Chapter Three: "General Assessment and Exploration of the Unconscious"

We've been having quite a discussion about the organic unity of a person, whether present as potential or having been actualized, the nature of the Self and the nature of the "I" or personal self as the center of consciousness and will. Finding language to talk about the concepts in the abstract is a challenge. Finding words to share the actual experiences, the states of consciousness, the lenses through which we perceive is even more challenging.

Chapter three addresses these challenges in another way. In chapter three, Assagioli first discusses his approach to working with the conscious aspects of the personality and with unconscious aspects. He says that psychosynthesis begins with assessing these, but does not delve deeply into the unconscious aspects first. Instead psychosynthesis works with what is conscious, and uses the exploration to develop an observing self that can view the personality with some objectivity, without a strong degree of emotional charge. He offers several ways of accomplishing development of the observer stance and providing the therapist (guide) with information that can be useful in subsequent guidance.

I found it interesting that so much of the initial work is in the form of writing. I very much like the statement that "In writing, both conscious and unconscious factors are active...". By using writing, unconscious factors are incorporated in ways that will not tend to destabilize the person. In writing, unconscious material emerges into consciousness without flooding the person with more than they can handle. In looking at what is written, the inner observer is strengthened. Biography, diary and written responses to specific questions are all forms of writing Assagioli recommends in the assessment phase of psychosynthesis.  There is more recent research on the benefits of writing, and the importance of being able to form coherent narratives of one's experiences in life that validates the practices Assagioli advocated in the middle of the 20th century.

I particularly like Assagioli's discussion of the five points or parts to include in an assessment:

1. The origin of various personality traits.

2. The recognition of existing complexes. There are complexes of which the patient is often painfully aware.

3. The recognition of polarities, ambivalences and conflicts.

4. The recognition of the various "selves," this in the sense given to them by William James. We may call them subpersonalities.

5. The persistence of traits belonging to preceding psychological ages: (a) infantile, (b) adolescent, (c) juvenile.

Some of the language in this section of chapter three is perhaps a bit dated. However, I appreciate the emphasis on developing a systematic and comprehensive understanding both within the 'patient' and the guide, of all these facets of the personality.

In the subsection, "The Constitution of Man," we are again in discussion of the Self, the personal self and the two main aims of psychosynthesis, the personal psychosynthesis and the transpersonal psychosynthesis. This section contains discussion of how to present the concept of the higher Self to persons who will probably only engage in the personal psychosynthesis, and to those who already bring in spiritual or religious problems, or will likely proceed to a transpersonal psychosynthesis. Assagioli makes it clear that we are to respond "to the actual need of the unique situation of each patient and at each stage of the patient's life." For those people for whom "a good personal psychosynthesis is all that we can look for" the most important idea around which that personal psychosynthesis is oriented is, the idea of "a personal self, of a point of consciousness and self-awareness, coupled with its realization and the use of its directing will."

In the discussion of how to assess higher values, Assagioli recommends asking rather directly about the person's philosophy of life and religious beliefs. In addition his "cosmic test" is fascinating. With the many pictures of deep space, the birth of stars and the recent evidence of the birth of a black hole, we have many materials available now that were not available to Assagioli.  We can use Hubble photographs, and there are a number of slide shows and at least one film, "Powers of Ten" that are available that could be useful for this cosmic test.

The last section on the "Exploration of the Unconscious" interested me, but I've not been trained in the particular psychoanalytic techniques he discusses, except for training in hypnosis. And, as events centering around the issue of "repressed memories" have unfolded, hypnosis can have definite downsides for both patient and therapist or guide. Generally, it has seemed most safe to me, to note where there are clearly resistances or blocks and then work with them with imagery, the use of techniques for working with ego states, or some of the gestalt or somatic experiencing methods, either alone or in combination.

And, to return to the "Introduction" section of chapter three, we must always keep in mind "the central, decisive importance of the human factor, of the living, interpersonal relation between the therapist and the patient."

For those people in the book study group who are not clinicians, it would be interesting to know which of the assessment methods might appeal as a means of self-assessment? This is also a question for clinicians, both at this point in time, and also thinking back to the time(s) of your training. With which self-assessment methods did you engage, and which hold appeal for you now as self-assessment tools?