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Kabbalah:
Kabbalah is a way of understanding all aspects of ourselves and is a rewarding
guide for personal and spiritual development.
Based on a map of consciousness called the Tree of Life, Kabbalah, or Qabalah
(an alternative spelling), is relevant to modern everyday life, offering
greater freedom and fulfillment through including the experience of both
our spirit and shadow sides.
Kabbalah:
Kabbalah is a way of understanding all aspects of ourselves and is a rewarding
guide for personal and spiritual development.
Based on a map of consciousness called the Tree of Life, Kabbalah, or Qabalah
(an alternative spelling), is relevant to modern everyday life, offering
greater freedom and fulfillment through including the experience of both
our spirit and shadow sides.
Want to know more about Kabbalah, Qabalah and the
Tree of Life?
What is the difference between Kabbalah
and Qabalah?
Is non-Jewish Kabbalah authentic
or not?
What group courses do you offer?
What books can I read about Kabbalah?
Do you have any articles I can read
about Kabbalistic topics?
What does Kabbalah say about sex
and parenting?
Is Kabbalah a kind of therapy?
What is the link between Kabbalah
and Christianity?
What are energy bodies and how
does Kabbalah describe them?
What does Kabbalah say mediumistic
or channeled material?
What links do you have to Kabbalah,
Qabalah and related topics?
Want to know more
about Psychosynthesis?
Psychosynthesis brings together the two traditions of psychology and mysticism.
Psychology is then infused with a sense of soul and meaning, whilst the
mystery traditions benefit from the grounding and reflective qualities of
psychology.
Psychosynthesis is a practical system which is not about the application
of techniques, but learning to live with a vision that comes from deep within
oneself.
What is Psychosynthesis?
(a longer answer)
What group based courses do you offer?
What books can I read about Psychosynthesis?
Do you have any articles I can read
about Psychosynthesis topics?
Can I have Psychosynthesis counselling
or therapy?
Do you have links to other Psychosynthesis
sites?
Anything we haven't covered, please let us know
Available Now!
The Something and Nothing
of Death
a source of inspiration,
enabling you to face
the prospect of death
with a new spirit
of inquiry
Available Now!
Psychosynthesis:
The Elements and Beyond
everything ypu need
to understand and use
the visions and technques
of psychosynthesis
I'd like to start by reading you some words that come from a transmundane
entity, what is sometimes know as ET or extraterrestrial. Words that come
from somewhere else other than this mundane realm, this earth. 'I am dealing
with ... constructing thought forms which will embody the new techniques
and ideas. These - during the next two centuries - will change the face
of our civilisation and inaugurate a period in human history in which methods
will be tried and principles established which remain as yet totally unknown
to the majority. This period will lead the race into a civilisation and
a mutual, co-operative interplay which will bring to an end the present
era of selfishness and competition.'
This message is a communication dated July 1935 given to Roberto Assagioli
from The Master Djwahl Kuhl who was described as an Ascended Master from
Tibet who exists on a plane other than the human. Without going into the
content of this message, what does it mean in the context of Assagioli's
life? Why did he become so involved in Theosophy, with its 'spirit guides'
and 'channelling'? What led him to involve himself in communications with
supposed Ascended Masters from Tibet (that are, essentially extraterrestrial
or transmundane entities)?
First and foremost, Assagioli was a spiritual seeker throughout his life.
Many of the passing references in his books 'give him away' as it were.
In the Psychosynthesis Manual alone, there are many references to Eastern
mysticism: Hinduism, yogas of various kinds, Buddhism, and Tibet. There
are even more references to subjects from the Western mystery traditions:
Christian mysticism, Jewish traditions, influences from classical Greek
philosophy, neoplatonism, Gnosticism, the Cathars, hermeticism and magic,
meditation, rosicrucianism, freemasonry, occult societies, and alchemy.
We'll return to some of these themes later. That Assagioli remained a seeker
is shown through the books on the library shelves in his study in Florence
- there is a Carlos Castaneda book, for instance, from the early 70s, not
long before he died.
So where did Assagioli's seeking lead him? What did he consider the most
important teachings, and with which of these teachings did he imbue Psychosynthesis?
