Often the field of mental health sees healing from a linear perspective. Life has to get better. People have to be happier. Therapeutic goals always move from point A to point B. Clients have to be healthier as therapists skillfully manuver them toward a higher place in life. But if psychology could learn lessons from ancient wisdoms we may realize the cyclical nature of life, the circular process, the non-linear. In life, God may take you to high places or low places but they are all parts of the process…a necessary journey for the soul. Here is where symbolism speaks so meaningfully to the path ahead of us. The symbol of the labyrinth is a great symbol of the way one moves through life. It is cyclical and yet if we learn to trust, the path will take us to the center. But the circular process is a necessity since life requires that we walk through its cycle of joy and suffering, height and depth, life and death, youth and old age, sickness and health. Life’s symbolism offers direction if we were to pause to listen.
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Recommended Readings
I couple of my esteemed colleagues published books that you may want to consider reading:
Jane Maynard, Transfiguring Loss: Julian of Norwich as a Guide for Survivors of Traumatic Grief. Pilgrim Press, 2006.
David Hogue, Remembering the Future, Imagining the Past: Story, Ritual, and the Human Brain. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2003.
Kathleen Greider, Much Madness Is Divinest Sense: Wisdom in Memoirs of Soul-Suffering. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2007.
Siroj Sorajjakool, Do Nothing: Inner Peace for Everyday Living: Reflections on Chuang Tzu's Philosophy: Templeton, 2009.
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I like your description and analogy.
That is really an amazing take on psychology, spirituality, and their intersection! 🙂
Peace Siroj,
I really enjoyed this. With your permission, I’d like to post it over at my own blog.
Abdur Rahman
Thank you for kind words. I’ll be honored.
siroj
Every thing in this world is of dual nature. So long as we are enjoying to live in this world, we should be enjoing its duality: Success and Failure, Gain and Loss and so on. That is the nature of the world. If we can accept this fact with even mindedness, life is going to be fun; then, the labyrinth path will eventually lead us to God-eventually.
I like how you unit the two. Often our society is more eager to split everything up while retaining only one aspect that they assess as positive. As you said, enjoying the duality is an important path to take.
I am agree with you, life is a circular process with positive and negative aspects, but all of them (specially negative) are learning experiences that challenge us in order to improve and hopefully be able to reach the center or that personal place that means happiness for us.
Yes Rocio, life seems to be moving in that direction. Like you said, it can take us to happiness, to the center. The problem, in my opinion, is that some only want just the positive aspects. This creates imbalance in our psyche and life.
I love your symbol of the labyrinth representing our life’s dual journey. Being a maze, it perfectly reflects the twists and turns, ups and downs, hardships and successes of life. While our wrong turns in life may seem to lead us astray, if taken as learning experiences (as Rocio shared) and as processes of growth, and if we focus our sights on the center (God) and our journey to that center (our relationship with God), we can eventually get back on the right path.
the words about the journey and the process reminds me that we all must go through something, but that something is designed for us to make us stronger, wiser, smarter, closer to purpose. It also reminds me that if I don’t allow the something to work in me, I might have to go through it again.
Kris, I like your statement of the need to focus on God as we walk this path. Taking your analysis further, I think you also suggest that it must be God who defines whether the path is right or wrong and not for us to define. So things may seem not right to us, but may not be to God.
Laurel, your last sentence is both true and scarely. One only wishes that learning take place in the moment of pain. I often wonder why somepeople become wiser when they go through difficulties, while others don’t?
You hear about the circle of life all the time, but I like the idea of the labyrinth. I think it represents it better. We do go through ups and downs, and twists and turns, but we need to have the faith to keep going, working towards the center (or as Kris mentioned-God or heaven as our final destination). If we learn from our mistakes and grow then we will reach our desired destination. God didn’t say it was going to be easy, but He promised to be with us always. We just need to listen.
Really liked the post, (even more the fact that it was so short! 🙂 And to some degree, i do agree that life is definitely more of a labyrinth than a journey, full of twists and turns and occasional dead ends.
But the fact of the matter is, there are people that do have it harder than others. If we believe that life is a chance to listen to God and what he is trying to say to us, then we also have to admit that there are lots of people in the world for whom belief and faith will only do so much, as their surroundings come crashing down on them. No where is this more evident than people suffering through wars. I’m sure a strong sense of belief gives them some comfort through everything they are going through, but not a way out, and definitely no happy ending. Simply put, not all Labyrinths come with the same level of difficulty, and who gets what level is quite often beyond our understanding.
