As the Soul

One Symbol of the Soul is the Butterfly

I want to be clear about what the soul is when I write about it because there are many possible definitions and approaches to soul. In the way I am focusing my work, the Soul includes and transcends the entire personality. The physical, emotional and mental components of our being, as well as the subpersonalities that we form as a result of our roles, life experiences, and contact with role models, comprise our personal self, our unique individuality. As the Soul we explore all the dimensions of our being. At first, such self-awareness is focused on what we have to work with, our bodies, emotions and minds as they grow through innate patterns of development, are shaped by our interactions with the world into which we have been born, and by the choices we make along the way.

The next posts will address inner awareness of the physical, then the emotional, and the mental. After that, our attention will turn to subpersonalities, the parts of self we all develop as we grow and interact with others.  I will be presenting suggestions for increasing awareness and self-knowledge in relation to the physical, emotional and mental dimensions of the personality. In addition, I will address how to increase our capacity to know and bring our subpersonalities into harmony. From there, I will move to examining in more detail the inner "I" that observes, is aware, and consciously selects experiences the "I" wants to have. Along the way, I will bring into the discussion the fact that some experiences and knowledge go beyond the limits of ordinary consciousness, and so will identify some possible ways integrating these experiences into ordinary life. Furthermore, as the Soul makes itself increasingly known, puts forth calls or demands for attention and action, I will address the relationship between the Soul and the individual's personality. Sometimes the "I" or subpersonalities will resist the magnetic pull of the Soul, or become confused about what the "call" really is. Throughout the history of human experience, a number of patterns have been explored for resolving these tensions. These, too, will be presented and discussed.