Applying Integrative Perspectives to Spiritual Psychology

By Laurel Elders, MCC

​From an early age, I begged to know, "What is the truth?" I set out to answer this question in everything I saw, externally, internally, and eternally.
 
"Mom, which religion is correct?" I asked. My mom replied, "The one you believe in." 
 
I thought, "Well, that can't be true." 
 
I recall looking at the stars at a young age and wondering if we were just some kid's science experiment. I had an ant farm. Did the ants see me as God? Did they even know where they were and were not?
 
Were we like fish? Fish can't see beyond the ocean they are in. To them, dry land doesn't exist. 
 
Then, I happened across parables that created more questions than provided answers. One was about an astronaut chatting with a brain surgeon. The astronaut says, "You know I've traveled to space and back, and I've never seen God." The brain surgeon replies, "I hear you. I've conducted thousands of surgeries, and I've never seen a thought." 
 
Or the one about the atheist speaking to the Rabbi. The atheist challenges the Rabbi to prove God exists. The Rabbi responded, "See the bottle of ink. What are the odds that if I knock it over, it will write a beautiful poem all by itself?"
 
While there are a plethora of philosophical explorations around atheism, God, religion, mysticism, and spiritual paths, we can find some spiritual truths about human psychology through an integrative growth-centric spiritual lens. 
 
Those truths we will explore today.
 
How is it that we are capable of experiencing our wholeness yet equally capable of experiencing our life as fragmented? How does our own human experience color our self-perception? Who are we truly at our core? 
 
It turns out that we are not our fears. We are not our defense mechanisms. We are not our limiting beliefs. These are all just aspects of our experiences and often illusions of our limitations. 
 
The biggest problems arise when an illusion turns into confusion and acts like an intrusion. 
 
The good news is that beneath the filters of illusions our true self hasn’t gone anywhere; it has a purpose and, when given space, is ready to surface. 
 
How can we navigate through to see what is true? 
 
The Role of Integration/Disintegration in Spritual Self-Understanding
 
Disintegration teaches us that states of fear and emotional stress create an inner dichotomy. It is a survival instinct. The brain scurries with the question, "Am I safe?" Walls of defenses go up.
 
When fear kicks in, the ego is the first thing to take the reins. The ego splinters us off from our human essence, and the virtues of the heart become shrowded. 
 
When the ego takes control, unconscious filters from past experiences cover the true self. The authentic self appears to fade into the background, overshadowed by the inflated pride of the ego. The ego can transform into an impenetrable wall, creating a false sense of security as it strives to protect us emotionally.
 
However, we are not walls. The initial wounds that shape the ego give rise to constructs like the 'fallen self,' the 'shadow,' the mask of the 'imposter,' and a variety of brilliantly crafted defense mechanisms.
 
The most significant journey we take in life is the path of integration and actualization. It is a journey that teaches us how to dispel the illusions accumulated from our youth so that we can step into our truth. On this journey, we discover who we are beyond the egoic self. On this journey, we excavate who we are beneath the fears, beneath the defenses, and without the filters of limiting beliefs. 
 
Have you ever seen an ego crumble? There is usually sobbing involved. As the illusions fall, the fear, pain, and anguish of what we previously believed to be true crumble at our feet. Fear, guilt, and shame fill in the cracks until the heart bursts through like a salve. This is the positive side of disintegration. 
 
Who are we beyond the egoic self? How do we discover this part of ourselves? When do we reach a wholeness rich with self-understanding? These questions are the birthplace of the journey. 
 
In truth, we are a culmination of our worth that stems from our value, our values, our gifts, our capabilities, and our strengths. The essence of self illuminates as we seek out our truth. Our wholeness is founded and expanded as we step deeper into our truth.
 
The Role of Wholeness in Spritual Awakening
 
Next time you are in need of a spiritual tune-up, I invite you to tune-in.
 
Our wholeness remains within us despite its apparent absence, even during the darkest hours. Many individuals navigate life without ever tapping into this inner wholeness because, to the ego, love appears threatening and is perceived as a weakness. The fear of a "God" can root even deeper. The Course in Miracles outlines the connection between the two fears. "The fear of God is but the fear of loss of idols." 
 
What have we come to idol? What has become our "God"? In what ways do we externalize our worth? These questions move the mark closer to self-understanding and, therefore, awakening to our wholeness. 
 
By tapping into our wholeness, we heal, we take our power back, we dismantle our defenses, and we remove inner filters of limitation. As we self-discover, new facets of our potential emerge—facets characterized by virtue, love, and an authentic connection to all that is. 
 
Our wholeness invites us to face the real so that we can heal. To revel in our inner-knowing so that we can continue growing. Beyond the pain is new terrain. Beyond a past wound, we can become attuned. Awaken to what within you is true, and you will cultivate anew. 
 
This voyage into our wholeness, resounding in our truth is what brings us to the precipice of our spiritual awakening. Enjoy this expansive voyage!

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