The Plea for Integration
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Psalm 103:1 NASB
Within– What is within you? Maybe you’re not sure how to answer that question. Let’s try it a different way. When you dream, what things happen to you over and over? Do you have dreams about being embarrassed? Lost? Threatened? Or maybe you have dreams about happy places, exhilarating experiences, life away from the drudgery of the “awake” world. Can you identify some of those themes from your dreams? Is that what’s “within” you? In other words, how much have you attempted to articulate the unconscious part of who you are, the subterranean world of your hopes, desires and fears?
When the psalmist writes, ve-kol kerabay, he is saying more than, “Let my conscious world offer You praise.” He’s saying, “Everything about who I am, the known and the unknown, desires to bless You. Let it be so.” And, of course, the only way that the unknown—unconscious—part of who we are can ever really become an integrated whole in praise of God is for Godto have unfettered access to our unconscious worlds.
Zornberg offers important analysis:
“The interior of the body constitutes a subterranean region of psychosomatic experience. . . This visceral place, uncanny, intimate, and alien, has the power to make and unmake the world.”[1]
“ the Psalmist wishes that his nefesh his lungs, his breath, his spirit, and his kirbayim, his innards, his visceral life, may praise God’s name. He asks, that is, for his whole uncanny interior world to find expression in a world of communicable knowledge. He yearns for the separate parts of the self to be fused, reintegrated. In this way, he will become, at least as long as the blessing lasts, real to himself.”[2](my emphasis)
Ah, but this reflects what the famous psychiatrist Paul Tournier wrote, “We become fully conscious only of what we are able to express to someone else.”[3] So exploration of the unconscious is crucial in the integration of a person. And how will that be done unless God is the psychotherapist of the unknown? The psalmist knew this truth 3000 years ago. Do we? Have you spent any effort at all trying to let God become your unconscious therapist?
Topical Index: unconsciousness, within, kerabay, Zornberg, Tournier, Psalm 103:1
[1]Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, The Murmuring Deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious, p. 218.
This is very interesting to me. I had a nightmare-ish type dream last night. It was very threatening. Someone coming back into my life to seek revenge. When the intensity of it woke me, my first thoughts were, I need to make sure I deliberately take God into my dreams with me. Like giving God access to my unconscious from which the dream could have originated. His allowance of exposure to me in order to heal/make whole. Bringing together. Areas that may have been split off in the past. They are there and he wants to bring them out into the light. We only hide because we feel unsafe or insecure. Perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment, and anyone who fears is not made whole in love. This becomes the intention of the Holy Spirit toward us …. wholeness and unity within. That’s why I have always been drawn to Hebrews 4:12. The word of God goes down into our inner being, the hidden places, the deep places within us and he wants to bring healing, restoration and wholeness. I hardly ever have dreams like that, that are that graphic, so when I woke up and then I read today’s word, God was speaking through Skip to me. Talk about God being involved in every detail of our hearts. His compassion and carefulness toward us is amazing ! God knows what he’s about. He knows the plans he thinks toward us, good plans, for a future and a hope. I’m really going to have to spend time with him in regards to this! Being open and vulnerable is a real challenge.
How interesting, I happen to have a copy of Paul Tournier’s Book, “the meaning of persons “‘ on my bookshelf ! I guess I’ll be doing some reading later on today.
If our Psyche is participating in our unconconscience moments bringing God into your dreams would be very affective way of soliciting his help.. I have had many spiritual dreams, I have fought demons in them waking knowing that and in fact while asleep and in battle with them , in one instance, knowing they were set upon me because I was in the home of somone they had been asigned to torrment. Interesting stuff the realms of the psyche. The unconconscience realms are often more spirtually discernable than the conscious simply because our minds are less hampered by their own processing and more receptive to the Spirit of YeHoVaH.
I recently started finding God in my dreams. The first time He showed up I was in the typical runaway vehicle down the mountain and could choose to either steer the wheel or be on the floor pressing the brake (I was the typical small child). I chose to dive for the brake and pray for God to steer. I didn’t wake up (because we made it all the way down safely), but I did remember the dream!
