************* The following message is relayed to you by [email protected] ************ SELF-CLEARING: By F. Gordon
It is reasonable to suppose that as the product of aeons of evolution, humans have a self-clearing mechanism to enhance survival. It is also reasonable to suppose that when this self-clearing does not occur, there is an active suppression of it. Let's take a look at an example of this suppression: First, are the physiological discharges noted in DMSMH: heavy breathing or pant-ing, tears, sweat, burps, farts, vomiting, urination and the expulsion of feces. During 15 years in a mental hospital, I discovered that I could release persistent tension by going off by myself and sticking my finger down my throat. I would vomit or nearly do so, and then could cry and let the tension go. I needed solitude to accomplish this, since it made others uncomfortable, and particularly "professionals" who would like to "treat" this "symptom" of "illness" by suppressing it with medication. It is interesting that when I told a group about this technique, the chief objection to its crudity and impoliteness came from a mental health professional. The other patients or ex-patients laughed, but I doubt if they understood how important such first-aid could be. It's hard to believe, but I'll bet people have gone crazy or died simply to be "polite," or to avoid "embarrassment." "Civilization," has this considerable disadvantage when it inhibits any of these methods of discharge. I once had a Scientologist in Chicago tell me that grief was "ugly." So what? A man who has eaten rotten food vomiting it up may look "ugly," and live; or look "pretty," and die. Dramatizations may or may not be acceptable, but they do serve as a primitive discharge mechanism. One may view them as an impromptu psychodrama. The pain, anguish or loss is "handled somehow." Rather than being assisted to explore the hidden drama, however, the "actor" is usually suppressed. The above are attempts, more or less successful, to clear up something. But is there a more effective approach on a day to day basis? Let's take a look: A person in good shape can be cause. When he looks at something in the bank, it becomes the effect and he realizes, "I can do something about this." The auditor, if he has one, wants this and actually dares the pc to become overtly alive. The old "Cat process" where an animal was "teased" and "retreated from" when it reached out, to encourage it, is given in "Intro & Demo Processes & Assists", p. 123-4, and can be rewritten slightly: "Pcs are processed by building up in them the belief that they are capable of handling something. A pc is given a mild challenge. When he takes ANY action to handle this, the auditor encourages him. The pc is led to handle this challenge on a gradient scale, until he is very cocky and confident about his ability to do so." The key indicator is expressed by the old Armenian saying, "The cat saw the mouse." The pc reaches, however slightly, his havingness (the concept of being able to reach) comes up, he becomes cause and the bank becomes effect, he gets interested (attentive with the intention to do something about it) in his case (the sum total of by-passed charge), and his confront comes up (and the TA falls). Unless "The cat saw the mouse," this sequence doesn't even begin, no matter how many rote robotic routines are "run." A distinct felt sense accompanies this, which was recognized in this old Armenian expression. Some comparable American expressions are: "He pricked up his ears, sat up and took notice, and his eyes lit up." The above gives some of the required conditions for self-clearing. For one to maintain an attitude which would continue this process on a day to day basis, the following should help: 1. Select mild challenges which you feel you can handle (maintain an optimum randomity). 2. When dealing with the bank, look for those things which are the effect when you look at them. 3. Put attention on what you CAN DO, and do some small thing about it. 4. Dare to become overtly alive. 5. Move as much as possible towards the attitude: "The cat saw the mouse." 6. Spot where you feel like "The mouse saw the cat," and do some small thing about that. 7. Spot and handle any suppressions of natural discharge mechanisms. In Summary: Spot and encourage your own version of "The cat saw the mouse." _______________________________________________ Trom mailing list [email protected] http://lists.newciv.org/mailman/listinfo/trom
