) applied to the formless primary emotional energy. 9.1: Every thought (i.e., a constraint, producing a form) applied to primary emotional energy will to some degree shift energy away from the Heart Center, which is it natural “home”. Assumption 10: Primary emotional energy can be returned to its natural state (i.e., its “home”), and to formlessness, by redirecting an emotion, through the vehicle of awareness, to the region of the Heart Center. Assumption 11: Having redirected an emotion (e.g., guilt, anger, love, hate) back

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to the Heart Center, it will undergo a natural transformation analogous to biological metabolism, making the energy more readily available to the self and others. 11.1: This natural transformation will change the emotion from a state of constraint (form) to a state of undifferentiation. This is analogous to the change that occurs when H20 is transformed from ice, to water, to vapor. The process allows the new thought-energy to re-fill the void once created by its shift away from the Heart Center. Assumption 12: The steady state of the return of all primary emotional energy to the Heart Center will produce a state of internal integration, and the subjective experience of fullness and wholeness, resulting in a natural, spontaneous giving of self: A parable’s parable of the Prodigal Son.

1.4.

Normal (Ideal) Childhood Development Normal childhood development is discussed briefly to provide a backdrop for

understanding the pathogenic processes that contribute to the borderline disorder. Ideal development for the borderline-prone infant and child (i.e., childhood interactions that will prevent development of the disorder) focus primarily on qualities of the nurturing parent. Although we will often use the term “mother,” this denotes function rather than gender, and could just as easily be provided by an appropriate male or significant non-biological surrogate parent. Proposition 1.1: The ideal mother (of a borderline-predisposed infant) has a full Heart. That is, her own primary emotional energy is strong and stabilized in her Heart Center. She is therefore centered within herself. Proposition 1.2: Because she is centered in the Heart, the mother experiences herself as full and whole, and is therefore able to give freely. Proposition 1.3: Being centered in the fullness and wholeness of her own Heart, the mother is free from projection. There is no need to attribute her internal state to those around her, including her infant. Proposition 1.4: Being integrated and whole, the mother is free from denial. There is no pain of unfulfillment, and therefore no need to withdraw awareness from any portion of herself, including thoughts, feelings, or actions. Proposition 1.5: Being free from projection and denial, the mother can maintain full awareness of her child’s essence and needs, including the infant’s needs for fusion and oneness, and later the child’s needs for separation and individuation. Neither oneness nor separation are cause for anxiety, either for the mother or her

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child. Proposition 1.6: The strong, stable primary emotional energy of the mother establishes and maintains connection with the infant’s Heart Center. 1.6.1: The stability and consistency of this connection gradually serve to anchor the child’s primary emotional energy. 1.6.2: The child’s subjective experience is warmth, contentment, trust, openness, and freedom to explore fully their own nature. The experience of fullness allows for the development of their own capacity for giving to others. Proposition 1.7: The stability and consistency of the primary emotional energy connection between mother and child continues through both the separationindividuation (going away from mother), and the rapprochement (coming home to mother) sub-phases of development. This further reinforces the strength and stability of the child’s primary emotional energy, thus setting the stage for normal and fully adaptive adolescent and adult development.

2.0 Borderline Pathogenic Development The idea that developmental factors contribute to the borderline disorder is not new. Masterson (1981), for example, argues well for this viewpoint. This model does not differ greatly from others regarding what is objectively observed about the borderline disorder. Where the model departs is the level of explanation, by hypothesizing an energy dynamic rather than a psychodynamic as the primary moving force. This may account for the difficulty traditional clinicians have experienced in circumscribing the phenomena. Even so, psychoanalytic writings are not discounted, having proven quite useful in understanding the borderline personality. Developmentally, we believe there are four primary stages in the pathogenesis of the borderline. The first is the infant stage, from birth to 18 months. The second is the toddler stage, from 18 to 36 months. The third stage occurs around age seven, plus or minus one year (6 to 8 years), and is the critical turning point of the disorder. The fourth stage occurs during puberty at approximately age 12, plus or minus two years (10 to 14 years), and signals the onset of a prolonged period of formalizing and rigidifying the

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personality infrastructure. This is the period, from adolescence through adulthood, in which the social consequences of endogenous factors reinforce and perpetuate the syndrome.

2.1.

Infant Stage (birth to 18 months): “The Empty Heart.” The borderline-prone infant, paradoxically, has the potential (perhaps even more

so than other infants), for a strong, intense Heart Center. However, as described above, the infant requires a nurturing parent with a strong, stable Heart Center to ensure the anchoring and stabilization of their own primary emotional energy. Proposition 2.1.1: Developmentally, the disorder begins when the borderlineprone infant is nurtured by a parent with “an Empty Heart” who, through predisposition, physical or emotional illness, has weak or unstable primary emotional energy, and is therefore unable to establish a consistent connection with the infants Heart Center. Proposition 2.1.2: During periods in which the infant does not experience the stable primary emotional energy connection with the parent, there will begin to occur a dissipation, shift or “drift” of energy away from the infant’s Heart Center. Proposition 2.1.3: In the infant this will be recognized to be a generalized irritability and/or crying, as if in discomfort or pain, but with no identifiable physical source. Proposition 2.1.4: Over prolonged periods, this drift of primary emotional energy away from the infant’s Heart Center will eventually produce a deeper ache of emptiness and unfilled “hunger.” 2.1.4.1: The infant may begin to show symptoms of eating difficulties or digestive problems. Behaviorally, there may begin to be signs of either passivity or hyperactive movement, and may be difficult to hold, console, or put to sleep. Proposition 2.1.5: Because (1) the natural tendency of the infant is for a strong Heart Center, (2) and because the infant has not yet developed a cognitive understanding of the source of its vague, internal discomfort (i.e., a parent with an Empty Heart), and (3) because there may be other children, family members or part-time surrogate parents who nurture the infant’s Heart Center, the drift of energy may occur slowly, and may in fact return to fullness for periods of time, only to drift again if not anchored by the mother’s primary emotional energy. It is during the toddler stage, without a “change of Heart” occurring within the

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mother, that the developmental process and symptom formation will become more ominous.

2.2.

Toddler Stage (18 to 36 months): “The Broken Heart.” A critical period of the child’s development is the “toddler stage.”

It is between 18 and 36 months that the child begins the important process of moving away from its mother, establishing separation and mdividuation, and then returning to re-experience her presence. Both the sub-phases of separation-individuation, and the complimentary sub-phase of rapprochement, are necessary for healthy development. The borderline-prone child experiences difficulty, even a sense of trauma, with one or both of these sub-phases. It is during the toddler stage that projection becomes established as a cornerstone of the eventual pathology. Proposition 2.2.1: It is during the active process of moving away from mother that the child establishes the ability to separate self from the parent, and develops a sense of self, or individuation. 2.2.1.1: At first, this may cause little difficulty or anxiety for the child. Since the mother has an Empty Heart, it may even provide a sense of relief from the discomfort, or energy drain, it experiences in her presence. Proposition 2.2.2: The critical event for the child is its return “home,” for its need is to reestablish the connection with mother’s primary emotional energy. 2.2.2.1: In the early stages, the child is ever hopeful that, upon return, he will experience the warmth, the fulfillment, the contentment and the oneness associated with being-in-connection with her Heart Center. Proposition 2.2.3: When the borderline-prone child returns, he finds “no one home,” for he returns to a parent with an Empty Heart. 2.2.3.1: Again and again, the child experiences the emptiness, the hunger, the ache of having hopeful expectations broken. 2.2.3.2: Although separation is being accomplished successfully, there is a gradual erosion of a sense of self, as the pattern of emptiness, hunger, and unfulfillment is re-experienced upon each return, for the true self-identity 23

of the borderline-prone child is in its awareness of its own Heart Center. Proposition 2.2.4: Gradually, as the pattern of returning home to an Empty Heart continues, the child will experience a deeper and more persistent pain in the region of the Heart Center. He will be experiencing the initial stages of a Broken Heart. 2.2.4.1: Crying may be more frequent. Sleeping patterns may be disrupted with nightmares, and anxiety about death, couched in the symbolism of a child’s mind, may be noticeable. Normal eating patterns may be altered by “tummy aches” or overeating. 2.2.4.2: Enuresis may be a signal that anger and depression are present. 2.2.4.3: Communication difficulties, involving articulation or dysfluency may appear. 2.2.4.4: As the child grows older, the tension, somatic discomfort, and visceral pain associated with a Broken Heart may reach intolerable limits, prompting irritability, angry outbursts, and acting out behaviors, or withdrawal. 2.2.4.5: Separation anxiety and fears of abandonment may increase. Proposition 2.2.5: It is during this period that the child is earning a significant lesson: Other people seem to be directly responsible for either the fleeting feeling of fulfillment, or the increasingly familiar awareness of somatic discomfort and visceral pain. Thus is born the defense of projection. Proposition 2.2.6: Projection as a primary defense. The borderline-prone child is highly sensitive to two major loci of awareness simultaneously, a combination that leads directly to projection as a primary mechanism, and which eventually serves to perpetuate the borderline disorder. First, the highly sensate nature of the child makes them acutely aware of their own body states. They are natural bedfellows to both pleasure and discomfort, and may be unusually sensual as well as pain avoiding. These two qualities may predispose them later to hypochondrias, and to avoidance patterns. Second, their capacity for high emotional intensity and responsiveness to primary emotional energy connections with others which, when present, provide them with fulfillment or, when absent, are associated with emptiness and pain, make them acutely aware of human relationships, and to the movement of people in and out of their life.

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In combination, these two qualities create projection, which is the process of attributing the cause of their own internal states to the thoughts, feelings, or actions of others.

2.3.

The Critical Age Seven--Plus or Minus One: “The Abandoned Heart.” Up to the age of seven, plus or minus a year, the constitutional, pre-dispositional,

and developmental factors associated with the borderline condition have not yet solidified to produce the borderline personality. Proposition 2.3.1: At the approximate age of seven, if the nurturing parent is still not capable of “being home” in the Heart Center (thus providing connection and stabilization of the child’s primary emotional energy) a situational crisis may occur, which will precipitate a decision by the child that will take them a critical step closer to becoming borderline. 2.3.1.1: The crisis may be either major (e.g., a death), or minor (one more rejection, or emotional abandonment) in objective terms. However, it will be perceived as irrevocably traumatic by the child, thus by definition producing the crisis.

Proposition 2.3.2.: Because of the now intolerable pain associated with a sudden shift of energy away from the Heart Center, the child makes the self-protective decision to withdraw awareness from the locus of pain, creating a chronic state of void or emptiness. 2.3.2.1: Not realizing that to withdraw awareness from the pain in their Heart Center is to unavoidably create more emptiness, the child unwittingly makes the decision to abandon their own Heart. Thus, motivated by a sense of self-preservation, the child initiates a process which eventually leads to their down-fall. Proposition 2.3.3: The child has now firmly established the defense of denial, which is temporarily helpful, for through it the pain is dampened. It results in the denial of awareness, but also the denial of self. Self-identity thus becomes an ongoing issue as the disorder progresses. Proposition 2.3.4: Although the child has made the decision to abandon their own Heart, this is protected from awareness and therefore self-responsibility through the defense of projection, already firmly established from the preceding stage. In the eyes of the child, others still remain the cause of their emptiness and pain.

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Proposition 2.3.5: This stage is critical in the development of the borderline dynamics because the child is now actively directing the energy shift. 2.3.5.1: This is made possible by the maturation of the child’s creative intelligence. He is now in control of logical processes, which, inevitably, given his nature, dictate an upward shift of energy to the region of his “mind” (i.e., his head). At the moment of decision, his mind has been given the role of savior, rather than his heart. Self-protection has taken the place of love. 2.3.5.2: This shift could (and eventually will) also be made downward to the sex center. But at age seven, the child is entering into the latency period, reducing awareness of genitals and sexual energy. Further, school is serving to give heightened attention to the mind, adding to the logical choice of shifting energy upward to the head region. Proposition 2.3.6: As the energy is shifted upward, it may accumulate inappropriately and excessively in various body parts along the midline, including upper thorax, neck, larynx, pharynx, tongue and lips, creating tension and awareness of discomfort, resulting in various possibilities for communicative disorders.

2.4. The Critical Age Twelve--Plus or Minus Two: “The Split Heart.” It is a paradox of the disorder that the borderline-prone child has a higher than average capacity for love-giving, while those in advanced stages are often viewed as excessively selfish, needing to take from others and, in fact, seeming to have little to give in return. They can be a continual drain on those around them, and may receive more than their share of social rejection as a result. When in a state of excessive need, the borderline may actually draw primary emotional energy from others, quickly raising the discomfort level of those around them, without others consciously knowing why they are uncomfortable. When this occurs, there can be the feeling of simply wanting to escape the presence of the borderline. As people consistently withdraw from them they may react in socially inappropriate ways, which serves only to create more distance and fewer opportunities for social contact. They may have few true friends. They may not only feel lonely, they may in fact be socially isolated for extended

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periods. As a result, they often have a delayed social and sexual development. It is not uncommon for the borderline disorder to be complicated by sexual issues and concerns, sometimes of a pathological nature, which may have an obsessivecompulsive quality. These may include unusual sexual practices, excessive masturbation, questions of gender identity, and masochism, to suggest the more common. These may exist primarily or solely at the fantasy level for long periods, or may break forth into episodes of acting out during the reduction of impulse control following periods of excessive stress. Many of these dynamics have their genesis during and following the onset of puberty, and occur as a function of their predispositional qualities in combination with a second major energy shift, this time downward to the genitals. Proposition 2.4. 1: The borderline-prone adolescent, following the essence of their predispositional nature, are innately sensate and sensual, emotionally intense and responsive to relationships, and creatively intelligent. 2.4.1.1: When found in conjunction with a full Heart, these qualities will manifest as unusual capacities for nurturing, empathy, love-giving, and problem-solving, and they may prove to be unusually strong candidates for the healing professions. 2.4.1.2: However, when present in conjunction with an abandoned Heart, an unfortunate distortion of these qualities is likely to result. Proposition 2.4.2: During the pre-adolescent years, the borderline-prone child has made a uni-polar vertical shift of energy to the head region. 2.4.2.1: As sexual awareness increases during puberty, a portion of the primary emotional energy may be shifted downward to the genitals, creating a bi-polar shift, or “Split Heart,” with excessive energy accumulating both above and below the Heart Center. Proposition 2.4.3: The essence of the Heart Center is the natural, spontaneous love-giving that comes from awareness of one’s wholeness. It is a feeling of “fullness to overflowing.” It has no need to take; only to give. 2.4.3.1: The shift to the head region is essentially the shift from lovegiving to self-protection. Indeed, the shift was precipitated by the vast feeling of emptiness and pain. Proposition 2.4.4: As energy and awareness become split between the head and genitals, a distortion occurs. Without the mediating awareness of the Heart

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Center, sexuality becomes a means of “getting” fulfillment, rather than giving it. Sexuality becomes a substitute for love, rather than love’s expression. Proposition 2.4.5: Sexual perversions, in the true sense, are acts of taking rather than giving. It is therefore not the act itself, but its motivation, coming as it does from the deepest form of confusion about the nature of one’s self, which is the perversion. The sexual pathologies of the borderline are precipitated by the bi-polar energy shifts of the Split Heart. This dynamic results inevitably in confusion about self-identity, and the identity of self-in-relation-to others as sexual beings. It is compounded by the obsessive-compulsive tendencies that result from the never-ending cycle of attempting to substitute sexuality for self-fulfillment, love-taking for love-giving.

3.0 Energy Dynamics and Symptom Formation The symptoms manifested by the borderline personality tend to group naturally into symptom constellations. However, they will change and fluctuate cyclically, appearing to give a fluid, unpredictable quality to the borderline disorder. In this section, we have organized the symptoms into groupings, which correlate with directional energy shifts. Here we suggest tentative hypotheses of energy-symptom relationships in order to provide some coherence and predictability to changing patterns of the borderline. Six major energy shift patterns are hypothesized. They tend to occur in timesequential phases, suggesting a relationship to developmental events. Each energy pattern is presented in two parts: First, a description of the energy dynamics, followed by the symptoms which correlate with the shift.

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3. 1

Phase I: The Upward Vertical Shift Description As a pain avoidance response, awareness is withdrawn from the Heart Center. Awareness is focused on thinking processes, which are then defined as the essence of self. Primary emotional energy follows awareness in an upward vertical shift. Primary emotional energy changes from its original undifferentiated state, to the constraint of specific emotions, from formlessness to form. Initially vitalizing the natural creative intelligence, it later serves to distort reality as it is used for self-protection through the mechanisms of projection and denial. Symptom formation 3.1.1: Pain, emptiness, void, boredom As primary emotional energy shifts away from the Heart Center, it produces deep visceral ache or acute pain. The more quickly the shift occurs, the sharper the pain. The chronic state results in the subjective experience of emptiness and void in the center of one’s self. Boredom is experienced when emptiness is projected onto the current life situation. 3.1.2 Anxiety, panic states, phobias Anxiety occurs when the shift of primary emotional energy away from the Heart Center is anticipated. Panic anxiety states, often associated with depression, occur when a sudden, unexpected shift occurs. This is usually associated with a belief in the lack of support for self by others. It is correlated with depression when slowed motor, cognitive, and affective responses are subliminally recognized as being inadequate to respond adaptively to a life situation. Phobias (e.g., agoraphobia) are a learned pattern of response to a belief in the absence of support for self, combining anxiety, panic states, and depression. 3. 1.3 Obsessive-compulsive tendencies Awareness of one’s thinking process increases as the energy moves upward to the head region. Awareness, in turn, draws more energy. Excessive reliance on thought processes to protect self and avoid pain, in conjunction with anxiety, produces obsessive, repetitive, and circular thinking. Compulsive behaviors can result from the impossible dilemma of attempting to experience fulfillment through activities, rather than a return of awareness to the Heart Center.

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3.1.5

Avoidance patterns

The essential formula is: “A void produces avoid.” The void in the Heart Center produces pain. A consistent motivation of the borderline is painavoidance. Social avoidance is the response to anticipated pain of eventual abandonment in relationships.

3.2

Phase II: The Upward-Downward Cyclical Shift Description

In the borderline, primary emotional energy can return to the Heart Center if certain, usually situational, conditions are met. However, this is temporary and the upward vertical shift will again occur, usually in response to a life stress. Symptom formation 3.2.1 Euphoria, cyclothymic mood swings Many borderlines retain hope, sometimes against seemingly great odds, of eventually finding a “perfect” love relationship in which they will never be abandoned. Consequently, they may “fall in love” many times in their lifetime. Each time a potential love relationship exists, their primary emotional energy may temporarily return to their Heart Center, producing euphoria. However, since they still rely on projection, which is the belief that one’s fulfillment or pain is caused by someone else, they eventually lose trust or faith. They then re-experience the pain and depression, and fall out of love, only to keep searching and repeat the pattern, thus vacillating between hope and hopelessness, euphoria and depressive mood swings. Some, however, may give up and withdraw from meaningful social contact for long periods. 3.2.2 Approach-avoidance and vacillation in relationships The above patterns will eventually result in an approach-avoidance in relationships. Because they retain their underlying belief that others are responsible for their inner states, they seek dependence, yet fear it at the same time, producing pronounced vacillation.

3.3 Phase Ill: The Inward-Outward Shift. Description Usually in response to a love relationship, in which primary emotional energy has temporarily returned to the Heart Center, a quick shift of energy may occur in either an outward, or inward, direction, rather than upward or downward.