You raised a very important question regarding the spiritual path in the time of war. I really do not have any answer to this question but it definitely something to think about. Where is God in the time of war? I wonder if it would be the same as asking the question, where is God when the pain is overwhelming?
RE: God in war…
One of the most disturbing things I have ever read was a Roman Catholic nun’s account of rape and torture at the hands of a South American paramilitary organization. She vividly described what Jewish philosopher Martin Buber called “the Eclipse of God”. I think holocaust survivors, or anybody who has undergone severe physical and psychological torture has asked themselves: “Where is God?”
I am also reminded me of one of my favorite stories from Rumi:
One night a man was crying: “Allah, Allah..”
His lips grew sweet with the praising
Until Iblis [Satan] came before him and said:
“So! I have heard you calling out
But have you ever gotten any response?
You are utterly alone.”
The man had no answer for that.
He quit praying and
fell into a confused sleep.
As he slept, God came to him in a dream
And asked:
“Why do you stop praising my Name?”
“Because I’ve never
heard anything back!” the man cried out in anguish.
“How am I even to know you exist?”
To this God said:
“Child,
This longing you
express is the return message
The grief you cry out
from draws you toward union
Your crying out, ‘Allah, Allah!’
Was my ‘Here I am…’ “
I agree life is a circular process, even though as human beings we often try to make it a very linear process. This circular process offers us an opportunity to deal with life challenges (good or bad) and it allows us to grow. Through this circular process, human life gains depth and experience that might make life experience more engaging/enlightening.
Imugi, I love this story from Rumi. This is perhaps one of the best expressions of the presence of God. Thanks.
I have not really looked into this
I enjoyed the symbol of the labyrinth as an analogy for the cyclical nature of life. But I somehow diverged from that line of thinking to question if it is the best analogy for me. If I were to assume that life had one endpoint (being death) than does that mean it is safe to assume that the center of the labyrinth is death? Or does this labyrinth represent one episode of struggles (the twists and turns) and then ultimate success (reaching the center). If that is the case, then the analogy is better than what I initially interpreted it as. Unfortunately, I believe I might, by nature, just think in a more linear fashion…
I agree that often times therapist and other health care professionals focus on helping the individual to get better. Life is full of ups and downs and sometimes individuals have a dificult time getting out of the downs. Therapist help their patients through the down process by helping them adapt, modify, restore or whatever needs to be done to help them see that there is a way out. Life is cycle of ups and downs that take place over a period of time. Health care professionals often see patients for a breif period of time so smaller goals are set (point A to point B) to help the patient realise that their life will not always be the way that it is at that time.
I am hearing a couple of different things in this paragraph. Firstly, I really dont want to get into a long winded and heated conversation about defining therapeutic goals and purpose of therapy for clients. (Especially for those that have not studied family therapy and do not work within a systems perspective.) That would take a whole paper to write and my thoughts on that are much to large for this little box. So instead I would rather briefly state my ideas on the concept of life, linearity, and maybe the idea of a God/Higher Power.
I believe that there is opposition in all things (good/bad, high/low, hot/cold, love/hate, etc.) and to know whether or not you are experiencing one of these, it is necessary to know and experience its opposite. Similar to yin/yang of Asian Eastern philosophy. It is when we choose by our own free will, which I believe a God/Higher power has granted us in this lifetime, that we co-create the path for our earthly lives. I also agree that if we believe that a higher power exists, then we can also have faith and trust that our lifepaths will be fulfilling despite the many ups and downs. Perhaps a simple formula might be ups+downs=life growth and wisdom.
However, Sirojs, you talk about viewing life in a non-linear path, yet you compare this idea of circularity to a symbol of a Greek labyrinth. Is it not true that a labrynth has a point A and ends at a point B??? I suggest a symbol of infinity as a better visual.
Are you suggesting from your post that most people try to escape the circular to center labyrinth path? If this is so this maybe because we do not enjoy the concept of suffering and that without suffering we would indeed have a linear path to our goal. I do not believe that God orignally intended that we suffer but I do believe that life does bring suffering and that the spiritual process of the journey is happily waiting in the moment.
Pierre, I agree that God does not intend suffering and that at the same time our ability to accept suffering is what makes it possible for us to live meaningfully.
Antoinette, you raised a great question about the linear process and the symbol. I really like the symbol of infinity. I do tend to associate linear with a straight line with rationality as the core essence whereas the circular process is more of an attunement with nature and therefore more intuitive and deals with trust and wisdom.