I think when we start to trust God instead of just acting out our (unconscious) stuff, we let Him into the lower layers. It has been very uncomfortable for me because this means that I, as a Former Performer For Love, have to NOT ‘push’ myself to do anything, but “wait on the Lord” to free me in those places. Immediately this brings out the inner shaming or addictive behaviors. It is horrible to just sit there and see all this stuff well up and realize it may likely be yet another relatively unproductive day while I meet and greet more of my stuff (it’s all mine!) because I can’t be delivered of something I am either in denial of or cannot hand off WHILE IT IS MANIFESTING. Hard homework! But, sweet dreams, too. I started writing my children letters in which I tell them what I really want them to know. I have been dreaming about me and my children a lot more lately as a result. Halleluah!
Finally, I realize that my biology is only about 1%, DNA speaking, of my own body. “All that is within me” doesn’t therefore just need to be running amuck. If I make a choice that it all is “blessing the Lord” and say so, my body will conform. It’s nice when I show up to spiritual church and all the rowdy inner kids show up too and sit down on the pew with me. I am also supposed to act like a steward of my inner biome. A stomach that is blessing the Lord along with me is an easier stomach to sleep with, y’all.
Nope. I don’t agree with this Tournier guy…..
“We become fully conscious only of what we are able to express to someone else.”
I am the WORST at expressing myself (been described as “Tinkerbell on crack”, “talking to you is like drinking from a firehose” {a Doctor even}, I get nervous energy spinning and I Tazmanian devil over everything…… and the like). I get so full of emotion and everything wants to “COME ON DOWN!” Like each emotional part of me is about to bid on the BEST LIFE…. see! Even now I cannot make sense. I am a hot mess of inwardness coming out and it is not a pretty sight. And when it’s “happening” all that is within me cries to SHUT UP!
Psh… “have I spent any effort at all trying to let God become your unconscious therapist?“ THAT IS ALL I DO!!! And it is PAINFULLY clear there is just too much to uncover.
“Tinkebell on crack” lol…no offense. Graphic. Maybe you can slow down when you realize you have an eternity to uncover and unpack everything inside. There need be no rush. Conserve your angst and energy as it may be needed to power a black hole in deep space billions of years from now! And besides consciousness is probably overrated…conscience, on the other hand, is underrated, undervalued and underutilized. Love you Lesli. Thanks for your vunerability and insights.
BROTHER! Thank you for that response! Your kindness is balm to my soul! Skip JUST made that same statement during his visit in Dallas. I was blown away…. never have I ever heard that I have beyond this carbon-based life form (my life now) a continuous space in which to know these things my nephesh needs/wants/is dying to know. Consciousness and conscience…… need to ponder and chew on that … thank you again. It’s nice to have safe spaces.
The good news Tinker Bell is that God is not only your therapist, he is your father, mother, guide and sherpa. Even if you are unconscious of it. However he is also your judge and jury. I know how trama amps up our energies and coping mechanisms. As you learn to find assurance in the tender loving care and perfect provisions of Yehovah your inner seas will calm. That has been my experience of walking with Yahh for the last 54 years…I join my brother Michael in thanks and appreciateion of your contributions and honesty to our forum.
Your comment made me smile…. but what made me have “all the feels” was the words after Tinkerbell…. like, EVERY sword. I know I need to let go of me working on me and letting Him do what needs to be done and let me just get out of my own way. There are many “me’s” internally that yammer for care, clarity and that tender loving care that only The Creator can bring. Thank you, Brother. Your kindness is palpable.
You make perfect sense, Tink!
We must be cut from that same cloth if I make sense! Sorry Drew… and also thank you for the nod.
Hello readers, and fellow patience, not a slip. We do need patients if we fully understood that God is in control of everything and we are just like grass. It would not worry oh, it is our thoughts and our intellect that are challenged but if God knows all and sees all then we would be at peace come up with God and with ourselves. I am looking at the newly fallen snow, crystallized Frozen covering. Sins covered sins are covered buy removal when repented of, that’s the key full repentance changes are best so we learn from it and are not condemned by .it . The supernatural working of God’s word. The meditation on God’s word where he takes over. Hallelujah, I apologize for this post being on the top. Others disapproves the chain of commentary in order.
