Non-Duality Can Be the Ultimate Medicine for the Ultimate Sickness, But It Cannot Be the Ultimate Answer for EVERY Sickness, Part “Q”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

 [Continued from yesterday] 

The discussion of Assuming the Role of "The Parent" or "The Child," from the book INSTABILITY / INSANITY: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot Address) continues with Part "B." 

This pointer was offered earlier: 

Additionally, the P-A-C roles reinforce the other basic personality types and the other assumed personas that humans adopt, creating even greater barriers and obstacles to Truth and freedom and peace and stability and sanity. Conversely, the nine basic personality types as revealed through the enneagram reinforce "The Child" and "The Parent," generating an endless loop in which persons become increasingly more fixed in their false roles / personas. 

To review, the nine basic types that are adopted by children early on: 

Type One: "The Perfectionist" 

Type Two: "The Helper, Savior, Rescuer" 

Type Three: "The Performer, Image-Maker" 

Type Four: "The Idealizer, Individualist, Rebel, Withdrawer" 

Type Five: "The Analyst, Avoider" 

Type Six: "The Dependent One, Loyalist, Fearful One, Indecisive One" 

Type Seven: "The Adventurer, Gourmet, Pleasure Seeker, Pain-Avoider" 

Type Eight: "The Boss, Controller, Dominater, Enslaver" 

Type Nine: "The Avoider, Feeling Eluder, Being Upset Evader, Mediator, Accommodater, Passive Controller, Abdicator" ]

Note how "The Child" reinforces those various types: 

The sadness of "The Child" reinforces the sadness and melancholy nature of the 2, 3, and 4. 

The sometimes conforming "Child" reinforces that trait in the 9. 

The fearful "Child" role reinforces the fearful natures of the 5, 6, and 7. 

The withdrawn, isolating "Child" reinforces those traits in the 4, 5, and 9. 

The indirect "Child" reinforces that trait in the 9. 

The sulking, incommunicative "Child" will trigger that trait in the 9. 

The dependent / co-dependent "Child" reinforces that trait in the 9, the 6, and the 2. 

The insecure "Child" reinforces that trait in the 6 and the 9 and can impact the 3. 

"The Child's" tendency to control by pouting and refusing to communicate will reinforce that trait in the 9 when in the passive phase of the 9's passive-aggressive style. 

"The Child's" sense of entitlement and desire to be indulged and even spoiled will reinforce those traits in the 2, the 3, the 4, the 6, and the 9. 

"The Child's" desire to be able to manipulate will reinforce those traits in the 6, the 8, and the 9. 

"The Child's" desire to be taken care of will reinforce that trait in the 6, the 2, and the 9. 

"The Child's" willingness to be dependent and co-dependent will reinforce that trait in the 2, the 3, the 6, and the 9. 

"The Child's" tendency to internalize anger (and thus generate depression) will reinforce that behavior in the 9. 

"The Child's" tendency to hide and isolate will reinforce those traits in the 4, 5, and 9. 

"The Child's" tendency to avoid truth and not communicate openly will reinforce those traits in the 9. 

"The Child's" tendency to spin the truth or put a spin on reality will reinforce the same behaviors in the 3 and the 7 and the 9. 

"The Child's" tendency to be defensive will reinforce that trait in the 9. 

"The Child's" tendency to be insecure will reinforce that trait in the 6, the 9, and the 2. 

Note how "The Parent" reinforces those various types: 

The contemptuous, controlling, sarcastic and domineering "Parent" type reinforces those traits in the 8, the 2 disintegrated to 8, and the 3. 

The controlling "Parent" reinforces that trait in the 9 when the 9 is in the passive mode of the 9's passive-aggressive phase of their dualistic nature. 

The critical, fault-finding, judgmental, blaming, shaming "Parent" type reinforces those same traits in the 1 and in the 7 disintegrated to 1. 

The overly-serious and humorless "Parent" type reinforces those same traits in the 1, the 7 disintegrated to 1, and the 4. 

