All the work of the seeker, down to its smallest details, is done by the Divine. And this seems impossible, since a person must realize something, apply willpower somewhere, form his intention, which must be realized in the future, be aware of various states in himself and make decisions. Or does the Divine still do this too? Then why do we recognize ourselves as an individual who believes that all this is done by her?
Let's take a closer look at how forces influence and control a person. We already know that everything in the Universe is a manifestation of God, who “Became all this.” We, people, are also parts of it, and through us all the necessary processes are manifested for the existence of the reality that it has become. But even this phrase, which talks about the processes necessary for the existence of God, is not correct. For one who is eternal, no processes are necessary. And for the Eternal, neither death nor life matter, because He Himself is not life, but consciousness, originally inherent in the endless ocean of energy of the Absolute. Initially, the energy of the Absolute is neutral, qualityless and structureless. Therefore, for its existence, the eternity of the Divine does not need anything. Reading the words of Sri Aurobindo that “God did not create anything, but He Himself became all this,” one might think that God all became all this. Then He is not eternal, not infinite, not omnipotent and not omniscient. And this can be understood, since in the phrase spoken by Sri Aurobindo there is a beginning, therefore there will be an end. True, no one knows when He became all this. Ancient Vedic knowledge claims that we live in the next day of Brahma, and that there were previously countless of them. Our day of Brahma is only one of the links in the countless chain of reality of the Absolute.
Since we, people, are one of the manifested parts of the eternal and infinite Divine, we cannot be indifferent to this manifested world and ourselves in it. We want to know why God “became all these things.” It can be assumed with a high degree of probability that this manifested world exists for a specific purpose and not at all so that the Infinite and Eternal Divine can look at itself. He “became all this” in order to transfer the conscious substance of eternity to a higher level of vibrations, which, accordingly, will lead to a change in the level of consciousness of the Absolute, and at the same time to an increase in its capabilities. It may seem that this kind of assumption is heresy, since the Divine is originally omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Yes, this is indeed so, but then one might think that he is limited in the possibilities of growth of power and his other manifestations. The power of the Divine should not be understood as the power with which he can resist someone. Nobody opposes him, because he is infinite, and we cannot talk about the presence of anyone else in this infinity. And what religion instills in us about the Devil’s opposition to God is only a human illusion generated by ignorance. The devil is a manifestation of the lower part of the spectrum of the Divine, which has its purpose in the evolution of the consciousness of the Universe.
Thus, the Divine is a self-aware boundless ocean of energy, and our multidimensional universe, in one of the manifested worlds of which we live, is his creative workshop in which he transforms the original conscious energy substance of the Absolute into a substance that has higher vibrations. This does not mean that the substance of the Absolute originally had low vibrations of consciousness and the Divine one day decided to raise them. The substance of the Absolute has its own spectrum of vibrations of consciousness, in which there is that part of it in which there are no vibrations at all, and those of its levels, the frequency of vibrations of which exceeds all imaginable frequencies, and can be perceived by a person as unshakable absolute peace. This again can be compared to the spectrum of sunlight, which has both the lowest part, which can be associated with darkness, and the highest, extending beyond its ultraviolet part.
The capabilities of the conscious substance of the Absolute become completely different when its vibrations increase. And the universe that he created from himself is a manifestation of his conscious will, his sacrifice and one of the stages of his endless ascent. By transforming the lower parts of the spectrum of the substance of the Absolute, he gives it a new state corresponding to a higher perfection, thereby demonstrating new possibilities of his power.
In order to determine the vector of evolution, the Divine divided the previously neutral conscious substance of the Absolute into space and time, and then space itself into many stages, each of which is a relatively isolated plane of consciousness. And each of these plans fulfills its tasks in His endless work, inaccessible to full understanding by the mortal mind. And over the reality of the worlds he placed the ruler of time - the Divine Mother - Mahashakti, whose dynamic energy embraces all facets of the worlds and all forms of life in them, and controls all the processes of the universe.
All manifestations of life on their planes of mind are aware of their reality as the manifested world, while at the same time all other worlds remain transcendental, unmanifested for them. For us, people, only our plane of reality is manifested, while at the same time other planes remain beyond the limits of our perception. Another feature of the reality of a multidimensional Universe is the transparency of its plans, simultaneously occupying the same space. And one more important feature - the planes of higher consciousness (mind) are not available to the inhabitants of lower planes. This is a very important feature, since without it, no evolution of consciousness would be possible.
