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guru
 

John Ruskan's
Emotional Clearing

introduction
12 Step / Recovery
addiction
alpha state
anger
anxiety
art therapy
astrology
beliefs
blame
blocked
bodywork
breathwork
burn-out
chakras
compulsive eating
depression
east/west
eating disorder
emdr
emotional release
energy psychology
fear
food addictions
forgiveness
guilt
guru
holistic
hypnotherapy / hypnosis
inner child
karma
loneliness
loving yourself
manic-depression
meditation
new age
obsessive-compulsive
panic attack
performance optimization
positive attitude
psychotherapy
relationships
repression
sadness
self-rejection
spirit releasement
stress
substance addiction / abuse
suppression
the subconscious
trauma
worry

The role of therapist in the West closely corresponds to the traditional role of guru in the East. The guru provides the same kind of nurturing relationship that the therapist does, for the same reasons. The guru accepts the disciple unconditionally, knowing that acceptance from another is what the disciple needs to learn self-acceptance and to grow as a human being. In the East, however, the role of guru is more comprehensive, including not only psychology but philosophy, religion, and physical culture, all addressing the question of spiritual growth.

This broadness of perspective does not in the least render the psychological aspect shallow or unstudied. The Eastern understanding of the mind has a history and tradition thousands of years old. The ancients of the East were, indeed, master psychologists. Western psychological thought is, for the most part, a few hundred years old and is still being formulated; Eastern thought has been formulated and offers much to be learned.

Psychology’s connection
to spirituality is critical

Psychology in the East has a built-in connection to spirituality. In contrast, Western psychology is limited exactly because it usually has no such link. Many psychologists are now coming to this realization and are trying to establish a spiritual connection. For some, this may mean turning to organized Western religion, which to me is like going one step forward and two steps back. Certain religious institutions of the East also may be considered dogmatic and outdated but, when we come to yoga or Buddhism, we find a flexible and intelligent approach to both psychology and spirituality.

We are not going to discuss spirituality directly in this book. The principles of psychology that we will discuss, however, are related to developing the capacity for spiritual experience. The overwhelming contribution of Eastern thought is that as we go within, we discover the Infinite. Nothing more needs to be said about spirituality. Some Western thinkers have come to a similar conclusion, notably Jung, but he was deeply influenced by Eastern thought. Please note, then, that when I refer to “spirituality,” I am referring to the inner meeting with the self, not to the trappings of any organized religion, East or West.

 
 

© 2004 John Ruskan / The Institute for Integrative Processing