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Symptom Formation 3.3.1 Sadness crying, joy crying The quick shift of energy outward from the Heart Center, which makes a connection with a loved one, will often produce a crying response of sheer joy. The opposite, a quick shift inward, signaling a disconnection from loss or pain in a relationship, may also produce the crying response, this time as sadness. This dynamic may also be similar to a “flutter,” in which the shift occurs in and out quickly, producing a crying response, in which the person is not sure whether they are happy or sad.

3.4 Phase IV: The Split Shift. Description This dynamic involves the bi-polar vertical shift of energy upward to the head region, and downward to the genitals, leaving a void in the Heart Center. It has been discussed at some length in a preceding section.

3. 5 Phase V: The Pendulum Shift. Description This energy dynamic results from a cyclical vacillation between projection and denial, anger and depression, as self-protective mechanisms. Although purely symbolic, the imagery of a pendulum swinging from one apex of its arc to another, with depression (denial) at one end, and anger (projection) at the other, has proven useful in therapy. These two affective responses are connected psycho-dynamically, being mutually interactive in the borderline, which swings from one end of the pendulum to the other and back again, in a cyclical pattern. Recovery requires stopping this cyclical pattern. This is accomplished by stopping the pendulum swing. The technique is to bring awareness of the energy in anger, and the energy in depression, back to the midline of the body, and “dropping” the energy, through the mediating process of awareness, to the Heart Center. Once awareness returns, it undergoes the natural transformation from emotion to primary emotional energy.

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Symptom formation 3. 5. 1 Explosive anger Intense anger is generated in response to the pain, emptiness and personal powerlessness experienced from the Abandoned Heart. Projection maintains the delusion that the cause of the anger lies outside of oneself. Anger is withheld for long periods, since the anger is usually felt toward those whom the borderline feels most dependent upon. Therefore, to express anger directly might lead to driving away the very person upon whom the borderline relies for love, support and caring. Anger is experienced as threatening to oneself, since adverse social consequences may follow. When anger is expressed, a duality is experienced. First, there is a temporary shift of energy to the Heart Center, helping to create a feeling of strength and the return of personal power. However, guilt will often follow as awareness is gained of the social consequences, along with a renewed feeling of threat to self. 3.5.2

Depression

In response to the guilt and threat, the energy of anger is encapsulated through denial and the withdrawal of awareness, which temporarily deactivates the energy, eventually producing, through the mechanism of depression, the slowing of motor, affective and cognitive responses. The borderline then becomes less effective, adversely influencing social, self-expressive, and career patterns. Gradually, as the energy of anger is added to the dynamics of the depression, tension builds beyond the capacity of the protective encasement of depression to contain it. The energy of anger, fed by projection, is finally forced into awareness by the disequilibrium, and the cycle repeats. Helpless to stop the pattern, hopelessness seeps in, undermining self-worth. 3.5.3

Suicide risk

Awareness of depression, dependency, helplessness, sense of loss, emptiness, lack of self-worth and hopelessness combine with the energy of anger, guilt, and awareness of social threat to produce high suicide risk.

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3.6

Phase VI: The Up and Out Shift Description

In response to a severe life stress, often involving separation, primary emotional energy is depleted almost completely from the Heart Center as it is directed upward and “compressed” into the head region during a panic anxiety state. Symptom formation 3.6.1

Pseudo-psychotic episodes

Activated by the energy, an information processing over load stress occurs, which creates intolerable subjective experiences of tension, obsessive, circular and redundant thinking. Since the borderline does not have the healing strategy of returning energy to the Heart Center, there may be one further last-ditch attempt to push the energy upward, as a response to the intense stress. With no other directional options, the energy is expelled upward and “outward,” away from the “self,” producing an energy under load stress which creates the additional feeling of void in the head region, resulting in the feeling of non-being and unreality. Temporary fugue states may occur, in there are shortterm memory lapses, and short-term hospitalization may be required.

4.0 Recovery Initial Considerations The borderline personality syndrome is the clinical manifestation of an abandoned Heart. An abandoned Heart is the chronic phase of a broken Heart. A broken Heart is the disintegration of the energy matrix or subsystem known as the Fourth Chakra, or Heart Center. Puzzling in its complexity, the borderline syndrome is often viewed as presenting special challenges to both the individual and the therapist. Because of the inherent change and flux of the symptoms which may produce a sense of hopelessness and fear of abandonment, the recovery process has been viewed as a therapeutic mine-field for patient and therapist, both of whom can experience frustration and despair. The model of the borderline personality as an abandoned Heart, derived from clinical experience, suggests hope. In this section we will outline the basic principles of 33

recovery. Derivations of the model, they are straightforward, and essentially simple to understand and implement. The emphasis, in therapeutic terms, is always on the basic principles underlying the development of this disorder, rather than on the symptoms. The symptoms, however, are useful therapeutically, for they signpost the underlying energy dynamics, and their disappearance in the course of therapy will be viewed as great cause for hope, something the borderline desperately needs. Further, knowing the symptom constellations, and how they interact, can be used sensitively and caringly by the therapist to communicate empathic understanding of the client’s disorder, and thereby engender the trust so necessary for successful recovery. The client is hopelessly confused by the internal disorder they subjectively experience. The therapist need not be.

4.1

The Basic Principles

The basic principle, for both understanding the disorder, and implementing therapeutic processes and techniques, is the “Law of Awareness,” discussed earlier under the section on Basic Assumptions. Principle 4.1.1 A cognitive map of the disorder, including predisposition, development, and energy-symptom dynamics, has proven useful to clients. This should follow an intense period of exploring the unique subjective experience of the client. Because of the natural creative intelligence of the borderline, they often can take this information and make it work for them at a conscious level, reversing the unconscious decision they earlier made to abandon their own Heart. Principle 4.1.2 In therapeutic use of the model, the therapist should feel free to continue using all the therapeutic skills acquired through training and experience. Nothing about this model implies discarding the old for the new. Principle 4.1.3 The overriding purpose of therapy is to return primary emotional energy to its home, the Heart Center or Fourth Chakra.

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Principle 4.1.4 The only guideline for the implementation of any therapeutic skill, process or technique should be the question: Does this action help return primary emotional energy to the individual’s Heart Center? Principle 4.1.5 Primary emotional energy follows awareness. To return this energy to its home, one first returns awareness to the Heart Center. Concentrated, focused awareness on the Heart Center will transform an emotion, or emotional state (e.g., anger, guilt, sadness, anxiety, depression, and sexuality) into the subjective experience of warmth, peace, contentment, fullness, and desire for love-giving.

4.2

Techniques

The techniques for recovery described below involve a reversal of the original decisions and energy dynamics that led up to and perpetuated the borderline disorder. Once this principle is understood, the therapist to suit the individual needs and circumstances of the client can invent new techniques. Technique 4.2.1: Resolving Anger Anger is a product of projection. It is an attempt to place responsibility for an unwanted state or condition in one’s life onto someone else. It is an attempt to reduce the internal tension of misdirected primary emotional energy by expelling it, and projecting it outward onto someone else, rather than to return the energy to its original home, the locus of the Heart Center, which resides within oneself. Alone, or with someone you trust, lie or sit down in a comfortable position. Become aware of the anger, in all its intensity, with all the accompanying thoughts. Become aware, but do not express your awareness verbally. Next, “move” your awareness to the region of your Heart Center. This may involve a spatial reorientation, bringing thoughts and imagery from outside of yourself, back to your body’s centerline, and then downward to the Heart Center. At first, there may be experienced a burning sensation in the throat or lungs, and a strong desire to run, mentally, emotionally, or physically, from this experience by shifting awareness. However, by maintaining awareness of the anger at the location of the Heart

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Center, within a short period (20-40 minutes) the burning will change to warmth, and the Heart Center will be experienced as calm, strong, and full. This indicates that the natural transformation of the emotion into primary emotional energy has occurred. This can be repeated during each occurrence of anger, but each successful attempt will reduce the total amount of anger, acquired during your life time, until it is eventually eliminated, and replaced by compassion and a desire for love-giving. Technique 4.2.2: Dealing with depression Depression results from denial of awareness of an unacceptable feeling. The denial encapsulates the energy of the emotion by removing awareness from it. The energy in therefore deactivated, and is temporarily unavailable for use, either for self-expression or work. Therapeutic paradox can be useful here. For example, “We accept your depression. It is useful to you now, and you do not need to change. Therefore, we would encourage you to be as depressed as you need to be. However, as you allow the depression, become aware of it. Become aware of all the body states that accompany your depression. Then, express to the fullest possible extent your awareness of the many body states as they arise.” At the point the client becomes aware of the unacceptable emotion (e.g., anger, guilt) hidden within the depression, follow Technique 1 (Resolving Anger).

Technique 4.2.3: Pain, Emptiness and Void Pain in the Heart Center is a signal that primary emotional energy has been withdrawn. However, the borderline is unusually sensate, pleasure seeking, and pain avoiding. Their natural tendency is to avoid pain. This is attempted by the strategy of removing awareness. However, the result is the perpetuation of the pain. Pain is seen as the natural “enemy” of the borderline. This view can be reversed. Pain now can become the “friend,” since pain can now tell the individual exactly where primary emotional energy is needed for recovery.

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Therefore, when the pain of emptiness occurs, it can be used as the locus for awareness. As awareness is maintained, the natural transformation will occur. The pain will become warmth, strength, peace, contentment, the experience of fullness as the primary emotional energy returns.

5.0 Initial Summary and Conclusions

5.1

Summary

The borderline personality disorder, recognized only recently by the American Psychiatric Association as a discrete and diagnosable syndrome, is gaining clinical and public attention. Increasing numbers of cases are being seen in both private and publicly funded mental health clinics, suggesting we may be on the verge of a psycho-social phenomenon approaching epidemic proportions. It has been hypothesized, for example, that Vietnam veterans who have experienced extreme difficulty adapting upon their return may include relatively large numbers of borderline personalities. This is suggested by their susceptibility to abandonment depression, low frustration tolerance, explosive anger and high suicide risk, among other features. John Hinkley, the man who attempted to assassinate President Reagan, fits many of the borderline criteria. However, there are many others in our society, with less extreme public visibility, who suffer the constantly shifting emotional anguish, relationship difficulties, and interrupted or delayed career patterns also associated with the disorder. Historically considered difficult to differentially diagnose due to its cyclical and elusive characteristics, having both neurotic and pseudo-psychotic qualities with

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pathological affective, cognitive, and behavioral-social components, it is confusing and difficult for the patient to subjectively understand. It breeds hopelessness, despair, and suicidal tendencies, among other symptoms. It has therefore been a most perplexing and difficult phenomenon for psychotherapists as well, with treatment times averaging three years. However, with increasing numbers being seen for therapy, length of treatment has become a critical issue. Traditionally, the borderline personality has been considered the primary clinical domain of psychoanalytically oriented psychiatry. However, borderlines are now being diagnosed and seen for treatment by psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers who, although confronted with a patient in crisis and in need of skilled professional assistance, may not have the orientation, resources or time to provide a long-term psychoanalytic treatment program. Further, a three year time span in pursuit of recovery has enormous costs to the patient, both economically and socially. Confronted with these variables in my own clinical, consulting and supervisory practice, I began a process, brought into focus through necessity, of reconceptualizing the borderline disorder. This activity culminated in a paper (attached) which was presented to the Association for Transpersonal Psychology (1982) and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (1983), with additional presentations and workshops scheduled for professional organizations in 1983. Although still in the early stages of development and refinement, clinical observations have proven encouraging far beyond expectations. In some cases, recovery time has been reduced to under three months, thus giving hope for addressing a present need within both the mental health community and society-at-large.

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5.2

Chronic Loss, Energy-Shift Patterns, and the Borderline

Syndrome The original model was based on the observation that the borderline patient displayed symptoms strikingly similar to people experiencing the intense pain, grief, anger, and depression of a “broken heart.” However, rather than reflecting an acute, onetime loss, the borderline had patterns suggesting their experience of loss had become chronic. Furthermore, their experience was compounded by an almost constant feeling of emptiness or void, which they invariably identified as being located in their lower chest and closely surrounding area. We began our clinical research with the assumption that, in addition to a biopsycho-social being, man is an energy-matrix system, the form of which responds sensitively to awareness, thought, and choice. Following this assumption, we explored with patients their subjective perceptions of being “in love” and “in loss.” Invariably, with these patients, being in a love relationship stimulated a feeling we called a “fullness of heart,” in which there was a sense of connection with another, a feeling of expanding beyond the body’s physical boundary, and a desire to fill or give completely to the loved one. On the other hand, the experience of loss produced a profound and often excruciatingly painful disconnection, with a feeling of contracting and becoming empty, and a compulsive desire therefore to take into their own bodies something, anything, which would reproduce a feeling of fullness, alleviate the pain and boredom of emptiness, and recreate the experience of oneness sought for in their love relationships. Drug, alcohol and eating dependencies are therefore not uncommon secondary features of the disorder. In sum, our observations suggested that something (e.g., energy) was “present” in the Heart Center during the love experience, and “absent” in loss. Formulating these observations into a working hypothesis, we began searching for

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means with borderline patients to assist this energy to “return to its natural home,” i.e., the Fourth Chakra or Heart Center, even (and particularly) in the absence of a love relationship which, if viewed as necessary for recovery, would unavoidably perpetuate the defense of projection, well recognized as a cornerstone, along with denial, of the borderline pathology. Initially utilizing techniques which emphasized focusing awareness on the locus of emptiness or pain in the Heart Center, we observed indications of symptom relief and recovery. Although clinically hypothesized from the model, the speed with which the patient began to experience recovery was surprising. Clinically we proceeded on the following assumptions: (1) the pain and emptiness resulted from a void or breakdown in the underlying energy-matrix system, (2) the energy-matrix system responds sensitively to awareness, thought and choice, (3) returning awareness to the locus of pain produces a return of primary emotional energy to that location, and (4) it is possible to eventually anchor this energy by maintaining the new locus of awareness for a sufficient period of time so that it no longer shifts erratically, thereby eliminating the cyclical, fluctuating pain-avoidant patterns of the borderline. Although the exact process remains unknown, permanence seems to require only that the energy be “anchored,” and the length of therapy is determined largely by successes (or failures) in this energy stabilization. A subjective result of this internal process, reported by clients, is the sensation of warmth and fullness in the Heart Center usually associated with emotional connection in a love relationship, but now occurring in the absence of such a relationship. Nevertheless, we also observed that some patients were resistant to the elusive nature of techniques which depended upon refocusing awareness, making it imperative that other treatment modalities also be found. In general, we found that those who experienced the most difficulty with awareness techniques (1) experienced more emptiness than pain, (2) had not yet broken through major areas of denial, (3) had little

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experience differentiating between thought and awareness (e.g., had not previously engaged in meditation) and (5) had a greater tendency to view the therapist as an expert to whom they could look for solving their emotional and behavioral dilemmas.

5.3 Conclusions The borderline personality syndrome is a composite disorder initiated by constitutional, predispositional and developmental factors involving a dynamic cyclical shift of primary emotional energy away from the Heart Center or Fourth Chakra. As the energy moves away from the Heart Center, it accumulates in other energy centers and/or body parts of the individual, producing several discrete sets of symptoms, which correspond to the following processes:

5.1 Energy underload symptoms Energy underload symptoms, which result from energy shifting away from the Heart Center (e.g., emptiness, pain, anxiety, boredom, depression);

5.2 Energy overload symptoms Energy overload symptoms, which result from the energy shift accumulating inappropriately and excessively in other energy centers and/or body parts (e.g., tension along vertical midline, communicative disorders, sexual pathologies, panic states, and explosive anger);

5.3 Information underload symptoms Information underload symptoms, which result from withdrawal of awareness from self and/or one’s life situation, including social contact (e.g., interrupted career patterns, lack of reality testing, delayed emotional development

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and unrealistic appraisal of self);

5.4

Combined information overload/energy underload symptoms Combined information overload/energy underload symptoms, which result

from panic response to intense life stress, such as separation (e.g., obsessive, repetitive and circular thinking, with an attempt to forcefully expel excess energy from the head region, producing a thought disorder and psuedo-psychotic episodes); and

5.5 5.5.1

Behavioral changes Behavioral changes producing relationship difficulties and occasional

social pathology, which serve to both trigger and perpetuate the disorder. 5.5.2

Puzzling and confusing to both the borderline and therapist due to the

intensity, complexity, and cyclical nature of the disorder, the individual nevertheless is not without hope. 5.5.3

Recovery can come swiftly once the basic principle of therapy is

understood and implemented. The abandoned Heart of the borderline can be returned to the wholeness and fullness of its natural state by following the Law of Awareness: Reawaken awareness of the Heart Center, thereby allowing one’s primary emotional energy to return to its natural home, producing peace, strength, contentment, and a desire for giving of self.

The successful outcome of the recovery process is a spiritual transformation, in which one can finally say: I Am Being Within love With you.

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6.0 Onset and Breakdown: Setting the Stage for Recovery From onset to complete recovery, the borderline syndrome may be viewed as occurring in seven stages, the progression of which moves through several overriding phases, including onset, breakdown, crisis, recovery, and a psycho-spiritual transformation. These seven stages are:

Onset and

1. The Broken Heart

Breakdown

2. The Abandoned Heart

Crisis and

3. The Awakening Heart

Recovery

4. The Heavy Heart 5. The Strong Heart

Interpersonal and Spiritual

6. The Full Heart 7. The Light Heart

Transformation

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The Seven Stages of Onset and Recovery 6.1 Onset and Breakdown The constitutional, developmental and psychological factors, which, when occurring together and in sequence, comprise the borderline personality syndrome, have been described in detail above. However, we shall again summarize the essential elements here, hoping it will contribute to a perspective of the disorder, from its onset to full recovery in its entirety. Although the description of onset and breakdown is bleak, and the borderline’s subjective experience filled with pain, turmoil and emotional anguish, the essential message here is hope. Based on clinical observation to date, full recovery is not only possible but can occur swiftly, changing a person’s life not only in ways unforeseen, but (and I admit to editorial license here) awe-inspiring. The transformations I have been privileged to observe have touched me, as deeply as if they were my own.

6.1.1

Stage I: The Broken Heart

The essence of the borderline pathology is a broken heart. Most of us have experienced an intense emotional loss, and with it the pain that we are often able to locate in a particular area of our body, usually our chest or upper abdomen. The pain may be so intense that we feel genuine concern for our physical and emotional wellbeing. Physical symptoms may ensue, motivating us to seek medical attention. What we may not yet recognize is that a broken heart, far from being simply another metaphor, is a valid subjective phenomenon. The pain and emptiness are real, because something has been torn from us. Whereas before something was present that provided a feeling of fullness and well being, that “something” is

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now absent. There is, in a literal sense, a hole in our middle. It is, if we are to judge from our reaction to it, an invisible gaping ugly wound. Although first occurring during infancy, and continuing periodically throughout their lives until the final crisis which brings them to therapy, the broken heart of the borderline patient is the same experienced by all who have known catastrophic emotional loss. There is only one major difference. The borderline has known this loss not once, but literally hundreds of times. During the initial phases of treatment, it can be especially meaningful to the patient if they sense the therapist has an intuitive and sympathetic understanding of the subjective emotional significance of a broken heart. It is helpful for the therapist to know their own emotional pain in this way. And it is useful to be sympathetic to that special insanity that can follow loss: The grieving process, profound depression, frustration and futility leading to rage, to helplessness in the face of overwhelming emotional adversity, the undermining of self-worth from nameless guilt, and hopelessness leading to suicidal ideation or action. It is helpful for the therapist to intuitively know this, and more, for these comprise the foundation of the borderline’s subjective experience and existential dilemma. Often, however, the borderline’s walk through life is not met with empathy, much less sympathy. They are in actuality quite disabled for lengthy periods in their life, but appear to others to be very much the master of their own fate. Expectations from others are often high, yet their own competencies, particularly interpersonal ones, may be severely underdeveloped. Later in life, career patterns may falter for these underlying, unseen reasons, thus leading to greater frustration and eventual explosive rage.