At the center of the evolutionary process on the earthly plane of reality, the Divine placed man, who reflects in himself the structure of the entire multidimensional universe, which allows the forces of all planes of consciousness to influence man in consonance with him, thereby participating in the general evolutionary process. But, as we have already said, the forces of the lower planes of existence cannot influence those parts of the human being that have higher vibrations, but only those that are in tune with them. And at the same time, the forces belonging to the high planes of reality are able to recognize in a person not only those levels of consciousness that are consonant with them, but also lower ones, characteristic of the dark lower worlds. Why the ratios of lower and higher forces are so unequal in their influence on a person can be understood from the following comparison. Let's imagine high vibrations in the form of a sieve with small cells, and low vibrations in the form of a sieve with large cells. High influences are in the form of small shot, and low influences are in the form of large buckshot. It is obvious that small shot will easily pass through the small cells of a higher sieve, and even more so through large cells, the dimensions of which are such that buckshot can pass through them. And if we imagine that there are such obstacles between the planes of consciousness, then the influences of the highest plane will freely pass through all the obstacles of the lower planes of consciousness. True, the human mind has an unpleasant feature - it is never calm and transparent, it constantly rushes about, and thereby does not let in all the influences coming from above. He could be called the guardian of the manifested earthly plane of reality. This is one of the important reasons why Sri Aurobindo insisted on stopping the mind at the very beginning of the spiritual path, without which the work of the spiritual seeker cannot be done.
You probably noticed that man was placed at the center of the evolutionary process on Earth. It was he who contained the entire universe in miniature with its plans of the mind. Of course, the work of the Divine could not be uncontrollably given to a person who was simultaneously under the influence of many forces, and knew nothing of his true destiny on Earth. In order to be a sincere collaborator of the Divine on the paths of the evolution of consciousness, a person had to know that part of the work that the Divine entrusted to him, and he had to know how to do this work. And, moreover, which is very important, he must agree to devote his entire life without reserve to the service of the Divine. For man this became possible only after the titanic work that Sri Aurobindo did.
As we have already said, many forces manifest themselves in every person - some of them are representatives of the lower worlds, others of the high and bright worlds. They can only manifest themselves to the extent that a person matches them. The peculiarity of the influence of these forces is their secrecy, since human senses are intended only to perceive the reality of the manifested world that surrounds him, and are not at all intended to perceive parallel worlds. Another important feature of these forces is that a person is a source of nutrition for them. These forces require human energy, the frequency of vibrations of which must correspond to their frequency. A person recognizes the influence of these forces in himself as various emotional states, desires and impulses, which he recognizes as belonging to him. And, in addition, these forces are aware of the reality of the manifested human world through its senses, which greatly facilitates their task of controlling man. Through emotional states, desires and impulses, they change relationships not only between individuals, but also between a person and the events occurring in the world.
Man is a universal being and much of what man appropriates never belonged to him. Although in Divine reality there is nothing superfluous and everything has a specific purpose. For example, the ego is necessary for the formation of human individuality, and later, during the period of spiritual work, it becomes necessary for the formation of the “Witness”. Indeed, by being aware of ego reactions and not indulging them, a person rises above his lower nature. Various drives, desires and impulses are also necessary in the formation of a multifaceted human personality, but by being aware of them and not allowing them to control oneself, a person becomes independent of the influences of the reality of the world and gradually rises to higher parts of the spectrum of planes of the mind.
What has been said here may lead a person to think that his interaction with the outside world is not determined by himself, but by all kinds of forces that control him. Of course this is not true. Firstly, a person can be aware of all kinds of states that arise in him under the influence of various forces of other planes of reality. Secondly, he may prefer one influence to another. For example, the influence of a Psychic being may be preferable to him than the influence of some lower force. True, usually a person prefers the influence that is more intense, and therefore the choice that the average person makes is not really a choice. But if a person follows the inner path, then he may prefer the weak influence of his true “I” to the strong influence that some vital entity has on him. And thirdly, a person is given the opportunity to maintain his attention for quite a long time on those objects that are of particular importance on his inner path. And finally, a person, based on the life experience he has gained and the awareness of his true purpose on Earth, can form his own worldview, which will determine not only the true meaning of the outside world, but also his relationship with it.