The answer to your question “have you spent any effort at all trying to let God become your unconscious therapist?” Is yes quite a bit of time. I call that time “Prayer” and one realization from that time was the diffrent values of psych-olog, theo-ology, and philo-sophy in my understanding of myself, others and the ways and means of the created world . A biblical defenition of the psych would be helpfull, but I define it as the nature of the soul, spirit and personalities of people. Of course theology is the study of God/ultimate truth and philosophy is basically ones operating aporch to life, what one belives is the way things actually work. (I am sure Dr. Moen could provide a far better description as it is his field of expertice) While we all have knowege of experiancial involvment in all these realms of knowledge, most of us are not likly expert in all at once, and must in fact subjegate or ideas in part to the more expert in the other realms. This would in part be “humility” something not so common among intelectuals. As a licensed professional I often marvel at the arrogance of mankind to consider oneself expert in any of the fields of study simply because one is expert in a field of their own. This comment is not a criticism or condemnation of our good host rather by way of my personal philosophy based on my understanding of the jurisdictional nature of knowege and hence authority . This from many years as an architect observing how many contractors and clients speak with great conviction and presumed authority about things they actually know little about. Therefore dismissing or minimizing my actuale effectiveness to participate based on my knowledge. This may be a long walk to a small cabin. But I find Dr. Jorden Peterson the most interesting and effective psychologist in the public forums today.
The above is a contribution to a conversation with Dr. Moen , as yet unresolved, about the implications of the work of Dr. Chuck Missler regarding Dr. Moen’s perspective on space and time. Dr. Missler being expert in the hard sciences while Dr. Moen in the social sciences. My work and training interestingly is in both. But I am expert only in there application to architecture and its history. But it is my assertion that philosophy is the architecture one creates to protect the psyche. ..
Mark, “a long walk to a small cabin” is my new favorite metaphor. Can I borrow it from time to time if I promise to return it to it’s rightful owner when we meet at that small, cozy, structurally sound, architecturally designed cabin?
I concur with your assessment of Jordan Peterson. I bought his big book “Maps of Meaning” but found it harder to follow than Skip’s doctoral dissertation and international ‘best seller’, “God, Time, and the Limits of Omniscience: A Critical Study of Doctrinal Development”
Great minds may think alike, but my small mind can’t make sense of the majority of their thoughts. For me it is “a short walk to a big mansion”.
The Plea for Integration February 13, 2019
Have you heard of ‘Architects and Engineers for 911 Truth’? I think it started with the founder of the group (an architect I think) who doubted the official explanation. I had first heard about the group when I saw a post in a Japanese newspaper about their lecture at Osaka University. I didn’t attend it unfortunately. I still hadn’t heard about Building 7 etc.
I do think it is very unfortunate that people will believe doctors blindly or maybe anyone with Dr. in front of his/her name and possibly won’t listen to others who know a lot on a subject who don’t. I respect many, of course, and have learned a lot from many but they can be just as ignorant as anyone if they have heard the same lies over and over again. Like believing men walked on the moon. I found out not too long ago who was in charge of the space program in a talk by the man who wrote the book ‘The Nazi Next Door.’ I think that’s the name of the book. And he still believes that lie. Hard to believe.
This morning I listened to Dr. Amy-Jill Levine on Mover’s and Thinkers. ‘What’s Jesus Got to Do With It?’ She was interesting listening to. She is Jewish and a member of an orthodox synagogue but says she’s a non-practicing, not very much believing member and she is a New Testament scholar. Quite a combination! She will even be teaching in the spring at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome! So anyway…..questioning what you have been taught was mentioned in another podcast I listened to with a man by the name of Witherington.
May I introduce to you my therapist?
“He called me by his grace . . . (and) was pleased
to reveal his Son in me.” Gal 1:15-16
Since 1977 this new presence within me has been
my friend and teacher — teaching me about Himself,
the world, His kingdom, and myself. Mostly about myself!
All the libraries and experts in the world couldn’t begin
to touch what He’s taught me!
Some may be interested in this article and amazing graphic “The First Hyperlinked Text: The Bible and its 63,779 Cross-References”.
As per Mark’s policy (Skip’s great Techie): Better you Google it than to provide the hyperlink here.
About dreams, I have had the exact same dream (like a nightmare to me) about once or twice a year for the past 8 years. Haven’t been keeping track of the numbers. I was getting so irritated and concerned that I broke down and checked the internet about a year ago to see what they say it could mean. It said that I could be trying to break off a relationship. Also mentioned depression. I was shocked. Sort of interested now in studying more on the subject.