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The pain of a broken heart leads to symptoms interpreted as physical. These may range from appetite loss to nausea, from irregular heartbeat to symptoms mimicking angina. Physical pain in other body parts is not uncommon. Although medical attention is often sought, there usually is no basis for diagnosis. Disenchanted and unconvinced, the borderline may drift from physician to physician until a mental health referral is finally made. The psychotherapist who can assess within the first session or so the presence of a borderline syndrome, and then work immediately toward uncovering the multiple experiences of loss by encouraging them to tell their life’s story, will often be rewarded by the statement, “This is the first time I have ever felt understood.” Although payment for therapy is always appreciated, it will never replace the feeling one receives from a borderline’s gratitude. For most of us, our first broken heart does not occur until adolescence, or later, when we have a strong, usually sexually energized connection with another person. Not so with the borderline patient, who through predisposition, constitutional factors and family history, has lived through that experience multiple times, usually hundreds if not literally thousands, since infancy.

6.1.2 Stage II: The Abandoned Heart The child who is constitutionally prone to the pain of a broken heart is in greater than usual need of consistent, stable emotional nurturing from a parent well-grounded and secure in their own sense of self, and whose primary fulfillment comes from resources not directly tied to the child. The nurturing principle of empathic non-possessive, emotionally warm caring, provided by a mother capable of emotional and non-erotic intimacy while encouraging independence applies to this situation.

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So, imagine the child in vital need of this nurturing. Yet also imagine that each time the child comes to the parent to fulfill this need, the parent is unable to respond. The parent has an “empty heart,” unable to connect emotionally with the child. For the child, the parent may be physically there. But emotionally, no one is home. For the child, seeking merely to have their own Heart Center affirmed, each time they approach the parent without the fulfillment of connection, their primary emotional energy drifts. It moves away from its center. And each time it drifts, each time it is not allowed to connect and to stabilize, there is an empty ache. At first the ache may be but a gnawing hunger. But each time it becomes stronger, more and more a dominant part of awareness, until finally it becomes pain, the pain we know as a broken heart. This process, for the borderline-prone child, occurs not once, but again and again, a thousand times, uncountable times, until the pain reaches intolerable limits. Drastic measures for self-survival are necessary now, and the child responds. The acute pain of a broken heart has multiplied once too often: It has become chronic. And the child responds, attempting to forever remove awareness from the pain’s locus. However, without recognition of the enormous implications, the child has abandoned not their pain, but their own Heart. They have abandoned awareness of their own essence. And thus doing, they have begun a process of breakdown, which will lead them, step by anguished step, toward the syndrome we now know as the borderline personality.

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7.0 The Recovery Process3 The decision to remove awareness from the locus of pain is the unknowing decision to abandon awareness of one’s own Heart Center. Because, for the borderlineprone child, primary emotional energy is a dominant aspect of the self, the decision to remove awareness from their Heart Center is also the decision to abandon their own essence. The natural state of the pre-borderline child is warmth, caring, and unconditional love giving, which comes from the experience of a full Heart. However, when empty and filled with pain, there are few more needy, more dependent, more rageful, or more potentially harmful to themselves and others in close relationships. Nonetheless, they are not a sociopath. They respond to misdeeds and harmful action with more than the ordinary shame and guilt. Indeed it is this underlying guilt, coupled with eventual hopelessness, which may drive them to acts of self-destruction. They believe desperately that they have lost their way; and they do not know the way home, for to come home, home to their own essence, strong and full in Heart, they perceive only a path of pain, leading to a void. But not until they return full awareness to their own Heart (thereby allowing primary emotional energy to return to its natural state) will the borderline ever find fulfillment. To understand the pathology of the borderline is to understand the dynamics of this underlying energy shift, the perverting influence of projecting need-fulfillment onto sources outside oneself, the debilitating consequences of denial, and the cognitive, affective, behavioral and interpersonal results of these dynamics. The original paper (1982; Sections 1- 6) dealt in detail with these issues. Now the intent is to look more closely at the processes and dynamics of recovery which, when allowed to follow fully their natural course, will lead, we believe, inevitably to a transformation we might best describe as a spiritual transcendence of self.

3

This section is based upon a paper presented in 1983 to the Association for Transpersonal Psychology.

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A Patient’s Description of Recovery Subjectively the experience is felt as a mutual, harmonious coexistence of self with all that is, but which may focus, in the earlier stages at least, on a profound, newly discovered way of viewing self-inrelation to others. In the words of one patient, who kept a daily journal of the process:

The beauty in the world is almost more than I can bear The kindness of people I cry What do they see? Me.

I just look into their eyes-I am aware of the flame in my heart.

I am understood I am loved I am trusted I am seen

I am so happy I cry I’m Real.

I’ve lost my head. I’ve found my heart!

Welcome home Dawn I’ve missed you The sweet you How ‘ye you been gone

The gentle you. The loving things you do.

Welcome Home. Dawn

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7.1

Stage Ill. Crisis: The Awakening Heart

A crisis is a life-event which penetrates our defenses, leaving our core exposed and vulnerable. A crisis increases our awareness of the core by peeling off the protective layers and unveiling it from the outside-in. A crisis presents us with a critical choice, often perceived as a dilemma, between two basic, limited alternatives: Either we choose to risk expressing our core experience, thereby opening our self to a sense of threat, but with a possibility for growth; or, we choose the old defenses, with their seductive illusion of security. This latter alternative can result in thickening the facade, thereby delaying growth, or worse, making future growth more difficult. The true core of the borderline is one’s own Heart. The primary defense is projection, which is the process of attributing an internal state to something or someone outside oneself. The facade is that protective armor which has prevented awareness of the true self. The crisis may be any event--a death, the dissolution of a marriage, a faltering career. But whatever the source, it signals the death of illusion. And therein lies the crisis-the hopelessness--and the hope. Before the borderline can begin the recovery process, they must experience personal crisis, a crisis of the self. It is the crisis that may bring them to therapy; but not necessarily so. They have experienced many crises in their life, but each time they have chosen the path that leads them further and further away from their true self, the ultimate course of which is suicide. But in the crisis that brings them to therapy, they have had a glimpse of their core, and in so seeing they have made a tentative decision to take another path, yet not fully aware of what this means. There is something inside which seems to say, “There’s got to be a better way.” And just as ominous as the other is positive, “I’ll give it one more try; if this doesn’t work, I may as well die.” For both the patient and therapist, the crisis is a double edged sword. The existential and psychological crisis provides the motivation and energy for change, and can (indeed must) be utilized immediately for therapeutic work. There is little time for prolonged assessment and evaluation procedures disconnected from therapeutic

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involvement. And while there is the energy pushing for change, there is another part waiting for a reason to withdraw and fail. The crisis is a place of pain and depression for which no escape is seen. The old ways do not work now, for the crisis was precipitated by the death of an illusion that functioned to sustain them for awhile. But beware progress. For in it also lies the seed of hopelessness and despair. Once they begin to feel the reduction of pain and tension, and the lifting of depression, they may easily choose again the path of illusion, not uncommonly seen this time in transference issues. And further, if the therapy falters, it may precipitate a withdrawing or self-destructive course of events, which may not easily be reversed. Nevertheless, assuming the best, the crisis is both powerful and necessary. And it is productive, for its essence is the reversal of projection. The borderline has been thrust, unwillingly, back upon their self, and must now learn the strength of their own support. It is this need that can ultimately bring them home, home again to their own Heart. This, always, is the ultimate goal.

7.2

Stage IV. The Heavy Heart

Whereas the previous stage of crisis precipitated, and hopefully sustained, the reversal of projection, the Heavy Heart signals the breakthrough of denial. Once these two processes have begun, a new degree of awareness begins to flood the consciousness. No longer does the borderline see their self, their life, or their relationships in the same way. They are now unable to utilize the same defenses against the pain of abandonment, nor ignore the true anxiety of coming to depend upon themselves. Gradually, more and more illusions about themselves and others begin to die. The emptiness, the hollowness, the pain experienced as they abandoned their own Heart are gradually replaced by clearer and more frequent glimpses of their true essence. Yet as their illusions of self and others begin to fade, being no longer tenable and therefore less useful, they enter a period of true grieving and recognition of loss. It is during this period that a “heaviness” is experienced in the Heart Center, as primary emotional energy begins to return. It is accompanied by the sadness and depression of genuine grieving, but without the same sense of hopelessness that

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contributed to the anguish experienced prior to the initiation of the recovery process. While they recognize they are now headed home, they intuitively know the road may be long ahead of them. It is important to recognize that this heaviness is not the leaden slowness of feeling, thought and action characteristic of clinical depression. In fact, there can be a certain lightness and buoyancy in this stage. However, there now can be periods of true terror. The path to recovery is becoming clearer; but with it comes the recognition that, to be ultimately successful, one must eventually surrender completely to the Heart, a feeling akin to the beginning parachutist who, once airborne for the first time, realizes that to reach the ground they must eventually jump. There must eventually come a moment which is truly a leap of faith. And the terror of that moment for the borderline must never be underestimated. During these times, gentle are the ways of successful psychotherapy.

7.3

Stage V. The Strong Heart

As awareness of their true center increases, and recognition of their own power dawns upon them, primary emotional energy continues to return and stabilize. No longer do they experience a capricious shifting and vacillation; and no longer do they feel the need for dependence upon another’s energy or support for their survival. They begin, now, to grasp, perhaps for the first time, who they really are, to come to terms with the individualistic nature of their own being, and may reassess their values, priorities, choices, goals, and relationships. They become, tentatively at first, but later with greater strength of will, “self” centered in a way that provides the final thrust “away” from unhealthy dependency relationships and “toward” competency and selfsufficiency. It is during the initial phases of this necessary stage of the recovery process that others may regard them, with no small dismay, as selfish, ungrateful, and uncaring, as they separate and individuate, often creating the stimulus for another person’s own abandonment depression. It is during this period that family therapy may be helpful or essential.

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This period may be experienced as a time of great testing, as they see the anguish precipitated in their personal relationships. Although periods of uncertainty and vacillation may again produce the illusion of their own weakness, there comes an increasing recognition that there is no real option to return. Leaden heaviness is being transformed to tensile strength. The Strong Heart is the stage during which primary emotional energy reconnects and stabilizes in the Heart Center. The energy, once utilized almost exclusively for defending against the pain, emptiness, anxiety, anger and depression associated with abandonment, is neutralized upon returning to its true home, being now available for fulfilling one’s purpose, meaning, or function in this existence. The primary experience is that of freedom, coming as it does from the recognition of one’s strength, for individualistic self-expression. This stage is usually considered the successful end of orthodox psychotherapy.

Interpersonal and Spiritual Transformation Where traditional psychotherapy ends, a process of transformation begins, for the journey of the recovered borderline is not yet complete. They have progressed from the point of a Broken Heart, the endless anguish of their Abandoned Heart, through the crisis of their Awakening Heart, they have been drawn now beyond into the Heavy Heart, and have discovered self-reliance in their Strong Heart. They may stop here, if they choose. But once they begin to sense internally the recovery process, they may decide to make the commitment to continue. There now is a certain peacefulness, a gentle sweetness in their strength, which calls them onward toward an unknown end. Once they surrender to this inward calling, there is no turning back.

7.4

Stage VI. The Full Heart

Primary emotional energy, once having returned to its home, begins to undergo a natural transformation. Thus neutralized and freed from the bondage of specific emotions, it begins to fill the Heart Center completely. No longer are there subjective sensations of emptiness. No longer is there a need to take. Only felt is a need to give. At

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times the awareness of love becomes an ache so strong it feels unbearable, stretching, pushing out, beyond the body’s boundary, a pregnant fullness yearning, unseen labor preparing for its birth. Primary emotional energy knows no boundaries. Directed by the single desire to give, it bursts forth and flows, performing, without the need for conscious volition, its only function of connection. It’s only purpose is the extension of wholeness it now experiences, given now freely to others. The individual with a full heart begins to sense, and then see, a change take place in those around them. Often without being able to explain why, people are drawn to them, sometimes just to sit and talk, at others to fulfill more specific needs. And in so living, the individual begins to sense more clearly their own unique purpose, meaning and function. They may change occupations, or relationships, or experience their fulfillment where they are. Whichever is the case, it seems as if it’s done with ease. Manipulative patterns quickly fall away, and trust in life replaces tension and anxiety. They soon become aware that they are different now, transformed sometimes beyond all recognition, within the context of their relationships.

7.5

Stage VII. The Light Heart

While release from the bondage of specific intense emotion results in the transformation of relationships, and trust begins to take the place of fear, the need to manipulate the world and self through thought begins to dissipate. At first in fleeting moments, then in longer instances, thoughts drop away. Yet far from experiencing an empty void, one’s space, once occupied with thought, is filled with momentary flashes of a gentle golden light. Surprise replaces fear, followed more and more by peaceful joy. Extension of the self, more and more complete, reaches toward infinity. Limitations drop away. The recognition now: “I am the Light.”

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8.0 Psychotherapy and the Recovery Process Psychotherapy within the context of this model is a mix of the traditional, the innovative, and the transpersonal. Each is viewed as having its special function within the whole. Neither one, by itself, is sufficient, I believe, given the recovery goals and processes outlined above. Some specific comments regarding psychotherapy are interspersed throughout the preceding text. However, it may be useful to discuss psychotherapy in terms of some general principles and procedures applicable to working with borderline patients.

8.1

The Traditional Viewpoint

First, nothing is implied by this model to suggest the need for discarding either ones knowledge, training, or experience from a traditional, clinical viewpoint. It is only asked that the therapist be open to the possibility that man, in addition to a bio-psychosocial being, is also an energy-matrix system capable of responding sensitively to awareness, thought and choice. It is also useful to assume that this energy, far from being tightly constrained, has a certain plasticity capable of moving within and extending beyond the boundaries of the physical body. Beyond that, the model, particularly as presented in the original paper, should speak for itself. The question of the model’s validity should rightly be raised. In this regard, it should be noted the model does not assume the validity of objective, external viewer confirmation. At this point, it only hopes for a fair degree of internal consistency, or construct validity, and leaves the idea of content validity open to the reader. What the model does purport, however, is that for many borderline patients, there is a certain subjective validity, in that clinical use has demonstrated a high degree of what we might term “empathic validity. “ This is to say that the earlier version speaks significantly to the patient’s subjective experience of the disorder. The model should

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therefore be considered phenomenological in nature, and any tests of validity should take this characteristic largely into account. In terms of actual process, I have found some general procedural guidelines helpful. These are:

Guideline 8.1.1 Allow the patient, from the start, to tell their story as completely as time allows, without unduly exploring personal history beyond the major developmental and social issues of the disorder.

Guideline 8.1.2 Allow opportunities to briefly summarize the patient’s experience, and to help them become aware that their disorder is not only understandable, but that hope exists. I have found it useful to encourage expectation of recovery within certain time limits, leaving room for individual differences. I am beginning to see patients move toward full recovery within three months. However, follow-up observations are lacking at this time, so that my optimism remains guarded. I also believe that those patients who respond immediately to the model should be considered in the high functioning range, and have relatively few tertiary or third order symptom constellations involving depleted interpersonal and economic resources.

Guideline 8.1.3 Being aware of transference issues, and to work with them as they arise, is useful practice. Although I do not encourage transference, I know that it can and does occur, and must be dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner. The borderline patient is prone to splitting, and may view the empathic and caring therapist as a love object. Equally as quickly they can demonize the therapist by projecting upon him/her the painful feelings associated with recovery, viewing the therapist as a new source of pain. This shift in perceptions during early phases of therapy can occur quickly and unexpectedly, not only over time, but in a single session.

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Guideline 8.1.4 I have found that therapy is most effective when the patient is made an active partner in the process. I have found it helpful for them to know where they have been, where they are now, and where we can expect to go in the future. I have thus found it useful to share with them the model, both in written form and verbally. The result has been a cognitive map they can utilize both during therapy and also beyond. Many patients have reported that they have referred to the written materials months and years later as a reminder and guide.

8.2

The Transpersonal Viewpoint

The essence of therapy is the return of primary emotional energy, through the vehicle of awareness, to the patient’s Heart Center. My observation, not frequently shared with patients, is that my own internal states and thought/feeling processes are at times coupled synchronistically with theirs, as if an inductance had taken place between one system (mine) and another (theirs). This observation has led me to be particularly careful of my own thought and feeling processes while working with these particularly astute and sensitive patients. This can work both for and against therapy. However, I have found in general the more fully I am returning awareness to my own Heart Center during therapy, the more mutually fulfilling and healing is the therapeutic session and process overall.

8.3

The Innovative Viewpoint

In therapy with borderlines, my own stance is quite eclectic. If it works, use it. I encourage keeping one principle clearly in mind: The goal is always to return awareness (eventually at least) to the Heart Center. Whatever helps to accomplish this is good therapeutic practice. There is much room for innovation, and creative psychotherapy is often needed. Individual differences are more the rule than the exception, and we must ever be alert to respond to an immediate need, take advantage of a strength, or respond sensitively to a weakness. The intuitive approach notwithstanding, following are two innovative techniques

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that were developed or utilized in response to an issue of theory, rather than an individual’s uniqueness.

9.0 Technological Advances and Recovery: Hemispheric Synchronization (Hemi-Sync) as a Partial Treatment Modality for Part-Whole Object Relations in the Borderline Pathology Object-relations theorists have contributed significantly to our understanding of the borderline personality. Perhaps their most important contribution is the hypothesis, generated from theory and clinically substantiated, that the borderline has an all-ornothing, “all-good” vs. “all-bad” perception of relationships, which can shift back and forth quickly, dramatically, and destructively. The “all-good” perception is rewarding, motivated by desire for oneness and, because it often involves infantile sexuality, is considered regressive. The “all-bad” perception occurs where the relationship is viewed as incapable of fulfilling the oneness fantasy, is therefore punitive, and elicits a profound withdrawal response. The relationship is therefore viewed as existing in two “parts,” rather than as a “whole.” Each “all-good” part-object percept, and each “all-bad” partobject percept is emotionally charged and volatile. However, there is virtually no affect “in-between,” a cognitive-affective state that corresponds to the feeling of emptiness and void in the Heart Center. Object-relations theorists identify this “in-between” state as abandonment depression. Missing is a recognition that neither of these two percepts are accurate representations of the actual psychosocial reality of any relationship. Furthermore, when the borderline is in one of these two states, there is virtual amnesia of the other part. When the borderline views you one moment as his savior, capable of fulfilling his oneness fantasy, he does not have a concurrent memory of his anger and emotional withdrawal a few hours before, and vice versa.