But in reality, all the work of a person walking the inner path and the work of an ordinary person attached to the values of the outer world and under the control of the lower nature is done by the Divine. This is truly so, because everything is He. And a person only appropriates what he is not and what does not belong to him. In spiritual practice, as a person rises higher and higher through the levels of the planes of mind, he increasingly realizes that he is only a conductor of the Divine will on Earth. And then he begins to understand the words of Christ, who once said about a person that not even a hair from his head will fall without the will of God.
True, many objectors may appear here, for whom the events taking place in the modern world seem anti-divine. But let us remember that the lower dark planes of consciousness also belong to a single spectrum of consciousness of the Divine, which uses them for its own purposes in the evolution of the consciousness of the Universe.
In the modern world there are two streams of reality. One of them is ascending, in which the true part of a person leads him in the direction of infinite perfection, the other is descending, in which the true part of a person receives the experience necessary for its maturation. When the state of maturity of a person’s true “I” reaches a certain value, the person will change the direction of his movement. And, in addition, everything in a person must manifest itself, without which it cannot be transformed by the Divine Mother.
In this article we will talk about what mindfulness is. It is important not only to understand what mindfulness is, but also to live mindfully.
Mindfulness is the key to all doors
From the great teachers of the past such as Jesus, Kabir, Nanak, Buddha, Muhammad, to modern teachers such as Karl Renz, Ethart Tolle, Dalai Lama, Osho, we can say that all these teachers taught only one thing - mindfulness.
Each teacher called mindfulness differently. Jesus called it awakening, so he said more than once: stay awake, be alert, but people did not understand him, they thought that being awake meant not sleeping in bed, but they did not understand that even if they were not in bed, it was not means they are awake. You can sleep on the go.
Ethart Tolle called mindfulness presence, or the power of the now.
Osho called mindfulness witnessing. Whatever you call it, the essence does not change.
Awareness is a person’s ability to be here and now, to feel the world more than to think about it, the ability not to be fooled by the illusions of the mind. Understand that thoughts are just thoughts and the thoughts in your head have nothing to do with real reality.
Awareness is the understanding that thoughts are illusory and they carry only a shadow of the past or future, and the real reality is where the human body is, that is, the real reality surrounds the body here and now.
Mindfulness helps you see your inner world
Thanks to awareness, a person begins to get acquainted with his inner world; before this, only the outer world existed for him; now the inner dimension opens up.
A person who becomes less and less reactive. It is more difficult to control him, he no longer reacts to the same stimuli in the same way, he has the opportunity to freely choose how to react to a particular stimulus. Such a person becomes more and more spontaneous and unpredictable.
Let’s say that if an unconscious person is shouted at, then, depending on his habit, he can either shout back or, fearing shouts, avoid conflicts. An unconscious person always reacts, for example, to shouts in the same way, but a conscious person can choose whether to shout, that is, go into conflict, or avoid conflict, and this depends on the situation. A conscious person increases the effectiveness of communicating with people and increases resistance to stress.
It is important to understand that there are three main aspects of the inner world to be aware of:
- body;
- soul.
Body awareness
The very initial stage of awareness begins with the body. At this stage, a person learns to feel his body, be able to direct his consciousness into the body, feel how energy flows in the body. The skill of listening to internal organs, heartbeat, etc. appears.
A person begins to better care and love himself, that is, his body. At first, it is difficult for a person to meditate on the body, thoughts are often carried away, a person constantly jumps from awareness to unconsciousness, and often falls asleep during meditation.
Over time, a new level appears when a person realizes that he does not fall asleep, thoughts still come to his head, but do not carry him away, and consciousness remains in the body more and more often and longer. Then a person begins to direct consciousness into the body already on the street, wherever he is, when communicating with people.
The hardest thing, perhaps, is to be aware of your body, move and talk at the same time.
Thought Awareness
Awareness of thoughts or observation of them is, perhaps, the second level of awareness - this is when a person already sees his thoughts and understands that thoughts are thoughts and they have nothing to do with reality.
A person can even laugh at the thoughts that come into his head, since he has the understanding that he is not a thought and that thoughts often come from the outside, and are not always born in his head.
Life is not as serious as the mind makes it out to be!!!
A person who is aware of his thoughts lives by this principle. Such a person does not get lost in his thoughts, does not follow them, this person is already the master of his mind and does not allow thoughts to lead him into illusions, but consciously directs his attention to the now moment that surrounds his body.
Soul Awareness
Soul awareness is the third level, and can only be mastered after the first two stages of awareness have been completed.
