Welcome to day eight, where Today we're going to make a deeper dive into the psychology of contemplation. Now, I'm going to use the following definition of psychology for today, which would be a rational inquiry into or study about what can be known about the human mind and its functions, especially as they relate to human behavior. So with that concept in mind, let's dive right into the psychology of contemplation. Just like the theology, we can start with some foundational concepts here. And I want to think about psychology from the perspective of exploring the human condition or the human predicament, what it means to be a human living on this earth. And if we start with a biblical Foundation, we can turn to the creation account in Genesis one through three.

And there are two points that I think we need to keep in mind from the biblical account. These are the image of God, which is stated in Genesis 126, that all human persons, regardless of sex, or gender, or race, or background all are made in the image and likeness of God. And the theological tradition that has developed around this is this affirmation that no matter what happens, or what a person chooses, no matter how good or evil, they might be, that this image of God is always there and cannot be destroyed. Now, the other piece of it is what is sometimes called the fall or often might be referred to as original sin or the story of original sin in Genesis three. And in Genesis three, remember that the serpent tricks Adam and Eve into eating of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and says that if you do so you will become like God.

And so there's this kind of break with our natural connection and connection with the divine connection with creation connection with each other. And that's part of the world that we live in today. So that's a biblical account. If we take a more directly psychological account, or developmental account, we might say, I'm basing these ideas here on a little set of essays by Thomas Keating called the human condition. And I'll reference that in the citations if you want to follow up on it. He bases his work on the work of the psychologist, Carl Jung, and he says that we have come into this world as infants and then children and then as adults with these basic needs for security, affection and control.

So security, affection and control and I'll give you an example at the end, because this might be a little abstract. But the account here is that even under the best of conditions with loving parents and a great community, the human condition is such that it's such Point, those basic needs are not met. And even before we might even have developed verbal skills, we start to then feel that insecurity that comes when those needs aren't met. And we start to act and behave in ways that try to get the world or our caregivers to meet those needs. Over time, we start to develop idiosyncratic habits, ways that we respond to the world, and not indirectly getting our needs met, because that's healthy, but in unhealthy ways, attempts to manipulate and try to get others to meet our needs. And so what happens over time, and by the time we're adults, I don't know anybody, including myself, who hasn't experienced this on some level.

I know people who aren't aware of it, but I don't know anybody who hasn't experienced it. We start we eventually develop a kind of false self or Carl Jung would call this the shadow self, Freud and others might call it the ego. The Buddhist teacher in psychologist Tara Brock calls it the spacesuit self. And this is that constructed self that we present to the world to appear successful or beautiful or perfect or whatever it might be. But it's not a fully integrated, whole, self aware self. So let me give you an example.

As I promised, I'll start with something mundane, to make it simple. So personally, I really love chocolate and coffee, two things that I crave. Now, let's imagine a scenario where I'm feeling particularly insecure. So in this example, let's say I just completed a brilliant article and submitted it I spent years working on it, and I just got the rejection from my publisher or perhaps it's a relationship that's being difficult or has ended that need for affection, insecurity has been undercut, so I'm feeling anxious. So on a basic physiological level, I want to go raid the chocolate and cover over that feeling of insecurity. So that's at a really basic, mundane level.

But if we extended that out over time, it could also happen that maybe I would start eating so much chocolate that I endanger my own health. Or it might evolve into something more dangerous, like drugs or alcohol or other addictive behaviors, and it can really start to take over and ruin my life and those of others. So those are all different examples. And there are a million different ways that this can play out. But that's the basic human psychology of the condition that we live in. So our predicament is this tendency or desire to make me and my desires the center of reality.

Or as Genesis three, five puts it to be like God So now I want to go a little bit deeper into the process of this contemplative transformation. And we might look at this as the psychological side of what we discussed yesterday as that purification or probation period. Right? It's really where we get in, or I should say, where the Holy Spirit gets into the depths of our psyche and our soul so that God can work a deeper healing and transformation. The psychologist and therapist Louis Castellino writes that silence is an ambiguous stimulus that activates systems of implicit memory. So when we sit down and try to step into that silence, that can actually activate these deeper systems of memory.

Now, implicit memory is quite interesting. psychologists and neuroscientists have demonstrated that we carry these embodied forms of memory that are local hated literally in the physical structure of the body and the mind, and that they exist at non conscious levels of our experience. So they're there, but we're not directly aware of them. So researchers like Allan schore, and Dan Siegel and others, have demonstrated that these implicit memories are often triggered at these non conscious level, so we're not aware of it. And yet, when they become activated, they have a direct influence upon our perceptions, emotions, our thoughts, and even our behaviors. So if we want to be free, the kind of healing that happens in this transformation, we need to get at some of those deeper parts of the human soul or I should say grace needs to get at that part.