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It is this dynamic that contributes significantly to the cyclical, fluctuating quality of the borderline disorder. It is also the most difficult aspect to manage effectively in therapy. Several years are thought to normally deal with this dynamic from a psychoanalytic orientation, the solution of which lies in gradually confronting first the withdrawal part and then the regressive part, each time dropping the patient existentially into the reality of their abandonment depression. Gradually, the no-affect state is filled with an expanded sense of both external reality and self, leading eventually to the reinforcement of competencies that can be truly supportive of the self. Because of the treatment time ordinarily involved, and the therapeutic complexity of transference issues, I felt that a need existed for a conceptually useful and pragmatically effectual bridge, which could span the void, emptiness and cognitiveaffective amnesic state. As serendipity would have it, I discovered this possible bridge in the form of a relatively recent advance (i.e., 1975) in audio technology, discovered and patented by Robert Monroe (author of Journey’s Out of the Body), through the Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences. Basically, the technology, used originally to generate EEG patterns known to correspond to specific altered states of consciousness, consists of listening to “pulses of sound (which) help create simultaneously an identical wave form in both brain hemispheres” (adopted from an Institute publication). This process is called Hemi-Sync, short for hemispheric synchronization. Sound patterns are introduced into both ears stereophonically, each ear receiving a slightly different audio pattern. Because the sounds entering into the right and the left ear “cross over in an “X” pattern to be processed by the opposite hemisphere, and because each audio pattern is slightly different, the two hemispheres of the brain must act in unison to process the discrepancy. The result is an internally generated electrical signal, which is some predictable product of the two

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slightly different audio inputs. For example, if you hear a sound measuring 100 (cps) in one ear and another signal of 125 in the other, the signal your whole brain will “generate” will be 25. It is never an actual sound, but it is an electrical signal that only can be created by both brain hemispheres acting and working together. (Institute publication)

Further, Monroe states “If the ‘25’ signal is one that produces a certain type of consciousness, then the whole brain - both hemispheres - is focused in an identical state of awareness at the same time.” The process has been applied to sleep disturbances, stress-tension reduction, control of pain, accelerated learning, and rapid psychotherapy, among other uses. I had been utilizing a Hemi-Sync tape personally for some time for personal reasons. It was during one of these 30 minute sessions that I began to wonder if the partwhole object-relations split, which is a component of the borderline differential diagnosis, was at least partially a function of asynchronistic left-hemisphere / righthemisphere information processing. It is a neurological / anatomical pathology in which normal pathways, perhaps involving the corpus collosum, were either inhibited or unconnected developmentally. If so, then appropriate Hemi-Sync sound patterns might be useful in assisting the borderline patient to overcome one of the most difficult and insidious aspects of the disorder. Tentatively, with the utilization of a Hemi-Sync tape 4 , I began to apply this hypothesis in therapy. Clinical observations at this time, with a limited number of patients, have been hopeful and in some instance dramatic. In conjunction with normal psychotherapeutic procedures, in addition to cognitive mapping of the disorder utilizing written materials, the actual recovery process has begun within the first three sessions. One such instance is a 33-year-old female patient, with a severe history of the disorder since age 13, including several suicide attempts and history as a psychiatric inpatient, 4

The tape utilized for this procedure is termed “Concentration,” and was chosen because it has minimal verbal commands that might prove distracting, or might otherwise complicate the results.

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multiple marriages and inconsistent career patterns. To date, there have been 20 sessions, two to three times a week. Symptoms have significantly diminished, including pain from five spinal disk operations. She has moved steadily through six of the seven hypothesized stages, with some indications of movement into Stage VII. Although the model predicted the stages of recovery and transformation, it did not predict the speed of her process. Present indications suggest that full recovery and termination will be possible within three months of the crisis that originally brought her to therapy.

10.0 Altered States of Consciousness and Recovery 10.1 The Constricted Self and Expanded Awareness An important part of the borderline disorder is a severely limited or constricted sense of self. We might symbolically conceptualize this self as a “doughnut” of two concentric spaces, one smaller circle inside a much larger one. The small inner circle contains the borderline’s “self” which is composed of very few good self-aspects. The outer, much larger circle contains all the goodness that he seeks, but which exists outside the self. The outer circle is in essence the process of projection, i.e., a fantasy of the people existing “out there” who have the resources and capability to provide him with both good feelings and security. The inner circle is in essence the process of denial, in which the true nature of the self has been hidden from awareness. An important part of the recovery process is to assist the patient expand the inner circle. The larger the inner circle, the less projection is required for the patient to maintain equilibrium, thus shrinking the outer circle.

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Under normal conditions this is a slow and labored process, met with much resistance if approached directly. There is much invested in the constricted self, for it serves to justify continued projection, as well as the lack of normal developmental competencies. A recent therapeutic innovation is the Expanded Awareness Exercise. In addition to the above theoretical position, developed by object-relations theorists, its usage is based on the “Law of Awareness,” presented in earlier sections of this monograph, which states that primary emotional energy provides the connection necessary in all relationships; and further, that this energy responds to awareness. It does not matter whether the “relationship” connection is with a person, place, or thing. Nor is it necessarily limited by distance, direction, or intervening structures, which would ordinarily, block perception. The exercise, which is presented verbally during a state of physical relaxation, simply provides the rationale (see below) for a step-by-step extension of awareness, via the vehicle of imagination – outward, upward, backward and downward in a gradually expanding sphere of 360 degrees. Having the patient sit comfortably, I usually begin by directing their attention forward, on a horizontal plane, following normal lines of sight, and to simply observe where their own awareness ends or is constrained. Normally they respond by indicating the boundaries of the room, at an angle no greater than 45o-50o (25o to right and left). Using this as the departure point, we extend awareness horizontally sideways to 180o. This is comfortable for them, not presenting an unusual situation. Their response may be a smile: “Oh, of course, I can see 180o“. Gradually, we begin to “probe” forward, beyond the walls, asking them to remember or imagine what is beyond. The next step may present some difficulty, accompanied by anxiety. The direction now is to repeat the process, but this time do it

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horizontally behind them. It is not unusual for them to have a “goose bump” sensation, or to actually express their paranoia about “not wanting to know what’s behind them.” To counteract this, I direct them to look forward again, remembering what was there, and then either physically or in imagination slowly turn around so that what was “in front” is now “in back,” and they can view directly what was behind them. This they accomplish easily, and often report a “rush” of energy as their horizontal awareness extends to 360o. Typically, they “have the hang of it” now, and approach the exercise in a playful way. Using the same basic procedure, we gradually extend awareness upward (to create a half sphere) and then “below,” toward their feet and into the earth, and beyond, out the other side of the earth. The earth’s surface usually provides an understandable point of resistance, but with gentle coaching is easily overcome. The final result, from a technical point of view, is an infinite sphere of awareness extending outward in all directions from their own “center” toward the stars, and beyond. Subjectively, they report feeling supported by space, at peace, yet uncommonly energized. Using the analogy that their awareness rides on gentle waves of light, and that this light is now a gentle gift for all it touches, they begin to experience first a warmth and then a fullness in their Heart Center. Not uncommonly nor surprisingly, they find, for the first time, a way of “loving” all that is, without risk to their sense of self.

10.2 Expanded Awareness Exercise Of all the techniques utilized, the following expanded awareness technique, which can be read silently by the patient or aloud by the therapist, also produces some of the most visibly profound and long lasting effects. There are times when our sense of self becomes constricted, when it may seem there is more goodness or O.K-ness “out there” (i.e., not-me) than there is “in here” (i.e., me-ness). During these

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times we may feel small, or weak, or tense, or depressed, or angry, or abandoned, or not very competent, or even ugly. This is a simple and easily performed exercise to counteract these feelings about our self. But before we describe, and then do, this expanded awareness exercise, let’s discuss what we mean by “awareness” and “expanded.” Awareness occurs whenever and wherever we focus our attention. Since we can literally “place” our attention anywhere we choose, our awareness has no limits--no limits at all. We can choose to make our attention come in very, very close to us, so that it does not go beyond our own skin. Then our “self,” at that moment, may seem quite small. Or, ~e can choose to allow our attention to “move” out and out and out, all the way to the stars, and beyond. Then our sense of self seems very, very large. It is expanded. Even to infinity. And then something very special can happen. Before we go on to describe how we can do this, there are some helpful things to know. These helpful things are what we call “paradoxes.” A paradox is something that may seem contrary to common sense but is actually true. What we sometimes think is a mystery of life is often a paradox. An example of a paradox we may already know is “the faster I go, the ‘behinder’ I get.” In other words, the harder I try (and perhaps the more tense I become), the less able I am to accomplish what it is I’m trying to do. The opposite of this is what we sometimes call “effortless effort”-- that when we just let go, and let ourselves “be,” and do whatever it is we’re trying to do in a relaxed way, then it just comes along; it just happens, so to speak. This expanded awareness exercise has a paradox or two (actually four). The first paradox has to do with ‘‘outer’’ versus ‘‘inner’’ awareness. When we try to increase our awareness in an “outer” way, we will probably use our eyes, or maybe our ears, and try to see a long, long way, or hear a very faint sound. But soon, when we do this, we discover that we have some very definite limits (and remember, we were talking about “infinity”). Perhaps our eyes aren’t that good (maybe we’re near sighted). Or perhaps our eyes are 20/20, but the weather isn’t. Maybe it’s foggy, or rainy, or smoggy or snowing up a blizzard. Then we’ve got a problem. Our awareness is limited. Even on a clear day, with our eyes open, we can’t see forever. Remember the horizon? So what can we do? We can shift from “outer” to “inner” awareness. So here is the paradox. When our eyes are open, there is just so much we can see. Even on a clear day. But when we close our eyes, we can shift from “seeing” to what we’ll call ‘‘vision.’’ Vision is infinite and, at first, involves using our imagination. We can “imagine” that we can see anywhere we want to. Even to the stars. And beyond. The second paradox is that when we first close our eyes, we think it is dark. But if we wait a short while, and pay attention, we can begin to see light. (Yes, even in a dark room, at night). This light starts out as tiny little pinpoints. But the more we pay attention to them, the more they will grow, or coalesce, so that more and more of our inner vision is filled with this light. This light is related to awareness. When we let this light grow, even just a little, we can then imagine that this light is moving, oh so very gently, out beyond us, away from us. And with our imagination, we can let this light go wherever we want it to. It can go all the way to the stars. And beyond. It has no limits. It can travel to infinity. (And you know how far that is). Our awareness, then, if we let it, if we allow it and give it just a little direction, can expand in all directions around us, going outward, beyond all conceivable limits, in an infinitely expanding sphere - above, around, behind, and below us. It is now that something very, very special can happen--if we let it. Whatever we become aware of, when we use this inner vision, can become a part of us; and we can become a part of it.

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When we let this happen, when we allow our awareness to expand, we have actually allowed our own self to expand. We have, all of a sudden, shifted from feeling small, weak, tense, depressed, angry, abandoned, or ugly--to feeling infinitely expanded, strong, relaxed, joyful, loving, supported and very, very beautiful. Can you imagine feeling as beautiful as the Milky Way? Our awareness, then, and so too our own sense of self, expands -riding gently upon waves of light. And now, another paradox. Our awareness, riding as it does upon this light, is always going in two directions. It is always going out. And it is always coming back. (That’s really nice to know, just in case we’re afraid of getting lost out there somewhere). But there’s more to it. When it goes “out” first, then it comes back, bringing with it all we need to know. It also brings back a gentle, but very powerful energy. We start to feel buoyant, stronger, and more energetic. But--and here’s the catch--if we try to bring the light and energy to us first, like we felt we needed it a whole lot, and had to “take it,” it will come to us. But remember it always goes in two directions; so it goes away from us, too. And if we keep this up, if we continue trying to “take it” first, before we “give it,” then we can begin to feel less and less energy, until we feel exhausted. Then we’re not really doing what we started out to do. But don’t worry. If this happens, just stop for awhile, and then start again, this time sending it out first, and simply allowing it to come back, bearing its gentle gifts. The final paradox involves something very important and dear to us. It is awareness of our “self,” our own Center. This is important to us for several reasons. The most important is balance. In order for us to be healthy, and effective, and happy, we have to be balanced. Being aware of our Center gives us this balance. We also need to know our own individuality. Sometimes we call this being centered. Well, if we are expanding, even to infinity, what happens to our unique sense of self? Will it get lost “out there” somewhere? No. Not if we remember a very simple rule. We always start the expanded awareness exercise from our physical center. This is usually located in that soft spot just below the sternum (breastbone), but above the stomach. This is our Heart Center. And it is a very special, very loving, very joyful, and very healing place. The paradox is this: When we start by focusing our attention there (instead of between our eyes, for example), and then in an ever expanding sphere -- around, above, behind and below us -- gently allowing our awareness to expand from our Heart Center, it will always (remember, always) come back to that point. When it returns to our Heart, it will increase rather than decrease our sense of self, individuality, and centeredness. But-that sense of self will now include a new sensitivity and caring for others--something we may not have had before. And, remember--it is a very gentle, strong, caring, loving, healthy place (and way) to be.

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Toward a Psychology of Wholeness Transformational Stages of Psychospiritual Development Robert M. Lewis, Ph.D.

Behavioral Science Applications San Diego, California Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Lewis, Robert M. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness. San Diego: Behavioral Science Applications, First Edition, 2007

Copyright © 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced by any medium without the express written permission of the author. Printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cover Art and Graphics by Robert M. Lewis Illustrations by Vincenzo G. Adragna and Robert M. Lewis

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table of Contents

Preface…………………………………………………………………………………............................. Prologue……………………………………………………………………………….............................. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………. The Soul in Space………………………………………………………………………………………... The Soul in Time…………………………………………………………………………………………. Transformational Stages………………………………………………………………………………….. How to Use the TSPD……………………………………………………………………………………. Endnotes……………………………………………………………………………….............................. Epilogue…………………………………………………………………………………………………... Addendum…………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Preface

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hortly after completing a landmark series of papers presented to the Association for Transpersonal Psychology titled collectively The Abandoned Heart (1982, 1983, 1984), which described a unique interpretation of the borderline personality disorder, it became apparent that additional research was needed, along with a theoretical foundation for the model. Additional clinical observations were gathered during the course of a private practice in which both the borderline syndrome and co-dependency issues merged theoretically and the framework for a formal model was gradually put into place. In the process of this work it became increasingly likely to this clinician and researcher that there was much to be gained by hypothesizing an energetic-information processing structure to the human soul that contained at least seven subsystems, two of which—the Spiritual Heart Center and the Solar Plexus—were fundamentally involved in both borderline and co-dependency issues. This work is the report of that research, which was conducted over an approximately 20 year period, during the course of which were illuminated many surprises not anticipated when the work first began in 1981. Throughout this report the reader will notice the occasional use of several simple mathematical concepts. These are included out of necessity to show the formal structure and inherent logic of the soul in space and time, but are not needed beyond that to comprehend the psychosocial and psychospiritual implications of the concepts for every day life. If one feels uneasy with information conveyed as mathematical symbols, that portion of the discourse can easily be skipped altogether, or returned to as one feels the need for a greater understanding of the logic behind the model. It is with these thoughts that I release the reader to explore the concepts further and, perhaps, to experience the many surprises—as I once did—that are contained herein. Robert M. Lewis March, 2007 San Diego, California

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Prologue

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uring the early war years of the 1940s a young boy sat cross legged in the middle of an empty road on a hill overlooking Main Street in Julian, California, once a mining town during the brief gold rush years of Southern California.

The late spring sun shown warmly on his bare back and blue jays chattered endlessly in the live oaks above his head. They were interrupted only by the echoing rat-a-tat-tat of a lone red headed woodpecker drilling holes in a nearby pine tree that served as a vault for its annual stash of acorns. Wafting lazily from the road was the warm acrid—but to him delectable—aroma of fresh asphalt and road tar laid down earlier that day by a county road crew, whom he had watched with unabashed curiosity and admiration. There was no place the boy would rather be. His family was at work or school and it was here he came to be alone with his thoughts as he stared aimlessly across the short valley and toward the hills rising 4500 feet above sea level to the west. Having taken his daily ration of the natural beauty around him the boy leaned back and looked skyward into the pure azure atmosphere that beckoned above the Cuyamaca Mountains and which drew his thoughts, ever expanding like helium in a blue party balloon. Soon he was thinking, not about the sky, which itself filled his heart with joy, but the inscrutable realms that surely lay beyond, where the night time stars twinkled with the secrets of their enigmatic mysteries. How far did the sky go, he wondered? What lay beyond the stars and where did the sky end, and if it did how could that possibly be—a brain numbing thought that introduced the ideas of infinite impossibilities. He wondered where it all ended but more. He yearned to know how it all began and his young heart ached to know the answers. It was here, on this sunlit hill, that his first thoughts of creation were born, forming preverbal images he could not possibly articulate. And hence began a life’s journey, unable to rest until the seeds of thought sewn that day sprouted into coherent form that finally made sense to him. This work is the summary of that journey, which along the way became an insatiable thirst for understanding—not the exquisite mysteries of the physical universe—but rather the sublime secrets of the human soul.

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Introduction

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s proposed in this work, the term “wholeness” is a hypothesized state of being available to every human from the moment of birth to the moment of physical death—and beyond. The state of wholeness exists independently of the biological, psychological or social condition that any human being finds itself at any time during its developmental history. This state of being is our birthright, but normally exists beyond the reach of our awareness until such time that we determine, through our own decision making process, to become aware of this state and to make it a living part of our own reality.

It is hypothesized that we were created from a state of original wholeness, present at the moment of creation, and in fact are intended to be whole. However, we labor under a burden that consistently and effectively draws our attention away from this awareness: we were born into this world as biological-psychological-social organisms. The very nature of our bio-psycho-socio self filters and distorts our awareness of wholeness and redirects our attention toward the temporary world of duality and separation, which is the antithesis of the original state. Each time we learn a word for a new and exciting object in this world, for example, we learn to separate it from all others. Each time we see the boundary state, or the form, of another human and learn their name, we have separated that person from all others. Each time we learn the name or visit a street, a city or a nation, we have learned to separate that piece of geography from all others. And hence, the original state of wholeness from which we were created, and of which we were intended to be aware, recedes further and further from our awareness and our thoughts. From birth, the very nature of our sensory and cognitive processes impels us into the world of perceived separation. Of course we can effectively argue that our sensory and cognitive discrimination of object groups into their respective parts is necessary in this world and essential for our survival. It would likely be disastrous to walk down the wrong street and into the wrong house and give the wrong person a kiss! We need the art of sensory differentiation and cognitive discrimination. Our educational system is predicated on this view, and in fact the student with a doctorate has, in all likelihood, learned more object and process names and functions than one who has simply finished high school. We cannot possibly argue that this learning is dysfunctional or that we should not pursue it with all vigor. Nevertheless, there is a cost. There is a price to pay for our education that goes beyond school tuition. Wholeness is our birthright, but a belief in separation, no matter how well intentioned initially, leads us further and further away from that which gives us peace. How, then, can we reconcile these two disparate views of our essential nature? The answer lies in the very nature of original wholeness itself.