The uptight "Parent" type reinforces the uptightness that is typical of a 1 or of a 4 that has shifted to the 1. 

The angry "Parent" reinforces the anger that is typical with the 8 and 9 and 1, though the 9 and 1 typically suppress their anger and / or deny their anger, triggering depression as a result. 

The critical "Parent" reinforces that trait in 8, the 2, and the 1. 

The sarcastic "Parent" reinforces that trait in the 9, in the 8, and in the 3. 

The tendency of "The Parent" to talk down to others, to use sarcasm, to scold, to judge, to criticize, to try to control, to bully and to dominate will reinforce those traits which are typical with the 8, the 1, the 3, and even the 9 when a 9 is in the aggressive phase of the 9's passive-aggressive style or when the 9 is in the passive (but still manipulative and controlling) mode of operating. 

When the talk here is of "being trapped in personality," is it becoming clear how literally that term applies? 

 In the book, FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE, this consideration was offered during satsang:

"Is it your belief that your relative existence should play out in the limited confines of a narrow dungeon where you feel imprisoned and struggling each day? Should you feel as if you are at the mercy of the whims of a plethora of guards, including the guard of austere disciples, the guard of personalities, the guard of fear, the guard of 'others,' or the guard of desire? 

"How free do you want to be? Are you willing to leave the prison behind? I come to tell you again, the bars of the prison of your body-mind-personality triad are made from the ideas that you hold to be true and the beliefs that you hold to be sacred. The instant that you leave the physical and mental prison of personas behind, in that very instant you are well on your way to freedom." 

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

[NOTE: The four most recent posts are below. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access over 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you.

Non-Duality Can Be the Ultimate Medicine for the Ultimate Sickness, But It Cannot Be the Ultimate Answer for EVERY Sickness, Part “P”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

Why else might persons undertake the task of (1) understanding the Ultimate Sickness and (2) per Maharaj, its key symptoms of "ignorance, stupidity, and insanity" and (3) then seek the effective version of the Ultimate Medicine to be free of that sickness and those symptoms? 

Because (A) persons who are sick cannot really and truly enjoy any aspect of their existence because (B) the symptoms will color every fabric of their lives in the darkest and most dreadful colors. That will include the fabric of their "relationships," of their business or financial decisions, of their sexual encounters and the number of children they will have as well as the fabric of their social encounters and entanglements and the quality of their health decisions (or lack thereof) and the fabric of their work experiences (or lack thereof). 

Persons can (and do) run from the Ultimate Sickness but they can never hide from its symptoms. They can only either suffer or find the Medicine required to be freed from the symptoms once and for all.

The symptoms can inspire persons to prostitute themselves or - more often - to behave in a manner which has been characterized as that of "lifestyle whores" (be they male or female users of other people). Those types use their looks and bodies to manipulate persons to pay their bills. Often, they marry, but they marry someone whom they only claim to "love" in order to have their bills paid and to have a "privileged lifestyle which they perceive to be superior to that of others." 

It has been shared here that a friend who is a therapist has explained to some clients who think that "hooking some other person" is a viable plan for financial well-being or is a viable plan for attaining happiness and fulfillment. Many of those types time and again enter into such relationships, only to return to the counselor time and again to report that - once more - their most recent relationship failed and has left them feeling miserable again and needy again. 

With those types, the therapist sometimes introduces to them the name she gives to the syndrome which is driving them, namely, "The Broken Picker Syndrome" which results in persons ignoring all of the red warning flags which were obvious to others and then repeatedly picking the sickest persons as partners while believing that they have finally found "the one" - the one who is going to provide the financial support or emotional support or love or caretaking which is being sought.

The result? They find each time, in the end, that their game plan has proved once more to have been flawed. 

The therapist also points out that many of those whose relative existence is being self-sabotaged by the use of a broken picker do not lack intelligence. 

Intelligence is neither a preventive nor a treatment for the symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness. While intelligence might be used to eliminate the symptom of "ignorance," it has no curative power over "stupidity"; moreover, it provides no restorative treatment for "insanity." It cannot return persons to the mental state which they were in prior to having been programmed, conditioned etc. to be insane. 