In fact, all three stages of awareness of the three aspects of a person - body, mind, and soul - are very interconnected and complement each other, and they were separated for better understanding and assimilation of the material.
Awareness of the soul occurs due to the awareness of emotions and feelings, moods; at this stage, a person can clearly distinguish emotions from feelings and be aware of his mood and manage it.
Emotions come after thoughts, no matter what thoughts they are, positive or negative.
And feelings come from the soul, not from thoughts. Thoughts can come to mind after feelings, that is, emotions are a consequence of thoughts, and feelings are always their source.
Feelings are on a deeper level and most often come from the chest. And emotions are felt in the abdominal area, but this should not be taken as truth, all this is individual.
It is important to understand that this article on mindfulness is not awareness - it is just a direction towards it, but if you are reading it, then you are closer to awareness or awakening than ever before.
Awareness is directed towards awareness or perception
This is the fourth stage, which already happens to a person on his own, after he has already gone through the three previous stages. At this stage, awareness is directed to perception, the person already asks himself the question, who perceives all this, who I am, at this stage the person remembers Who He Really Is.
Conclusions on the topic of what mindfulness is:
- mindfulness helps a person to finally discover the inner dimension in addition to the external world;
- awareness gives a person freedom of choice, the ability to react the way a person chooses to a particular stimulus;
- awareness occurs in three stages: awareness of the body, mind and soul, all these stages are interconnected and complement each other;
- awareness has been called differently by different people at different times: awakening, witnessing, presence, being here and now, awake, alert, and so on; all these words have the same essence - a person rises to a new stage of evolutionary spiritual growth.
The consequence of a conscious lifestyle is unconditional love, joy, a more fulfilling and vibrant life.
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Mindfulness is a state (and lifestyle) that many are now seeking. They look for it in meditation or in inner work, in practices and ashrams...
And sometimes someone says: “Now I am aware”.
Test yourself for awareness
(suddenly you decided that you have already reached the heights of “here and now”)
- The first sign of a conscious person is his body.
The body of a conscious person is relaxed and at the same time straightened. The fingers don’t fiddle with anything, the legs don’t twitch with small tremors, the hands don’t straighten clothes or hair every 2 minutes.
A conscious person knows how to be present in the body. If such a person sits, then he sits. Without unnecessary fuss in the body. He knows how to feel the body and control his body.
This is the first and basic level of man. If he is not able to “agree” with the body, then in the subtler worlds he has nothing to do at all!
- A conscious person knows how to cope with negative emotions.
He does not suppress them or manifest them. He transforms them - he completely controls his state and his reactions. He is the master of his emotions and his states.
Thus, a conscious person does not waste energy in vain, and does not spoil “karma” either for himself or for others.
- A conscious person is aware of his verbal center.
A conscious person does not say more than is really necessary. A word either conveys valuable information, or these are words that can raise the energy level of another: kind, beautiful, true :).
Ordinary people speak often in order not to feel lonely; raise your importance; underestimate the importance of others, and most often tell lies. In this case, a lie is everything that is said about others. After all, we usually see others only from one side and cannot be objective, which means we lie.
Any information at the level of speculation, rumors, something that actually does not exist, is of no value to a conscious person.
- Conscious person respects yourself and those around you.
He doesn’t argue with anyone, doesn’t condemn anyone, doesn’t make any claims. He understands that this is a waste of energy, effort and time.
After all, if as a result of increased internal work the energy returns, then as a result of disputes and clarifications of relationships it is lost forever.
A conscious person understands and accepts the limitations of each person. He knows that if they did something “bad” to him, then he somehow deserved it or provoked it.
- A conscious person is in the moment.
He knows how to manage himself and his energy, physical, and intellectual centers.
When he has an exam, he can concentrate and answer questions clearly. When he is with his beloved, he is able to surrender to his feelings.
For an ordinary person, the opposite is true: in a difficult situation on the road, he suddenly confuses “right” and “left” and presses on the gas instead of the brake, because the emotional center turned on at the wrong time.
In the arms of his beloved, he thinks about the situation at work...
- A conscious person should human nature (spiritual), not an animal.
Aware of his human nature, he understands that he is not in this life to dominate and suppress. But for the sake of creation and development.
A conscious person does not give up life in the material world, he lives, develops, achieves, but not for the sake of achievement, but for the sake of high goals.
He has no problems with money (that is, he has money). Because money is an opportunity to implement and realize your goals.
- A conscious person knows where is he going and why?.