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Back Engineering Wholeness: The Nature of Original Creation Here we will insert another of several basic assumptions. They are assumptions because we cannot present a credible proof. Neither can we proceed without them. They are presented to acquaint the reader with an understanding of the author’s starting point, at least from the viewpoint necessary to establish this as a dynamic model, which is preliminary to creating a working theory capable of developing testable hypotheses generated from a coherent set of propositions. In so doing we make it clear that this information is not presented as fact, but rather as a presumed plausible framework for understanding other observations about the human condition that otherwise might remain an enigma. Let us first begin with the assumption that there was indeed an original state of creation, one that pre-existed the Big Bang, so familiar to modern cosmology. Following the first instant of the Big Bang, energetic forces and subatomic particles quickly formed and coalesced into larger and larger units of energy and matter, leading to the visible universe of which we are now aware. Of course, the term “quickly” refers to time scales that range from microseconds to years counted in the billions. During these epical periods, quarks, electrons, photons, atoms, molecules, galaxies, solar systems and, of course, the earth, were formed. Energy and matter co-acted to form the visible universe in which we now reside. Only later did matter and energy co-act further to create bonds and networks capable of forming and processing organized bits of energy and matter, or information, in such a way that viable self-directed life as we know it could arise. Let us presuppose, however, that prior to the Big Bang another state existed. Let us also presuppose that this state was undifferentiated. It existed without parts of any kind, and without parts there was no space and consequently there was no time. The fabric of space-time did not exist as we know it. Let us further suppose that this state, although not particulate—because particles infer a space-time fabric—was instead, vibratory. 1 It was vibratory at the energetic level in a way analogous to the vibrations of air molecules as they are affected by an orchestra. They are felt and heard but not seen, but are nevertheless interpreted by the listener as a coherent whole filled with significant information that affects the listener physically and affectively at many levels. Of course, this analogy breaks down quickly under scrutiny, because the air molecules are particles, and both the source of the music and the listeners themselves, as well as the auditorium and its acoustics, are particle and space-time dependent. Nevertheless, there is something to be gained from the analogy, incomplete as it may be.

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With apology to the physics of string theory, we nevertheless begin to see echoes of this specialty within these ideas. For a highly technical discussion of some connections between string and information theories, see: Samir D. Mathur, Ashish Saxena and Yogesh Srivastava, Constructing `hair' for the three charge hole, in Nuclear Physics B, Vol. 680, pages 415-449. A review of this article can also be found in Ohio State Research News, March 2004. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 7 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

Let us further assume that this vibratory state was self-organizing. The vibrations themselves, being without any limits imposed by a space-time continuum, or dependent upon the physics of a material universe, would, could and did organize into networks capable of both producing and processing infinite amounts of information. As infinite, this matter-free information generating and processing suprasystem—the original state of wholeness—homogenous yet dynamic, co-acted with itself to further create infinite matrices or probability states in which all conditions of life and choice existed as possibility. It was only later in this creation scenario, following the coupling of parts and individual choices, that possibilities became (and become) probabilities. We will also assume that the vibrations themselves were coherent wave forms capable of producing and self replicating within the entire matrix to form a holographic infinite multi-verse. The vibratory patterns, rather than linear, coalesced into geometric resonance states or quasi-crystalline structures imbedded within a holographic matrix 2 in which any bit of information in one area of the matrix was also available in all areas, and the information of the whole was also imbedded naturally in any conceivable portion of that whole. Being an infinite information processing suprasystem, original wholeness was self aware. Being whole and self-aware it had a primal imperative: to create that which was possibility. In other words, the original imperative of wholeness was to extend itself. However, being whole, it could only create its likeness. Wholeness could only beget wholeness. It could not create parts that extended beyond itself. To do so would be to create a state of separation, an act impossible for wholeness. It therefore was faced with a creative dilemma. Its imperative was to create, yet physical creation as we know it is replete with uncountable parts and thus was impossible for original wholeness to create from its volition alone. Original wholeness needed a co-creator. It needed to recreate itself, an infinitely complex stem cell 3 of sorts, with all possible permutations within its core. The “one” of wholeness needed another “one” of wholeness to complete its creation imperative. Once this mirror image was created, the remainder of the creative process could ensue. In this one instant unity became duality. One became two; yet the second wholeness unavoidably retained all characteristics of the original wholeness. Here the first one plus the second one became two; still, the two remained one, with all information within one passing simultaneously between and being present within both. Thus we are reminded of Fibonacci, the famous Italian mathematician and the number series that bears his name, which begins with one, with another one added, and then the one and one make two, and the one plus two make three, and the two plus three make five, and so on, each previous two numbers summing to create the following number, 2

A similar viewpoint has been explored in The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. 3 Stem cell: an undifferentiated cell from which specialized cells, for example, blood cells, develop. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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until we finally arrive at a permutation in which the last number divided by the immediately previous number creates the transcendental number Phi. Phi is the ratio of 1 : 1.618, which is the Golden Mean, and forms the foundation of what we now often refer to as Sacred Geometry. It is this geometry that will form the basis of much of the work that follows. Table 1 The Fibonacci Number Series Resulting in the Transcendental Number Phi

0

1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144 233 377 610 987 1597 2584 4181

6765 10,946 17,711 28,657 46,368 75,025 121,393 (196,418) (317,811).... (…extended to infinity…) 4 Note that in this series, for example, (317,811) / (196,418) = 1.618(0339887383030068527324379639…), which is the exact value of Phi carried to as many places as one cares to calculate. The value of Phi is an approximation in early portions of the number series, but eventually becomes precise at the 28th and 29th permutations in the series, when counting from 0. From there, it continues to be exact on into infinity. Also in this series, 1/Phi (.618) and Phi2 (2.618) are similarly created. 5 Table 2 Permutations of the Fibonacci Series, Phi, and Derivations of Phi Permutation 28th = A 29th = B 30th = C 31st = D 32nd = E 33rd = F Derivation of Phi 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

B/A = 1.618 C/A = 2.618 A/B = .618 √A/B = .786 A/C = .382 A/D = .236 A/E = .146 A/F = .090

Phi Phi2 1/Phi √1/Phi 1/ Phi2 1/Phi3 1/Phi4 1/Phi5

Phi + 1 Phi – 1 √Phi – 1

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For more information on the Fibonacci number series and its relationship to Phi, see: http://www.halexandria.org/dward093.htm by Dan Sewell Ward, Copyright 2003. 5

Of all the transcendental numbers in mathematics, Phi is the most unusual. It is the only value, for example, that when squared retains its original identity, and likewise, when divided into one also retains its identity. That is, where Phi = 1.618, Phi2 = 2.618; and where 1/Phi = .618. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 9 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

As will be formalized later, these permutations, singly and in combination, create patterns that define the geometry of the soul in space along the vertical axis of the human torso. Thus it is suggested that the Fibonacci number series is a fractal set that corresponds with processes inherent to original spiritual creation. It is further suggested that, when ordered or organized by constraints inherent to the series, a coherent sacred geometry is formed that becomes the structure of the human soul in space and time. At the very instant of completion, during which the infinite multi-verse became whole unto itself, the energetic imperative of creation became too powerful for any conceivable restraint. The Big Bang exploded into the void. Duality overcame the homogeneity of original wholeness. It thus created the time-space fabric and the conditions necessary for particles and parts, necessary for physical creation, to manifest in the forms we now recognize. Yet, the state and condition of original wholeness remained intact. Back Engineering the Soul: The Extension of Creation and Wholeness The quintessential nature of wholeness is to extend itself. Having replicated itself as the first act of extension, thus creating its dual expression, it continued the creation imperative by creating fractal 6 portions of itself from the fabric of its holographic matrix. These fractions of wholeness, referred to now as the soul, thus were bequeathed the very nature of wholeness from which they sprang. The inheritance of the soul is the wholeness of its creator. The soul, having been created following the dual expression of wholeness, took on two essential imperatives. (1) The soul was incapable of leaving the oceanic environment of its original state, while at the same time (2) being endowed with the capacity to enter into physical form for the purposes of experiencing the results of dualistic creation. In its physical form, the soul would exist in a bio-psycho-socio environment that would, by its nature, pull the soul away from awareness of wholeness and toward the perceived state of separation and eventual amnesia of that wholeness. These fractal portions, or souls, were inevitably endowed with seven creator functions, or subsystems, for the express purpose of: (1) allowing its inheritance of wholeness to be always available to the soul through awareness; (2) as information processing devices capable of communicating with the state of original wholeness, even while in a physical body, thus acting as a transceiver for sending requests and receiving guidance for the return journey to its original state of wholeness, and (3) a method for the soul to fulfill its quintessential purpose of co-creation by extending wholeness within the environment in which it resides. 6

Fractal: a geometric shape or pattern that can be repeatedly subdivided into parts, each of which is a smaller copy of the whole. Fractals are used, for example, in computer modeling of natural structures that do not have simple geometric shapes, such as clouds, mountainous landscapes, and coastlines. A subclass of Penrose tiles, used to solve a unique problem of geometric repetition in space, uses Phi as the basis for its solution. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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From the human perspective, wholeness is perceived as 1) energetic and creative, capable of participating in the extension of wholeness, 2) willfully intentional for the purpose of expanding wholeness, 3) integrative, with a core sense of personal self or being, 4) compassionate and giving, with the wholeness not only of self but of others the essential goal, 5) truthful and capable of receiving and giving guidance for extending wholeness, 6) visionary, capable of perceiving the larger wholeness in which the self is imbedded, and 7) transformational, with the extension of wholeness as its essential and final purpose of expression at each level of reality in which it resides. Wholeness is experienced personally as internal peace, equanimity 7 , harmonious balance, fullness and expansiveness, with humor toward the natural vicissitudes of one’s life. It also functions in the now and the here of life, and is thus associated with what Abraham Maslow has termed “self actualizing” behaviors. 8 It may, but does not necessarily, translate directly to specific forms of health or personal wealth. The actual conditions of one’s personal life may differ from the human ideal belief system because an individual may be using alternative conditions to further an awareness of wholeness within one’s self or the world at large. A physical disability or a condition of poverty does not disqualify a soul from being aware of the wholeness that is its birthright or from offering wholeness to others. The fruit of a soul aware of its wholeness is an increased sense of wholeness within others with whom that soul comes in contact, as well as some degree of greater wholeness within the world and environment in which it resides. A soul aware of its own wholeness and of the wholeness of its original creation is incapable of withholding that wholeness from any person or aspect of its environment. It flows naturally from that awareness. The one caveat to this assertion is the soul’s humanity itself, which may function to attenuate 9 or dampen 10 its own awareness of wholeness from moment to moment, thus affecting its ability to offer or extend that wholeness to others. Subsystems of the Soul The seven subsystems of the soul are reflections of characteristics contained within its creator. The functions of these subsystems are: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Creative Energy for Wholeness Will for Wholeness Being for Wholeness Giving for Wholeness Truth/Guidance for Wholeness Vision for Wholeness Unfolding of Wholeness

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Equanimity: calm temperament; evenness of temper even under stress. Maslow, Abraham, Toward a Psychology of Being, 3rd Edition, John Wiley and Sons, 1968, 1999. 9 Attenuate: to reduce the size, strength, or density of something, or to become thinner, weaker, or less potent. 10 Dampen: to deaden or stifle something, or to become deadened or stifled 8

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Subsystem 1: Creative Energy for Wholeness The first subsystem of the soul provides a source for creative energy that must be first understood before it can act on behalf of wholeness. In the normal human condition, this energy is most often experienced as psychosexual and is used to experience sensory and emotional pleasure. However, it does have additional expressions. When used for procreation, it is best understood as a means of creating children whose parents nurture their wholeness, which is a means of further extending wholeness by proxy within the physical world. However, this energy can also be used for driving the creative process of the artist, writer, musician, physician, priest or plumber. All work that is completed for the good or well being of another has a component of wholeness driven by this energy. The highest forms of creative energy expression are those that are used to extend wholeness to others and to the world in which we live. First subsystem energy is the foundation for all subsequent subsystem functions, which sequentially evolve into higher and higher forms and processes for the extension of wholeness. Diminishment at this level serves to diminish the energy available for all levels. Conservation and focused expression at this level serves to amplify one’s awareness of personal and original wholeness and extend it to others. Subsystem 2: Will for Wholeness Once the soul has a sufficient reservoir of creative energy at its disposal, it is available for the use of purposeful intent or will. Will or intentioned focus is the power source for the soul and is available from the second subsystem. It is akin to the difference between electricity (creative energy) and voltage (will), since a voltage differential is defined as the ability to perform work. However, will or intention can be used for the purpose of separation as well as connection and wholeness. When used for separation, however, it ultimately results in the collapse of will, to the detriment of the soul, because separation draws down the energy available at the first subsystem for creative endeavor. When used for wholeness, it increases creative energy and strengthens the ability of the soul to perform its intended mission as a co-creator of wholeness.

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Subsystem 3: Being for Wholeness Being is the function of the third subsystem. It is the integrity of the individuated personal self. Strong being energy results in a confident sense of self possession, and is unique to each individual. Unfortunately, being energy is often mistaken for romantic love and may be mutually exchanged with a partner for the unconscious purpose of preventing abandonment in the relationship. The end result of this misuse is a diminished sense of self knowledge and personal power. These dynamics are discussed in greater detail in a later section of this work. Subsystem 4: Giving for Wholeness Creative energy, will for wholeness and a strong sense of self produce emotions associated with fullness and overflowing, with a natural desire to offer this intrinsic sense of wholeness to others. There is no need to take what one needs from others since there are no perceived needs. This sense of having one’s needs fulfilled results naturally in a heartfelt desire to offer this fullness as a gift to others. As this occurs at the energetic levels of the soul there is a sense of being loved and a desire to offer this love, at first to a selected few and then to greater and greater numbers until, ultimately, the gift of wholeness is offered without equivocation to all. When offered, the healing of self and others occurs naturally and spontaneously because it is wholeness that is being offered and received. The foundation for this fullness of heart is developed naturally during the early stages of normal childhood development from parents or parent surrogates who are themselves whole and therefore overflowing with the desire to offer wholeness to those entrusted with their care. When a child has parents who themselves feel incomplete and needy, the child may experience a paucity of this natural healing and growth enhancing energy. When this occurs chronically the child will experience this loss as pain. Many children, especially those particularly sensitive to the sensations or cognitions of loss, may attempt to remove awareness of the pain itself by disengaging from an awareness of their own Heart Center with disastrous results. This strategy of removing awareness from one’s own Heart energy is termed The Abandoned Heart. 11

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Lewis, Robert M. The Abandoned Heart: A Dynamic Energy-Shift Model of the Borderline Personality Disorder. San Diego: Behavioral Science Applications, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2000. Also see: http://www.borderline-personality.info . Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Subsystem 5: Truth /Guidance for Wholeness When the self is experienced naturally as whole and is offering wholeness spontaneously to others it becomes amenable and receptive to higher truths associated with wholeness. It can then act as a source of genuine guidance for others who are open to the path of wholeness. These individuals become the natural teachers and healers of the world. It is not necessary, however, to be formally ordained into this ministry. There are many who, in the natural course of their lives, offer this form of guidance to those around them in inconspicuous, subtle and understated ways that do not bring public attention to their gift. The life lived quietly in wholeness is itself one form of guidance, uncomplicated by words or imperatives, as they act as modest models of a transcendent existence. The ability to offer truth to the world undergoes several developmental stages. During the first stage the individual becomes increasingly willing to speak their personal truth without veiled facts or intentions. This form of honesty then allows higher spiritual truths to become known to the individual and expressed in ways that guide both themselves and others along the path of wholeness. The lack of truth telling has a cascading, debilitating effect on the self, soul and relationships. Heart energy becomes masked and love attenuated; the self as a strong individualized being becomes weakened; the will for wholeness is dampened; and creative energy is attenuated, less and less available for endeavors that further the cause of wholeness. Subsystem 6: Vision for Wholeness When in contact with the truth of wholeness, Wholeness reciprocates with images and directions that assist us see the larger perspective that Wholeness has in store for us and for those entrusted with our care. This form of vision, however, is not external but rather internal, and is accessed in our more quiet moments, devoid of frantic egoistic thoughts about what we think the world “ought” to be. Subsystem 7: Unfolding of Wholeness Approximately every eleven years, a time frame coincidental to the periodic phases of the solar cycle, the preceding developmental work of the soul is integrated prior to the next essential stage and phases of psychospiritual development.

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Table 3

Summary of Basic Assumptions Assumption

Description

1.

Man is more than a physical body. Man has an underlying matrix or energy/information processing system with a functional and discernable organization.

2.

This matrix is an independent system that may co-act with but is not ultimately dependent upon the bio-neurological structure or function of the efferent-afferent sensory systems, the central and peripheral nervous systems or the motor system for its organizational and functional integrity.

3.

This energy/information processing system has at least seven subsystems that, like subsystems of the physical body, co-act to form a whole that is greater than the sum of its collective parts.

4.

Each of the energy/information processing subsystems in the adult human is organized spatially along the vertical midline of the torso, beginning at or near the base of the spine and ascending upward to the top of the head.

5.

Each of the seven subsystems has a predictable spatial organization within the human body. They co-act with each other spatially (in space) and temporally (in time) in a predictable manner.

6.

This organization is based on the simple mathematics of Phi, or The Golden Mean. Phi is a transcendental number, or ratio, that equals 1:1.618. As a ratio, it produces patterns often seen in nature, such as the spiral of the Chambered Nautilus and the seed arrangements of the Sunflower.

7.

The natural patterns imposed by Phi are seen in Pythagorean and Platonic geometry and have been replicated in the religious art and architecture of the Renaissance and the mathematical intricacies of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Phi as a mathematical function is imbedded in what we sometimes refer to as Sacred Geometry. It is viewed as the quintessence of balance and harmony.

8.

The natural functions of the energy-matrix subsystems, in addition to their spatial orientation, also co-act and unfold over time throughout the course of a person’s development.

9.

This temporal unfolding or development of the subsystems is also a function of Phi.

10.

The natural unit of temporal development or evolution of the energy-matrix subsystems during the human life time is hypothesized here as the so-called “Phi-Year,” which equals 1.618 years or approximately 591 days.

11.

When seen in its entirety, this temporal development or unfolding of Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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subsystem functions over time closely approximates what we know of the normal healthy human developmental cycles discussed in classical social psychology and psychiatry. 12.

This developmental sequence of the energy-matrix subsystems over time is referred to here as the Transformational Stages of Psychospiritual Development, or simply TSPD.

13.

The ultimate function of the transformational stages is to return the soul inexorably to an awareness of its wholeness and to its relationship to original spiritual creation.

14.

These transformational processes are negentropic, that is, they co-act to move the psychological self and the soul away from chaos and towards unified balance, harmony and an awareness of spiritual wholeness.

15.

The soul is defined herein as a self-aware energy-information processing matrix comprised of seven subsystems with discrete definable properties that co-act with but are not dependent upon the bio-psycho-social self ordinarily defined as human. The soul, as defined here, acts as a mediator of awareness between the human self and its original state of spiritual creation and ultimate wholeness.

16.

This awareness of one’s relationship to the creative source occurs when certain conditions exist in the functional processes of the subsystems and results in states of psychological wholeness and, ultimately, spiritual transcendence.

17.

However, when the functions of these natural processes are distorted and an awareness of one’s original spiritual creation is obscured, there occur predictable processes of psychological, behavioral and personality malfunction and psychopathology. Distortions of the natural state of psychospiritual transformation are entropic, that is, they inexorably move the psychological and spiritual self towards imbalance, disharmony and an ultimately chaotic organization of the self.

18.

19.

The purpose of this treatise is to develop a unified model of psychospiritual development, which is predicated upon the primary assumption of an underlying matrix of spiritual wholeness.