Over the years, I have sat face-to-face or Skype-screen-to-Skype-screen or have conducted telephone dialogues with thousands of people. Some of them were certainly clever enough, some were intelligent, some were highly intelligent, some were brilliant, and some on IQ tests had been shown to be geniuses. 

What else did they share in common, in addition to their intellectual aptitudes? The "stupidity" and "insanity" which Maharaj referenced, as evidenced - they have admitted - by "a lifetime of making one stupid choice or one stupid decision after another" and by "committing one insane act after another." 

The first thing addressed with them? 

They never made a stupid choice or decision because persons who are being driven - as those intelligence persons were - have no ability to choose. As much as many of them argued that point, the fact is that the agendas of personality identifications are all hidden and subconscious, so those persons have never been aware of why they say what they say and do what they do. They have understood neither their actual motives not the driving forces behind their thoughts and words and actions because those motives and forces are hidden from all except the very few that are fully awake and aware. 

Prior to realization (which is, according to Maharaj, nothing more than the act of finally seeing truth and thus being freed from ignorance) a battery of IQ tests in school over the years confirmed what many teachers shared with my parents: "We have suspected all along that Floyd has an above-average intelligence level, which these test results show, but he is just too rebellious and uninterested to get on board and accept what we are trying to teach him and achieve at the level which we know he is capable of." 

[Of course the case was, as is the case with many children, that they were boring the hell out of me with their silly rules and the nonsensical concepts they were promoting.]

Later, as I was moved farther and farther away from the wisdom which Grandmother had shared during my early years, my intelligence became a moot issue as I became driven more and more by the symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness and engaged in some of the most ignorant and truly stupid and - many times - downright insane actions imaginable. The use of a broken picker resulted in one missed opportunity after another to see the fallacy of the "love is blind" maxim and to see that the relevant truth is that "love is color blind" (again, causing persons to ignore the red flags which were obvious to everyone else and to enter into unhealthy "relationships" anyway). 

That blindness also led me to enter into "business relationships" with partners who were perceived to be wise and honest (while proving later that they were actually foolish and crooked) and into "personal relationships" with partners who were perceived at the time to be kind and gentle and ideal (while proving later to be mean as hell sociopaths and raving lunatics. See? Insanity can be a magnet for insanity). 

The Sickness, prior to realization, rendered me incapable of differentiating the real from the false, and any intelligence which was stored in the brain was superseded by the "ignorance and stupidity and insanity" which were stored in the mind (a mind which was controlled by the ignorant and stupid and insane results of ignorant and stupid and insane programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and brainwashing and indoctrination). 

Maharaj said: "I have no faith in anything which has ever been told, not even what has been told by the Vedas. Only my own experience.” 

That is the beauty of realization: it removes the unquestioning, blind faith which prevents seeing clearly, seeing the false, and seeing the truth and then allows one to be free of the symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness. It is, therefore, by my "own experience" of having been freed from an attachment to unquestioning blind faith that I can report that the realization process can (in many cases) break the chains of ignorance and stupidity and insanity which are the means by which the masses are held in mental and emotional bondage. 

And that is why the roots of instability and insanity are being discussed. 

So, the next topic of discussion is  

INSTABILITY / INSANITY: Assuming the Role of "The Parent" or "The Child," Part "A 

continuing via excerpts from the book Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot Address):

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj said that science would someday advance far enough to support both technically and systematically - as well as logically - the teachings of non-duality. To that end, where science has advanced to that level and can be used to support the teachings of non-duality, they are shared here with seekers. 

Because most of what persons on the planet call their "problems" are actually rooted in personality - and because sages for thousands of years have known that and have thus invited seekers to be free of the subconscious motivating factors that come with personality - the same invitation is offered here, regularly. The more seekers understand about personality and how it functions (and how it "dys-functions") and how it robs them of choice by determining unconsciously their thoughts and words and deeds, the better the chance of ultimately becoming freed from such influence. 