He knows his purpose and consciously realizes it. He is aware of his role in this life, his contribution to it.
A conscious person takes responsibility for all his states, words, deeds, actions and choices.
Be aware!
PS How do you develop your awareness? Share in the comments below. 🙂
Currently, literature about the spiritual world is quite popular. person. Awareness- one of the most relevant and discussed topics today. Meanwhile, its exact definition does not exist. Let's try to deal with processes of awareness in the article.
Definitions
According to Vladimir Khoroshin, being is the foundation of human consciousness. The author believes that wise people always look for meaning in everything. The goal of the aspiring individual is awareness. Khoroshin believes that when a person realizes the knowledge he has received, he can pass it on to others. Knowledge that comes without experience cannot be applied in practice.
According to Anthony de Mello, awareness and awareness are not the same thing. In his reasoning, the author comes to the conclusion that a person who lives consciously cannot commit a crime. In turn, an individual who is only informed about the differences between evil and good, who knows what action is called bad, may well commit it.
From the above information we can say that awareness is:
- Vision of what is happening in the external and internal world. This means simple observation of sensations and thoughts. Awareness is non-judgmental seeing. You cannot say anything about it, you can only enter it and observe everything.
- Direct experience, but not thinking about what is happening. It is neither a thought, nor a feeling, nor feeling. Awareness can be considered something that unites it all.
Key Feature
Awareness is a state that involves action. Thinking is not awareness. It can rather be called reflection, which involves judgment, evaluation, thinking, searching for answers, motives, determining why something happens this way and not otherwise. In this case, the person makes a choice.
With awareness, the situation is somewhat different. No choice is made, since the only correct decision for the individual immediately appears. If there awareness of activity, for example, the questions “how to do?”, “what to do?” do not arise.
If a person does not have the necessary experience of awareness, its content cannot be explained in simple words. Realization comes like a flash. A person has the ability to deeply see what is happening to him.
Mental level
Pondering, contemplation, or mental awareness allows one to understand something in fragments. An individual may be aware of thoughts but not be aware of actions or feelings.
In such a situation, there is a mismatch between what a person says, feels and does. He can say that he understands something, but at the same time he cannot explain what he feels, what reaction these sensations cause, what actions they imply.
For example, a person understands that during a conflict one should not raise one’s voice, as this will lead to negative consequences. However, when a quarrel arises, he automatically starts shouting. This is the main one. With a complete, non-judgmental vision of what is happening, words, actions, and feelings will be focused on resolving the conflict.
It is important to understand here that thinking, building logical chains and other mental actions cannot lead a person to awareness. Their result is an increase in the volume of knowledge. Developing Awareness involves going beyond awareness and intelligence.
Consistency of external and internal factors
It is considered another important sign of awareness. The consistency of actions, feelings, thoughts leads to the fact that the individual becomes a witness to his own actions, his
At the same time, a person is able to trace the emergence of thoughts, feelings, and actions. He is aware of his behavior patterns and stereotypical responses at all levels - emotional, physical, mental. A person, as if from the outside, observes what is happening in the inner world and can follow the ideas that form in the mind.
Awareness goals
The ability to be aware of what is happening allows you to see the personality in its original state, as it really is. This changes the inner world, the understanding of a person. When an individual observes, he can change what he sees.
We can say that awareness is a kind of “turning inward.” The individual begins to see that he is talking about one thing, but in fact something completely different is happening. Moreover, a person begins to realize that his stereotypes and templates stop working, lose their effectiveness, and do not lead to the desired result.
All this leads to overestimation values. Awareness allows you to change your life without making any additional efforts. The task is one - to learn to observe impartially.
A person actually does not need any philosophical conversations, he does not need to explain whether something is right or wrong, he needs something or he can do without something. Various courses on building confidence, increasing self-esteem, etc. are a waste time. Awareness contributes to the development of the ability to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
A person seems to come into contact with reality, while remaining an outside observer. He perceives phenomena detachedly, without mixing with them, without commenting or evaluating them, without even trying to change anything. If a person can observe events in this way, he will see how the process of disintegration takes place within him.
Psychotherapy
Within this medical direction, awareness reflects the patient’s achievement of a complete understanding of his own “I”, his mental life, and relationships with people around him. It contributes to the formation of adequate self-perception. This is achieved by combining with the consciousness material that was previously not recognized by the patient.
In a broad sense, awareness in psychotherapy involves the formation of an adequate understanding of the world around us.
