The Process of Becoming Your True Self

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The Process of Becoming Your True SelfDr. Rodney H. ClarkenNorthern Michigan University

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The process of becoming your true self is

• a model of human development based on an integration of knowledge from psychology, philosophy and religion.

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It identifies knowing, loving and willing

• as the three basic human capacities and describes how they are developed through the body, mind and soul.

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It views the body, mind and soul

• as the three basic natures of human beings, that develop in hierarchical stages in an individual from embryo to adult (ontogeny) just as they did in the evolutionary development of human life (phylogeny) through the stages of mineral, vegetable, animal (body), human (mind) and beyond (soul).

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•Soul•Spirit

•Mind

•Body•Know

•Love •Will

•self•True Self

•Mineral •Vegetable

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Your true self: the beginning

You are here

.

We all start of as a one-celled microscopic organism, invisible to the human eye. That is your true self at the initial stage of your development, containing all your future potentialities.

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The process of becoming

How do we get from here .

To here

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From the humble beginning

• of a one-celled being, we progress hierarchically through all the kingdoms and stages of development that we did in evolution:

• Mineral

• Vegetable

• Animal

• Human

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•Human (Brain/Mind)•Animal (Body)•Vegetable•Mineral

Stages of Material Development

Matter

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These are the same stages

• that the world has gone through evolutionarily over millions of years

• First, there was matter that formed into minerals, that over time created the right conditions for the evolution of plants, that were followed by animals, which set the stage for humans.

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Hierarchy of material creation

Human

AnimalVegetableMineralMatter

Relative abundance of realm

Time

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The human being is the latest

• and highest realm of creation, incorporating in itself the qualities and attributes of the earlier and lower creations: mineral, vegetable & animal

• These physical developments that took billions of years to accomplish in evolution, we pass through in nine months within the womb

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Human nature

• The human being combines all the lower levels of creation of mineral, vegetable and animal in its body, and shares their qualities.

• Humans add the element of mind, based in a more evolved brain, and have the capacity to transcend them all with its soul.

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•Soul Divine Spiritual•Mind Human Mental•Body Animal Physical

VegetableHuman Nature Mineral

Each higher level encompassesand transcends the lower

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Stages of human development

• The body, mind and soul each go through a mineral, vegetable, animal and human stage of development in the process of your realizing their full potential.

• The true self is your soul endowed with full spiritual powers.

• We will briefly explore each of these.

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The stages of the body: 1. mineral

• We start off as one-celled organisms made up of atoms and molecules held together like the atoms and molecules of a mineral.

• Our one-cell divides into two, each successive cell follows a similar pattern, then the cells begin differentiating into different body parts and integrating into patterns, like a mineral crystal.

• We do not lose the mineral qualities of cohesion of our body until we die, when the atoms and molecules break apart returning again to simple matter.

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The vegetable stage of body

• The fetus implants itself on the wall of the uterus and draws nourishment from the host mother through an umbilical cord. If uprooted, we die.

• We grow from the one-celled seed, augmenting in size, qualities and development until at birth we have billions of cells and the organs to move to the animal stage. This vegetative quality cause us physical growth throughout our lives.

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The animal stage of body

• Adds the animal qualities of sensation and movement.

• In the womb, the senses and capacities common to animals are being developed, but not yet actively used.

• At birth the physical body, which humans share in common with animals, is able to begin developing its sensorimotor capacities.

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The human stage of the body

• What distinguishes humans from animals is reason, which physically depends on the developed brain which has evolved over eons.

• Understanding the physical brain can help us to understand the more abstract and higher mind and its role in the body.

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“Man finds himself in the predicament that Nature has

• endowed him essentially with three brains which, despite great differences in structure, must function together and communicate with one another. The oldest of these brains is basically reptilian. The second has been inherited from lower mammals, and the third is a later mammalian development, which, in its culmination in primates, has made man peculiarly man.” (MacLean, quoted in Koestler, Ghost in the machine, pp. 277-78)

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The Triune Brain

Reptilian brain (brain stem) oldestPaleomammalian brain (limbic system) laterNeomammalian brain (neocortex) latest

Based on MacLeanhttp://www.ezls.fb12.uni-siegen.de/mkroedel/paul_maclean.html

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The reptilian brain

• As infants, we operate primarily from the oldest part of our triune brains, the brain stem, which roughly corresponds to the reptilian brain. It controls internal functions, instinctive drives, reflexes, sleep, arousal and impulses

• As we master and transcend some of these internal primitive activities and forces, we advance to higher animal functions

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The paleomammalian brain

• We move to the higher more evolved limbic system, the second oldest part of the brain, which “processes information in such a way that it becomes experienced as feelings and emotions, which become the guiding force for behavior”. (Jantsch, Self-organizing universe, p. 167)

• Very similar in organization, chemistry and function to the paleomammalian brain of horses, dogs and cats, and intimately connected to the brain stem’s visceral and emotional functions

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The neomammalian brain

• The neocortex constitutes the latest and highest stage in evolution of the brain. It encompasses the limbic system and the brain stem.