In addition to the nine basic personality types (or ego-states, false identities, motivating roles, personas, etc.), the next discussion will include three more: "The Parent," "The Adult" and "The Child"(P-A-C). Why? 

Because the first two roles are major contributors to the instability and insanity which are now so widespread around the globe. While each of those roles is usually associated with a particular "age-range," they are not age-specific at all. For example, many who are child-aged are being forced to assume "The Parent" role in an effort to help a suffering parent, such as when "The Mother" or "The Wife" "loses" "The Husband" who was also "The Father." 

(The result of role-reversal in that scenario is that the child adopts the Type Two Personality of "The Helper," "The Rescuer," or "The Savior" and attracts only needy types or user types throughout the relative existence). 

Additional evidence that the P-A-C roles are not age-specific is the fact that most persons who are "adult-age" on this planet actually act as if they are children. Why? Recall that personality is formed by the age of six. Note that personality subconsciously determines thoughts and words and deeds. So any "adult-aged" person who has not become freed from the subconscious drive of personality will often behave as a six-year old.

Dr. Eric Berne studied the three ego-states of "The Parent," "The Adult" and "The Child" and developed a theory of personality around those three, seeing that all (non-Realized) persons - trapped as most are in those personas - will think, talk, and behave as one or the other of those ego-states (or as any of the three at any given time). As a theory of personality, he described how people are structured psychologically, using the P-A-C model to do so and allowing the model to help explain how persons function and express their personality via their thoughts and their words and their behaviors. 

[He actually revised Freud's teaching about the human psyche being composed of the id, the ego, and the superego and suggested that the three ego-states of P-A-C were largely shaped through childhood experiences, as are all personas / personalities.] 

Berne noted that unhealthy childhood experiences can lead to persons being pathologically fixated in "The Child" and / or "The Parent" ego-states, bringing discomfort or misery and suffering to an individual (and to those dealing with that individual). The psychological problems generated by assumption of "The Child" and / or "The Parent" roles can manifest in a variety of forms, including many types of personality disorders which can lead to full-blown mental illness. Berne considered how individuals interact with one another, and how the P-A-C ego-states affect each set of transactions. 

Unproductive or counterproductive transactions (relatively speaking) were considered to be signs of ego-state problems, as is the case with the non-duality teachings. Berne saw that virtually everyone has something problematic to deal with because of their assumption of a variety of ego-states, and he saw that assuming "The Child" or "The Parent" role was especially detrimental. Why? 

Those functioning in what he called "The Adult" mode or manner will observe, witness objectively, process, and will choose options that are rooted in reason and sanity; additionally, they are generally calm and are free of chaos and instability and drama and histrionics; they are logical; they are in touch with their feelings but are non-emotional and (again, relatively speaking) they are non-self-defeating and non-self-destructive. 

None of that is the case with those being driven by "The Child" or "The Parent." To see by contrast the traits of "The Child and or "The Parent" is to understand why those two types generate such instability and insanity and chaos. No matter their chronological age, persons driven subconsciously by "The Child" must talk and even dominate all conversations in order to continue to “exist”; 

must create noise, hating the silence; will want to be indulged and even spoiled; will try to manipulate; and will want to be taken care of, believing that they are entitled and - as a result - missing out on independence and total freedom because they create dependencies and co-dependencies with "A Caretaker" or "A Rescuer" Type, only to find out later what controlling persons those types are. 

Additionally, one assuming "The Child" role, even when adult-aged, will try to get as much as possible; will whine and complain; will internalize anger and depression; will hide by isolating, by avoiding truth, by not communicating openly; and will make statements instead of asking questions. 

These types will never really feel "okay," will be sad, will be uptight, will be conforming (at least outwardly when it suits them); will be withdrawn; will be defensive; will be insecure; and will be overly-serious and humorless. How much chaos and instability and insanity will all of that generate? 