In almost all currently existing psychotherapeutic directions, awareness takes a certain position. But its specific weight and significance, the focusing of ideas about material previously not recognized by the patient, the techniques and methods used to achieve an adequate understanding of what is happening are fully determined by the basic theory.
Basics of psychoanalysis
Questions of awareness of “one’s self” were studied in some detail by S. Freud. Psychoanalysis uses techniques and a special understanding of the functioning of the psyche. A specific approach ensures the choice of therapy and the scheme for its use.
The desired effect is achieved through special technical methods:
- Free association.
- Dream analysis.
- High frequency of sessions.
- Interpretations of defenses and transference, etc.
These techniques allow the patient to become aware of the defense mechanisms activated by his psyche.
The purpose of psychoanalysis is also to determine the nature of traumatic experiences, personal conflicts and liberation from them.
One of the most important skills of a psychoanalyst is his ability to compare the patient’s conscious actions, thoughts, impulses, fantasies, and feelings with their unconscious predecessors.
Cognitive psychotherapy
Understanding, along with listening to the patient, responding, and then returning to listening is considered one of the 4 stages of implementing the technique of expressing the patient’s feelings and thoughts during the therapy process.
The patient always resists awareness in the initial stages. Successful overcoming of this resistance during psychotherapy ends with awareness of the mechanisms of psychological defense.
The key goal of cognitive psychotherapy is to lead the patient to an adequate perception of irrational attitudes (“automatic thoughts”) or the main mechanisms that provoke a discrepancy between perception and its assessment.
The main idea comes down to the fact that a person becomes unhappy not because of the phenomena that occur, but because of how he perceives them. When confronted with an event that provokes problems in different conditions, the patient begins to come to an awareness of how irrational attitudes can change his perception.
Features of psychotherapeutic effects
To describe the phenomenon that provoked the consequences that forced him to consult a specialist, no special conditions would be required if the patient did not confuse the event itself, his perception and assessment.
In subsequent encounters with the phenomenon, the patient learns to change his vision of what is happening. As a result, he develops a strategy of rational, multivariate behavior. The patient's range of options for solving the problem expands.
It should be noted here that turning to a psychotherapist is caused by a problem caused, as a rule, by several irrational attitudes. At the same time, there are certain connections between them (parallel, hierarchical, articulatory, etc.). The main task of the patient and the doctor is precisely to achieve awareness of these connections.
Development of tactics
At the initial stage, the question of the course of action is usually decided together with the patient. One of the main techniques of cognitive psychotherapy is changing the perspective of perceiving an event. This method allows the patient to realize the irrationality of attitudes.
The patient begins to concentrate not on the phenomenon that causes negative emotions in him, but on the process of their occurrence. As therapy progresses, the patient begins to realize the excessive breadth of use of irrational attitudes and their excessive personalization. As a result, he develops the ability to replace them with more flexible and accurate, realistic and adaptive models.
The psychotherapist needs to consistently structure the processes, helping the patient develop several alternative rules that he could use.
Humanistic psychotherapy
Within this movement, the meaning of awareness and its key mechanisms is revealed by concepts of personality, such as those described by Rogers. In his opinion, certain aspects of the experience acquired by an individual in the course of development acquire a character expressed in the awareness of his being and existence. This is what Rogers calls “I-experience.”
In the process of interaction with the surrounding world, especially with its part that is significant for the individual, “I-experience” is gradually transformed into “I-concept”. A person develops a real idea of himself.
Ideal "I"
This is another important link in personality development. The ideal “I” is formed mainly under the influence of values and norms that are imposed on the individual by the environment. They are not always consistent with his personal needs and aspirations, that is, with his actual, real “I”.
As a person becomes aware of these circumstances, he develops a need to receive a positive assessment. Rogers believes that this need is key for all people.
In order to maintain a positive assessment from others, a person resorts to falsifying some of his ideas, perceiving them only by the criteria of value for other people. This attitude hinders the development of psychological maturity. As a result, neurotic behavior begins to form.
Anxiety
It arises due to frustration (dissatisfaction) of the need to receive a positive assessment. will depend on the level of threat to the “I-structure”.
If the defense mechanism is ineffective, the experience will be completely symbolized in awareness. The integrity of the “I-structure,” in turn, is destroyed by anxiety, resulting in a state of disorganization.
Reconstructive psychotherapy
The main methods were developed by domestic specialists Tashlykov, Isurina, Karvasarsky at the Psychoneurological Institute named after. Bekhterev.