Firstly and most importantly Assagioli aligns Psychosynthesis with Gnosticism,
particularly with regard to the importance of having direct experience,
that faith alone is not enough. He says: 'Psychosynthesis definitely affirms
the reality of spiritual experience ... it appreciates, respects the necessity
of [religions] but its purpose is to help to attain the direct experience'
(Psychosynthesis Manual, page 195. All the subsequent quotes from Assagioli
in this article are taken from this book.) The orthodox Catholic Church
says that faith is enough; we should not need to have experience, that faith
has to stand on its own. The Gnostics disagreed, and paid the price for
this heresy through countless crusades sent to obliterate and destroy their
message. The Crusades against the Cathars in the South of France, for instance,
led to the slaughter of thousands of men, women and children, killed for
their beliefs alone.
Assagioli embraces the Gnostic tradition wholeheartedly, putting it central
to the vision of Psychosynthesis. He goes further, however, and quotes Goethe
saying: 'Reality is that which is effective' thus aligning Psychosynthesis
with hermeticism and magic. Indeed, will and imagination are clearly the
most important elements of both psychosynthesis and magic (always tempered
by love, of course.) Taking the hermetic position, Assagioli says '...in
so far as phenomena whether termed spiritual, mystical or parapsychological
change the inner reality and outer behaviour of an individual they are real.'
This is again emphasising the importance of experience as well as faith.
In a rare moment of irony, or even mockery, Assagioli says (talking of modern
man): 'His belief in a future heaven if he conceives of one, is altogether
theoretical and academic, as if proved by the fact that he takes the greatest
pains to postpone as long as possible his departure to its joys.'
Let's explore what else is at the core of all these teachings that Assagioli
incorporated into Psychosynthesis. Of course, there is much anecdotal information,
and ideas and connections we can glean from his unpublished papers. But
what clues can we learn from his published work, and particularly from the
Psychosynthesis Manual? What about, for instance, the Christian mysteries?
Assagioli mentions Ignatius Loyala and the Jesuits who are considered to
exemplify the 'will side' of the Christian tradition. The methods of self-discipline
devised by Loyola are most definitely aimed at strengthening the will. Assagioli
also mentions Saint John of the Cross who is said to embody the love side
of the Christian mysteries. The methods of St John are those often these
days attributed to the feminine - love, surrender, forgiveness and so forth.
Assagioli was always looking for synthesis, the central theme of his work.
Regarding the Christian Mysteries, he found this through Dante's Divine
Comedy. This work is a synthesis of the 'masculine/ will' and 'feminine/
love' polarities, where Reason (represented by Virgil) can only take the
aspirant so far, then Beauty (represented by Beatrice) takes him further,
to soul. The necessity of both is emphasised, thus stressing the twin poles
of analysis and synthesis. All 'alchemy' whether called such or not, requires
an analysis as part of the process, perhaps concurrent but often preceding
the work of synthesis. Basically, the notion is you have to take something
(or someone!) apart before putting them back together again.
A theme central to Christianity, and most esoteric traditions, is that of
service. Assagioli clearly intended this as a major part of the 'Gnostic'
tradition that Psychosynthesis would embrace. Talking about mystical experience,
he says clearly: 'Mystical experience is limited and whatever value it may
have is only one stage in spiritual psychosynthesis ... the mystical experience
is not an end in itself but from it the subject has to draw down the fire,
enthusiasm and incentive to come back into the world and serve God and fellow
humans ' (Psychosynthesis page 207)
This leads us to the Rosicrucian tradition. Was Assagioli a Rosicrucian?
Well, if he was, we would never directly know because part of the true Rosicrucian
tradition asserts very strongly and adamantly that an initiate must never
reveal this. Perhaps in keeping with this injunction, Assagioli is very
discreet. In one place, however, he mentions'the rose at the centre of the
cross that forms the symbol of some religious orders.' He is of course talking
of the Rosicrucians. The word gives us a clue to their understanding of
soul and spiritual growth, and of its connection to Psychosynthesis. 'Rosicrucian'
is made up of 'rose' and 'cross' and the notion is that when we accept our
suffering (like Jesus on the Cross) then a rose blossoms in our heart. In
other words, for the development of soul we need to include the darker aspects
of psyche. It is vital we include the lower unconscious in our psychosynthesis
work!
