human freedom and the good life

7/29/2019 Human Freedom and the Good Life

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HUMAN FREEDOM AND THE GOOD LIFE

How to achieve personal freedom and the good life by means of alternative

holistic approaches:

1 A natural approach and natural way

2 Deceptive help of drugs

3 Long-term solutions

4 The "mind" and "body"- a totally holistic approach

5 A natural therapy of "crazy" behavior

6 "Psychiatric symptoms" as psychosocial signals

7 A natural approach to physical manifestations

8 The place of drugs in natural psychotherapy

9 Human rights, human dignity and a crime against humanity

10 The goals of each natural therapy session

11 The role of dialogue in natural psychotherapy

12 Why resolution of underlying problems is important

13 A simplifying, healthy, global approach to a better life

14 The Core Conflict

15 Understanding deception

16 Natural psychotherapy as a gentle and gradual process

17 Important self-discoveries
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18 Practical pursuits and results

1. A NATURAL APPROACH AND NATURAL WAY

The ways and approaches of natural psychotherapy fully follow a holistic bio-

psycho-social and psycho-ecological model. Natural therapy completely has freed

itself from the reductionist, drug-obsessed psychiatric model.

In natural therapy's approach psychological disturbances and suffering are not

regarded as medical illnesses.

All psychological distress is seen as resulting from fully natural and psychologically

understandable problems in living.

And, most importantly, the methods of natural psychotherapy aim to understand the

whole psycho-social and spiritual context that causes one's problems and suffering.

Once one understands what the biosocial causes of one's suffering andproblemsare,

one can learnhow to solve the problems and eliminate the suffering in completely

positive and natural ways.

What specifically are these natural ways?

First, persons seeking help are taught specifically how to navigate the difficulttransitional states that are labeled "mental illnesses."

They learn new positive perspectives and the most effective methods of problem

solving.

And then, each person learns how to make specific and general constructive changes

to attain and maintain the freedom to have more authentic, responsible, loving,

fulfilling and happier ways of life. And this is accomplished by considering, in depth,

each individual's uniqueness and distinctive goals in life.

One learns how to become aware and clear about one's goals in one's relationships, in

one's career and work, and in one's relationships to others, one's society and in one's

ways of relating to the natural world.

And once one is clear about one's choices of goals - on a daily basis - one becomes

able work out the specific ways to attain these goals, and then specific ways to

maintain them.
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Natural therapy achieves such goal clarification and goal enactment and through the

specific use of a variety of consciousness-raising, psychosocial, humanistic and

holistic ways that integrate cognitive, relational, psychodynamic, gestalt and Zen

Buddhist ideas.

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All these approaches help with the realization of one's freedom and the

attainment of the good life - for oneself, one's loved ones, other human beings,

one's society, and always also one's environment and the natural world.

How?

The eclectic ways of natural therapy accomplish this by means ofnatural and

creative common sense conversation and brain-storming.

And such positive and productive conversation is made possible because ofevery

person's ever-present (though too often hidden) bio-social resilience, creativity and

inner natural strengths.

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2. DECEPTIVE HELP OF DRUGS

Natural psychotherapy discourages the use of mind altering drugs, because the "help"

they appear to give is deceptive.

Drugs can in fact be quite damaging because they mask the transitionalsignals for

change which always accompany self-destructive behavior - the so-called,

"symptoms" of a so-called "mental disease."

Interestingly, these "symptoms" are all also part of one's creative attempts to rid

oneself of long-standing self-destructive habits.

Furthermore, such deceptive "help" of drugs fosters the current psychiatrically

fostered mass delusion that the pain and emotional agony accompanying a realistically

bad life situation ( i.e., a symptom) is a "medical disease."

What a "psychiatric symptom" really is, is an emotionally chargedpsycho-social

reaction and response to a radically damaging and disturbing situation. And often a

psychological symptom also is a response to one's own ineffective, self-defeating, and

desperate ways of dealing with that bad situations.
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3. LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

Rather than relying on "a quick fix" with drugs, natural psychotherapy focuses

on learning how to evaluate and then make positive choices that lead toconstructive and satisfying long-term solutions.

These solutions can be attained because people discover that they can learn not only

how to become aware of their freedom but also how to actually exercise their

freedom.