Awareness within the framework of this psychotherapeutic direction is usually studied in three aspects: behavioral, emotional and intellectual.
In the latter case, the specialist’s tasks are reduced to bringing the patient to the realization:
- relationships “personality-phenomenon-disease”;
- genetic plan;
- interpersonal level of personality.
Awareness of the relationships between a person, an event and an illness does not have a decisive influence directly on the effectiveness of psychotherapy. It contributes to a greater extent to the formation of sustainable motivation for the patient’s active, conscious participation in the treatment process.
In the emotional sphere, with awareness, the patient begins to understand his feelings. As a result, he can test himself, reveal the problems that bother him, with corresponding experiences. In addition, working with the emotional background helps the patient self-correct their relationships and reactions. He acquires the ability to change the way he experiences and perceives interactions with others.
conclusions
The patient’s ability to correct maladaptive responses and models of his actions, taking into account their role, meaning, and functions in the structure of psychopathological disorders, is the main result of the process of awareness in the behavioral sphere.
When using reconstructive (person-oriented) psychotherapy by Tashlykov, Karvasarsky, Isurina, especially in group forms, not only awareness is important, but also the formation of adequate self-awareness, as well as a significant expansion of its limits.
In almost all psychotherapeutic systems currently in use, the process of awareness is given great importance and special attention. With the development of technological progress, it became possible to introduce video technology into practice. This, in turn, allows us to have a more targeted impact on the process of forming awareness in the patient in different areas. This, of course, helps speed up recovery and ensures the high effectiveness of psychotherapeutic techniques. However, of course, work is currently underway to improve the techniques of individual and group psychotherapy, and new concepts about personality are being developed.
Sudden loss of consciousness or so-called fainting is mainly caused by a short-term decrease in cerebral circulation. This state can be compared to deep sleep, when a person is not aware of anything and does not react to stimuli. Almost a third of the population experiences fainting at some point in their lives. Only sometimes loss of consciousness is a manifestation of a serious illness. The unconscious state can be characterized by several degrees of severity - from short-term fainting to long-term coma.
Main reasons
Loss of consciousness can be caused by many factors. But the main cause of short-term fainting is lack of blood supply to the brain. Typically, it can occur due to the following factors:
Types of loss of consciousness
Today, it is customary to distinguish four types of loss of consciousness, namely:
- Sudden and short-term loss of consciousness. Mostly lasts a few seconds.
- Sudden but prolonged loss of consciousness. May last from a few minutes to several days.
- Prolonged loss of consciousness with gradual onset. Lasts approximately several days.
- Loss of consciousness with unknown onset and duration. May last for several years.
Let's look at all four options in more detail:
- This may include simple fainting, also called “postural syncope.” The main cause of loss of consciousness in this case is a violation of cerebral blood supply. The distinctive signs of this type of fainting are the following: the person lost consciousness in an upright position and came to his senses after a few seconds.
The first type of loss of consciousness also includes fainting of cardinal origin, when blood circulation is disrupted due to heart disease, blockage and arrhythmia occur. In addition, the following factors may be the causes of sudden and short-term loss of consciousness: loss of consciousness during urination due to strong straining, occurs mainly in older people, fainting due to a prolonged coughing attack, orthostatic fainting, observed when standing up suddenly, “minor” attack epilepsy.
- The second type of sudden and prolonged loss of consciousness can be a manifestation of the following diseases, namely:
- major" epilepsy;
- hypoglycemia – decreased blood glucose concentration;
- hysteria;
- disorders of the blood supply to the brain.
- The third option includes comatose states, which are characterized by slow development:
- Stunning is the most common type of impairment of consciousness. It usually occurs with cranial injuries, poisoning, and also occurs when the patient comes out of a coma. Characterized by weakness, lethargy, decreased mental activity, unclear orientation in time and place.
- Doubt. This condition usually occurs due to poisoning with psychotropic substances, hypoxia and neuroinfection. The patient sleeps a lot, but when exposed to external stimuli, he awakens, can answer questions and adequately follow the doctor’s instructions. But as soon as the external stimuli stop, the person immediately falls asleep.
- Delirious syndrome. The patient loses orientation in time and place, sees visual and vocal hallucinations, and there is pronounced motor and speech excitation. This syndrome can appear due to poisoning with certain drugs, with renal or liver failure, with endogenous intoxication syndrome, and also occurs in patients who are in a shallow coma.