Assagioli, after mentioning the Rosicrucians, develops a beautiful exercise,
one of the best known in Psychosynthesis - the blossoming of the rose. This
is pure Rosicrucianism. Just as the cross needs to be planted firmly in
the earth so the wood can 'bloom forth with a rose', so the rosebush in
Assagioli's exercise needs to be firmly rooted in the earth to receive the
nourishment required for it to blossom. The essential imagery of the rosy
cross is a beautiful metaphor that lies at the heart of our Psychosynthesis
way.
After discussing Christian Mysticism, we must include the tradition that
connects Assagioli to his own family, collective and ancestral roots - the
Jewish Mystery Tradition, and particularly the Kabbalah, based on the glyph
known as the Tree of Life. The influence of Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah
on Assagioli is considerable. The link with the Kabbalah is the main factor
in Psychosynthesis being able to incorporate many other systems and techniques
into its fold without being diluted or corrupted. The Psychosynthesis egg,
like the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, on which it was modelled, is an excellent
synthetic container for understanding and working with the psyche from an
experiential perspective.
The wider Jewish mystical tradition also affirms the importance of experience
as well as faith, and Assagioli, who was Jewish, was steeped in its warm,
heart-full intentions. One of his friends was Martin Buber who has been
called the father of Jewish Mysticism. Buber's masterful work expounding
the importance of the reality and experience of what he called the I-Thou
experience. The I-Thou experience is opposed to the I-it experience in which
the other person in a relationship is made into an object. The I-Thou relationship
transcends the projective and reflective limitations of I-it existence (which
can hardly be called relationship in comparison.) What Buber was describing
is the same as the Cathars illumination experience.
Much has already been written about the relationship between the Kabbalistic
Tree of Life and the Psychosynthesis egg diagram and their similarities.
The work of Sheldon Kramer, and my own article 'The Qabalist' (Psicosintesi
journal, Italy, April 1997) have explored this in depth. The Kabbalah (and
its more modern update, the Qabalah) is the central key to understanding
the Western approach to soul and spirituality, and therefore to really understanding
Psychosynthesis. The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is at the core of the spiritual
psychology in which Assagioli had a life-long interest. It is therefore
not surprising that Psychosynthesis easily interfaces with the Tree of Life
to create a coherent and effective synthesis.
The purpose of the Tree of Life is to help us sort out different aspects
of our psyches, and more clearly be able to work with heart energy rather
than just with intellectual knowledge. We have minds, feelings and bodies
so we can be incarnated here on the planet earth to do our work, whatever
that work might be. If we tease our thoughts, feelings and sensations apart
a little bit and start looking at what each of them means in relationship
to the whole of us, then it is easier to start finding out what the energy
is behind these -what's really moving us. The Kabbalah, being a way of the
heart, says that basically it's always love that is trying to emerge. That's
not to deny the importance of power, or all the other qualities and aspects
of our lives, but when we move to our hearts and really ask ourselves what
it is we are here for, in one way of another we find it is something to
do with the expression of love.
When you first look at the Tree of Life it looks very complicated, but it
really is very simple. Start by imagining an upright triangle. Now imagine
two triangles, one upright, then underneath it an upside down one. This
is a little bit harder but not terribly difficult. Just add one more, so
you have now three triangles, one the right way up and two upside down directly
underneath. The three triangles are the basis of the whole tree of life
image. Of course, the Tree of Life is little more complicated than that.
At each of the corners of the triangles there is a sphere. Then just to
make it a little more difficult, there is one extra sphere between the top
two triangles and one extra one inside the bottom triangle.