How much fun are those types to be around? Next, those driven subconsciously by "The Parent" also must talk to “exist”; will talk down to others; will use sarcasm; will scold; will judge; will criticize; will try to control and bully and dominate; and will make statements instead of asking mature questions. Overall, therefore, these types will be hyper-critical, domineering, controlling, fault-finding, judgmental, sarcastic, blaming, and shaming. How much chaos and instability and insanity will all of that generate? How much fun are those types to be around? The alternative? 

Functioning in "an adult-like mode" that does not have to talk and that can enjoy the silence; that engages others from a mature level; that asks questions rather than constantly directing or manipulating others with statements; that speaks to others as equals; and, again, that is calm, free of chaos, free of instability, and free of drama and histrionics; that are logical; sane; stable; 

that are in touch with their feelings but are non-emotional and (again, relatively speaking) non-self-defeating and non-self-destructive; that are capable of loving / Loving unconditionally (as opposed to "The Parent" types who love conditionally and, thus, not at all; and as opposed to "The Child" types who love only self). How much chaos and instability and insanity will all of that generate? How much fun are those types to be around? 

Additionally, the P-A-C roles reinforce the other basic personality types and the other assumed personas that humans adopt, creating via personality even greater barriers and obstacles to Truth and freedom and peace and stability and sanity. That will be discussed tomorrow. 

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

[NOTE: The four most recent posts are below. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access over 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you.

Non-Duality Can Be the Ultimate Medicine for the Ultimate Sickness, But It Cannot Be the Ultimate Answer for EVERY Sickness, Part “O”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

The next topic of discussion is

INSTABILITY / INSANITY: How Parental Modeling Is A Source of Both

Most persons suffer from one degree or another of the Stockholm Syndrome, a condition which drives persons to identify with those who did them the most harm, which drives persons to defend those who did them the most harm, and which drives persons to continue to attach to those who abused them either mentally or emotionally or physically or sexually or otherwise. 

When studied in reference to the attitude of persons regarding their parents, such identifying and defending and attaching is usually based (unconsciously) in ego and egotism. 

Some are still looking for those "attaboys" and "attagirls" which they think were not doled out in suitable quantity. 

Others are seeking more of the affirmation and adulation and indulgence which was doled out in excessive quantities which had the effect of spoiling the child after raising it as a Queen Baby or King Baby

thus setting the stage for the development of a spoiled, "Queen Baby" or "King Baby" adult. 

Others are trapped in insecurity and / or dependence and / or co-dependency and cannot or will not cut the cord which continues to bind them to their parents even into adulthood. 

No matter the motive, the core issue is this: "If I admit that one of my parents was flawed, then I might be half flawed as well. If I admit that both of my parents were flawed, then there is a chance that I am totally screwed, and admitting that ain't gonna happen." 

The facts: 

Parents have nothing to pass along to their offspring except what was passed down to them. 

What was passed down to most parents was total nonsense, based in dreamed up myths and absurd superstitions and learned ignorance which has been passed down for millennia.

It is not necessary to resent or hate one's parents who passed all that down. Why? Because they were only able to give away what was given to them; however, if someone passes on bacteria which has left you sick, the doctor needs to know exactly what is causing your infection in order to prescribe the proper medicine to treat your sickness. The same applies to any nonsense which was passed down from one's parents and which is now contaminating your mind.

Therefore it must be understand that the cause of the widespread sickness on the planet lies in the fact that, once children become adults, most never accept the responsibly of questioning what they have been told and investigating it all and then separating fiction from fact. 

That is why there is a call for action because the chain of the Ultimate Sickness (and its symptoms identified by Maharaj as "ignorance, stupidity, and insanity") can only be broken one person at a time as each sets aside childishness and uses the adulthood skill of questioning everything in order to develop the ability to differentiate between the true and the false (an ability which is most rare). 

