Part 2

The Mindand Soul

“ To thine own self be true.”

—W. Shakespeare

Chapter 4

Toward a Psychology of Stress

“Modern man is sick, because he is not whole”

—Carl Gustav Jung

The Great Debate

The mind and the brain(are they the same or different?)

The Great Debate

The mind and the brain(are they the same or different?)

Is the mind a phenomenon of brain chemistryor is the brain the primary organ of choice

for the mind to do its work?

Freudand the

Egg

Source: Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [reproduction number LC-

USZ62-1234]

Purpose of the Ego• To protect against threats

(it’s the ego that signals the fight-or-flight response)

• To increase pleasure

• To decrease pain

Figure 5.2. Freud compared the abstract concept of the human psyche to a delicate egg.

Purpose of the Ego

Freud believed that there is always tension within each individual as the ego is responsible for controlling

the impulses from the id.

The Ego’s Defenses

• Defense mechanisms are used in response to feelings of anger and fear (stress)

• Each defense mechanism is a camouflage of reality

• They are used unconsciously

• We use more than one at a time

• Overprotection can be as dangerous as under-protection

The Ego’s Defense Mechanisms

1. Denial2. Repression3. Projection4. Displacement5. Rationalization6. Humor

ZIGGY © 2002 ZIGGY AND FRIENDS, INC. Reprinted with permission of UNIVERSAL UCLICK. All rights reserved.

Jung and the

Iceberg

Source: © National Library of Medicine

Mind as a Metaphorical Iceberg

Mind as a Metaphorical Iceberg

Conscious Mind

Personal Unconscious Mind

Mind as a Metaphorical Iceberg

Conscious Mind

Personal Unconscious Mind

Collective Unconscious Mind

Figure 5.5. The conscious and unconscious minds have different languages, and while the conscious mind turns off during sleeping hours, the unconscious mind is perpetually active.

Jung’s perspective on the mind

• Individuation• Introvert/Extrovert• Archetypes• Midlife Crisis• Synchronicity

The Importance of Dreams• Dreams should be treated as fact

• Dreams have a definite idea expressed as symbols

• Dreams make sense when decoded properly

The Importance of Dreams• Recurring dreams convey a previous trauma and or personal defect

• Dreams interpretation is individualistic

• Dream interpretation is essential to resolving stress

Text

Figure 5.6. Dreams offer a source of insight that we often don’t get any other way. For this reason, it is

important to pay attention to our dreams. Source: © 2000 by Peter Sinclair, www.greenmanstudio.com

Jung was of the opinion that until the conscious mind can learn to speak the language of the unconscious mind (through the interpretation of dreams, symbols, etc.) there would always be psychic tension (stress) in the individual.

Kübler-Ross and the

Death of

ExpectationsSource: © Ken Ross

Stages of the Grieving Process

1. Denial2. Anger3. Bargaining4. Withdrawal5. Acceptance

Resolution of grief takes personal reflection time

ViktorFrankl:

A Search for Life’sMeaning

Source: © Jacqueline Godany/Reuters/Landov

Viktor Frankl and Stress

Viktor Frankl and Stress

• The Concept of Logotherapy• The Concept of Tragic Optimism

Wayne DyerGuilt

and Worry

© CharlesBush.com

Both guilt and worry are considered to be wasted emotional energy because they immobilize our thoughts... No amount of guilt will change the past...No amount of worry will change the future

Guilt and worry rob us from living in the present moment...a place that many people rarely spend much time.

Source: © Bradford Veley, Marquette, MI

The Sin of Guilt

The Art of Worrying

LeoBuscaglia:

The Lessonsof Self-

LoveSource: © SLACK Incorporated

Leo Buscaglia was of the opinion that until you can learn to love yourself unconditionally, you will have stress. Fear is the absence of love.

Self-love begins with cultivating self-esteem.

AbrahamMaslow:The Art

of Self-

Actualization Source: Courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections Department,

Brandeis University.

Maslow studied the lives of many people to see what was our greatest

human potential

Figure 5.14. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.(Note the similarity to the Chakra System in Chapter 4.)

“Self-actualization” is a term that Maslow coined to describe those people who could rise above the daily

hassles of life and reach their highest potential.

The following are some of the traits (inner resources) he noted that help us rise above the mundane aspects of life

1. A highly efficient perception of reality 2. Acceptance3. Naturalness and spontaneity4. Problem centering5. Solitude and independence6. A continual freshness of appreciation7. Creativity

The following are some of the traits (inner resources) he noted that help us rise above the mundane aspects of life

8. Interpersonal relationships9. Human kinship10. A democratic character11. A strong sense of ethical values12. Resistance to enculturization13. A sense of humor14. Mystical or peak experiences

Maslow was convinced that each of us had the potential for self-actualization

MartinSeligman:Optimismand the

Art of BeingHappy

Source: Courtesy of Martin Seligman

Positive psychology is a study of what Aristotle called “The Good Life.” Seligman believes that positive thoughts are an inherentpart of the human condition and we need to cultivate, nurture and enhance these for emotional balance in times of stress.

Positive Psychology1. Positive Emotions

2. Positive Personality Traits 3. Positive Institutions

“The Constitution only gives you the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”

—Ben Franklin

A Tibetan Perspective

on Mind and Stress

Higher selfSmaller self

Some Theoretical Common Ground

• Defenses of emotional stress• Increasing self-awareness to resolve issues