Excerpt
Chapter One
The Pieces of the Puzzle of Life
Then let her die.
Have you ever felt torn between two feelings or choices? It may have been a major life decision like a career path or something as simple as whether to go out for the evening or to stay at home. At some time or other each of us has felt as though one part of us wanted one thing while another part wanted something else.
You may have said something like this, On the one hand I dont feel like going out, but on the other hand I dont feel like staying in, or, Part of me wants to go out and part of me wants to stay home.
Its too bad we cant satisfy both parts isnt it? Situations like this give us a glimpse of the true makeup of a human being. We find that we are a single individual made of parts.
In clinical hypnotherapy we sometimes guide a client into hypnosis and then have a conversation with the parts of the self. Appropriately enough, its called parts therapy. That each individual psyche is made of different parts is an indication of a human consciousness that is made of parts and a group human consciousness made of parts. This book is all about understanding those parts and the role they play in our spiritual and interpersonal life. It is a look at the amazing story of creation as told by religion, science, philosophy and your life. Within that story you may find your true purpose in life and also look at the members of your family and world differently. Lets take a look at an actual case that demonstrates how powerful these parts can be
Her problem was cigarette smoking. She had tried many times and many ways to quit smoking, but nothing seemed to work. She had been in and out of therapy for years working on issues from a troubled childhood
I guided Georgia into hypnosis and helped her to regress to her childhood. I asked her to picture her mother and tell me what she saw.
Georgia: I see her washing the dishes. She has a cigarette in her mouth as usual and it looks like the ashes might fall into the dishwater. (Laughs)
Me: So the picture you have of a mother, your mother, is a woman who takes care of the family and also smokes. Now I want to have you go forward a little to the time after your mothers death. You can choose any time you like. At this point I was depending upon her subconscious mind to choose the right time to relive in order to show the connection. Her subconscious knew the problem, but hadnt been able to communicate it through the means she had provided for it up until the hypnosis session. Fortunately it took us right to the time and place when Georgias real problems began.
Georgia: Were all lying on the bed watching television.
Me: Who is there?
Georgia: Me and Daddy and my brothers and sisters. Were all just lying on the bed watching TV.
Me: What is happening?
Georgia: Daddy is drinking and talking loud. It is late at night. I am thinking that we should go to bed. The kids are sleeping. They have dozed off (She pauses)
Me: Please go on.
Georgia: Daddy is on top of me he is doing things to me
Me: What are you thinking, Georgia?
Georgia: I am thinking, Daddy thinks Im Mommy. I guess I have to be the Mommy now. (Crying)
Me: So you see, Georgia, at a very young and impressionable age you were traumatized and got the idea that you had to be like your mother and your picture of what a mother does is to take care of the family and always smoke. Do you see what I mean?
Georgia: Yes.
Me: Good. Not to do what a mommy does would be to let your family down, wouldnt it? To let your Father down. Have you dealt with the issue of molestation?
Georgia: I confronted my father about it before he died, but it didnt seem to matter to him. The booze had ruined him and he was pretty dim. He just denied it. It didnt really make me feel any better to confront him, but my therapist had thought it was a good idea.
At this point I realized that part of Georgias self image was as a mother and smoker. Our self image is very important and people will do anything to maintain their self image. Survival of the self image is stronger than the will of physical survival. People will sacrifice their lives for their self image. A perfect example is a man or woman who will die for his or her country because his or her self image is of him or herself as a patriot. I knew there was something very powerful within her that was holding onto smoking and it looked like it was her image of what a mother does and the role she had accepted as an eight year old girl. It was now time to talk to that self and find the part that held the smoking habit.
Me: Georgia, Id like to talk to all the parts that make up the whole person. Each part can come forward and I will talk to each part. Every person is made of many parts and we can talk to those parts. Because it takes every part to make up the whole I promise not to try to destroy or harm any part, but I would like to be able to talk to the parts. Is that all right?
Georgia: Yes.
Me: Fine. First Id like to talk to the part of Georgia that makes her smoke. When you are ready, just say, here.
Georgia: Im here. (Voice slightly deeper, steady, and strong)
Me: Good, thank you for coming forward. Do you have a name?
Georgia: Smoker.
Me: Thank you for coming forward, Smoker. I know you have been listening and have heard everything that is going on here. You know that Georgia needs and wants to quit smoking. Will you let her quit now for the good of all the parts?
Georgia (Smoker): No. I am not going away.
Me: I didnt ask you to go away, just let her quit smoking.
Georgia (Smoker): No.
Me: But if you dont let her stop shell die, youll all die.
Georgia (Smoker): Then let her die.
The words sent a chill down my spine. I realized just how incredibly powerful this part of Georgia was. The trauma she had suffered had convinced her that not smoking, not being the Mommy was the same as being dead. Part of Georgia lying just below the surface was willing to kill her to maintain its control.
|