Knowing the Self and honouring it is part of the basis of work in both Taoism and Tantra. The sense of Self is a non-verbal experience of spirituality, wellbeing, identity, and continuity that is felt in the body.
The Development of Self: From Undifferentiated Energy to Identity
The potential Self – the undifferentiated mass of energy within a person – remains more or less undifferentiated, and fragmented. It lacks the cohesiveness that provides "form" to a person's Self, their identity.
The Impact of Character Structures on Self and Identity
This doesn't develop because they don't have a pattern of feeling good and comfortable in their body. What they do develop is the character structure of a person who seals off feelings. It is a defensive character structure and the defenses are erected between the Self and the outside world. They are useful in that they allow one to grow without further pain to the Self, but they also maintain the Self in the primitive state it was in when the character structure formed to protect it.
The young baby who is picked up soon after he/she scries and is fed in a warm, loving way when their hunger pangs are sharp, does develop a sense of well-being in their body and, therefore, a strong sense of Self.
A sense of Self is vital in one's life.
Sealing Off and the Defense Mechanisms: Protecting the Self
Our bodily defense systems set themselves up to form a part of our character. These shape our muscular patterns, emotional responses, and belief systems held within the body. Many of these patterns get set up early in our lives as defensive mechanisms.
A person, sealing off their unsatisfied pain, tightens their body to keep the pain from penetrating too deeply. They instinctively learn to seal off pain almost before it starts. As the response is not a selective process, they also seal off feeling, not simply pain, with the results that they may not even be consciously aware of the pleasure their body is capable of.
Breaking Free: Releasing Defensive Patterns and Barriers
These patterns of building defenses and barriers persist throughout life unless they are interrupted.
Spiraling Towards Liberation: Taoist and Tantric Approaches
At one time we thought of people going along a more or less straight line from birth to death. Then we saw that people were repeating patterns over and over, "going around in circles" or "being stuck in ruts", and that they were locked in their bodies, in their characters, compelled to repeat their behaviour forever. They do this through time, so now we see them spiraling their way through life from birth to death pretty much along the same path.
Taoist and Tantric work seeks to release these past defensive patterns and blockages.
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The information contained above is provided for entertainment purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice on your personal situation and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. The Writer and Shoshin Therapies disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.
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