For example, one learns how to choose to replace regret and blame of oneself and

others with focused constructive planning and actions.

One learns how to become practical and how to deal effectively with one's everydaydifficulties of life, as well as with life's cruelties, misfortunes and disasters - past and

present.

And also, one learns to recognize and understand the reasons one may have for falling

for deceptions by oneself and by others.

And then, one learns how to take personal and active responsibility for one's

future: one learns how to avoid physical as well as psychological toxic patterns in

oneself, in others, and in one's environment.

In other words, in natural psychotherapy people learn how to enhance their

natural resilience and how to give up being wreckers of their lives and become

builders instead!

This generally requires the following:

(1) that you have learned how to discover and actually get to know yourself so that

you can actually be yourselfand simultaneously have good relationships

(2) that your family, social group and society are not able to block your freedom

(3) that you have learned how to eliminate your own self-defeating habit patterns that

may actually block your freedom and

(4) that you have acquired and practice a life-style that enhances well-being.

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BECOMINGONE'STRUESELF:

Each human being, from early infancy on, is happiest when free to express her or

his natural and spiritual true self creatively in an atmosphere of good, supportive

and non-toxic relations.

Then, and only then, can a person be relatively free of the anger, anxiety, depression,

panic, harmful behaviors, psychosomatic illnesses and distress caused by the deep

frustration of not being one's authentic independent self.

BECOMING CARING AND COMPASSIONATE:

In fact, only when one is able to express one's natural spiritual self is it possible to

develop self-respect and be truly compassionate and caring for oneself and for

others.

That is why personal natural therapy - the process of becoming a person - is so

important.

Freeing one's natural self as well as creating and attaining the kind of selfone

values and cherishes is an important accompaniment to the other modes of natural

therapy.

UNLEARNING DESTRUCTIVE HABITS AND BECOMING THE SELF YOU

VALUE:

To become the self one values, requires awareness of what one's short-term and

long-terms goals (e.g. relationship, spiritual, health and career goals) are.

And once you have that awareness, you can learn how to achieve these goals. And

then comes the most significant part: actually putting into practice being yourself-

on a regular daily basis.

Personal, individual natural therapy increases the benefits you can get from natural

couplestherapy, marriage counseling, pre-marital counseling, sex therapy, family

therapy, career counseling etc.

Individual, personal natural therapy, especially helps with harmonizing issues dealing

with the integration of work life and family life.


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Harmonizing and integrating your work and family life is important no matter

what kind of work you do. It is important whether you are an employee, employer,

entrepreneur, professional, executive, high-level executive, CEO, artist, writer,

performer, scientist or in the world of finance, law, administration, government,

politics etc.

Some of the personal habits that invariably interfere with anyone's self-growth, self-

respect, general relationships and especially with couples, marital and family relations

are: being rigid or impulsive, negative, bossy, uncommunicative, inconsiderate,

unkind, unloving, withdrawing, blaming, guilt-arousing, passive-aggressive or given

to outbursts of temper.


Natural therapy's practical, freeing, and self-empowering ways are especially of

value in helping people unlearn such learned negative habits.

Natural therapy is especially useful in dealing with cross-cultural, racial, religious

andmulticultural issues that may interfere with harmonious interpersonal relations.

Developing a free, creative and calmer self is facilitated by the use of Natural

Psychotherapy's Core Awareness Approach.

And what are the approaches of becoming aware of one's Core?

They involve becoming aware of one's uniqueness and creativity: reaching awareness

of the universality of adversity; awareness of one's own and others' wants, desires,

goals as well as of one's and others' limitations, imperfections and lacks; awareness of

the principles of non-importance, context, reciprocity and effect; awareness of

principles of least effort and wuwei; awareness of the reasons why love, caring,

kindness, compassion and moral depth are essential for well-being).

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4. THE "MIND" AND "BODY" - A TOTALLY HOLISTIC APPROACH

Natural psychotherapy conceives of the mind-body relation as a holistic unit. This is

based on clinical and empirical observations that the body influences the mind and

that the mind influences the body.
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In fact, it is logically more correct to say that mind-body relations are not two

processes influencing each other, but are one unitary complex process manifesting

itself through the physical or through the mental by means ofconstant transfer of

"information."

Thus what we call physical or mental are our perceptions from these two views.These are two perspectives, two viewpoints of a unitary, holistic, single very complex

interactive process - human life.

