What is the purpose of the existence of humanity? This by no means an easy question to answer. As a matter of fact, human beings have attempted to get the answer since time immemorial. Self realization is one of the leading concepts that attempts to shed more light into this mystery. It is a practice that has been incorporated into major eastern religions and also informs modern thinking of psychologists and psychoanalysts.
Under normal circumstances, many (if not all) of us are involved in a constant pursuit of happiness. We get the happiness from time to time but unfortunately it is in many cases only temporary. Once the happiness phase is over we fall back into dissatisfaction and start to work towards happiness once again. This goes on indefinitely forming a vicious cycle. Individual realization is meant to help one achieve constant happiness that is devoid of the dissatisfaction episodes.
The journey to constant happiness begins by our understanding of who we are. We are more than our names and our bodies. This is why our names can be changed several times yet we remain the same persons inside. We can change the appearance of our bodies as to completely alter our physical appearance but we are still the same. By stripping ourselves off all the qualities we are known for (names, professions, physical attributes, characters and so) we encounter our real identities.
Differences in interpretation exist when one compares the western and eastern world definitions. In the western world, the concept has mainly been studied and interpreted by psychologists and psychodynamic analysts. It is understood as the process of one learning to fully understand their personality or character. In the eastern world, it features prominently among the major religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
In Buddhism, it is believed that there is no separate self. Everyone, it is claimed, is an undivided whole who may attain awakening. Awakening is the ability to realize this whole. In Sikhism, it is regarded as the act of purification of an individual from the false ego. After the purification, one attains a higher state of mind. They get to a position where they learn to avoid too much materialism and pursue oneness with the creator.
Sigmund Freud was the first psychoanalyst to put the concept forward. Later, his thoughts were advanced by his students such as Winnicott, Carl Jung and Erik Erikson among others. Modification have been made to the initial views over the years. Carl Jung is recognized for his individuation theory which he claimed is a lifelong process. Erickson, on the other hand, is known for his psychosocial development theory which attempts to describe the process of human development.
Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow are some of the major contributors in the field of humanistic psychology. The two developed a concept known as self-actualization. According to them, the achievement of self-realization is a continuous process that can only be realized with psychological growth. As humans grow psychologically, they are able to unlock latent potentials in varied spheres of their lives.
Self-realization has been with us for centuries. It is mostly recognized in the western and eastern worlds but the understanding of the concept has somewhat been different. With increased integration coming with globalization, widespread acceptance has been seen. Western esotericism is one of the practices that have been greatly influenced by this concept.
Under normal circumstances, many (if not all) of us are involved in a constant pursuit of happiness. We get the happiness from time to time but unfortunately it is in many cases only temporary. Once the happiness phase is over we fall back into dissatisfaction and start to work towards happiness once again. This goes on indefinitely forming a vicious cycle. Individual realization is meant to help one achieve constant happiness that is devoid of the dissatisfaction episodes.
The journey to constant happiness begins by our understanding of who we are. We are more than our names and our bodies. This is why our names can be changed several times yet we remain the same persons inside. We can change the appearance of our bodies as to completely alter our physical appearance but we are still the same. By stripping ourselves off all the qualities we are known for (names, professions, physical attributes, characters and so) we encounter our real identities.
Differences in interpretation exist when one compares the western and eastern world definitions. In the western world, the concept has mainly been studied and interpreted by psychologists and psychodynamic analysts. It is understood as the process of one learning to fully understand their personality or character. In the eastern world, it features prominently among the major religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
In Buddhism, it is believed that there is no separate self. Everyone, it is claimed, is an undivided whole who may attain awakening. Awakening is the ability to realize this whole. In Sikhism, it is regarded as the act of purification of an individual from the false ego. After the purification, one attains a higher state of mind. They get to a position where they learn to avoid too much materialism and pursue oneness with the creator.
Sigmund Freud was the first psychoanalyst to put the concept forward. Later, his thoughts were advanced by his students such as Winnicott, Carl Jung and Erik Erikson among others. Modification have been made to the initial views over the years. Carl Jung is recognized for his individuation theory which he claimed is a lifelong process. Erickson, on the other hand, is known for his psychosocial development theory which attempts to describe the process of human development.
Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow are some of the major contributors in the field of humanistic psychology. The two developed a concept known as self-actualization. According to them, the achievement of self-realization is a continuous process that can only be realized with psychological growth. As humans grow psychologically, they are able to unlock latent potentials in varied spheres of their lives.
Self-realization has been with us for centuries. It is mostly recognized in the western and eastern worlds but the understanding of the concept has somewhat been different. With increased integration coming with globalization, widespread acceptance has been seen. Western esotericism is one of the practices that have been greatly influenced by this concept.
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