IFS therapy emphasizes respecting and understanding the different parts of our internal world.
Acknowledging the porosity of mind allows for understanding and working with spiritual experiences and the 'others' that can enter our minds.
Trauma can create openings for negative energies, but also for positive guiding beings to enter our minds through practices like meditation and rituals.
Deep dives
The Power of Internal Family Systems in Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic modality that acknowledges the multiplicity of mind, with various parts that make up our internal world. It emphasizes the importance of treating these parts with respect and understanding, helping them connect to their good intentions. Additionally, IFS recognizes the existence of unattached burdens or 'critters', which are energies or beings that can enter our minds and have negative effects. While this concept may be unsettling, it is important to explore and address these beings. IFS practitioners should approach this work with humility, recognizing their own limitations in understanding the complexities of the mind. By creating a safe and non-judgmental space, therapists can help clients navigate their internal worlds and cultivate healing relationships with both positive and negative energies.
The Porosity of the Mind and Spirit Possession
The porosity of mind refers to the permeability of our minds to external influences. Just as living cells have semi-permeable membranes, our minds are also porous. This means that beings or energies, often referred to as 'others', can enter our minds and have profound effects. Historical and cross-cultural research reveals that spirit possession has been documented in various cultures and eras. Acknowledging the porosity of mind and the existence of these others opens up new possibilities for understanding and working with spiritual experiences. It is crucial to approach these phenomena with respect and curiosity, reframing them as opportunities for healing and growth.
Expanding Our Understanding of Trauma and Possession
Trauma can shatter boundaries and create openings for negative energies or unattached burdens to enter our minds. Instances such as sexual abuse, childhood surgeries, or experiences that lead to dissociation can create opportunities for these energies to attach themselves to us. However, it is also important to note that positive energies or guiding beings can also enter our minds through practices such as meditation, yoga, or religious rituals. Acknowledging the interconnectedness between trauma, porosity of mind, and spiritual experiences allows practitioners to approach clients with compassion, providing support and interventions that honor their individual journeys.
The Role of Imagination in Navigating the Imaginal Realm
The imagination is a vital perceptual system that enables us to navigate the imaginal realm. This realm consists of the internal landscapes of archetypes, symbols, and ancient forms that shape our inner experiences. Learning to work with the imagination is similar to lucid dreaming and allows individuals to explore and interact with these internal landscapes. It is crucial to approach the imagination with humility, recognizing our limited understanding and the vastness of the mind. By cultivating a sense of wonder and curiosity, practitioners can guide clients in navigating the imaginal realm and working with the others within them.
Embracing the Unknown and Remaining Open to Possibilities
In the realm of spiritual experiences and the study of unattached burdens or others within us, practitioners and individuals alike must approach the subject with humility and an openness to the unknown. Our knowledge and theories are limited, and it is important to hold them lightly. Recognizing the vastness of human understanding and the potential impact of unattached burdens or guiding energies allows for a broader understanding of ourselves and the world. By embracing the unknown and remaining open to the possibilities that exist beyond our current understanding, we can create space for healing, growth, and a deeper connection with ourselves and others.
After a long career using many therapeutic modalities, for more than a decade, Bob Falconer has devoted his practice exclusively to Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. Bob has completed all levels of IFS training and continues to study with many of the senior IFS trainers. He co-authored the book Many Minds, One Self with IFS founder Richard Schwartz and has helped to train more than a thousand people in IFS.
For the past several years, Bob has been devoted to completing the extensive research and writing of his new book, The Others Within Us, which deals with “unattached burdens,” “guides” and what has sometimes traditionally been referred to as spirit possession.
In this episode, Daniel and Bob discuss Bob’s personal trauma and the historical fight for the cultural and professional recognition of abuse, trauma and PTSD. They then delve into the history of psychotherapy and its connections to capitalism and colonialism and Bob’s perspectives on Internal Family Systems (IFS). While exploring the major themes of Bob’s book, they discuss the porous nature of mind, differing cultural models of mind, psychosis and spirit possession, Bob’s personal experiences with “the others within us,” the imaginal realm, and how Western psychology might shift from a “mono-mind” perspective to a “porous mind” one in the future.
Timestamps
03:39 Intro
05:29 Bob’s Abusive Upbringing and Early Spiritual Experiences
11:07 How Internal Family Systems Has Helped Bob Become a “Man of Joy”
13:37 The History and Evolution of Modern Cultural Conceptions of Abuse, Trauma and Mind
21:03 Competition, Capitalism and Colonialism in Psychotherapy
23:42 Internal Family Systems and Multiplicity of Mind
28:43 Bob’s Book and His Perspectives on The Porous Nature of Mind
31:48 “Something Foreign In My Mind”: The Client Who Changed Bob’s Perspective
39:09 “The Others Within Us”: The Core Claim of Bob’s Book
45:36 Generational Trauma and Different Cultural Approaches to “The Others Within Us”
49:19 How Forces Not Clearly Linked To Our Personal History Might Get Into Us
52:53 Limitations of the Western Conception of Mind and Differing Cultural Interpretations of “Psychosis”
57:39 Possible Portals To A More Widespread Recognition of The Porosity of Mind
1:00:05 Navigating The Imaginal Realm
1:03:51 How Coaches and Practitioners Can Make Space for Porosity of Mind and The Others Within Us