The symbol of the labyrinth does seem to represent life better than a stright line or a simple circle but I too wonder why some people experience a much more difficult path than others and questiong the semetry it represents. I do however believe that all people live a linear life in that all experiance a beginning point A and an ending point B as far as thier life on earth goes. The life of thier soul or spirit would need to be represented by a diffrent none linear symbol.
I also believe that the ups and downs in our lives can turn into blessings for us down the road; however, if as therapists, we can offer our clients alternative ways of approaching their chaotic situations rather than being stuck and repeating the same ineffective coping over and over again, it would increase our clients’ confidence in dealing with life challenges. From my perspective, therapy is not meant to take away clients’ experiences; however, it is to process the lived experiences and collaboratively come up with alternative ways of perceiving and approaching the same experience for future reference.
I found it!
There is a really neat park spot on the Redlands University campus, which I believe is a labyrinth. As I tried to walk it hurriedly along its curving path, I found that I was forced to slow down. (Remember how the shortest distance between two points is a straight line? I loved geometry!) As I continued to walk, I slowed down, my breathing became even , the inspirations deeper, and my busy head began to quiet down. My friend, who’d brought me there, shared that this walk was designed, like a meditation, to slow me down, and bring my thinking along simpler lines. It worked!
Perhaps life is a journey, not a destination. If the Israelites had made a beeline for the promised land and not gotten stuck in the desert running ’round during those many years, how many rich stories would’ve been lost and how many “Aha’s” might never have been uttered?
Slowing down, savoring the moment, and being truly present – these things are creating the space
for the mysterious to work in my life.
Laura, I like what you pointed out about the physical life and the journey of the soul…that while physical journey may be linear, the soul’s circular.
Jenny, I hear your desire to help clients move in the right direction. I believe all therapies are good therapies because they tend to connect people to others and the world around them. And hopefully the process and helps clients deal with the ups and downs of life.
Joy, I love the concept of slowing down and savoring the moment. what an image. …your last line is most intriguing…creating the space for the mysterious to work in my life.
It is true. Life cycles are comprised of ups and downs. For instance, when I looked back and evaluated my life, I came to realize that the combination of my negative and positive experiences have helped me grow and became who I am today. Life without ups and downs would be meaningless.
Yes Adiel…although most (me included) would prefer the ups but it is the downs that broaden our world.
I have thought about this kind of thing before, but I never included this kind of concrete symbolism. I think the various experiences my life really contribute the depth of understanding I have of it. In some ways I feel that it is only after having lost something that we really learn to cherish what we have. It is only with the knowledge that we more towards death that we can truly live our lives to their fullest. I’m reminded of the many people that have had near death experiences or that have found out that they only have a certain amount of time to live. Many of these people start living their lives for the first time. Suddenly, priorities in life are shifted and they no longer care about who won “American Idol.”
I’m reminded of Shakespeare when he says that “Life is a tale told by an idiot — full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” I try to ignore the sound and fury of modern life and focus on the things that do have meaning. I don’t want to have a diagnosis or a countdown before I start to live. In this way, I look at even the negative things in my life as opportunities for growth and other positive effects in my life. Not very long ago I went through a period of mind depression that changed the way I view life. I did not enjoy the journey, but now I reap the rewards of it and I am able to be more helpful to individuals suffering from depression. It has gotten to the point in my life where in the midst of negative events I can say, “I can’t wait to see what the advantages will be.”
Your experience with depression is something that I can really identify with. Thanks for sharing this. I look back at my life and I can say even though depression isn’t easy (and can be very unpleasent) I do not regret it and the contribution it offers for my personal growth, my perspective in life. Your shapearian quote is wonderful and the things you choose to ignore.
If the journey through life was linear, how boring would that be? I do agree that the bends and turns and along the highs and the lows make life what it is – LIFE. I believe that psychotherapy as it should be practiced is circular in nature. I think of the stages of grief. Elsabeth Kubler-Ross in her book “On Death and Dying” discusses the five stages of grief as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Grief is a complicated, multi-dimensional, individual process and if is not uncommon for the one who is grieving to move from one stage to another. That is why the grieving process varies from person to person and the length of the process is dependent on the person. If the practice of psychotherapy is non-linear then it lends to the individuality of the people that are being served. I believe that the greatest learning takes place when there is trial and error – when there seems to be no progress and one appears to be going around in circles.