Andeach human life is regarded as thoroughly interactive; it is influenced by, and

influences, one's whole bio-psycho-social, spiritual and environmental situation. One

becomes ecologically aware and responsible.

It is therefore always important for the natural psychotherapist to be knowledgeable

about the workings of the complexities of mind, body and one's natural environment.

It is thus as important to know psychology, sociology, ecology, history, thehumanities and the "social sciences" in general, as it is to know physiology, neuro-

anatomy, neurochemistry, genetics, and the "biological sciences" in general.

Having a generalist background is what makes it possible for the natural

psychotherapist, to be able to evaluate the extensive research and clinical literature.

As a result of this generalist viewpoint, the various functional psychological and

spiritual conditions labeled "mental illnesses" can be viewed not narrowly as

biological diseases, but broadly asnaturalbio-psycho-social reactions - often

automatic and self-defeating - to oppressive, repressive, perplexing, confusing andstressful life situations.

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5. A NATURAL THERAPY OF "CRAZY" BEHAVIOR

Self-defeating, highly emotional outbursts and extreme reactions to stress - often

characterized by panic, despair, confusion, emotional turmoil and anger or rage filled

temper outbursts - result in disordered, unhappy lives.

Though such natural reactions may appear "strange," "bizarre" or "crazy," it is

important to keep in mind, that once they are talked about and examined in a calm,

gentle, compassionate and clear manner during natural psychotherapy, their cryptic,

symbolic meanings can be understood.

The "crazy" ways cease to feel overwhelming and impossible to change.
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So called "insanity" doesn't seem mysterious anymore.

Instead, the "crazy" and socially unacceptable ways people behave at times are seen to

have understandable causes. And the resulting physiological and psychological

upheavals are seen as perfectly understandable results of the interpersonal relations

that lead to emotional suffering and distress, but that can change for the better.

Positive change resulting form a natural therapy approach can sometimes be achieved

quickly, but can also take months or years.

People are only able to give up "madness" and self-destructiveness if they feel safe

enough and strong enough to look at completely new perspectives.

And they can do that if they are willing to examine new cognitive and emotional ways

to handle their fears, confusion, terrors, despair, and false feelings of hopelessness and

false ideas of powerlessness about themselves. Similarly, they need to examine andlearn how to give up their negative feelings and ideas about others, their situation and

the natural environment.

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6. "SYMPTOMS" AS PSYCHOSOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNALS

In natural psychotherapy all "mental symptoms" are considered transitional alerting

reactions that something is amiss - personally, socially or ecologically.

"Symptoms" are always seen asnecessary signals that one needs to become aware

that something harmful in one's life needs attention - needs to be looked at objectively

and critically.

Symptoms can then be used constructively as one finally learns through natural

psychotherapy how to make the practical positive changes in one's way of life: in

one's relationships and in one's natural environment that one has not known how to

make in the past.

One learns that positive changes are necessary to get rid one's emotional suffering,turmoil and inner darkness.

Furthermore, through natural psychotherapy one can learn specifically how one's

"symptoms" (whether frightening, angry, depressing or confused feelings, thoughts

or fantasies) are really imaginative and poetic expressions of, and metaphors for

one's mental and spiritual anguish, as well as one's predicaments and quandaries in

life.


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This means that although the "psychological symptoms" are creative achievements

that may help one survive, they are also often grossly self-defeating and require

transformation into creative self-enhancing patterns of daily living.

Once understood in a natural, non-pathologizing way, all symptoms can then serve

assignals that an oppressive or self-oppressing situation, as well as unresolvedunconscious psychological conflicts exist.

Symptoms serve as wake-up calls.

Symptoms exist for the achievement of healthier adaptation to reality: to help you

become awake and aware that you need to make the choice to start productive changes

in yourself and in your interrelations with others and in your interaction with your

environment.

Thus, thanks to symptoms, your friendships, love relationships, family, work,educational or other significant relations and ecological situations get to be calmly and

carefully explored, and steadily improved, through natural psychotherapy.

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7. A NATURAL APPROACH TO PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS

Even physical manifestations caused by infection, trauma, tumors, chemicals andtoxic substances, drug use or drug withdrawal, immune disorders, etc. must be

examined in terms of one's physical environment, one's life style, mores, socio-

economic circumstances, beliefs, values and goals in life.