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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The Soul in Space Spatial Orientation of the Seven Subsystems

T

he subsystems of the soul are oriented along the vertical midline axis of the torso, from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Table 4 Subsystem

12

Function

Location Base of spine

1

Resonate Frequency 12 4

2

6

Creative energy for wholeness Will for wholeness

3

10

Being for wholeness

4

12

Love / Giving for wholeness

5

48

6

96

Truth / Guidance for Wholeness Vision for wholeness

7 7a

960 Unknown

Unfolding wholeness Pattern for wholeness (e.g., spiritual DNA)

Approximately two inches below the navel Approximately two inches above the navel (Solar Plexus) Beneath the breast bone / sternum (Spiritual Heart Center) Laryngeal / thyroid level of the neck Approximate center of forehead (e.g., pineal gland) Top of head Exact location unknown, and may exist in, for example, an additional (e.g., fifth) dimension. May be analogous to double helix of physical DNA. Hypothesized to contain over riding pattern for soul development.

Observed clairvoyantly to resemble circles with equally divided “petals” or divisions, such as pieces of a pie. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 5

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Functional (Negentropic) and Dysfunctional (Entropic) Processes Associated with the Seven Subsystems The foremost criterion for evaluating the successful functioning of any or all of the subsystems is the degree to which it contributes to a life directed by the goal of wholeness. A fully functioning subsystem contributes to an awareness of wholeness of both the self and of those in our immediate environment. Fully functioning subsystems are negentropic 13 , and thus add to the self-organizing and self-regulating capabilities of the self-in-relationship to the environment. Dysfunctional subsystems are entropic 14 , gradually becoming a disorganizing force within the soul and the life of the individual. Fully functioning negentropic subsystem processes appear to have an energy flow pattern opposite of dysfunctional entropic processes. In Table 5, above, these flow patterns are denoted by the arrows. For example, creative energy for wholeness is increased and harbored by allowing this energy to come into and accumulate at the level of the first subsystem. As creative energy increases, much as a voltage differential might in an electric system, the capacity for will also increases; the sense of self or being becomes stronger; the strength of the spiritual heart and the capacity for love and giving increase; truth and guidance for wholeness become an integral part of the well-lived life; the capacity for imaging true wholeness increases; and the developmental sequences associated with wholeness become strengthened and formalized. When allowed to dissipate through misuse, however, weakened first subsystem energy ultimately collapses the will for wholeness, weakens the sense of self or being, weakens the sense of fullness and healing associated with the Spiritual Heart, undermines the capacity for knowing truth and offering guidance for wholeness, diminishes ones inherent vision for true wholeness, and disrupts the unfolding of the ultimate healthy developmental sequence. These entropic processes contribute to psychological and social dysfunction, among which are the seeds for personality disorders. The Golden Mean (Phi) as Geometric Method for Determining the Spatial Location of the Fourth Energy-Information Processing Subsystem: The Spiritual Heart Center The Golden Mean and The Golden Spiral, both based upon the Phi ratio of 1:1.618, lies at the foundation of all sacred geometries. Although geometry is a favored method of determining Phi, there are in fact two additional commonly accepted ways. One method is algebraic, in which the square root of five, plus one, divided by two, equals Phi. Symbolically, this is seen as (√5 + 1) / 2 = 1.6180338…. Like Pi, there is no end point to the calculation, but is commonly accepted as simply 1.618. 13

The term negentropy is the inverse of entropy, and is often used in living systems theory to denote inputs to an open system that contribute to its increasing complexity and/or self-organizing and self-regulating capabilities. 14 Originally used in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, entropy refers to inevitable reductions of organization within a closed system. See also: http://www.entropylaw.com/ Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 19 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

In his illuminating and beautifully illustrated book Sacred Geometry, Robert Lawler states: Ancient geometry rests on no a priori axioms or assumptions. Unlike Euclidian and the more recent geometries, the starting point of ancient geometric thought is not a network of intellectual definitions or abstractions, but instead a meditation upon a metaphysical Unity, followed by an attempt to symbolize visually and to contemplate the pure, formal order which springs forth from this incomprehensible Oneness. It is the approach to the starting point of the geometric activity which radically separates what we may call the sacred from the mundane or secular geometries. Ancient geometry begins with One, while modern mathematics and geometry begins with Zero. 15 As described earlier, the second method for determining Phi is based upon a well known Fibonacci number series, in which the numerical sequences themselves yield Phi. The series begins with 1. The second number is also 1. From thereon in the series each two preceding numbers are added to produce the next number, such that 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55… and so on. When we take the last number and divide it by the previous number, the result yields Phi, or 1.618. Although in this example, 55/34 = 1.6176470…, which is a close but not exact approximation of Phi, by the 28th derivation in the series the calculation is exact and remains so to infinity. As a transcendental number, Phi is more unusual than most numbers of which we are commonly aware, such as Pi. For example, when we divide the number one by Phi (1/1.618), the outcome is, astonishingly, Phi – 1, or .618. When we square Phi (1.6182), the outcome is, once again to our astonishment, Phi +1, or 2.618. In each case the identity is exact, to as many places one wishes to carry out the calculation. However, for our present discussion, it is the geometric method for calculating Phi that concerns us, and the identity 1/Phi = .618, for, as we shall see, these calculations will form the foundation for determining the spatial location of the Fourth Subsystem of the soul, commonly known as the Spiritual Heart Center. How can this be? Dan Sewell Ward, in his exceptional and highly recommended web site http://www.halexandria.org offers a quote from Michael S. Schneider pointing to the heart of the matter: The body’s structure is a mirror of our psyche, a denser expression of the energetic patterns of our soul. Body and soul somehow partake of the same design. But in what way can a mathematical ratio permeate our souls? Through beauty. A deep part of ourselves recognizes in flowers and dancers the beauty of the mathematical infinite and sees in it the endlessness of our own depths. Natural beauty resonates with the archetypal nature within us. 16 17 15

Lawlor, Robert, Sacred Geometry, Philosophy and Practice, Thames and Hudson, London, 1982. Schneider, Michael S., A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe, Harper-Collins Publishers, 1994. 16

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While conducting a private practice in individual and family therapy during the 1980’s I observed that clients experiencing loss of a profound love, when speaking of the emotions associated with that loss and with that love, inevitably pointed to the center of their chest or thorax, approximately beneath the sternum or breast bone. Further, it seemed plausible that this location was similar to what Eastern spiritual traditions refer to as the Fourth Chakra, or Spiritual Heart Center. The term chakra is Sanskrit for “spinning wheel or circle,” and refers to a subtle energy center identified with human love and compassion. In Eastern philosophical and religious traditions, this center has been viewed clairvoyantly as having twelve equal parts, or “petals,” similar visually to the equal portions of a pie. In this work, however, we will refrain from further use of this Sanskrit term, preferring instead to westernize the concept by couching any associated phenomena in terms of energy and information processing system characteristics. In a leap of intuition, I sensed that this location along the midline of the human torso was identical to the visual impressions I had when reading descriptions of the geometry of Phi in Peter Tompkins’ Secrets of the Great Pyramid 18 , upon which the following graphic (Figure 3) is loosely based. I eventually wrote three papers describing this phenomenon entitled The Abandoned Heart, which were presented to the Association for Transpersonal Psychology in 1982, 1983 and 1984. 19 See also www.borderline-personality.info. 20 The papers described an inherent logic of energy shift patterns that seemed to be associated with shifts of awareness away from or back toward the Spiritual Heart Center, particularly when loss experiences had become chronic. Shifts of awareness away from the Heart Center, which are maladaptive attempts to ameliorate the pain of loss, produced various forms of psychopathology, the sum of which were definable as the borderline personality. These shifts of awareness away from the Heart Center were conceptualized as “abandoning one’s own heart,” with deleterious consequences. Shifts of awareness back toward the Heart Center produced healing and healthier patterns of thought, emotion and behavior.

17

See also: http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_251_300/fibonacci_numbers.htm Tompkins, Peter, Secrets of the Great Pyramid, Harper Colophon Books, 1978. Previous hard cover version published by Harper & Row, 1971. 19 Lewis, Robert M. The Abandoned Heart: An Energy Shift Model of the Borderline Personality Syndrome, Parts I, II, & III, Behavioral Science Applications, San Diego, CA, 1982, 1983,1984. 20 Robert M. Lewis, Ph.D, http://www.borderline-personality.info, Copyright 2003. 18

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Table 6

Instructions for Using the Geometry of Phi to Determine the Location of the Fourth Subsystem. To create Phi using this simple geometric method, refer to the graphic below (Figure 3), and perform the following steps: Step 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Description Using the distance between the base of the spine and the top of the head, CG, of an adult human, create an equilateral rectangle (i.e., a perfect square). Give this vector an arbitrary value of 1 measurement unit. Recreate this square and place it directly below the first square, creating the second square CDIJ. The vertical sides of the resulting rectangle GHJI will then have the value of 2 measurement units. Divide the lower square in half along the horizontal axis AB. Draw the angle BC. Place the point of a compass at B, and the pencil end at C. Using the compass, draw an arc from C to E. Draw a horizontal vector at intersection E to location F on the human torso. The distance JE will equal 1.618 the distance between JH. The distance DE will then equal 1/Phi, or .618. The vector EF will indicate the location of the Fourth Subsystem, or Spiritual Heart Center, along the human torso. When investigating this subsystem location with human subjects, one can dispense with the formal geometry. Simply use a flexible tape measure to determine the distance between the base of the spine and the top of the head, either in inches or centimeters, and multiply this distance by .618. The resulting location is the Spiritual Heart Center.

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

Summary CGHD CDJI AB BC BC BCE EF JE DE EF

.618 CG = F

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Figure 1

The Logic of Phi and the Spatial Location of the Remaining Subsystems The next phase of research involved another intuitive leap. If one can locate the Fourth Subsystem using Phi and the derivation 1/Phi, I wondered, was it then possible that Phi or its derivations might underlie the spatial orientation of the remaining subsystems? The Third Subsystem: Being and the Betrayal of Being As I continued my private practice, working first with victims of emotional loss, and then with increasing numbers of clients with a diagnosis of borderline personality, I noticed there were times when clients, rather than pointing to their Heart Center, pointed instead to their third subsystem, or solar plexus area, the center of which lies approximately two inches above the navel but below the diaphragm. Initially puzzled, for I did not expect this behavior, I asked the client to describe the sensations they were experiencing. Rather Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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than emotions associated with love or its loss, clients with this behavioral characteristic invariably described a deep ache or pain associated with turmoil or disengagement involving a significant relationship. As these issues were explored further with many clients, it became increasingly apparent that they were dealing with two associated issues: a struggle to define some essence of their own being; and, second, the enmeshment of their being with that of another significant person. In addition to the deep ache or pain, clients also described a sensation of emptiness and diminished sense of self. It was these observations that reinforced the idea that the solar plexus center also played an important role in the dynamics of self, relationships and, possibly, personality disorders. Consequently, I decided it was time to explore whether Phi or a derivative might determine the spatial location of the third subsystem. Rather quickly I discovered what I believed to be the answer. Recalling that 1/Phi determined the location of the fourth subsystem or Heart Center, I experimented with several additional derivations. The answer soon became apparent. By taking the square of 1/Phi, or .6182, the result of .382 did indeed locate this center exactly when using the same measurement parameters used to determine the location of the Heart Center. Further, I observed that 1/Phi + 1/Phi2 equaled exactly one. That is, .618 + .382 = 1, or Unity. Intuitively, this suggested a mathematical unity between the fourth and the third subsystems. In other words, there seemed to be indirect evidence of an interaction effect that warranted further study. Whereas pathological energy dynamics associated with the fourth subsystem had been described as an abandoned heart, the pathological dynamics associated with the third subsystem were described as “the betrayal of being.” While the individual suffering from a borderline personality disorder had abandoned their own heart, the individual with symptoms associated with the solar plexus had abandoned some essential sense of self. They had betrayed the integrity and self possession of their own being, often with disastrous results. The resulting pathology is similar to those dynamics associated with co-dependency. Further exploration unveiled the following energy dynamics associated with the third subsystem and the betrayal of being, offered below as an incomplete summary: 1. In the normal, healthy individual, there is a sense of fullness and strength of being, or centeredness, occurring at the third subsystem, or solar plexus. 2. People struggling with their sense of self, however, experience emptiness, weakness or pain at the third subsystem. 3. People with a diminished sense of self often seek others with the same disorder. 4. Two people with the same disorder of emptiness will seek to be filled by that person’s energy of being, forming an energy-based co-dependency. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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5. In a significant relationship, both parties will attempt to place their own energy of being into the other, and require that the other person place their energy of being into them. 6. This dynamic of energy exchange is possible because the energy of self obeys the Law of Awareness. The energy of being will go where we place our awareness, which is then leveraged by intent or personal will. 7. The primary motivation for this energy exchange is the fear of abandonment. The unspoken agreement between the two parties is “I want you to fill me up and make me feel whole with your energy of being and, in return, I will place my energy of being inside you. In this way we will be connected and will never leave each other.” This motivation forms the basis of an unconscious and therefore unspoken agreement or social contract between the two parties. When broken, the sense of pain and betrayal is immense, triggering episodes of fear and anger that in themselves may endanger the relationship. 8. The initial response during this energy exchange, however, is joy and exhilaration, and is usually described by the two parties as “being in love.” It is given cultural currency by most of our pop songs and lyrics, which confirm the misplaced idea that “I need you and can’t live without you.” The idea is given a certain self-fulfilling validity once one’s energy of being is given over to another. Because one’s own energy of self is no longer present, the individual feels empty and devoid of self, which naturally leads to confusion, loss of vitality, depression, anxiety and eventual loathing of both self and the other person. Only by taking more and more energy of self from the partner is this feeling of emptiness ameliorated temporarily. It becomes the psychological equivalent to a fix in which each partner ultimately becomes addicted. 9. After a period of time, problems begin to develop with this energy dynamic. First, each person becomes focused and eventually obsessed with their partner, for within the other is one’s own being. The individual may reach a state in which they know more about the partner than they do themselves, and may make statements such as “I don’t know who I am anymore.” 10. There often follows a period of self doubt and then resentment, followed further by an increasing desire to reclaim one’s being energy or sense of self. However, because this underlying desire in not usually conscious, their also results a period of guilt because the very idea of reclaiming one’s own being seems to be an act of betrayal against the partner. This betrayal can become real, however, when the dynamic is not recognized for what it is and one partner seeks out another individual who they believe may help them regain some essential sense of self. The actual betrayal, however, is toward one’s self and the “being energy” of individuation.

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11. When one of the partners begins to tug at their being energy for the purpose of bringing it back to one’s own center, it temporarily loosens from its location inside the solar plexus of their partner. When this occurs, the partner never fails to sense the process. The resulting emptiness and pain produces anger at the partner who is in the process of retrieving their own energy. Relationship fights often then occur, frightening both parties by raising the specter of abandonment, which was the original motivation for the exchange. The result frequently is a recommitment to exchange energy selves, which ends the fight and is perceived as forgiveness and ends with the mutual act of “making up.” 12. This vacillation dynamic may recur many times, and in fact may never be resolved. Fortunate are those who finally regain their own centers of self, for only then can they share the true nature of love with another from a position of personal strength, thereby supporting the warmth, compassion and harmony of energy that flows naturally from the spiritual heart center. Contented is the relationship in which both partners have a strong sense of self, capable then of sharing with each in committed love. Table 7 Location of all subsystems as function of Phi Subsystem

Function

1 2

Creative energy for wholeness Will for wholeness

3

Being for wholeness 22

4

Love / Giving for wholeness 21

5 6

Truth / Guidance for Wholeness Vision for wholeness

7

Unfolding wholeness

7a

Pattern for wholeness (e.g., spiritual DNA)

7b

7c

Communication with Creator Principle

Derivation of Phi and Distance from Base of Spine 21 1/Phi5 = .090 1/Phi3 = .236 1/Phi2 = .382 1/Phi = .618 (or Phi – 1 = .618) √1/Phi = .786 √3 1/Phi = .852 √4 1/Phi = .960 Phi = 1.618 Phi2 = 2.618 (or Phi +1 = 2.618) 6/5(Phi2) = Pi = 3.1416

Location Base of spine Approximately two inches below the navel Approximately two inches above the navel (Solar Plexus) Beneath the breast bone / sternum (Spiritual Heart Center) Laryngeal / thyroid level of the neck Approximate center of forehead (e.g., pineal gland) Top of head Exact location is unknown, but there are theoretical reasons to believe that the distance from the base of the spine may be equal or close to either Phi or to Phi2 Strangely, the final contact point may be a value identical to Pi, since 6/5 Phi squared is equal to 3.1416.