I really like the part you said about the greatest learning through trail and error…and you added ‘when there seems to be no progress and one appears to be going around in circles.” This is profoundly paradoxical. Which seems to suggest, when life seems to be moving in a linear direction, one is actually going around in circles. The problem is, one does not even realize that one is being recycled!
great post! i was just talking to a client about how therapy really isn’t about providing the Answers, but rather helping the client through their journeys in life. so, instead of studying and classifying the symptoms that clients walk into therapy with, maybe we should be studying the commonalities among journeys that clients walk into therapy with. we all deserve to experience our own journey through life, and therapists should work hard at allowing us our freedom in this experience rather than moving us too quickly to the finish line.
Sarah, that’s exactly it…studying the commonalities among journeys. It can certain offer a wonderful insights and helps us see life in a totally new perspective. Rushing to the finish line only gratifies the therapist so we can say we’ve done a good job. There is no real finish line really and what is needed, as you stated is that freedom to explore and to be in partnership with.
Re;
“Sarah, that’s exactly it…studying the commonalities among journeys. ”
Joseph Murhpy understood the power of myth and in finding the common myths in many culutres he developed the “Heroes Journey”….the callling that places us all on a mythologcial journey rather than the western preferred way of a pathological state of being (=broken and needing fixing) as we venture through what is simply soul growth spurts not pathological states that will remain forever at risk of rising again to cripple our potential.
Very toxic systems we have created here in the west!
The Mandolra is a variation on the Circle (Mandala) that reminds us we are all One.
You can read about the Mandorla and see an image in my intro here:
……….. and if you click on the Mandala key word you can see how we are using them in art based empowerment programs .
It is funny you mentioned mandorla. I’m so intrigued with this symbol…in someway it speaks to me even more than the mandala. It symbolizes the merging of the two circles. In one of my research I learned that this is part of the development people in crisis go through….moving the two circles of the yin and yang together.
The Mandorla is the missing link!..;-)
It reminds us that we are all One and there is no separation…it eliminates “building bridges” and re-focuses on the interconnectedness of all things and the space outside of where our circles cross over, is where we learn and grow form one anothers unique, individual and cultural difference….
I love your definition of mandorla…as a way of seeing the world and relating to others. It places humanity where we truly belong. If we all understood this, we will not be where we are politically…and finding ourselves in the mess we can’t get out off because the harm has been too great.
Re;
“and finding ourselves in the mess we can’t get out off because the harm has been too great.”…
There is nothing beyond repair when love is activated within the space of the Mandorla…
You are right about love. How can we (global community) initiate the process of love that may offer healing?
This is a true statement about life, healing and spirtualtiy. Everything is a circular process and we must goes through all of its phases.
Samuel…the older I grow (and it is happening fast) the more I realize the truth of this understanding of life. We are often told that to go in a cycle is to get stuck in life. To me the opposite may be through…it is going in a circle at some level that helps us see and understanding the multidimensional aspects of life better.
I agree with your analogy that life and recovery are cyclical. Often, we tend to discuss things in terms of “recovering” or “relapsing” rather than recognizing that these ups and downs are natural and a part of human existance.
Thank you Sirojs. A few things came to mind when I read the above entry. Actually, a train of thoughts went though my mind. First, listening is an art form that is desperately needed in our world. It would prevent a lot of conflict and eliminate a vast amount of suffering in the world. By this I mean, if the world’s people would take a small amount of time and listen to one another, there would be more understanding and more peaceful coexistance. Secondly, the symbol of the labyrinth, which I have never heard is interesting. I was told that part of our life is “ascending the mountain” hopefully finding yourself at the same place on the mountain but in a higher level from the previous time at that place. Thirdly, the downs or sufferings of life, may be seen in a positive point of view or negative. All depending of the individual. I been told the God may be seen as the potter creating a pot with his hands; shaping us through all these experiences. I personally feel that the downs in life bring us closer to the divine; it also helps build character. Finally, getting back to listening. Doesn’t seem to be kinda countercultural these days? What do you think? Thanks, jaime lopez
Julie, this seems to go along the line of your comment in class as well…the negative may have great beneficial impact on a person’s growth.
Jaime, I totally agree with you. If the journey is what we are on, the ups and the downs may be the essential part of the journey itself. While we as therapist rush in too quickly to get rid of it, it may just be where God wants for us to go through.
I completely agree with the significance of the ups and downs of life- if we haven’t experienced happiness or sadness, we can never appreciate and embrace the other.
