Subpersonalities: The People Inside Us

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Subpersonalities may be based on aspects of past-life personalities, meaning from an earlier incarnation. Which subpersonality was the most dominant in you? It could have been two of them equally – this is normal. Or it could have been just one like me (The Perfectionist).

This exercise can be and is being performed very effectively in groups. The group leader voices the affirmations and the members listen with eyes closed, letting the significance of the words penetrate deeply. You can also read about Phillip’s Ellington’s experience about writing and keeping his journal. Phillip is a Trust’s graduate and a psychosynthesis counsellor. Stand up with some room around you to move in. Close your eyes and again ask “Who Am I? “. And this time let the response come through movement in your body. Trust its wisdom and let the movement unfold until you sense a completion. You may also want to include sounds in this response, or singing. When you are ready, write about your experience. Graphic models of theoretical constructs (though you may wish to include these under the headings of the various areas of intellectual interest instead). These will help you express your thoughts visually, and this may be useful for purposes of clarification and visual communication. You can either consider these points during the review itself, or if this gets in your way, you can think about them at the end of the review. These points are meant to give you a choice of perspective, and need not all be covered, except for (1), which is fundamental. We suggest that, particularly at the beginning, you keep the exercise fairly simple, and give it no more than 15 minutes a day.Examples: “There are so many flaws in this novel of mine, I’m such a poor writer!”, “B+? I could have done way better!”, “I’m such a weak person compared to _____. I should be better.” The Victim Resolve as much as you can to remain serene through the day… to be a living example of serenity…. to radiate serenity. After the dis-identification of myself, the ‘I,’ from the contents of consciousness, such as sensations, emotions, thoughts, I recognise and affirm that I am a centre of pure self-consciousness. I am a centre of will, capable of observing, directing, and using all psychological processes and my physical body.

Most of the psychotherapy work based on Internal Family Systems theory is run with us having our eyes closed. You enter your inner world and meet the parts, talk to them. Although it may seem absurd or weird to you now, if you experience it yourself, you will see that it is very simple, tangible and real, and that this is in fact exactly how our psyche works.

Recognition

This modification of “The Evening Review” consists of reviewing your day from the point of view of your subpersonalities. Each part can present a whole spectrum of various behaviors and emotions. And it is amazing that when we look inside ourselves and start getting to know that internal family that lives in us, it suddenly turns out that these parts are like people, like some kind of family really, with whom we can try to get along and help it’s each member change their destructive behavior. Notes on techniques of meditation with which you have experimented, seed ideas used, and results obtained. Note any insights or intuitions which come through. Your response to meaningful events in your life: note occasions on which you are aware of ‘synchronicity’. I have desires but I am not my desires. Desires are aroused by drives, physical and emotional, and by other influences. They are often changeable and contradictory, with alternations of attraction and repulsion; therefore they are not my self. “I have desires, but I am not my desires.” (This is best placed between the emotional and mental stage.)

Were my subpersonalities in harmony with what I wanted to do, or did I have to go along with them? What part did I take in harmonizing and directing them? He wrote: ‘Give your subpersonality a descriptive name, e.g. “The Guru”, “The Clinging Vine”, “Bitchy Bertha”, “The Doormat”, “Harry the Haggler”. A humorous name is helpful if it seems appropriate, as humour facilitates detachment and disidentification from the subpersonality, making it less overwhelming and more subject to your conscious direction.’ Description: This person constantly pushes themselves to do bigger and better, always telling themselves that they aren’t doing well enough. They derive their self-worth from external achievements, driving themselves with the mantra that they “ should do” thisor“ should be” that. When they fail to do something that doesn’t conform with their high standards, they are intolerant and self-derisive. The Perfectionist does not forgive or forget, creating great pressure and anxiety for themselves. See if you can see which subpersonalities you are most aligned to. There are usually half a dozen main players. There could be more and may be less, but this is a good guide. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you can identify with something in every one of them, that you somehow have all the subpersonalities active within you. What you’re looking for are the primary influencers. From there you will almost certainly find there are other sub-groupings that are fed and sustained by the main drivers. A helpful way of examining and understanding the relationships between your subpersonalities is drawing circles or squares, each one representing a primary subpersonality. Then add the relevant traits. You will notice significant overlaps, where the same traits appear in multiple circles/squares. It is at these points of overlap that you find common interests and shared agendas. Seeing this visual depiction can be helpful in conceptualising the complexity of your inner landscape and deepen your understanding of the subtleties of these relationships. This is where you will find many of the clues to reconciliation and resolution.

Get to Know Your Unique Team: Discover the Magic of Subpersonalities!

Put your body in a comfortable and relaxed position, and slowly take a few deep breaths (preliminary exercises of relaxation can be useful). Then make the following affirmation, slowly and thoughtfully: Subpersonality is a temporary personality mode. It can be active at one moment, and can alter after a while. You may have noticed that you act differently in the presence of different people. You are someone else at work and you are someone else at home. I know people who are extroverts at work, they are loud, funny, etc., but when they are around their close ones at home they seem to turn into quiet introverts who like loneliness and serenity. Depending on the part that is active, we can behave differently. In any case, somewhere beyond these, within each of us lies a deep centre which is vibrant and creative—the true self, the innermost essence of our being. The “Who Am I?” exercise leads one gently to that self, through successive attempts to respond to the question. It’s important to remember that the subpersonalities are originally created out of some early anxiety, mixed messages, repeated exposure to negativity, or trauma. They are established at a time when the authentic self has been battered and broken, and a fragmented self emerges out of that misfortune or trauma. Those fragments (subpersonalities) then seek ways to survive. From that point, a protective pose is adopted, and a culture of self-interest is born. As a result, cooperation, and collaboration within the community of the self are now lost. Psychosynthesis Exercises for Personal & Spiritual Growth Compiled and Edited by Thomas Yeomans, Ph.D.