The above map is a way to look at the human structure and serves as a roadmap which we follow in our training.
The human being at its core is very simple. Our basic nature is simplicity itself. Wilhelm Reich, the forefather of body-oriented psychotherapy, said: “At the base of the neurotic mechanism, behind all dangerous, grotesque, irrational fantasies and impulses, I discovered a simple, self-evident, decent core. I found it without exception in every case where I was able to penetrate to a sufficient depth.” The essence of most religions and spiritual traditions points to the realization of this simple and natural state of being. However, our current condition is far removed from this original state. We have developed a very complex structure with which we identify and live our lives.
As we move from the center to the periphery, our pure inner nature differentiates itself into different layers. Closest to our core is the Essential layer, which is then followed by the energetic layer. Surrounding all this is the psychological layer -which develops as a result of our contact with the outside world, our family and other environmental factors. We are born as pure core and our development can be seen as a formative process around that core. Essential Psychotherapy is a process of returning to our basic nature, of “peeling the onion”, from the outside in.
The Psychological Layer
As stated above, the psychological layer is formed as a result of our interaction with the outside world and is a necessary and functional component of our structure. However, it also contains all the psychological blockages that have resulted from trauma, developmental stagnation and shocks to our system from our childhood, as well as defensive strategies and psychological mechanisms of survival. These form our life memories, as well as our pseudo - identity, our ego identity. We adopt a false identity in order to fill the devastating void that we feel in the place where we are missing our true sense of self. This void is the result of our poor developmental histories and the lack of healthy and secure bonding with our parents and caregivers. It is the result of our alienation from our Essence.
The Energetic Layer
Our psychological wounding and conditioning influence the level and flow of energy in our body. Our body responds to psychological stress with contraction, tension, catatonia or lack of charge and becomes impaired in its capacity to function. We develop an entire system inside of us, a hologram-like program based on old memories, emotions, beliefs and sensations. Because of this psychological conditioning, our system’s energetic flow and its self‑regulatory ability cannot function at an optimal level. We are not able to experience our true energetic potential, which is a state of being vibrantly alive with access to all our innate capacities. As Alexander Lowen, Reich’s student and founder of Bioenergetic Analysis, so beautifully puts it: “The pleasure of being fully alive is anchored in the vibratory state of the body. It is perceived in the full pulsatory expansion and contraction of the organism and its component organ systems, the respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems, for example. It is felt as streaming sensations in the body reflecting the flow of excitation. It is the sweet melting sensation of sexual desire, the flash of intuition, the longing for closeness and contact, and the throb of excitement.”
Actually, if we want to work profoundly and towards transformation, we need to begin with a person's energy. Are they breathing? Are they grounded? Are they in touch with their feelings? Where is the energy stuck? We teach how to work with the breath, grounding, touch, movement, helping remove blocks and facilitating emotional release. When we start from working directly with the feelings and emotions, we can help people become aware of their wounds, their defenses, their denial, the way they have been betraying themselves by cutting off all this material, the defenses of the psychological layer.
We always aim to follow the energy, to allow the person express and free themselves from the bonds of their repressive mechanisms. If the charge is strong, we need to allow the emotional and physical release through the body. The emotional release brings expansion and spaciousness in the energetic layer. When catharsis is a real energetic event, it is total, and the spontaneity of the body movement takes over. Especially the first part of the training is geared towards restoring the basic energetic flow and aliveness in the person, although this remains a constant foundation throughout the work.
The Essential Layer
As we move further into the center of our map, we reach the layer of Essence. Essence is the very fabric of our soul. It is the invisible and immaterial substance that our soul is made of. It is the quintessence of our being. Essence is a living presence and not merely a concept. It is the central focus of almost all spiritual traditions, which offer a multitude of pathways toward its realization. In many of these traditions, the ego is seen as a complex structure with many layers, like an onion. It is what we have developed as a defense around our Essence in order to protect and preserve it, and this continues throughout our childhood and later during the process of our socialization. We did this in order to withstand and survive the fact that we could not live in tune with our nature all of the time, within our immediate family environment and society at large. Peeling away the many layers of our personality, like the layers of an onion, is necessary if we want to reach our Essence and unite with our authentic nature.
When we are attuned to our Essence, our life takes on a different quality and direction. We are infused with the qualities of joy, understanding, love, compassion, clear direction, presence, aliveness, vitality, passion, gratefulness, forgiveness, acceptance, wisdom, positivity and many more.
The knowledge of the specific qualities of Essence and their relationship to our childhood development originates from the Diamond Logos approach of Faisal Muqaddam. He has delivered the teachings of Essence and created the Diamond Logos Academy. Diamond refers to the Diamond Dimension, which gives us the capacity to look through all facets of reality, like the many facets of a diamond. It is a dimension of consciousness that allows us to perceive reality in an objective, clear and solid way so we can understand it. Logos refers to the content of the Diamond teachings, the expression of it and the intelligence of Essence that is the basis of these teachings, which describe human nature. It is important to say that Essence itself is not the exclusive territory of any one type of work. Nevertheless, even if the Essential dimension is not taught, it can be accessed by one’s own refinement and deepening in truth. It can surface and can become perceivable, as we deepen in ourselves. If we have the knowledge and experience of essence, we can recognize when it appears in the therapeutic setting. We touch upon our own Essence and from this place we can mirror it in others so the Essential flow can be restored, bringing a vital dimension of depth to our work.
Core – Absolute
The core is the epicenter of our sense of Self. When we are in our center, we don't feel ourselves as merely a cluster of disparate parts, but as one, unified whole, a felt sense of “I am” which permeates our entire system. We experience our integrity. In our core we also feel our basic nature, our home. There is no sense of separation in us. Feeling separate is the basis of our misery and pain, the source of all human suffering.
Much like the shamans who believe we leave a piece of our soul behind each time we are traumatized, in Essential Psychotherapy we embark on a journey of soul retrieval, discovering and reclaiming the qualities of our essence with which we lost touch along the way of growing up. It is a journey of moving deeper and deeper inside into ever more subtle layers of our being, of rebuilding our essential structure towards becoming whole once again, of moving into our center and regaining our sense of self.
Essential Psychotherapy
The map of the human being’s inner structure is a guideline in our work. One needs to undergo the process in order to be able to guide others through it. Working with the body is a necessity, as is working with the inner child and working with a therapist to navigate the holes and passages that open up when doing deep structural work. To be an Essential Therapist is a commitment to the truth of experience. It is only through this conscious experience of life, through the body, our senses and feelings, that we can embody our Essence and become a conduit for others as well.
Our competencies and learning objectives are organized around the Essential qualities or resources which we feel are fundamental to becoming more human and a complete therapist. The two terms are interchangeable.. One may ask the question: are qualities “teachable” or do they emerge from experience and the work on oneself? In our training, both realization and practice are central tenets, as are experiencing and learning.
Recognizing the lack or deficiency of a quality in oneself is not a reason for self-judgment, but seen as an invitation to explore this area and as an entrance towards reclaiming that quality for oneself. We do not seek for any imitation or exaggeration of the quality, which is an inherent risk in naming and striving towards it, but rather to explore the issues around it in order to become more self –aware and regain the integrity of the sense of Self. This orientation towards self-awareness is what we aim to spark in our students, a spark which can ignite the fire of healing and transformation, a spark that lasts a lifetime and can be transmitted to others.