I believe that the physical world is a mirror of the world within us, and that the principles explaining the functioning of the universe are the same as those that guide our inner lives. For example, the Hermetic Principle of Polarity, which states "Everything is Dual: everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites..." applies both to the physical and metaphysical worlds. The ancient adage, "As without, so within" is another way of expressing this relationship. One implication is that if we want to gain a better understanding of events in the outer world, we should reflect on the events of our inner lives.
There are many excellent tools for conducting inner work, but, for me, dreamwork is among the best, not only because it is enormously efficient and effective, but also because it is free and available to all. Dreams show us pleasant and painful truths about ourselves in the interest of bringing us to health and wholeness. Learning the language of dreams and reflecting on their messages opens up vast new realms of hidden potential within our souls, shedding light on darkened chambers and healing ancient wounds along the way.
I believe that there is a benevolent "sacred Something" ~ some Force or Source or Ground ~ beneath all that is manifest in the physical and psychological worlds. The inroads we have made in physics, physiology, philosophy, theology, and psychology ultimately derive from and lead to that same something. We can never know or fully understand this entity, and it will always remain a mystery to us, but we are made in such a way that we cannot help but try. The rewards of a dedicated search are greater awareness, wisdom, compassion, integrity, personal empowerment, and inner peace.
I believe with the mystics from every great religion that "To know oneself is to know God." This does not mean that we are God, but that God, however we might define that term, exists not only outside of us, but also indwells our souls. Acquiring self-knowledge, then, is a means to spiritual growth. Our images of God are determined by our life experiences and the conditions of our psyches. If we are healthy and growing, our God-images grow and change too, moving away from the local, law-giving, restrictive parent figure we imagined as children, to an image of universal compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness. For me, any religion that emphasizes strict rules and "correct" beliefs over compassion is more secular than sacred. In effect, it is an organized way of keeping the antisocial tendencies of its adherents in check, while assuaging their fears and insecurities. While this is necessary at certain levels of development, our souls are meant to grow beyond this limited expression of spirituality.
I believe that the two fundamental human drives are individuation (the masculine principle of self-development and self-preservation) and relationship (the feminine principle of species- development and species-preservation) and that every soul is created with the capacity for both. Over the last five thousand years, humanity has emphasized the masculine drive and repressed the feminine. The way to bring healing to ourselves, our societies, and our planet is to empower both drives in healthy ways, and to create balance and harmony between them.
The primary goals of individuation are 1) to discover, accept, and empower our truest, fullest selves, 2) to live with congruence and integrity, and 3) to engage in meaningful work that satisfies our talents, needs, and interests. The primary goals of relationship are 1) to honor the real significance of otherness, 2) to nurture the fullest development of others, and 3) to communicate the truths of our souls to others as honestly and tenderly as we can in order to create intimacy and live in partnership.
My specialty is inner archaeology, i.e. unearthing the secrets of psyche, spirit, and soul, and my favorite tools are dreamwork, meditation, reading, and writing. My themes are psycho- spiritual development, empowering the feminine principle, understanding dreams, and creating partnership between masculinity and femininity. My influences are varied, but my dominant orientation is Jungian. My primary mode of sharing is through my books, but I also teach workshops and classes. Occasionally I will agree to do dreamwork on a continuing basis with a student who is dedicated and sincere. I particularly love this kind of one-on-one mentoring as it is enormously rewarding, but because of time and energy restraints I must keep my work with individuals to a minimum.
Published Works ~ Dreamwork ~ Archetypal Studies]
E-mail Jean at: Jeanraffa@aol.com
©1999 Jean Benedict Raffa, Ed.D.