The discussion will continue via excerpts from the book Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot Address):

How significant is "parental modeling" in a child's life? Earlier, the reason that personality forms early on in children - and what happens as a result - was explained: 

Personality forms early on as a result of familial dysfunctionalism. A child - trying to adapt and survive in an often threatening and / or senseless and / or insane environment - develops an ego ideal and a basic personality type (or several ego-states) in order to try to accommodate the people who seem to have her / his fate in their hands. 

As a result, a child - usually by the age of six - is being driven by a primary personality type that has been adopted subconsciously. With personality comes fears and desires and an inability to choose. Why? Because the personality controls all thoughts and words and deeds. 

Talk of "familial dysfunctionalism" usually inspires persons to recall "other families" that are indeed dysfunctional; egotism blocks any tendency to examine one's own family of origin or present family for evidence of dysfunctionalism. Yet the facts cannot be denied: if you have any personality traits, then your family of origin was dysfunctional; and if your child or children have personality traits, then your present family is dysfunctional. 

Personality cannot manifest in a dysfunctionalism-free vacuum. Research shows that - biological and / or genetic factors notwithstanding - parental modeling may play the most significant role in determining 

** whether children will show signs of being dysfunctional, unstable, moody, temperamental, and inconsistent as well as 

** whether personality disorders and even insanity will manifest. 

A parent can say repeatedly, "Do as I say, not as I do," but most children will, for their entire existence, do what their parents do, will behave as their parents behave, will believe what they parents believe, will think the way their parents think, and will eventually "become" their parent or parents. 

What the parent models for the child, the child will later model for the parent, and it is the latter that is so disturbing to a parent or parents who do not see what they have projected from themselves (from their false selves) onto their children. 

To understand the level of the impact of parental modeling on children, one can study a single disorder such as anxiety to see the effect: one family study that focused on children with anxiety disorders found, not surprisingly, that the children of parents with anxiety disorders develop higher rates of anxiety disorders than children of parents who do not model anxiety. 

Another study of parents with anxiety disorders found, not surprisingly, that their children suffered from higher rates of anxiety disorders than children in families where stability and calmness prevail. 

A third study considered the effects on children of parenting practices such as parental over-control vs. encouraging children to develop certain levels of independence; parental over-protection vs. allowing the children to develop a sense of confidence; over-reacting vs. avoiding drama and histrionics; parental emotional warmth vs. coldness; parental negativity vs. positivity; parental light-heartedness vs. being overly-serious; parental indulgence vs. requiring children to accept certain responsibilities in the home; 

parental over-concern with self vs. a balance of concern with the issues of importance to children; parental rejection vs. acceptance; parental criticism vs. positive reinforcement; and parenting styles (including hugging vs. not hugging, telling the child that he / she is loved vs. not expressing love regularly, and communicating with the child vs. being isolated and unavailable). 

The study proved that factors which may pose a risk for the development of child anxiety include parental over-control; over-protection; over-reacting; being histrionic and dramatic; being overly-serious; coldness; negativity; parental indulgence; parental over-concern with self; parental rejection; parental criticism; and parenting styles that evidence the traits mentioned earlier that are especially typical in cultures that share one particular ancestry in common, namely, being cold and uncaring and rigid and distant and excessively formal and remote and detached and aloof.

[Some have asked that the race of people who have been alluded to as the one that has created the coldest cultures be identified. The answer: do your own research, or, more to the point, study your own culture objectively and study yourself objectively to see if those traits above are pervasive in your culture and in yourself. If so, if you as a parent are modeling those traits, then research shows that you may expect those traits to manifest in your child / children, continuing the perpetuation of those traits via acculturation and conditioning and domestication and assuring that your children will develop a variety of disorders as a result.] 

Have the Advaita teachings been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and eliminating the drama and histrionics that are so pervasive in some homes? Absolutely. Can the teachings be said to be the only requirement for bringing about a more peaceful environment in every case? Of course not. 

Does the "Realized Advaitin" model something quite to the contrary of such parenting behaviors as over-control; over-reacting; excessive seriousness; coldness; negativity; indulgence; over-concern with self; rejection; criticism; and being cold and uncaring and rigid and distant and excessively formal and remote and detached and aloof? Absolutely. 