Thus, all physical manifestations, in addition to being medically treated, are

always also explored in natural psychotherapy in terms of psycho-social and

ecological factors.

During the process of natural psychotherapy it is kept in mind that whenever people

live under extreme stress, are exposed to severe trauma, or live inauthentic andunfulfilled lives they may become dissociated from their real desires, strivings and

natural psychological, physiological and ecological balances.

When imbalances happen, many people develop a variety of psychological and

physiological symptoms and emotionally intense, self-defeating, reactions and views.

These intense emotional reactions, then naturally cause a large variety


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of physiological, neurological, neuro-skeletal, neuro-muscular and

biochemical imbalances and impairments.

Obviously, this view is broadly bio-psycho-social.

It recognizes the obvious: that human beings have an infinite variety of thoughts andoften very powerful emotions that symbolically express their wide and differing

experiences in life. And this sharply contrasts with the narrow, dehumanizing,

mechanical and reductionist view of modern biological psychiatry.

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8. THE PLACE OF DRUGS IN NATURAL PSYCHOTHERAPY

If someone wishes to use drugs for analgesic, recreational, or other purposes, that is a

choice each individual needs to make.

In natural therapy it is made clear, however, that being drugged, drunk, and

"chemically calm" or "chemically happy" will diminish the benefits of natural

psychotherapy, or any psychotherapy for that matter.

It is therefore generally more practical not to take drugs while in psychotherapy.

But that is something that has to be carefully evaluated in each individual situation,

jointly by the natural therapist, the person seeking help, and if called for, in

consultation with other family members and professionals involved as consultants or

as members of a treating team. And throughout this process, each person's naturalresilience and unique strengths and weaknesses are carefully considered while

generalizations are assiduously avoided.

But, above all, in a therapeutic approach no one should ever be directly or indirectly

coerced, unduly influenced and urged or propagandized to take drugs one does not

want to take.

If people behave violently, destructively or are a danger to themselves or others,

natural therapy may not be possible and the usual law enforcement procedures may be

required to deal with the actual law breaking actions.


9. HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN DIGNITY AND A CRIME AGAINST

HUMANITY


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In all situations, careful consideration is given to the person's human rights,

immediate and long-term welfare, health and safety.

Also, unless not possible, (as in a comatose person) all assessments and decisions,

especially if the use of drugs is considered, are made jointly by the natural therapist,

the person seeking psychotherapy, and others who may be involved in the therapeuticprocess, whether family or other professionals.

But in no circumstances is anyone ever cajoled, urged, tricked, inveigled or forced

into taking drugs against her or his own free will in the practice of natural therapy.

The natural therapist always aims for total disclosure, for careful and considered

evaluation of any method considered.

The consistent emphasis in natural therapy is on making available all the positive and

negative effects of all procedures offered, so that they can be slowly, carefully andcritically studied and evaluated.

Each individual's wishes, wholeness as a human being, freedom to choose how to live,

and human and civil rights are always respected andnever violated in natural

psychotherapy.

Thus, all physically invasive or assaultive "psychiatric treatments" such as

lobotomies, body implants, electroshock, or forced psychiatric drugging for any of the

so-called "psychiatric disorders," are always shunned. In fact, they are all opposed

and regarded as serious violations of human rights.

Any coerced, involuntary psychiatric hospitalization is opposed as part of natural

therapy. Such a violation of human rights is always unacceptable as part of therapy

since it too often results in inhumane, damaging or cruel acts.

In fact coerced psychiatric hospitalization is regarded as a crime against

humanity if it masquerades as therapy.

On the other hand, if a person refuses psychotherapy and exhibits dangerous,

violent, law-breaking behaviors one must of course always use the law enforcementprocedures that are legally available for the prevention such harm or potential harm.

However, in sharp contrast to a coercive psychiatrist, a natural psychotherapist is

always someone who first fosters respect for each person's uniqueness, human

rights, creativity, resilience and inner capacities to heal. That of course is


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impossible if a person who is violent and engages in dangerous acts is referred for

psychotherapy by family or others, and absolutely refuses it.

Thus the natural therapist only resorts to legal coercion and the use of existing

police powers of the State if the person refuses therapy and engages in or

threatens to engage in harmful and destructive acts.