Suranee, like you said, it is the yin and the yang of life that truly represents life itself. The linear perspective leaves no room for this.
I agree that there is no way to live life without suffering and it is beneficial as a learning and growth process. However, to play devil’s advocate, what is the use of therapy if it is a process that everyone must go through, especially for those that may never come out of their suffering? Is therapy giving false hope to those that want relief immediately? I understand that having a linear perspective and the belief that the only way to go is up is rather limiting. I also understand that therapy does not always have to be about getting better, it could be about self discovery or the discovery that suffering is not unique to one person. Unfortunately, people seeking help do not always want to hear there is no hope for them and training for psychologists is limited to a linear process wherein a person not progressing may be terminated because of that lack of progress.
Veronica, you raised a very important question. I do not know if I have the answer. But my question to your question is, is it possible for us as therapists to rethink what therapy is about? Your last question about hope for the patients is so true. I believe we cannot take away hope from patient. I strongly believe that we need to go with the patient, to really go to the depth of their concern and explore the hope they have. My theory is (and I don ot know if this will work or does not work) given enough enough safety and attention to the deep things with in our lives, people will naturally grow through the natural stages of development. The issue is not really the issue but people being stuck, arrested in a stage because of the lack of enough safety and care. Anyway, it is just a theory.
I really enjoyed reading your prospective. Life is a journey. As the symbol showed, it is not only cyclical, but one with great variety of paths within the circle. This is far more interesting than going through life from point “A” to point “B”.
This is such a good reminder for people like me, type A, make a bee-line to the goal. God has been teaching me that the journey IS the destination!
My most intimately profound & palpable experiences with God have arisen from utter tradgedy & deep sorrow. It has been in those times of my own utter helplessness to change the situation, when offered up to God as a sacrifice, that the Spring of Living Water has welled up within me to quench my own thirst & to spill over onto someone else also in need of comfort & healing.
That’s why I praise His name!
As I am a nurse, not a therapist per se, I do have “therapeutic” encounters with people in the throes of life’s disappointments. I often cannot honestly convey that “things” will get better, they often will not. And I often realize how ill-prepared we are for handling life’s struggle’s and disappointments, and we must not perpetuate the myth that the good life is one without pain and suffering, or the only one worth living. I think were i am now, is seeing therapy, or rather caring in my case, as offering a safe place where one can be supported in recognizing that there are still choices that can be made about our response to suffering particularly in our psyche and in our spirit. When suffering is so prevalent, why do we continue to not teach our children and each other more about struggling through pain and actually even the possible value in it?
Indeed, life is more a circular than a linear process. I think of expressions such as “what goes around comes around” and “whatever a man sows that’s what he’ll reap” (Galatians 6:7)as supporting the fact that life is circular. As a result, my mother always taught me to do good and avoid evil because the one and the other has a way of coming back. I have lived this truth over and over and I pray for God to be the inspiration for my thoughts, words, and actions.
This is true, that in life we do have different experiences, highs and lows if you will. It is true that from some of the most painful experiences have come my greatest joys. It takes time, stillness to hear from above and exploration which is well symbolized by the labyrinth. However, for some reason I am still struggling with the statement that mental health works from a linear perspective. This has given me food for thought.
Thanks
I think it is important to constantly remind ourselves of this idea that life is not linear. It made me think about how sometimes life takes a downward turn and it feels like things will never get better, but if we keep the idea of a circular process, we may be able to see that it is not the end.
I do not understand the things you are discussing here well because I am not an English speaker. I agree with Dianne Baskevitch. I read a statement that said our most painful experiences are the very ones God uses to heal others, if we share them to the people who are experiencing similar situation.
Thanks
I believe my comment is very similar to that of Dianne. Life’s journey is not predictable and that sometimes God leads us to places that may not appear as wonderful and beautiful all the time. There are dark places as well but in these moments, we learn to see God in a better light.
I really enjoyed this post. It is very iinsightful and makes the events in my life more clear to me. Sometimes I’ve felt like I’m living on a rollercoaster in terms of the very positive and very negative things that have happened in my life. I’ve always dwelt on the negative things and thought, “What am I doing wrong to have these bad things happen to me?” and “What can I do to keep things like this from happening in the future?” When I haven’t succeeded in keeping more bad things from occurring in my life, I’ve felt like a failure when in actuality, many of the negative things in my life have been beyond my control and have only served to make me a stronger person. These negative events are not proof of the fact that I’m a failure. They prove that I am a human being and am experiencing life just like everyone else does.
Very nice information.
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