21

These values have been determined experimentally, and represent a “best guess” set of assumptions. Note that “Being” plus “Love” equals Unity, that is, .382 + .618 =1. Serendipitously, this in itself can serve as a functional definition of Spiritual Creation. 22

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The Soul in Time: Transformational Stages of Psychospiritual Development (TSPD)

O

nce the spatial orientation of each subsystem as a function of Phi and its derivations had been observed and formalized and the framework for energy-shift dynamics stabilized, there arose naturally another intriguing question: Does the sacred geometry of Phi, hypothesized earlier to emanate from original spiritual creation, also have an influence on the temporal evolution of the soul over a normal human life span? 23 24

Both perplexed and excited by this possibility, I was unsure how to proceed with this line of research. The questions were many, the most notable being “If Phi indeed had an influence, in what unit or measures of time would it become manifest?” After several false starts, a promising hypothesis emerged. Was it possible that an influence of Phi, if any, was simply linear and associated in some way with the solar year? This did not seem implausible since most biological systems are directly affected by the solar cycle during the course of a lifetime. Although gestation periods differ from species to species, for example, they are nonetheless consistently precise and repeatable within that species. What if, then, each subsystem either 1) evolved within its own spiritual “gestation period,” or 2) had a predictable structured temporal influence on human psychospiritual development? In either case, what repeatable period of time might this be? I eventually decided to explore the possibility that, in terms of human psychospiritual development, there might exist what I later termed a “Phi-year” of 365 days (i.e., one year) times the value of Phi, or 365 x 1.618, which equals approximately 590 days. I confess that there was no logical reason for this decision, other than intuition. I further hypothesized that each subsystem, beginning with Subsystem 1 and continuing in sequence through Subsystem 7, had its own gestation period of 590 days, or 1 Phiyear. And further, because each subsystem was functionally different, each succeeding Phi-year would have its own unique developmental characteristic or influence on the course of a normal human life span. 23

It may not be unreasonable to presuppose an interaction effect between Phi as a temporal variable and human endeavor. See, for example, http://www.davidmcminn.com/pages/summ2.htm in which it is asserted that Phi and the Fibonacci numbers have been associated with market forces and the Elliott Wave. (See footnote 20). The Spiral Calendar is based on lunar years and the square root of Phi. This technique gives numerous turning points in the markets and is linked to Moon - Sun cycles. Moon - Sun eclipse cycles can be related to Phi and the Fibonacci - Lucas numbers. This offers theoretical support for the use of these factors in financial forecasting via such techniques as the Elliott Wave and the Spiral Calendar. 24

Elliott Wave Theory interprets market actions in terms of recurrent price structures. Basically, Market cycles are composed of two major types of Wave: Impulse Wave and Corrective Wave. For every impulse wave, it can be sub-divided into 5 - wave structures (1-2-3-4-5), while for corrective wave, it can be subdivided into 3 - wave structures (a-b-c). See: http://www.acrotec.com/ewt.htm

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Table 8 TSPD Shown as Color Grid Illustrating the Co-Action of Stages and Phases Through the Repetition of 1.618 Year Phases Over Time. Each Stage of seven Phases is 11.326 years. Birth

Note that for each Stage there is also one Phase, illustrated by the arrow, color coded with the same characteristics as the Stage in which it is active. Beneath the multicolored bands that represent the seven phases is a colored bar that represents the subsystem influence over the entire Stage. The confluence of Phase and Stage in this color coded model suggests that during this time period the active Stage/Phase variable is particularly emphasized. The process begins at birth (Stage I) and evolves toward Stage VII, thus taking the individual through the 79th year, which is consistent with current actuarial tables of average life span. Table 9 The Seven Stages Color Coded in Sequence

Stage I

Stage II

Stage III

Stage IV

Stage V

Stage VI

Stage VII

Energy for Wholeness Birth to 11.326

Will for Wholeness 11. 327 to 22.652

Being for Wholeness 22.653 to 33.978

Love for Wholeness 33.979 to 45.304

Truth for Wholeness 45.305 to 56.630

Vision for Wholeness 56.631 to 67.956

Unfolding Wholeness 67.957 to 79.282

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Stage I The first application of this hypothesis was to take 590 days and multiply this time period by seven. The result can be seen in Table 11. The initial test would be to see if a correlation existed between the function of each subsystem and what is already known about normal or typical human development. The assumption was that major influences, if they existed, would be readily observable and would correlate with what we already know about human development. I was foremost intrigued to observe that 7 x 590 days equaled 11.326 years, a developmental period that falls approximately within the onset of puberty (10-12 years). I next noticed that the second “Phi-year” (age 1.618-3.236), hypothetically influenced by “Will,” coincided with what we commonly and affectionately refer to as “The Terrible Twos” in childhood development, which can be interpreted as the exertion of will, but in a negative form. 25 In another example, ages 4.8 to 6.5 years (approximate) occurs during Kindergarten to first grade, and is influenced by the 4th subsystem or Heart Center. It is during this time that children are especially open to developing relationships. Further, it is also during this period that borderline personalities with childhood onset first describe their chronic pain that eventually leads to their abandoned heart during that time period also associated with the 4th subsystem of the Spiritual Heart Center. With the original hypothesis of a Phi-year influence strengthened but not confirmed, I proceeded to duplicate this seven phase approach for a total of seven “Stages” equaling a final total of 79.28 years. (See Tables 8 and 9) It did not go unnoticed that this value was close to the actuarial normal life span utilized by insurance companies, especially for females, hinting further that this approach was probably neither random nor without merit. Although the hypothesis of a seven stage sequence (each with its seven phase subsystem sequence) had been formalized, there remained the question of how each of these stages would be functionally different from each other. The answer seemed to emerge from its bas relief when I asked the question, “What if each Stage of seven Phi-year Phases (11.236 years) was also influenced in temporal sequence by each of the subsystem functions?” If so, then Stage I, from birth to 11.236 years, would be influenced throughout by the accumulation of “Creative Energy for Wholeness.” In other words, the function of early childhood was to garner sufficient creative energy and wholeness to support a full future life.

25

Young children, while exerting their will, often do not have a positive goal toward which they can direct the force or intention of their will. Hence, their only option to express personal will is to resist by verbally, behaviorally or symbolically saying “no” to a direction or request from another. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 29 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

Stage II Similarly, Stage II (ages 11.33 – 22.65 years), or the period commonly known as “adolescence,” would be influenced throughout by the development of “Will,” in addition to the seven subsystem Phase influences. (See Table 12) For example, the Will for Creative Energy (puberty), the Will to exert ones Will, the Will for Independent Being, and so forth. It did not go unnoticed, for example, that the fourth sequence (i.e., the Heart Center), occurring between ages 16.18 to 17.8, coincides with what we affectionately refer to as “Sweet Sixteen,” which is a social metaphor for an acute interest in romantic relationships. Further, the period of adolescence ends by age 22, and is the normal age for graduating from college, after which the individual is expected to focus attention on “self-inrelationship-to-work” where the expectation will be to further develop a strong sense of individualized Being. Stage III Enter, then, Stage III: Individuation for Wholeness (Being) between the ages of 22.65 to 34.00. (See Table 13) It is during this period that Young Adulthood is attained, which is the development of Being for Wholeness, Survival and Independence. By age 34, the unique self, strong and independent, would have emerged, ready to face the remaining challenges of life. Stage IV Stage IV, Giving for Wholeness (Love, Healing) ushers in the period of Mature Adulthood, in which energies are normally directed outward toward one’s family and work. (See Table 15) It is also during this period that humans often face a most formidable crossroads known culturally as “The Midlife Crisis” at the approximate age of 40. It is during the age range of 38.8 to 40.5 years that we are faced with a double influence of the Heart Center, first as an overall eleven year Stage imperative and also as a shorter Phase 4 influence. If the TSPD has validity, we might interpret a mid-life crisis thusly: During the Stage IV, Phase 4 influence, might it be possible that we become more acutely aware of what we genuinely love or are attracted to? If we had chosen a career in, for example, accounting or engineering for its potential financial rewards, but had forsaken our true love for art, music or nature (or vice versa) might it be possible that an internal conflict could ensue? If so, then we might also expect that during the following Phase 5 influence of “Truth on Behalf of Wholeness” (ages 40.45 – 42.00), a felt imperative might develop to either speak of this truth openly and/or act upon it. When this occurs abruptly or unexpectedly within the context of work or home, there could easily follow an aftermath of conflict with self, co-workers or domestic partners. This same reasoning would also apply to issues of relationship, in which a person recognizes they have fallen “out of love” with Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

30

their partner and/or “in love” with someone else who displays characteristics more in sympathy with earlier but latent or non-expressed preferences. No two people are identical, of course, so we would expect wide variance in the details and eventual resolution, with the general exception of the timing brought about by the confluence of Stage and Phase influences. We might expect, however, that persons who early on held true to their path of wholeness would be less likely to experience the nudging of Heart Center influences as conflict inducing, and more likely to find compatible ways to enhance and extend their capacity for love-giving, healing and selfexpressions within parameters that do not unduly introduce conflict, abandonment or betrayal into their existing social milieu. Stage V Moving beyond Stage IV, the natural expression of Stage V influences is toward mentoring and teaching. In whatever field of endeavor, the outcome should be directed toward not only skills but the extension of wholeness. During early phases of this stage (see Table 16), one may observe an increased tendency toward speaking one’s personal truth which, if previously hidden or veiled, may cause some consternation or conflict with close associates. Although early attempts at speaking truth may be perceived as blunt or even tactless due to the force of pent up desire for congruency or simply inexperience, later phases typically become tempered with compassion and the desire to assist with another’s growth. Eventually, for the well prepared, wholeness itself will bring insights of the greater truths that lie beyond perceptions of the physical world. Stage VI During Stage VI (Vision for Wholeness) there is an increasing tendency to look beyond or beneath the errors or blemishes of another’s life. When one sees beyond the external to the latent wholeness within, one is then practicing spiritual forgiveness, which is a potent healing force (see Table 17). While paying less attention to the foibles of others does not mean that one supports anomie 26 , anarchy, chaos or nihilism, as some may fear, it is nonetheless an important ingredient of wisdom, which may allow the recipient to move beyond the cultural labels of past mistakes. This is often the influence that grandparents, for example, can bring to their extended families and broader social systems to which they belong. While an essential function of parenting is to teach behavioral controls, the vision for wholeness brought to the child by elders can offer the necessary perceptions of unconditional love that are necessary for healthy childhood development. 26

Anomie, a social condition characterized by an absence or diminution of standards or values. See also chaos and nihilism in http://www.answers.com/topic/anarchy-disambiguation . Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

31

Stage VII Stage VII (Transformation: The Final Stage) is typically a period of retirement, reflection, introspection and resolution. One’s life may be reviewed and evaluated within the broader context of understanding that longevity and wisdom allow. It is during this period that previous gains are solidified and mistakes reassessed in the light of selfknowledge. Where significant relationships have been broken, rapprochements may now be desired, and the soul prepares for the final stages of its journey – into the light of wholeness from which it originally came and for which it yearns to return. Before proceeding, it is important to note that the Stages and Phases of psychospiritual development do not imply “fate.” Each individual has complete control over its own destiny. They are not imperatives, but rather subtle nudges, hints and encouragements that speak to us from the still small voice of spirit within. Nevertheless, they can be ignored or overridden using our own formidable will. However, to neither listen to or to ignore the whispers that come from deep within has its own attendant risks, among which are the entropic processes of a gradually disorganizing self. Following are detailed descriptions of each Stage with its seven Phase influences, a process we have termed:

The Transformational Stages of Psychospiritual Development (TSPD)

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 10

Physical-Life Awareness Sequence: Stages I – III 27

Table 11 28

Stage I: Creative Energy for Wholeness Childhood Development Creative Energy for Wholeness (Survival and Expansion)

Phi 1

Phase Stage/Phase Code 1 S1P1

Ages 0.00 to 11.326 years Phase Description Creative Energy for Survival

Age Range (Years) 0.00-1.618

(Biological Wholeness)

2

S1P2 3

1.618-3.236

Will for Survival / Negative Will (The “Terrible Two’s”)

2 3

Will for Creative Energy:

S1P3

Creative Energy of Being:

3.236-4.854

Independent “Self” as Vehicle for Wholeness

4

4

S1P4

Creative Energy of Relationship:

4.854-6.472

Extension of Self as Vehicle for Wholeness

5

5

S1P5

Creative Energy of Truth:

6.472-8.090

Expression of Truth as Vehicle for Wholeness

6

6

S1P6

Creative Energy for Vision of Wholeness:

8.090-9.708

Envisioning Personal Wholeness

7

S1P7 7

Creative Energy for Unfolding Wholeness:

9.708-11.326

Stage I Completion

27

The seven stages align themselves naturally into two groups of three, while the seventh stage stands alone. The first sequence of stages includes Creative Energy, Will and Being, ranging from birth to age 34. This is termed the “Physical-Life Awareness Sequence.” The second sequence includes Heart Center, Truth/Guidance and Vision for Wholeness, ranging in age from 34 to 68 and is termed the “Psychospiritual Awareness Sequence.” Unfolding of Wholeness is the final stage. Although coincidental, it is perhaps nonetheless useful to note that the colors in Sequence One are warmer while the colors in Sequence Two are cooler, suggesting the changes from physical to spiritual awakening. 28

Table 6 is color coded to assist the reader understand the progressive influences of each subsystem during the first 11 + years of life. The same principles apply to each succeeding Stage. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 12

Stage II: Will for Wholeness Adolescence Development of Will for Wholeness (Will for Survival)

Phi 29 Phase Stage/Phase Code 30 8 1 S2P1

Ages 11.326 to 22.652 years Phase Description Will for Creative Energy:

Age Range (Years) 11.327-12.944

Will for Psychosexual Energy (Puberty)

9

2

S2P2

Will for Wholeness:

12.944-14.562

Development of Will as Vehicle for Wholeness

10

3

S2P3

Will for Being:

14.562-16.180

Development of Will for Independent Self as Vehicle for Wholeness

11

4

S2P4

Will for Relationship:

16.18-17.798

Development of Will for Extension and Love-Giving as Vehicle for Wholeness (“Sweet Sixteen”)

12

5

S2P5

Will for Truth:

17.798-19.416

Expression of Personal Truth as Vehicle for Wholeness

13

6

S2P6

Will for Envisioning Wholeness:

19.416-21.034

Idealism as Vehicle for Wholeness

14

7

S2P7

Unfolding of Will for Wholeness:

21.034-22.652

Stage II Completion

29

Each Phase influence has been assigned a unique reference number for research purposes. The “Phase Influence” has been called a “Phi,” which equals a total of 7 x 7, or 49 total Phi, throughout the TSPD. 30 Also for research purposes, each Phi has been assigned a Stage/Phase Code. For example, Phi 8 = S2P1 (i.e. Stage II, Phase 1). Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 34 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

Table 13

Stage III: Individuation for Wholeness (Being) Young Adulthood Development of Being for Wholeness (Being for Survival and Independence)

Phi 15

Phase Stage/Phase Code 1 S3P1

16

2

S3P2

17

3

S3P3

Ages 22.652 to 33.979 years Phase Description Creative Energy for Being

Age Range (Years) 22.653-24.270

Will for Being

24.270-25.888

Integration of Being:

25.888-27.506

Evolution as Independent Self

18

4

S3P4

Being in Relationship:

27.506-29.124

Self as focus in Relationship

19

S3P5 5

20

6

Personal Truth of Being:

29.124-30.742

Expression of Personal Truth as Vehicle for Wholeness

S3P6

Envisioning Truth of Being:

30.742-32.360

Self-Assessment as Vehicle for Wholeness

21

7

S3P7

Unfolding of Being (The Unique Self)

32.360-33.978

Stage III Completion

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 14

Psychospiritual Awareness Sequence: Stages IV – VI

Table 15

Stage IV: Giving for Wholeness (Loving / Healing) Mature Adulthood Giving and Healing for Wholeness (Love and Compassion for Wholeness)

Phi 22

Ages 33.978 to 45.304 years Phase Description

Phase Stage/Phase Code 1 Creative Energy for Giving and Healing S4P1

Age Range (Years) 33.979-35.596

23

2

S4P2

Will for Giving and Healing

35.596-37.214

24

3

S4P3

Being for Giving and Healing

37.214-38.832

Integration of the Giving Self

25

4

S4P4

Love-Giving for Healing

38.832-40.450

Compassion as Vehicle for Wholeness

26

5

S4P5

Truth for Giving and Healing

40.450-42.068

Higher Truth as Vehicle for Wholeness

27

6

S4P6

Vision for Giving and Healing

42.068-43.686

28

7

S4P7

Unfolding of Compassion for Healing

43.686-45.304

Stage IV Completion

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 16

Stage V Truth for Wholeness (Guidance) Later Adulthood I From Personal Truth to Guidance for Wholeness --Receiving/Giving Truth for Wholeness (Guidance)—

Phi 29

Phase Stage/Phase Code 1 S5P1

Ages 45.304 to 56.630 Years Phase Description Creative Energy for Truth/Guidance

Age Range (Years) 45.305-46.922

30

2

S5P2

Will for Truth/Guidance

46.922-48.540

31

3

S5P3

Being for Truth/Guidance

48.540-50.158

32

4

S5P4

Compassion for Truth/Guidance

50.158-51.776

33

5

S5P5

Communicating Truth/Guidance

51.776-53.394

34

6

S5P6

Envisioning Truth

53.394-55.012

35

7

S5P7

Unfolding of Truth

55.012-56.630

Stage V Completion

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 17

Stage VI Vision for Wholeness (Forgiveness) Later Adulthood II Wisdom and the Vision of Wholeness --Vision of Wholeness (Forgiveness)–

Phi 36

Phase Stage/Phase Code 1 S6P1

Ages 56.630 to 67.956 Years Phase Description Creative Energy for Vision

Age Range (Years) 56.631-58.248

37

2

S6P2

Will for Vision

58.248-59.866

38

3

S6P3

Being for Vision

59.866-61.484

39

4

S6P4

Compassion for Vision

61.484-63.102

40

5

S6P5

Truth/Guidance for Vision

63.102-64.720

41

6

S6P6

Envisioning Wholeness

64.720-66.338

42

7

S6P7

Unfolding of Vision

66.338-67.956

Stage VI Completion

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 18

Transformation Awareness Sequence: Stage VII

Table 19

Stage VII Transformation The Final Stage The Unfolding of Wholeness for Transformation (Freedom)

Phi 43

Phase Stage/Phase Code 1 S7P1

Ages 67.956 to 79.282 Years Phase Description Creative Energy for Transformation

Age Range (Years) 67.957-69.574

44

2

S7P2

Will for Transformation

69.574-71.192

45

3

S7P3

Being for Transformation

71.192-72.810

46

4

S7P4

Compassion for Transformation

72.810-74.428

47

5

S7P5

Truth/Guidance for Transformation

74.428-76.046

48

6

S7P6

Vision for Transformation

76.046-77.664

49

7

S7P7

Unfolding of Transformation (Freedom)

77.664-79.282

Stage VII Completion

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 20

TSPD Shown as Overlapping Stages Illustrating the Circular Nature and Interaction Effects of the Process Over Time.

Stage I

Stage II

Stage VII

Stage III

Stage VI

Stage V

Stage IV

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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How to Use the TSPD

T

he TSPD has been shown to be useful for an individual as a traveler might use a roadmap to determine their current position along their journey, or to regain an overview of the distance and landmarks already traveled. 31

You can start the process by selecting the Stage that contains your current age (See Table 9). Next, go to the Table that contains your Stage and, in the right hand column, select the Phase that contains your current age. (See Tables 11 – 19). As an example, if you are currently 35 years of age, proceed to Table 15 (Stage IV: Giving for Wholeness). In this example, if you are less than 35 and a half, you are currently in Stage IV, Phase 1 “Creative Energy for Giving and Healing.” Typically, when in the first Phase of a Stage, the promptings, if you experience them, are more general than specific. You may have had idle thoughts about assisting a friend, joining a volunteer group, or in general wondering how you might be more helpful to others in your life. If you are more than 35.5, your thoughts may have taken the form of action in which you are exerting your will in that direction. If 37 +, you may have begun to restructure your self perceptions and sense of Being to incorporate the view of yourself as someone who organizes helping opportunities into your life. You can also assess past actions or important events in your life using the same procedures, but with retrospective results. Is the TSPD Useful for Understanding Relationships? The process is also useful for understanding current or past relationships in which either convergence or divergence of life journey markers may have played a part. Although this question has not yet been studied in depth, the initial response to the question is yes. Assuming the validity of the material for individuals, it is reasonable to also assume that two individuals in a close relationship who are not the same age might benefit from understanding the stage and phase not only of themselves but also their partner. One of the greatest risks that any relationship faces is the tendency of each individual to assume that their particular set of traits or patterns is of greater value or benefit than those of another. It is wise to understand not only the similarities of the relationship but also 31

A software engineer, Kirk Kryger, has created a simple software program that will plot the entire TSPD. By simply entering in your birth date and, if you choose, dates of important events in your life, you will be able to create and print your current profile. You may reach Mr. Kryger to discuss ways to obtain a copy of the program by going to his website http://www.toltectraders.com/ . You may also contact him at Toltec Trading Company, 7135 Navajo Road Ste 1205, San Diego, CA 92119, 760-207-5814. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 41 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

the differences, and to assume that each partner has qualities that can be of benefit to the whole as the two dissimilar patterns interact synergistically. Is the TSPD Valid when the Person is Older than 79 Years? The answer to this question has not been the subject of research. Nevertheless, it is suspected that once an individual reaches 80 or more the TSPD re-cycles back to the beginning. For example, at age 80 the individual may once again have an opportunity to increase and harbor “Creative Energy” that can be used for new additional life tasks or perhaps those that had not been completed during the first 79 years. The same assumptions regarding the TSPD would continue to generally apply as the person continues to advance in age, so that by age 85, for example, there would be additional opportunities for strengthening one’s sense of Being on behalf of wholeness. These are seen as opportunities to revisit earlier decisions or mistakes and make corrections, or to have new experiences not possible earlier in life. Does a Person’s Age at Death have Meaning within the TSPD? Once again, the answer is unclear but it is suspected that it might. To use a well known illustration from history, Jesus is said to have died at or around age 33. Using the TSPD for interpretive purposes, we might conjecture that this was in fact a propitious time for this event since he had by that age completed the first three Stages, or the “Physical Life Awareness Sequence.” Since his spiritual development is presumed to already have been complete, it would have served no purpose to move forward into the next period, or the Psychospiritual Awareness Sequence. Living his life during the first sequence allowed him to demonstrate his mastery of the physical awareness stages of development. Is the TSPD Valid in Longer Time Frames? This discussion has focused on the time frame of 7 x 7 phases equaling 49 phases, for a total of 79.282 years. If this time frame is valid, might there also be longer periods of psychospiritual influence over the course of human events? In order to begin answering this question, it was hypothesized that significant human events might fall into 7 x 79 year eras or generational cycles, or 555 years. It was further hypothesized, given the spiritual focus of the TSPD, that spiritual leaders might come along approximately each 555 years. Below is the initial result of this study:

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Table 21 Candidates for Spiritual Leaders during 555 Year Generational Stage Influences

Stage Influence 1. 2.

