The process of integration and development in psychology is largely up to the individual to pursue.
The process of mystery religions puts the task of integration and development into the hands of the deities.
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What it means, or whether it’s a useful insight or not, is not something I’m in a position to comment on at present.
More tomorrow, probably, on other topics…
I’ve had this post open for almost 2 months, noodling on it. I figure anything that holds my attention that long is probably significant.
In therapy, the individual pursues, with the guidance of a (human) therapist, and yes, definitely there’s a strong strain of only you can do your own integration & development. So this yes, I agree on, with the addition of a guide.
IME, mystery religion has not meant I don’t have responsibility/work/etc re integration & development. It has added more guides – deities, and my human elders in the tradition – and they guide in different ways than my therapist. & not all the integration & development is done by me solo – definitely the deities have played a role in that, and initiation experiences, and so forth. Maybe it’s more like I’m an active participant in a team? Cuz at least IME, if I am unwilling to do the work (if I don’t prepare for an initiation or show up for it, if I don’t follow taboos or requirements, etc), this greatly limits what if anything the deities can or will do. In this, it’s very much similar to having been in therapy. But the work I do, the tools & support available are different.
Anyway, stuff I’m still pondering, comparing the major life changes I did in therapy vs the ones I’m doing in a mystery religion. Thanks for adding some fodder to that.
By: Jes on August 1, 2012
at 10:03 pm
It’s been so long since I’ve even thought of that post, I had to go back and read it when you commented…luckily, it was short!
Yes, I agree–and, I think that’s sort of what might have been implied. In therapy, there’s some help, certainly, but it’s still up to one to do it largely, however that ends up working, etc. Just because someone goes to therapy twice a week for a year doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get results if they’re not working on integration meanwhile, etc.
With mysteries, on the other hand, it’s not that we don’t have to do the integrative work at all, or that it’s entirely up to others, but instead that–as you said–there’s this support system there. But, also, part of a lot of mystery work, not unlike some shamanic work, is that part of the process is “taking one apart” and “putting one back together” in a different way, so that things don’t function like they used to, and one is more able for particular kinds of work to be done, etc. It’s a re-building, as well as an empowerment and a change of status; and, unfortunately, too many people don’t think nor realize that there’s still work to be done in the process. However, perhaps unlike therapy, just “showing up” for the deities and the practices involved in spirituality does, in fact, do a great deal more than it does in therapy; but/however (again!), maybe that’s the key, because doing regular practice is, by definition, an integrative discipline, and “the medium is the message” in it, quite often.
In any case, thanks for responding! There’s far too many of these “orphan posts” I do that never get a second look from most people, at least that I know of, since they don’t comment, so thanks for following this one up and reminding me of that entire matter!
By: aediculaantinoi on August 1, 2012
at 10:48 pm