So what does this all mean? What's the point of these triangles and the
spheres at the corners? What could they be about? Imagine you are in a room
with a group of strangers and we all hold hands in a circle. No speaking
is allowed, we are just holding hands in a circle. The longer time passes
before anyone speaks, the more things are happening for all of us. We don't
often hold hands with strangers, so as soon as we are holding hands with
these people we have different responses and reactions. There is the physical
sensation involved in actually touching another person. Secondly, there
are different feelings and emotional reactions, such as: what's it like
to hold hands with this stranger here? What does this mean? What do I feel
about this? Is it dangerous? Do I like it? So many different emotions can
come up. Thirdly, we have thoughts about it, too. What do you think about
holding someone else's hand? What do you think about some body coming along
and telling you to hold someone else's hand?
The three circles on the bottom triangle of the Tree of Life represent these
three different aspects of our relationship to other people and the world
around us. The bottom one represents our physical presence on the planet.
If we could hold hands without having any emotional reactions, feelings,
thoughts, or any reactions at all, just the experience of sensing
holding hands, that would be the pure experience of this sphere (which is
called Malkuth, but you don't need to worry about these names, or the numbers
of the spheres to be able to understand them.) When you spend even a moment
aware of your physical presence and yet neither thinking or feeling anything
- that is this sphere in its essential form. You might have experienced
this if you walk, dance, go running or swimming, and have pushed your body
until you are no longer thinking or feeling anything.
The two spheres above this sphere represent our feeling and thinking processes.
So with these three spheres we cover the three modes familiar to us from
Psychosynthesis: body, feelings and mind. Usually, however, we do not just
sense something, or just feel something, or just think something. All three
modes operate in combination. The field of awareness, also familiar from
the Psychosynthesis egg diagram, offers us a good way to understand this.
This field of awareness (like an amoeba) moves about, most of the time,
between the three spheres that represent thinking, feeling and sensing.
These three sensing, feeling and thinking spheres, taken together, represent
what we have to experience life with and to express ourselves with, in the
present moment. Here we are, here and now, with these three modes somehow
or another activated within us and activating us. The sphere in the centre
of these other three spheres then represents the past.<
Within any present moment we are always carrying the past within us. What
happened to us in the past is affecting what's happening here and now. When
we imagine holding hands with a group of strangers, the feelings, emotional
reactions, thoughts, and senses we experience are unique to each of us,
at least somewhat different from everyone else's experience. At least partly,
each of us has different experiences now because of the different experiences
we have had in the past. The other factor that affects us in the here and
now is the future, our inner potential. Everything that is potential can
happen in the future. The upper part of the Tree of Life represents the
future; it is the potential we carry round in us, that is able to manifest
at any moment. Most of the time, though, we are not aware of it. We might
be so caught up with experiences from the past, or so busy in the present
moment, we forget about our potential. It is still there, however, always
manifesting.
The key to understanding both Psychosynthesis and the Kabbalah is through
the central sphere on the Tree of Life which exactly corresponds to Assagioli's
notion of the 'self' at the centre of the egg diagram. As well as representing
'the I' it corresponds to both the heart at the centre of the human body,
and the sun at the centre of our solar system. It is possible, through meditation
and other techniques, to focus totally around this central sphere. The Psychosynthesis
version of this experience is described with the words: 'I am I , a centre
of pure self consciousness.' Nothing else: no thoughts, no feelings, no
sensations. I have thoughts and I am more than my thoughts. I have feelings,
and I am more than my feelings. I have a body and I am more than my body.
I am I, a centre of pure self consciousness.
Assagioli added a vitally important extra into the formula. To 'I am I,
a centre of pure self consciousness...', he added, '...and of will.' When
we move into that central place, when we connect to our heart energy, to
the central aspect of our being, there is also a push, an energy, a will,
a transpersonal purpose, or spiritual thrust - one can call it all sorts
of names - something that pushes us back into life. It is as if, when we
enter into the energy of the heart, something says: hey well, fine, we made
this connection, very good, now do something with it. Activate it, make
it more manifest on the planet. From a Kabbalistic viewpoint, people use
the Tree of Life to meditate, and will focus on their spiritual centres,
but always with that idea of being able to bring this energy back to earth.
Like Psychosynthesis, the Kabbalistic system, as well as being a way of
the heart, is also a way of service. The focus is on manifesting soul energy
back into everyday life to 'serve God and our fellow humans.'The danger
for many spiritual seekers is that they like it on the sun so much they
never want to leave there. They become so involved being the sun, being
a light source, that they forget the shadows they cast. In terms of the
solar system, in terms of our heart energy, if we stay just there, there
aren't any shadows. Absolutely, and that's a wonderful place to experience.