Spiritual Leader Unknown Moses Solomon

Birth Date 1200 BC

% 555 yrs x .86

1000 BC

.80

3.

Siddhartha Buddha

563 BC

.98

4.

Jesus

0 BC

0

5.

Mohammed

570 AD

.97

6.

Unknown

x

Comments Second Stage Influence. Considered one of the early great prophets that led his people through sheer will. Second Stage Influence. The Bible portrays Solomon as great in wisdom, wealth, and power, which may have been due to the influence of Will. Third Stage Influence. Although there are many Buddha’s, he is considered the first. His contribution may have been the fulfillment of Being, with focus on solar plexus: “He has the demeanor of a great man. His navel is without blemish. He has a deepshaped abdomen. He has clockwise marks on the abdomen.” Fourth Stage Influence. May be significant to note that his social influence is perceived as one of compassion, healing and the spiritual heart. Resonant frequency of 4th Center is 12, equal to the number of apostles. Fifth Stage Influence. May be significant to note that the religion he founded is characterized by the five pillars of Islam. Formal call to prayer is five times a day. It is unclear whether we have had great spiritual leaders during the past 1665 years. Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last Prophet.

The results of this study, although not definitive, are nonetheless provocative and suggest that further hypotheses along this line of inquiry are warranted.

Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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ENDNOTES The Language of Phi

It

was with some astonishment I observed that not only does Phi and its derivations define the spatial orientation of each subsystem, as well as the transformation of the soul through time, but that the derivations may be viewed as a virtual lexicon emanating from Original Creation, including its own syntax. In short, there appears to be a ‘language of Phi.” It was as if the simple mathematics of Phi, associated with the subsystems of the soul, echoed Genesis of the Old Testament: “In the beginning was the word.” This simple lexicon with syntax is laid out below: Table 22

The Lexicon of Phi = 1.618

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Derivation of Phi

Meaning

1 1/Phi + 1/Phi2 = .618 + .382 = 1 (√5 + 1) / 2 = Phi = 1.618 1/Phi = Phi – 1 = .618 1/Phi2 = .382 1/Phi3 = .236 6/5 Phi2 = Pi = 3.1416

Unity = Wholeness Love + Being = Unity Unity + Love = Creation Principle Love Being Will Ratio of diameter to circumference of circle

Table 23

Syntax of Phi Language Units

Meaning

Unity + Love (1.618) Being + Love (.382 + .618 = 1) Will + Being (.236 + .382 = .618) Unity + Will + Being (1 + .236 + .382 = 1.618) Unity + Unity = 2 Unity + Unity + Love = 2.618 √5 (2.236) √5 + 1 (3.236) (√5 + 1) / 2 (1.618)

Creation Principle Unity / Wholeness Love Creation Principle Relationship Principle Extension Principle Relationship Principle + Will Trinity Principle + Will Unity + Love = Creation Principle

Translation “In the beginning was Unity. When Love was added to Unity, the Creation Principle was born. Love was the outcome of Will and Being. When Unity was extended by itself to produce a second Unity, the Relationship Principle was born. When Love was added to the Relationship Principle, the Extension Principle was born.” Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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General Systems Theory as a Framework for Understanding Characteristics of Original Creation Since this is a study involving a model of Spiritual Creation, it might be useful to explore a particularly vexing disagreement that exists between several of the major religions. Specifically, how can the idea of a “Triune God” (i.e., Trinity) co-exist with the essential assumption of a “One God” theology? I will suggest here that the difference is readily understandable and does not pose an inherent contradiction. The answer lies in understanding some primary characteristics of living systems described by General Systems Theory. 32 33 34 35 A living system can be defined as a coherent collection of subsystems and processes, i.e., an organized self-directing, self-organizing and self-regulating whole that, collectively, is greater than the sum of its parts. At the very foundation of systems theory is the observation that three essential characteristics must first exist before a system can be considered viable. These characteristics are: 1. Degrees of Freedom. That is, there must be more than one part to the system and the parts must be able to co-act in more than one way. The parts of a system may number from two to infinity. However, infinite degrees of freedom can also result in randomness or chaos. 2. Constraints. Where there are degrees of freedom, there must also be constraints, or rules of organization, that guide the system and prevent randomness from becoming ruinous chaos. 3. Communication. Whenever two or more parts of a system exist, there must also be communication possible among those parts, which is necessary for selforganization and self-regulation to occur and to maintain its goal-directed function. It is this communication that provides feedback to the parts of the system thereby preventing what otherwise would become the entropic spiral of disorganization and the eventual dissolution or death of the system. Thus we can hypothesize that when a religion posits a Triune God (e.g., a Holy Trinity) within the context of a One God theology, it is speaking to these three essential characteristics. First, degrees of freedom refer to the creator principle in which multiple, 32

Buckley, Walter. (Ed.) Modern Systems Research for the Behavioral Scientist: A Sourcebook. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company, 1968. 33 Miller, James G. Living Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978. 34 Lewis, Robert M. Information Processing, Humanism and the Helping Relationship: The Application of System-Theoretic Models to Counseling and Counselor Education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, 1973. 35 Lewis, Robert M. “Human Information Processing: The Essence of Counseling.” Counseling and Values, Volume 19, No. 2, February 1975. Toward a Psychology of Wholeness 45 © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

perhaps infinite, possibilities are available to the system. However, to prevent infinite possibilities from becoming random and chaotic, constraints on the variables are also necessary in the form of rules governing the behavior of the system and its organization. And finally, to prevent the variables from becoming isolated and therefore impotent to affect system behaviors, communication among the parts is required. Thus the Triune God of Christianity, for example, may be viewed as a description of the general system requirements of Degrees of Freedom, Constraints and Communication, in which the Creation Principle (i.e., God) equals the degrees of freedom of the system, the Son equals the necessary constraints required for system coherency, and The Holy Spirit is the medium of communication that exists between all parts.

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Epilogue

T

his report is the culmination of an odyssey that has taken a virtual lifetime to complete. It is based on questions that are designed to explore the nature of original spiritual creation and the consequent nature of the human soul in space and time. Nevertheless, it is not presumed to be infallible, for this level of Truth is still ultimately unknowable. It is, however, a “best guess” model that begins with a set of explicit basic assumptions that are linked to each other with rigorous logic. And it is with this logic that the research is extended to its conclusions. If the reader can accept the assumptions as being plausible, then it is likely the remainder of the work will be understood, if not accepted. If, however, one cannot accommodate the beginning assumptions, or at least entertain them transiently through a “willing suspension of disbelief” as one might do when viewing a movie or theatrical production, then the remaining observations and conclusions will be viewed as moot. It is not my intention to convince. My purpose only is to report what I have observed and to utilize the forms of logic that apply especially to system processes and to take them to their natural conclusions. I am still in awe of the many coincidences and serendipities that have been bared along the way, hidden jewels strewn along the journey’s path found in unlikely places. These jewels remain with me still, self-illuminated and sparkling as each facet has been unveiled and stored in those receptacles of the soul that seeks its own self-awareness and an understanding of its place within the womb of its creation. I have found that in accepting my own wholeness and in extending an awareness of this same wholeness to those around me that my own path has been illuminated before me. It is my hope that those who read this work will be encouraged to seek the peace of their own wholeness and to share this awareness with each of those with whom they journey. It is through this sharing that we speed the return to Original Wholeness we all ultimately seek.

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ADDENDUM Fibonacci Numbers, the Golden Mean and the Golden Spiral Author’s Note Several months after completing this work I became acquainted with a web site that richly describes the abundance of examples in nature displaying the Golden Mean and the Golden Spiral, which is related to the Fibonacci Number Series described earlier. It is included here for those not familiar with the mathematical and natural beauty of Phi and its derivations, and adds credence for its application to spiritual creation and to human affairs, as suggested in this work. I personally find it intriguing that the author of the site is a Muslim scientist and mathematician, since this fact broadens the cultural milieu in which these truths are acknowledged. The author, Adnan Oktar, who goes by the pen name Harun Yahya, gives de facto permission to quote his work as long as it is included in its entirety. Out of respect for this request, I have included his web page, below. http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_251_300/fibonacci_numbers.htm Fibonacci Numbers: A Measure of Beauty By Harun Yahya [Allah has appointed a measure for all things.] (Qur’an, 65: 3) The Wikipedia encyclopaedia describes beauty as ‘the phenomenon of the experience of pleasure, through the perception of balance’. Everyone admires beauty in nature and the unique balance found in it. Some say that this balance and perception of beauty is due to the Golden number or the ratio that gives certain things their exquisitness. If a pleasing or exceedingly balanced form is achieved in terms of elements of application or function, it is there that we may look for a function of the Golden Number. The Golden Number is a product not of mathematical imagination, but of a natural principle related to the laws of equilibrium.[1][1] What do the pyramids in Egypt, Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of the Mona Lisa, sunflowers, the snail, the pine cone and your fingers all have in common? The answer to this question lies hidden in a sequence of numbers discovered by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci. The characteristic of these numbers, known as the Fibonacci numbers, is that each one consists of the sum of the two numbers before it.[1][2] Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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Fibonacci numbers 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, … Fibonacci numbers have an interesting property. When you divide one number in the sequence by the number before it, you obtain numbers very close to one another. In fact, this number is fixed after the 13th number in the series. This number is known as the “golden ratio.” GOLDEN RATIO = 1.618 233 / 144 = 1.618 377 / 233 = 1.618 610 / 377 = 1.618 987 / 610 = 1.618 1597 / 987 = 1.618 2584 / 1597 = 1.618 The Golden Ratio When conducting their researches or setting out their products, artists, scientists and designers take the human body, the proportions of which are set out according to the golden ratio, as their measure. Leonardo da Vinci and Le Corbusier took the human body, proportioned according to the golden ratio, as their measure when producing their designs. The human body, proportioned according to the golden ratio, is taken as the basis also in the Neufert, one of the most important reference books of modern-day architects.

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The Golden Ratio in the Human Body

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The Golden Number is not mathematical imagination, but a natural principle related to the laws of equilibrium

Nose

Length of face / distance between tip of jaw and where the eyebrows meet •

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Length of mouth / width of

nose Width of nose / distance between nostrils •

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Distance between pupils / distance between eyebrows

Golden Proportion in the Lungs In a study carried out between 1985 and 1987,[i][5] the American physicist B. J. West and Dr. A. L. Goldberger revealed the existence of the golden ratio in the structure of the lung. One feature of the network of the bronchi that constitutes the lung is that it is asymmetric. For example, the windpipe divides into two main bronchi, one long (the left) and the other short (the right). This asymmetrical division continues into the subsequent subdivisions of the bronchi.[ii][6] It was determined that in all these divisions the proportion of the short bronchus to the long was always 1/1.618. The Golden Rectangle and the Design in the Spiral A rectangle, the proportion of whose sides is equal to the golden ratio is known as a “golden rectangle.” A rectangle whose sides are 1.618 and 1 unit long is a golden rectangle. Let us assume a square drawn along the length of the short side of this rectangle and draw a quarter circle between two corners of the square. Then, let us draw a square and a quarter circle on the remaining side and do this for all the remaining rectangles in the main rectangle. When A rectangle, the proportion of you do this you will end up with a spiral. whose sides is equal to the golden ratio is known as a “golden The British aesthetician William Charlton explains rectangle” the way that people find the spiral pleasing and have been using it for thousands of years stating that we find spirals pleasing because we are easily able to visually follow them.[iii][7]

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The spirals based on the golden ratio contain the most incomparable designs you can find in nature. Examples we can give of this are the spiral sequences on the sunflower and the pine cone. The Design in Sea Shells When investigating the shells of mollusks, which live at the bottom of the sea, the form and the structure of the internal and external surfaces of the shells attracted scientists’ attention. The internal surface is smooth, while the outside surface is fluted. The mollusk’s body is inside the shell. The outside edges of the shell augment its rigidity and, thus, increase its strength. The shell’s form is astonishing in its perfection highlighting the beauty of its creation. The spiral idea in shells is expressed in the perfect geometrical form, in a surprisingly beautiful, “sharpened” design.[i][8] The shells of most mollusks grow in a logarithmic spiral manner. There can be no doubt, of course, that these animals are unaware of even the simplest mathematical calculation, let alone logarithmic spirals. So how is it that the creatures in question can know that this is the best way for them to grow? How do these animals, that some scientists describe as “primitive,” know that this is the ideal form for them? It is impossible for growth of this kind to take place in the absence of a consciousness or intellect. That consciousness exists neither in mollusks nor, despite what some scientists would claim, in nature itself. It is totally irrational to seek to account for such a thing in terms of chance. This design can only be the product of the Almighty Allah.

An example of perfect geometry Growth of this kind was described as “gnomic growth” by the biologist Sir D’Arcy Thompson, an expert on the subject, who stated that it was impossible to imagine a simpler system, during the growth of a seashell, than which was based on widening and extension in line with identical and unchanging proportions. As he pointed out, the shell constantly grows, but its shape remains the same.[i][9] One can see one of the best examples of this type of growth in a nautilus, just a few centimetres in diameter. C. Morrison describes this growth process, which is Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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exceptionally difficult to plan even with human intelligence, stating that along the nautilus shell, an internal spiral extends consisting of a number of chambers with mother-of-pearl (calcium carbonate and conch Olin secreted by the mantle of mollusks) lined walls. As the animal grows, it builds another chamber at the mouth of the spiral shell larger than the one before it, and moves forward into this larger area by closing the door behind it with a layer of mother-of-pearl.[i][10] Growth in a spiral form in the animal world is not restricted to the shells of mollusks. Animals such as antelopes, goats and rams complete their horn development in spiral forms based on the golden ratio.[i][11] The Golden Ratio in the Hearing and Balance Organ The cochlea in the human inner ear serves to transmit sound vibrations. This bony structure, filled with fluid, has a logarithmic spiral shape with a fixed angle of α=73°43´ containing the golden ratio. The Golden Ratio in DNA The molecule in which all the physical features of living things are stored, too, has been created in a form based on the golden ratio. The DNA molecule, the very program of life, is based on the golden ratio. DNA consists of two intertwined perpendicular helixes. The length of the curve in each of these helixes is 34 angstroms and the width 21 angstroms. (1 angstrom is one hundred millionth of a centimetre.) 21 and 34 are two consecutive Fibonacci numbers. The Golden Ratio in Snow Crystals The golden ratio also manifests itself in crystal structures. Most of these are in structures too minute to be seen with the naked eye. Yet you can see the golden ratio in snow flakes. The various long and short variations and protrusions that comprise the snow flake all yield the golden ratio.[i][12] The Golden Ratio in Space In the universe there are many spiral galaxies containing the golden ratio in their structures. The Golden Ratio in Physics You encounter Fibonacci series and the golden ratio in fields that fall under the sphere of physics. When a light is held over two contiguous layers of glass, one part of that light passes through, one part is absorbed, and the rest is reflected. What happens is a “multiple reflection.” The number of paths taken by the ray inside the glass before it emerges again depends on the number of reflections it is subjected to. In conclusion, when we determine the number of rays that re-emerge, we find that they are compatible with the Fibonacci numbers.[i][13] Toward a Psychology of Wholeness © 1985, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2007 by Robert M. Lewis

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The fact that a great many unconnected animate or inanimate structures in nature are shaped according to a specific mathematical formula is one of the clearest proofs that these have been specially designed. The golden ratio is an aesthetic rule well known and applied by artists. Works of art based on that ratio represent aesthetic perfection. Plants, galaxies, micro-organisms, crystals and living things designed according to this rule imitated by artists are all examples of Allah’s superior artistry. Allah reveals in the Qur’an that He has created all things with a measure. Some of these verses read: [Allah has appointed a measure for all things.] (Qur’an, 65: 3) [Everything has its measure with Him.] (Qur’an, 13: 8) **The author, who writes under the pen-name Harun Yahya, has published many books on political, faith-related and scientific issues. Some of the books of the author have been translated into English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Albanian, Arabic, Polish, Russian, Bosnian, Indonesian, Turkish, Tatar, Urdu and Malay and published in the countries concerned. Visit his website at www.harunyahya.com or contact him at [email protected] [1] Mehmet Suat Bergil, Doğada/Bilimde/Sanatta, Altın Oran (The Golden Ratio in Nature/Science/Art), Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayinlari, 2nd Edition, 1993, p. 155. [2] Guy Murchie, The Seven Mysteries of Life, First Mariner Boks, New York, pp. 5859. [3] J. Cumming, Nucleus: Architecture and Building Construction, Longman, 1985. [4] Mehmet Suat Bergil, Doğada/Bilimde/Sanatta, Altın Oran (The Golden Ratio in Nature/Science/Art), Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayinlari, 2nd Edition, 1993, p. 87. [5] A. L. Goldberger, et al., “Bronchial Asymmetry and Fibonacci Scaling.” Experientia, 41 : 1537, 1985. [6] E. R. Weibel, Morphometry of the Human Lung, Academic Press, 1963. [7] William Charlton, Aesthetics: An Introduction, Hutchinson University Library, London, 1970. [8] “The ‘Golden’ spirals and ‘pentagonal’ symmetry in the alive Nature,” online at: http://www.goldenmuseum.com/index_engl.html [9] D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, On Growth and Form, C.U.P., Cambridge, 1961. [10] C. Morrison, Along The Track, Withcombe and Tombs, Melbourne. [11] “The ‘Golden’ spirals and ‘pentagonal’ symmetry in the alive Nature,” online at: http://www.goldenmuseum.com/index_engl.html [12] Emre Becer, “Biçimsel Uyumun Matematiksel Kuralı Olarak, Altın Oran” (The Golden Ratio as a Mathematical Rule of Formal Harmony), Bilim ve Teknik Dergisi (Journal of Science and Technology), January 1991, p.16. [13] V.E. Hoggatt, Jr. and Bicknell-Johnson, Fibonacci Quartley, 17:118, 1979. The works posted on this page reflect solely the opinions of the authors.

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An alternative view of the Golden Rectangle, or Golden Spiral, where ф = Phi = 1.618. Note that the values expressed, although in a different format, are the same derivations of Phi that define the spatial location of the subsystems of the soul, as hypothesized earlier in this work. This image is based upon the work found at http://www.krysstal.com/formulas.html

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