• It is what distinguishes humans from animals physiologically.

• It is the seat of thought and most voluntary movements: mother of invention and father of abstract thought.

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Three brains in one

• Reptilian brain stem: controls muscles, balance and autonomic functions, such as breathing and heartbeat; is active, even in deep sleep

• Paleomammalian limbic system: concerned with emotions and instincts, feeding, fighting, fleeing, and sexual behavior

• Neomammalian neocortex: comprises higher cognitive functions which distinguish humans from animals

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The triune brain as body, heart and mind

• Body, brain stem, part of ourselves the regulates systems in our body. Perceives itself in the lower belly, the area of its major biological functioning (i.e., hunger, sex)

• Heart, limbic system, the part of ourselves that feels emotions. Perceives itself in the chest, the area of it’s primary responsibility and sensory awareness.

• Mind, neocortex, the part of ourselves we most often think of as who we are. Perceives itself in the head, the are that forms judgments, handles short term memory and does abstractions

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Triune brain and the three basic human capacities

• Body: to will, centered in brain stem

• Heart: to love, centered in limbic system

• Mind: to know, centered in neocortex

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The knowing, loving and willing process of becoming true self

•LovingHeart

•WillingBody

•KnowingMind

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Each of the triune brains thinks differently

• Body thinks in gestalt sequences of body sensations; body consciousness

• Heart thinks in sequences of feelings; emotional consciousness

• Mind thinks in sequences of words, concepts, thoughts, logic, etc.; mental consciousness

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•Soul Divine Spiritual•Mind Human Mental

(Heart Mammal Emotional)•Body Animal Physical

Human Nature & Triune Brain

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The brain-mind connection

• The brain is the physical organ that is the seat of the subjective mind, but the conscious mind is different and distinct from the objective brain.

• First person (I) subjective mind (conscious experience) reciprocally interacts with third person (it) objective brain (neurological systems).

• The brain is in the body and the body is in the mind.

Next, we will look briefly at one aspect of the stages of the mind using Piaget’s cognitive model.

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Stages of the mind: 1. mineral

• The initial mineral stage of the mind is the bonding in simple patterns of the elements of sensations, perceptions, impulses, images, etc. into a coherent mental representation.

• The mind is primarily sensorimotor and takes as its object the sensorimotor realm. Its general self-sense is material and physical.

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Vegetable stage of the mind

• Here the mind grows and can reproduce mental material. It is at the preoperational stage where it can use language and symbols to grow, and memory and imagination to reproduce, but only in a non logical and non reversible way. The mind does not grasp other points of view or perspectives. It has not developed its animal sensibilities.

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Animal stage of the mind

• The animal stage of mind can sense and move with and within the mind without the need of material senses and movement. Here the mind can see and hear for itself, without physical eyes or ears. This is the concrete operational stage where the mind can conserve and can logically and systematically manipulate symbols related to concrete objects.

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Human stage of the mind

• The mental mind, where the mind can think about itself and reflect upon and represent non material (abstract) reality. This stage is represented by formal operations: logical manipulation of symbols related to abstract concepts. It takes as it object the world of thought and is creative, constructive and systematic.

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Soul stage of the mind

• When the mind reaches the soul stage, the mind transcends itself and is illumined by the soul which lead to higher authentic, autonomous, unified, visionary and intuitive thinking. The mind becomes post logical, rational, personal, verbal, etc., no longer limited by those mental constructs.

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What is the soul?

• \Soul\ The animating and vital principle in humankind credited with the faculties of thought, action and emotion and conceived as forming an immaterial entity distinguished from but temporally coexistent with the body. Dictionary

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“an animating and vital principle”

• Energy; courage; spirit; fervor; affection, or any other noble manifestation of the heart or moral nature; inherent power or goodness. Definition 4 of soul from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

• The soul is like the sun which illumines, sustains and is reflected in the body and mind.

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“faculties of thought, action and emotion”

• Thought (Mind): Knowing, ThinkingUnderstanding TRUTH

• Action (Body): Willing, DoingJustice GOOD

• Emotion (Heart): Loving, FeelingUnity BEAUTY

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“an immaterial entity”

• \Im`ma*te"ri*al\ 1. Not consisting of matter; incorporeal; spiritual;

• \Spir"it*u*al\ 1. Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; 2. Of or pertaining to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual. 3. Of or pertaining to the moral feelings or states of the soul, as distinguished from the external actions; reaching and affecting the spirits. 4. Of or pertaining to the soul or its affections as influenced by the Spirit;

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“distinguished from but temporally coexistent with the body”• The soul is different and distinct from the body,

but associated with the body for the limited time of its life

• The body is like a horse and the soul is like the rider. At one level we identify with and care for the body as it is the vehicle for the soul, our true identity, which exists after the body dies.

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The soul is like an embryo

• As an immaterial entity it is hard to comprehend. We can use material metaphors to help us understand what it is and how it works

• The development of the embryo is analogous to the development of the soul. As the embryo develops all the physical attributes for this world, the soul develops spiritual attributes for the next.