But often it is the shadows, the dark places, that reveal to us more things
about how we are going to manifest. If everybody existed in a place of no
shadow, there'd be no need for relationship, for contact, for service. We
need places with shadows to remind us of our mortality and our totality.
The diagram shows an overlay of the Psychosynthesis egg diagram with the
Kabbalistic Tree of Life. How well they overlap is astonishing, although
perhaps not so astonishing when we remember Assagioli's interests. Spend
some time now studying this diagram and seeing how it increases your understanding
of the egg diagram. Notice, as you do this, a third overlay in the diagram
a human body. The Tree of Life is most definitely not just an abstract map
of the psyche but also, through its system of correspondences, a map of
both the structures and energies within a body. Consider the implications
of this for the Psychosynthesis egg diagram, which also corresponds to the
Tree of Life!
The use of the Kabbalah as a tool in psychotherapy allows the practitioner
to develop a style in accord with more universal principles, develop relationship
in line with these principles, and apply techniques where and as appropriate
to each relationship. This three-fold understanding of the process, principles,
relationship and techniques corresponds exactly with the three triangles
on the Tree of Life. The aim of Psychosynthesis, from a Kabbalistic perspective,
is to bring a client into relationship whilst holding connection to underlying
spiritual principles (the top triangle on the Tree of Life.) How far this
happens depends upon the type of therapy being practised, the individual
practitioner's aims and abilities, and the relationship. Psychosynthesis
aims to include the whole Tree (as represented in simplified form by the
egg diagram.)
So we've been talking about the tree and the egg, what of the serpent? Perhaps
the two best known 'serpents' are firstly, the serpent of knowledge (from
the Garden of Eden story) and secondly the 'serpent power', also known as
Kundalini, which resides at the base of the spine and which is always ready
to uncoil and bring illumination to an individual who activates it. The
Western mystery traditions include a third serpent, one that is described
as coiled around the egg of life. Imagine the egg diagram with a serpent
coiled around it, its tail at the bottom of the egg, its head reaching the
heights. The serpent in this 'egg girt with a serpent' (as it is called
in esoteric literature) is an appropriate synthesis of the two better known
serpents mentioned before, and an ideal metaphor for our psychosynthesis
work. Interestingly, the image corresponds to the rosy cross - the egg can
only crack and release its potential new life when the serpent is activated
on all the planes.
Basically, we have to get to the ground or the earth and invoke the serpent
energy within our bodies - then the awakened serpent makes the connection
for us between the different realms of the unconscious, expanding our field
of awareness, or our knowledge. A bridge is created between the areas of
the unconscious and our conscious intent. Divine and human will are aligned.
This is identical to the Eastern notion of working with energy centres in
the human aura (chakras) to awaken the serpent energy (kundalini.) Of course,
knowledge can be dangerous if either we do not know how to utilise it or
if we misapply it. (Thus the injunctions against prematurely awakening kundalini
energy.) Kabbalists assert that we can use knowledge most effectively when
we connect to the higher spheres of wisdom and understanding. Our task is
to connect with the wisdom and understanding that enables us to use (with
will and love) this knowledge. The work of Roberto Assagioli is intended
to guide us towards this wisdom and understanding. As Ferrucci so succinctly
puts it in the title of his book, Psychosynthesis leads us towards 'what
we may be.'
Now we have the tree, egg and serpent, we have the essential components
of alchemy, a life long interest of Assagioli's that is also central to
the Mystery Traditions. The work of Jung on alchemy is well-known and invaluable.
Whilst not all Jungians follow this line, the tendency in the Jungian approach
is to psychologise our view of alchemy. The notion is that alchemists were
really talking about the inner world, our intrapsychic manifestations. Turning
lead into gold was a metaphor for the process of individuation. Whilst this
is true, it misses the fact that many alchemists were talking in guarded
terms not just intrapsychically but also about physical and sexual alchemy.