So let's take this on a practical level. What happens when you sit down to practice? Well, if you're anything like me, I settle in with a cup of coffee and I'm ready for a nice quiet 20 minutes of silence. But of course, the first thing thing I noticed is all the crazy thoughts flowing through my head, the flux and the flow of thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, memories, anxieties, all the things I have to get done. Now again, I want to reiterate that this is really normal. So if you're experiencing this and you're frustrated, you're not alone.

So some of what comes up, probably a lot of it feels really random and chaotic, and much of it perhaps is, but some of it may very well be remnants or effects of that triggering of implicit memory that happens in the deeper silence. And it's often if there's disintegration, stored in those memories by bringing them or allowing them to come up into the silence. We're actually creating a space for grace to access and heal those deeper wounds of the soul. So in practice, when you sit down and you notice these thoughts with mindfulness, that non judgmental mind Moment to moment awareness you're neither attaching nor rejecting what arises. That's the first step. Then when you practice coming back to your practice your your phrase from Scripture, your monta or your sacred word, which recall is your symbol of your intention to consent to God to say, yes, you're surrendering to the Divine Will healing and love.

You're literally creating a space for that grace to work deep into those systems of implicit memory, and bring healing and integration. So, what are some of the outcomes of engaging in this process? I want to suggest precisely that healing, integration and wholeness and ultimately, freedom are some of the outcomes that we can experience if we remain faithful to the process, even in the good and the bad. Part of what happens here is by distancing ourselves from those immediate reactions, We create a little space and distance where we can see ourselves more objectively with mindfulness. And with that intention to consent begin to see ourselves as God already sees us to really see and uncover that image of God, that on changing in destroyable, indestructible, light and likeness of God that is within within our soul. That's one part of it.

I've also been really influenced by the work of Dan Siegel on this, and especially this idea of integration, he claims that integration is the heart of health, all health, mental health, physical health, spiritual health. And he defines integration as linking differentiated parts into a functional whole. So if we think about this in relation to say the image of God, that indelible mark of light and goodness, combined with the shadow self or the spacesuit self or the ego We are and always will be both. But if we allow those parts of ourselves to be and we bring them and offer them to God, to that healing, effective grace, we actually allow an integration to happen. That's part of the healing that I would suggest happens in the contemplative silence, that we're able to see ourselves as whole, as light and darkness, but ultimately good and beloved by God.

The ultimate outcome of this, I also believe is a deeper kind of freedom, both a psychological freedom and, and a spiritual freedom. It's the freedom that St. Paul talks about in Romans 821, which he calls the freedom of the glory of the children of God. So we have some freedom from those more compulsive parts of our personality. From the ways our ego tries to trick us into doing things that ultimately harm us or others. And we begin to have some freedom to really choose how we want to respond to the grace that is offered in contemplative prayer, and to our own thoughts and emotional and interior lives, and even to the challenges that present themselves on a day to day basis in the world around us. So practical tip here, every time you become aware of your thoughts, or emotions, or whatever, and return to your practice with your word, phrase or mantra.

And that's this is both during formal practice, but also you might start to catch yourself kind of going throughout your day. You're creating a space for the grace of God to transform your soul, your psyche, to bring you towards greater wholeness or holiness. Note that wholeness and holiness have the same root integration, peace, healing and freedom. And here's the really important part for sticking with a long term practice. This practice is occurring even when you are not consciously aware of it. But we reiterate that it's occurring even when you're not consciously aware of it.

So you have those moments where you're sitting in your practice and you're like, Why in the world am I doing this, this is a waste of time, nothing's happening. This is happening. Grace works at such a deep and subtle level that sometimes we're not aware of it. And in fact, our conscious, rational mind can even get in the way. So returning to that silence actually creates a deeper space for God to work a deeper kind of healing. So stick with it, even when it kind of feels funny is my my advice.

I want to leave you with a quote from Thomas Keating. And you can follow this graphic on the right hand side that talks about kind of moving below that surface level of our conscious awareness towards our center, where we encounter God and infinite compassion and love. Thomas KEANEY gives us this advice. Take and accept yourself just as you are, where you are. If you are aggressive, lustful, fearful or shy and passive, notice your feelings before, during and after each incident without emotional reactions or blame, shame, anger or discouragement. let God work with your faults and limitations.

Just recognize them and be with them without trying to correct them directly. As you watch them, feel them and accept them, their force and exaggeration will gradually diminish. Keep moving to the center of your being where Divine Love is and to be present to and welcome whatever bodily feeling or emotion that is happening. The present moment contains all that we need to be happy. So I leave you with that encouraging quote. And with the encouragement to go deeper and trust in the process.

With your practice trust in God and the grace that is at work, and really wishing you that healing, integration, wholeness and freedom that can be the fruit of the Spirit that comes out of this practice. Thank you again for being here. And tomorrow we'll do a deeper dive on to some of the neuroscience of contemplation.