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10. THE GOALS OF EACH NATURAL THERAPY SESSION

Every therapy session aims to demonstrate the fact that human beings have the

naturalcreativity and resilience to freely choose how they desire to live.

In natural therapy they learn how they can become free to live in a way that

makes sense to them.

People learn that they are truly able to solve even very difficult emotional

problems and dilemmas through open, creative, collaborative and constructive

dialogue.

Most people who suffer emotional anguish often have no idea what collaborative and

creative dialogue is. Some have mostly made unilateral or impulsive decisions andhave difficulty being committed to a totally honest, frank and natural ongoing

relationship.

* * *

They often don't realize (and need to learn) that in a good relationship, difference of

opinion, even if sharp, is always the beginning of conversation, never the end.

Easy and relaxed discussion of differences opinion, perceptions, values, goals, etc. is

especially true of collaborative psychotherapeutic dialogue. And necessary fortherapeutic progress.

* * *

Each psychotherapy session aims to be a creative search for and education in new

perspectives in life.


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* * *

One learns to become aware of a reality most people doubt: one's absolute

freedom as a human being.

And once one recognizes and accepts one's freedom as well as the ever-changingrealities of one's life, one learns in each therapy session, to deal calmly and

positively with destructive and seemingly hopeless assumptions, thoughts, feelings,

and situations. Greater self-confidence and greater self-reliance are the inevitable

results.

* * *

One learns how to become practical; how to figure out the ways to become

committed to one's positive values and goals.

Self-defeating life styles and habits one has learned are gradually unlearned. Self

enhancing habits, life styles and values that have not been learned are gradually

learned.

Natural psychotherapy then becomes an opportunity for greater awareness and better

integration of the complexities and multiplicities of one's true self.

One learns how to be more aware of and how to be more in harmony with one's

inner nature, values and aspirations, as well as with the realities of the natural

world.

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11. THE ROLE DIALOGUE IN NATURAL PSYCHOTHERAPY

Natural psychotherapy is done not by means of pre-conceived "treatment plans" or

"protocols," but through a radically honest exploration of one's present reality, andacreative, thoroughly collaborative search for constructive solutions.

The focus is always on choosing constructive self-transformation and to find,

develop, and use her or his unique ways to solve problems in terms of one's

interrelations with others and one's situation. Such a focus is what helps feelings of

self-sufficiency, self-confidence, andself-reliance to develop and grow.


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If the problems underlying one's symptoms are not resolved and continue to operate as

destructive and hidden agendas, they block the universal and powerful desires all

human beings have: the desires for freedom, independence, intimacy, social

connectedness, sexual fulfillment and the closeness and meaningfulness of love.

And if the destructive habits and relations that block these desires are not removed,the results are further psychological and physiological upheaval and emotional

distress: anger, depression, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, panic,

somatic disorders, etc.

12. WHY RESOLUTION OF UNDERLYING PROBLEMS IS IMPORTANT

Natural psychotherapy recognizes that self-transformation is not easy.

Becoming aware of one's mistakes of the past and of the uncertainties of the future

often results in the arousal of confusion and powerful (though, in fact, always

temporary) feelings of fear, shame, regret, sadness, anger and rage.

These feelings are not only inevitable for some, but are, in fact, indications that one is

in the midst of a transitional state that often can be stormy and emotionally painful.

This is so, because it is often so difficult to be honest with oneself, and to face

unpleasant truths about oneself or one's situation. It is also difficult to become aware

that one, or those with whom one interacts, may have unconscious, hidden, often very

dangerous agendas of destruction and defeat.

It is hard to change entrenched agendas, but gradually becomes very gratifying

to make positive changes in one's basic philosophy of life, one's style of relating to

others and the world, and one's habitualized reactions to life's vicissitudes and

challenges. That is why choosing toconsistently avoid regret, blame and guilt

always brings such reliefand gives such a sense of feeling freer and stronger during

the process of natural psychotherapy.

Avoiding regret, blame and guilt is like a rebirth to a new life of inner relief and inner

new kind of life free of old destructive habit patterns.

Once such initial relief is attained to a degree, you always gain more relief as you

learn to clarify your goals in life.