They weren't just working with transforming psyche -inside, they wanted
to do this through the sexual gnosis. Central to this 'Great Work' is the
inclusion of what in Psychosynthesis we term the lower unconscious, as is
made very clear in Assagioli's written work. For instance in Psychosynthesis
he states:'we have first to penetrate courageously into the pit of our lower
unconscious in order to discover the dark forces that ensnare and menace
us..' We have already talked about the importance of grounding, of being
in the body, of 'coming to earth.' But what about the importance of working
with sexuality from a Psychosynthesis perspective. What of the serpent of
desire, another aspect of the serpent energy both from a kundalini viewpoint
and its role in the Garden of Eden story?
Assagioli had what some people might describe now as a rather old-fashioned
attitude towards sexuality. The core of what he wished to express, however,
was that we need not suppress or repress any aspect of our energy. Instead
we can learn to regulate and appropriately express ourselves, including
through sexuality. This may be summarised by his statement: 'No drive, emotion
or desire needs to be repressed or should be condemned on its own account;
it is the skilful regulation of its use and manifestation that is
needed.' (Psychosynthesis manual, page 74.) The Psychosynthesis approach
to transforming sexuality is simply putting it into perspective. Rather
than sexuality 'having us' we can learn to have it. I have sexuality so
I can use it (not that sexuality has you so it can 'use' you!) Of course,
as always disidentification should not be used as a means of avoidance -
to 'have sexuality' you must be coming from a genuinely disidentified place
or you cannot choose to let go and surrender to it when that is appropriate.
To end, let's perform an alchemical ritual together to embody the energy
of the Tree of Life.
Stand holding hands comfortably, then let go. Be aware of your own egg,
individually surrounding your space, and overlapping with the energetic
egg of the other people in this circle. Connect to the ground: imagine you
have roots that connect you deeply into the earth Visualise the energy of
the earth flowing up your legs, into your lower body - your genitals and
lower abdomen - as you do this, get a sense of openness freedom pervading
you.
Visualise energy rising up into your belly, your solar plexus and whole
trunk - as you do this, feel your centredness in life, how you are rooted
in earthly existence Visualise energy rising up into your heart, see your
heart glowing with energy - as you do this, feel yourself filled with courage
and compassion Visualise energy flowing from your heart, down your arms
and into your hands - without opening your eyes, physically reach out with
courage and compassion, feel yourself reaching out to the person on either
side of you. Feel how courage and compassion in your heart gives you the
power to link with other people.
Visualise energy rising up into your throat and mouth, and into your
voice - feel this connected energy giving you the power to speak out your
truth. Without opening your eyes, make a sound to express your own inner
truth, (don't force it, but keep making the sound until you feel complete.)
Visualise energy rising to your eyes - open your eyes and see the truth
of who you are and where you are. Then close your eyes, visualise the energy
ascending to the top of your head and feel the presence of the divine within.
Connect now with the courage and compassion to let go of those either
side of you, still aware of their presence but no longer linked with your
arms and hands. Imagine yourself as the Tree of Life: your roots deep in
the earth, your trunk filled with energy, your branches stretching up into
the sky, connecting with the light of the sun and stars.
Draw down the energy of the sun and stars into your body - keep drawing
energy through your body and bring this energy right down to earth. Bring
energy right down into your roots, supporting you in expressing who you
are, your own truth Ask your inner guide now to give you a word, short phrase,
image, symbol and/or gesture, movement that encapsulates what is the next
step for you on your journey in life.
As said earlier, the work of Roberto Assagioli is intended to guide us towards
the wisdom and understanding necessary to manifest our knowledge on the
earth, clearly and in service to others. Through this we are constantly
turning our old 'leaden' nature into a new 'golden' embodiment of our deeper
truth, that we are always becoming Self.
Will Parfitt is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and an experienced
and innovative group leader. Trained in Psychosynthesis, he has more than
thirty years experience of working with psychospiritual development, and
he travels internationally to run courses on a variety of subjects including
kabbalah and psychosynthesis. Will is author of several books
including 'Kabbalah for Life' and 'Psychosynthesis: the Elements and Beyond'.
© Will Parfitt 2008 (v8.1)