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The womb of this world

• Just as the body develops all of it physical capacities while in the womb of its mother, the soul develops its spiritual capacities while in the womb of this world. The human body serves as the placenta to the soul, taking in and filtering the nourishment of the world so that the soul can develop the spiritual qualities and characteristics needed in the next realm.

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Stages of the soul

• The stages the soul go through can be compared to the stages the embryo goes through: mineral to vegetable to animal to human.

• Though the soul is a non material entity, we can compare the spiritual development of the soul to the material development of the body.

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Mineral stage of the soul

• At conception, the soul comes into being. It might be compared to the simple one-celled organism of the body. It has all of the capacities inherent in it, but they have yet to be developed. Initially the soul in the mineral stage can be conceived of as the cohesion of atoms and molecules of spirit and virtues binding together to make a new entity, a unique spiritual identity, just as the body is a unique physical identity.

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Vegetable stage of soul

• “As interpreted by the Scholastics, the vegetative soul was common to plants, animals, and humans; the sensitive soul was common to animals and humans; and the rational soul was found only in humans. “Vegetable love” is thus a love that grows, takes nourishment, and reproduces, although slowly.” The American Heritage Dictionary

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Animal stage of soul

• At this stage the human soul adds the capacity of sensation to the earlier mineral spirit of cohesion and the vegetable spirit of growth and reproduction: we see, hear and feel with our soul, in a similar way that we can first see, hear and feel with our physical senses, then later with our mental.

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Human stage of the soul

• The soul at this stage can reason and think for itself, transcending the knowledge from the physical and mental realms. It uses but is not bond by the body and mind as in earlier stages. This is the mental stage of the soul, the rational soul, that can imagine, discover and comprehend the mysteries of this material world and advance civilization.

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Soul stage of the soul

• The soul can differentiate and integrate all experiences from all the stages from mineral to soul and can witness reality from a level of knowing, loving and willing that transcends the material and mental realms. Here we receive the heavenly illumination; understand spiritual reality; comprehend the mysteries of eternal life and come to know, love and obey God.

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Spirit stage of the soul

• The soul can transcended itself merging with the Great Holy Spirit, freeing itself of all physical, mental and spiritual attachments, such as attachment to the virtues and names of the Divine Creator, rather than to the Ultimate Infinite Essence that transcends all limitations and divisions.

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How do negotiate these stages?

• Using our knowing, loving and willing capacities through our body, minds and souls.

• The following figures and charts will present some correlates of these to help us understand how we might use them to further the process of becoming our true selves.

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•Soul•Spirit

•Mind

•Body•Know

•Love •Will

•self•True Self

•Mineral •Vegetable

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•Thinking

•Willing•Doing•Good•Hand

•Justice•Morals

•Loving•Feeling•Beauty•Heart•Unity•Arts

mind

soul body

•Knowing

•Science•Understanding

•Head•Truth

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Table 2. Some correlates of knowing, loving and willing

Know Love WillConsultation/ Investigation

Compassion/ Caring

Creation/ Construction

Think Feel Do

Authenticity Altruism Autonomy

Truth Beauty Good

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Understanding Unity Justice

Head Heart Hand

Cognitive Affective Conative

Mind Soul Body

Reason Compassion Courage

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Logic/ Epistemology

Aesthetics/ Axiology

Ethics/ Ontology

Objective (It) Subjective (I) Intersubjective (We)

Science Arts Morals

Agency-preservation

Eros-transcendence

Communion-adaptation

Differentiate Integrate Transcend

Pure Reason Aesthetic Judgment

Practical Reason

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Table 2: Some correlates of body, mind and soul

Nature Body Mind Soul

World Physical Mental Spiritual

Kingdom/ Realm

Animal Human Divine

Food Nutrition Knowledge Virtues

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Symbol Hand Head Heart

Reality/ Spirit

Objective Subjective Transcendental

Language Pre Verbal- Body, Cries

Verbal-Words

Post Verbal-Deeds

Logic Pre Logical (magic)

Logical (reason)

Trans Logical (inspiration)

Reason Pre Rational (drives)

Rational (empirical)

Post Rational (certitude)

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Perspective 1st, person, Pre conventional

2-3rd person, conventional

4th and on post conventional

Source Nature Science Religion

Identity Pre Personal (physical, emotional)

Personal (ego, ethnic)

Transpersonal (universal, transcendental)

Conscious-ness

Sub-Conscious

Self- Conscious

Super-Conscious

Sphere Biosphere Noosphere Theosphere

Self Center Bio centric EgoWorld centric

Theo centric

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•Soul

•Mind

•Body•Know

•Love •Will

•self•True Self

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References

• This presentation has drawn from the works of Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l-Baha and Ken Wilber. I refer you to their writings for more breadth, depth and clarity on these topics.

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Contact information

Dr. Rodney H. Clarken

Director of Field Experiences and Professor, School of Education, Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855-5348

Tel: 906-227-2160 (secretary), 227-1881 (office), 226-2079 (home), Fax: 227-2764

Website with info on courses, papers, Baha'i and China and this presentation: http://www-instruct.nmu.edu/education/rclarken