You then gradually learns how to let go of those habit patterns that interfere with the

process of natural psychotherapy and the process of life: withdrawal, pervasive fault


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finding, self-deceptiveness and deception of others, impulsive behavior, habits of

over-emotional blame, rage and temper tantrums, and addictions to hopelessness and

despair.

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13. A SIMPLIFYING, HEALTHY, GLOBAL APPROACH

In natural psychotherapy the approach always includes simplifying one's life style.

This is an area where the natural therapist can be of the greatest help since Western

Culture involves the kind of material and non-material acquisitiveness, social relations

and "success" orientation that complicates everyone's' life, that distracts and diverts.

Without a focus on a return to one's natural and true goals everyone can be most

easily diverted from following one's true nature. This happens especially as a result ofthe deeply entrenched false belief many have, that what comes naturally requires

curbs and controls.

So how does one simplify one's life and flourish?

Throughout natural psychotherapy one learns, over time, how to how to guide and

nurture one's spiritual life, how to see events realistically and inperspective. One

learns how to establish priorities for oneself in terms of one's utter uniqueness.

As one establishes priorities, one gradually acquires the skill not to be distracted ordiverted from one's unique and significant goals and values. That is difficult for most.

Since it takes time and much effort, it also is often a point at which one may be

tempted to quit (or "take a break from") the therapeutic process.

It is also a point at which one may wish to plunge into the use of alcohol, or the much

touted street and prescription drugs.

The desire to escape from the rebirth of one's true inner spirit into destructive

distractions needs to be explored and understood in terms of the conflicts and motives

behind it.

Only with greater self-understanding can one let go of such obfuscating and

complicating barriers to the simplification of one's inner life and outer behavior.


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Simplifying one's life,also involves the development of emotionally honest and

gratifying ties with loved ones and friends. One needs others who are not

destructive - either due to their ignorance, malice or stupidity.

Everyone needs to learn how to avoid and not become upset by toxic people

(especially if we are close to them) who find fault, berate, complain and infect with"bad vibes."

As one continues in one's therapy one becomes more aware of the fact that all human

beings need others who are generally positive, caring, supportive - who desire

and know how to encourage one's quest for a more significant and happier life.

Simplification of one's life also means doing all one can to avoid bad health, illness

and spiritual emptiness. It therefore also always includes healthy, balanced organic

foods, adequate daily physical exercise, andadequate sleep and rest.

Relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques that can help one start these processes are

used consistently for those who want to use them. And as most of us know, to

maintain such healthful patterns involves skills that most people need to acquire, and

that indeed are acquired as part of every successful, comprehensive natural therapy

process.

And further, simplifying one's life also means becoming aware of what is toxic in

one's physical environment (e.g. pesticides, radiation, food additives, hormone and

chemical additives, toxic cleaning materials, toxic air quality, etc., etc.) and then

carefully planning how to avoid such dangers as much as possible.

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14. THE CORE CONFLICT: BASIC ASPECTS

Throughout the process of natural psychotherapy, especially in analyzing and

examining one's emotional interactions with the natural therapist, one also learns how

to resolve one's Core Conflict.

The very common CoreConflict generally is a conflict between desire for dependence

and passivity on the one hand, and for independence, self expression, and

actualization of one's selfand one's personal goals on the other. This conflict is

intense and not yet resolved for most people who suffer psychological pain or turmoil.


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The resistance to give up the (often life-long) search for someone who can be totally

depended on, a situation in which one behaves as a dependent "taken-care-of-child," is

probably universal for those who were never truly loved and well cared for as infants

and children.

If a parent or both parents were verbally or physically punitive or oppressive duringone's infancy, childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, one is not only

unconsciously prone to self-destructive behavior and feelings of mistrust helplessness

and hopelessness, but of something additional that is equally damaging.

One may also feel driven toward an unconscious, compulsive pattern of seeking out,

and having powerful emotional attachment to those who are as unloving and

destructive as the parents were.

Many seek to repeat what is familiar and what has in the past characterized one's

core ways of relating, even though it may be self-destructive in the present.

And often those who are loving and caring, authentic, genuine and of good will, are

assiduously avoided and pervasively found fault with.

Others see oppression or inhibition in situations where it doesn't actually exist: they

may unconsciously project the pattern of inhibition or self-oppression they learned in

their childhoods unto others in the present and feel, like a rebellious but not self-

actualizing adolescent: "I want to do it on my own."