The Advaitin that has Realized knows the Oneness and knows Real Love, and being cold and uncaring and rigid and distant and excessively formal and remote and detached and aloof are not compatible with either True Love or Wisdom or Realization. 

When this topic was discussed with one parent, he said, "I have subconsciously done all of the things you mention and been all of those ways you mentioned. Is it too late to help my child if I change now?" The reply: "What could be the harm in changing and seeing for yourself? What do you think the worst is that could happen if you stop focusing on being loved and if you instead understand Real Love and share It?" 

Those addicted to chaos will not find the company of "a Realized Advaitin" to be familiar or comfortable. The Realized Advaitin will not model instability, insanity, moodiness, or being temperamental and inconsistent and unpredictable. 

Can you see how trying on a child's psyche such inconsistency and unpredictability must be? Can you see how trying on a relationship such inconsistency and unpredictability must be? Can you see how trying on your own psyche such inconsistency and unpredictability must be? Advaita invites seekers to become fixed - fixed as the Absolute and fixed as the Nothingness beyond - in order to be free of (relatively speaking) those self-defeating and self-destructive traits. 

Advaita invites seekers to become stabilized and restored to sanity in order to break the pattern of the many previous generations that have passed down a debilitating legacy that includes being cold and uncaring and rigid and distant and excessively formal and remote and detached and aloof and overly-serious and self-absorbed and self-destructive and destructive of others. 

When the Oneness is understood and when True Love makes clear that you are everything and everyone, then being cold and uncaring and rigid and distant and excessively formal and remote and detached and aloof will naturally fade away.

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

[NOTE: The four most recent posts are below. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access over 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you.

Non-Duality Can Be the Ultimate Medicine for the Ultimate Sickness, But It Cannot Be the Ultimate Answer for EVERY Sickness, Part “N”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

The next source of instability and insanity to be discussed is a condition which always accompanies the assignment and / or assumption of personality identifications, namely, psychic disintegration. Psychic disintegration occurs especially during times of stress when an ego-state feels as if it is being attacked or threatened. Take, for example, the Enneagram Personality Type Two. 

A Type Two's primary desire in life is to be loved - by many - in order to make up for having received too little love during the early years (especially from the father who may have been absent because of death or divorce or who was present but "emotionally unavailable" - that is, detached and unable to feel and unable to express love as a result of his own trauma or deprivation or parental coldness during his own upbringing or even later in life). Yet note the connecting lines in the enneagram pictograph 

and see that the 2 can connect to the 4 if psychically healthy and if developing authenticity; however, note also that if 2's become stressed (because their helping and saving and rescuing and people pleasing efforts are not being rewarded with love) then they will psychically disintegrate to the worst traits of a Type 8 and become biting and mean and controlling and hateful and raging or even dangerous. 

The discussion of psychic disintegration will continue via excerpts from the book Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot Address): 

Twenty-seven years ago, the sharing of some basic Advaitin understandings began. The talks back then dealt especially with the effects of acculturation which must be transitioned if stability and sanity are to return and if coldness and detachment are to be replaced with kindness and warmth and an understanding of Real Love. 

[The two non-duality novels offered here, "Necklace" and "Wars," were written to offer an awareness of acculturation's effects and to expose the primary sources of dualistic thinking - namely, organized religion, big government, and big business - as well as to provide some alternatives to their influence.] 

Along with the effects of acculturation, the effects of domestication, programming, conditioning, brainwashing and indoctrination were shared also during those days, and persons were invited to see the consequences and to take all of the necessary steps to un-do those non-productive influences. Those topics continue to be addressed in talks or writings to this day. 

Furthermore, for twenty-seven years, the ramifications of assuming personalities have been discussed and seekers have also been invited to take all of the necessary steps to cast off all false roles; all false personas; all false identities; and all false ego-states in order to be free, in order to avoid being driven blindly, in order to avoid being driven by unconscious motivators, in order to avoid being robbed of the ability to choose, and in order to be free of unwarranted fears and the frustration of unmet desires. 