- Sopor. In this state, a person is not aware of anything. He only retains reactions to strong sound and light stimuli, as well as to pain. Spontaneous urination usually occurs. Pharyngeal, corneal and pupillary reflexes are usually preserved.
- The last type of loss of consciousness includes coma - this is the absence of mental activity, the patient experiences depression of consciousness, and the motor, somato-vegetative and sensory functions of the body are also impaired. In this state, the patient has no signs of conscious reactions to internal or external stimuli.
Coma is usually divided into four stages:
- Superficial coma. A person retains reactions to strong stimuli. The pupils react to light, although weakly. Muscle tone is reduced, but corneal reflexes and swallowing are preserved. There is no facial expression on the face, but sometimes a grimace of suffering appears. Urination is spontaneous.
- Severe coma. In this condition, the patient's pharyngeal reflexes are suppressed, the smooth muscles are relaxed, but a reaction to strong painful stimuli is possible.
- Deep coma. There are no reactions of the body to any irritants. The patient is unconscious and has muscle atony. The mechanics of breathing are impaired, reflexes are absent.
- Extreme coma. This condition is the most severe; the patient’s life is maintained with the help of medications and artificial ventilation.
Symptoms
Let's look at the symptoms of the most common fainting, that is, when a person loses consciousness suddenly and for a few seconds. Before losing consciousness, a person becomes ill, has an attack of lightheadedness, nausea appears, there is a veil before the eyes, there is a noise in the ears, and sudden weakness is felt. Some people begin to yawn, their legs give way, and the person begins to realize that he is about to faint.
When you lose consciousness, the skin turns pale and takes on a gray tint, and blood pressure drops. Muscle tone is weakened, the pupils react slowly to light. The pulse is usually weak and may not be palpable at all.
Typically, this type of fainting lasts a few seconds, but if the loss of consciousness lasts longer than 5 minutes, the person may experience convulsions or involuntary urination. As soon as he comes to his senses, his general weakness remains. If he tries to stand up suddenly, another attack may occur.
First aid
If a person has lost consciousness, then he needs to provide the correct first aid, it consists of the following:
- First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the factors that caused the loss of consciousness. For example, you should take a person out of a stuffy room, or take him out of the water, or take him to a cool place if the fainting was caused by overheating.
- If you are sure that the person does not have a head injury, then you should ensure that he is in a horizontal position. In this case, the head should be lower than the body, and the legs higher. Thus, blood supply to the brain improves.
- To eliminate the possibility of tongue retraction or to prevent a person from choking on vomit, it is better to turn him on his side. But if this is not possible, then the person should be seated and his head should be lowered between his knees.
- Then you need to try to irritate the skin receptors. For example, you can spray your face with water or wipe it with a cold wet towel; in addition, you can pat it on the cheeks and let it inhale ammonia or vinegar.
- A person who has fainted must be provided with access to air. You need to open the window, unfasten the collar, belt or corset. If he has a low body temperature, then it is necessary to wrap him in a blanket.
After the person comes to his senses, the following recommendations should be followed:
- You can’t give him food and drink right away.
- It is forbidden to immediately take a vertical position, otherwise fainting may recur.
- If a person has not regained consciousness within several minutes, then you should immediately call an ambulance.
- While the medical team is traveling, you need to listen to your breathing and check your pulse.
- If a person has no pulse and no breathing, then you need to start chest compressions and artificial respiration. Such assistance must be provided before doctors arrive.
Heart massage is done like this: you need to press with straightened arms on the lower third of the sternum with a frequency of approximately 120 times per minute. Artificial respiration is performed two inhalations and exhalations after every 30 massage movements. The person's head should be tilted back slightly.
If a child or an elderly person faints, you should immediately call an ambulance, especially if the loss of consciousness is accompanied by convulsions, lack of breathing, or the fainting happened suddenly for no apparent reason. Even if a person quickly wakes up after fainting, he needs to visit a doctor to rule out injuries and concussion.
What doctors are doing
If a person faints for several minutes, the cause may be serious. That is why doctors monitor the patient’s pulse and breathing, measure his blood pressure and temperature. If there are symptoms of dehydration, intravenous fluid is given.
An electrocardiogram may be done to rule out heart problems that could cause fainting. A blood test is also taken and a study is performed; if a salt imbalance is detected, it is eliminated with special medications. If the doctor determines that the fainting occurred due to taking certain medications, they can be replaced with others.