By focusing on reality and examining these feelings, most people in natural therapycan finally get to understand the nature of theirCore Conflict.

By truly collaborating in straightforward dialogue with the natural therapist, all people

always find out why the impulse to leave therapy seem so urgent at some points. They

get to understand what is behind their "rush into impulsive pseudo-independence."

But until they understand their fears and their desires to "act on their fears," they may

urgently desire to abandon the therapy process.

Yet if they stick it through, they do start to discover and practice self-actualizationwithout distraction and diversion, and start to experience the deep satisfactions this

brings.

Until natural capacities for rebirth, self-actualization and individuation are

gradually developed or restored, many individuals compulsively repeat the Core

Interactions and accompanying emotions learned in the past.


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They are repeatedly tempted to ignore their true feelings and spiritual values, to act

unilaterally, impulsively and without mutual frank discussion and mutual self-

examination. They often lack patience, and find it too fear-arousing to reach decisions

jointly through continuing dialogue, as all true collaboration requires.

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15. UNDERSTANDING DECEPTION:

Closely related to the resolution of one's Core Conflict is the growth of

understanding the roledeception played in one's life.

Natural therapy can help each person understand the origins and the consequences of

various patterns of deception: self-deception, deception of others, and deception by

others. Such interpersonal patterns need to be examined since they have generally

become entrenched in the interactions of most individuals whose lives are beset bypsychological pain and disorder.

16. NATURAL PSYCHOTHERAPY AS A GENTLE, GRADUAL PROCESS

The natural therapist, by being gentle, kind, patient, open and completely truthful

can be instrumental in helping each person become aware of the constructive as well

as of the automatic and by now, habitual self-destructive ways of living that she or he

has learned over the years.

Natural psychotherapy is thus a gradual, collaborative, often stumbling and difficult

search for the worthwhile and happier life.

The length of the therapeutic process depends on the strength of one's desire to be

totally honest with oneself. This generally requires the willingness to overcome

resistance to experience negative, frightening, or unusual thoughts and feelings, to

face painful truths, and to start constructive change.

Also important is the degree of sabotaging or supportive behavior of family and

friends and the system of constructive or destructive beliefs prevalent in one's

background and culture.

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17. IMPORTANT SELF-DISCOVERIES
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Even though it is difficult, each person gradually learns how to be constructively

active, rather than destructively passive: how to make and keep on making realistic

choices calmly and with careful planning.

Interestingly, even amidst unfair, unjust and oppressive cultural, societal, or family

circumstances, persons engaged in natural psychotherapy discover their resilience,their previously hidden vast energies available for real changes and resulting in

exhilarating spiritual and emotional rebirths. They gradually choose to become

assertive, morally responsible, loving and productive human beings.

Those in natural psychotherapy discover, slowly but surely,a sense of new-found

energy, of creative mastery over the difficulties, disasters, cruelties, injustice and

horrors most human beings encounter.

Those in natural therapy learn how to stop focusing on, and how to let go of, their

emotional (and too often, very severe) suffering of the past.

They learn to use the complexity and richness of current reality to achieve

constructive change and spiritual rebirth.

And then, as they learn to distract themselves from their past suffering.

They discover and rediscover, over and over again, that an authentic, independent,

assertive,loving, caring, and productivelifeinthepresent - though not easy to

maintain - is a worthwhile choice.

Such a choice brings joy, love, creativity, spiritual fulfillment.

Such a practical and achievable choice brings short term as well as long term,

satisfaction.

It makes life, with all its difficulties and suffering, bearable.

It helps one develop a much better and more worthwhile way of life!


18. PRACTICAL, SPIRITUAL AND HUMANISTIC AIMS AND

REALIZATIONS:

Once a person has discovered how to remove crippling regret, anger, fear, passivity,

and imbalance from most areas of life, she or he is ready to pursue the humanistic,

spiritual, practical aims of natural psychotherapy: the acceptance and active
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development of one's utter uniqueness, freedom, and natural strengths as a

human being.

The strengths to make the world and oneself better, more loving, more creative,

and more productive.

One realizes that the work is much, and the time short.

And one also realizes that the results of the work are truly worthwhile - the natural

highs of natural, holistic well-being!

human freedom and the good life

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