Next, again, via this discussion of some of the other effects of personality assumption, that same invitation is extended and should appeal to all who would be stable. Thus, to the discussion of "psychic disintegration" which can rob persons of stability and which can even lead to insanity. 

Mental health professionals define psychic disintegration as "the disorganization or disruption of mental processes" which can result in personality disorders and, in the more extreme cases, mental illness; or, "the disruption of the integration functions of the personality in mental illness." What triggers psychic disintegration? 

For one, stress. 

For two, a sense of separation. 

For three, judgmentalism and a sense of different-from-ment leading to a sense of better-than-ment (so research has shown that those who have assumed the role of "A Super Religious Person" or "A Spiritual Giant" often exhibit the same signs of disintegration as one who is stressed because those roles also inspire judgmentalism and a sense of different-from-ment and a sense of better-than-ment). 

The disintegration being addressed here is rooted in personality / personalities. Personality forms early on as a result of familial dysfunctionalism. 

A child - trying to adapt and survive in an often threatening and / or senseless and / or insane environment - develops an ego ideal and a basic personality type (or several ego-states) in order to try to accommodate the people who seem to have her / his fate in their hands. As a result, a child - usually by the age of six - is being driven by a primary personality type which has been adopted subconsciously. With personality comes fears and desires and an inability to choose. Why? 

Because the personality controls all thoughts and words and deeds. Of course, all personality is rooted in duality because every personality type will have "good traits and bad traits" or "assets and liabilities." Non-duality moves the discussion beyond those limiting classifications. The "Advaitin teacher" would have every seeker abandon all false ego-states as identities, removing that which drives persons blindly; that which generates fears and desires; and that which subconsciously controls thoughts and words and deeds, always to the detriment of the person, eventually. 

Some counselors, who are unaware that such an option is a possibility via the Advaita teachings, would prefer to assist their clients in "integrating." Fine, for a time. Their reasoning is that if persons are going to display the traits of a variety of the nine basic personality types, why not at least try to integrate - adopt and internalize - some of the better traits of other types? 

What might such integration look like? Here's an example: A Type One ("The Perfectionist") can be rigid and anal and overly-serious, embroiled in judging and trying to change others or reform "the world." If a One "grows psychically" (i.e., "integrates") then a One can "integrate" some of the more "positive" traits of the Seven [note the line in the pictograph above which connects the 1 and 7] and can relax, take it easy, have fun, enjoy the existence, and give up on trying to change "the world." 

In the case of "disintegration," persons regress into what is called dualistically, the "worst of the negative traits or liabilities" of another type and will display those traits. For example, the Type Two Helper mentioned in the opening can experience some of the triggers mentioned earlier and then disintegrate into "the worst of" a Type Eight. In the Two mode, the Helper appears to be loving and kind and giving (though that is not really about being altruistic but is about trying to gain love); 

if the Two disintegrates to the Type Eight, then the "negative traits" of an Eight will manifest, including, raging; being controlling; being insensitive; being domineering; being aggressive; being demanding; being arrogant; being combative; being possessive and jealous; being uncompromising; being hyper-critical; and even being violent. 

[NOTE: Recall the pointer from earlier, however: psychic disintegration cannot occur in the absence of personality / personalities, but it can be exacerbated by acculturation if a child is raised in a home where the parents are cold and unavailable, showing no affection or warmth.] 

In some cases where instability and certain degrees of insanity have been induced by psychic disintegration, the Advaita teachings can address this personality-based condition, depending on the degree to which disintegration has occurred. By guiding the seeker to a state where no personas are being assumed, then there will be no subconscious drivers or motivators. There will not be integration or disintegration. 

There will be the no-concept, no-belief, no-identity, non-dual Reality, and that will result in . . . 

. . . freedom from shifting between the traits of one personality type and another, 

. . . freedom from shifting from the positive traits of one's type to the negative traits, and 

. . . freedom from disintegrating into the "worst" of another type (or types). 

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

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