The mind, often referred to as ‘the seat of human consciousness’, is that which enables us to be aware of and experience our world. It is that with which we mentally process stimuli and that which enables us to think, reason, plan and make sense of the world around us. Some people believe the mind is the thinking-feeling element of what we know as ‘I’ but there is no conclusive definition. Similarly, there is no collective definition of what ‘normal’ means. In psychological research, the word normal is not used, since we know that we have different experiences, different upbringings, different thought processes, belief systems, and ways of associating information perceptually and neurologically.
‘That’s not a multiple personality disorder, that’s a bunch of archetypes without a manager.’
Carole Sawo
Preview Insights …
There are many times, in truth, far too many times, when we think that our mind is in a broken state of chaos and disorder. Unfortunately, we have been programmed to believe the opinions of others, and attempted to distract, numb, or drug ourselves away from the thoughts and feelings we find the most difficult to endure and express. When we are in a state of chaos, the first thing that happens is we lose the capacity to communicate our position with others. It is often the reaction of others that either facilitates our recovery or determines we become fixed in a disordered mind. Many of what others currently believe are disorders are really transitions in the mind, usually brought on by life experiences, or the remembering of past trauma that rises into consciousness – not to torment us, as it can seem, but for the purpose of healing. If we come from the position that our mind is trying to help us, in dreams, in sudden inspirational thoughts, and in chance meetings with others, and that ‘chaos’ is a word of double meaning – it also means opportunity – then we begin to see things differently. And sometimes that’s all it takes …
