What You Should Know About Self Realization
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.
Every one of us is involved in a struggle towards happiness. Although we experience this emotion from time to time, it is in most cases, short-lived. We slide back into a state of disappointment and have to begin the process once again. This goes on and on developing into a vicious cycle. Self-realization gives one the ability to attain a constant state of happiness and contentment without sliding back into disappointment.
The first step towards the realization of ultimate happiness is an understanding of who you are. The truth is that we are much more than our names and our bodies. There is a unique identity beneath the professional qualifications that we have or the characters for which we are known. When all these attributes are put aside, we are left with our real identities . Understanding this individual is the beginning of the process.
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.
Buddhism is not party to the belief of a separate self. Rather, everyone is considered an undivided whole. It is only after one undergoes awakening that they get to realize this whole individual. Sikhs define the concept as the act of purifying the individual from a false ego. This purification helps the believer achieve a higher state of mind. It enables them to avoid attachment to materialism and to focus on pursuing oneness with their creator.
One of the most recognized names in psychoanalysis is Sigmund Freud. Freud is one of the first proponents of this concept. His thoughts were advanced in later years by his students such as Erik Erikson, Carl Jung and Winnicott. Other psychoanalysts have contributed as well. Carl Jung is credited with the individuation theory while Erik Erickson came up with psychosocial development theory, an attempt to explain the changes that take place during 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 existed for centuries. Different societies have interpreted it differently but the fundamental principles have been more or less the same. Today, there is widespread adoption of both western and eastern interpretations. Western esotericism is believed to have resulted from this interaction.
Every one of us is involved in a struggle towards happiness. Although we experience this emotion from time to time, it is in most cases, short-lived. We slide back into a state of disappointment and have to begin the process once again. This goes on and on developing into a vicious cycle. Self-realization gives one the ability to attain a constant state of happiness and contentment without sliding back into disappointment.
The first step towards the realization of ultimate happiness is an understanding of who you are. The truth is that we are much more than our names and our bodies. There is a unique identity beneath the professional qualifications that we have or the characters for which we are known. When all these attributes are put aside, we are left with our real identities . Understanding this individual is the beginning of the process.
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.
Buddhism is not party to the belief of a separate self. Rather, everyone is considered an undivided whole. It is only after one undergoes awakening that they get to realize this whole individual. Sikhs define the concept as the act of purifying the individual from a false ego. This purification helps the believer achieve a higher state of mind. It enables them to avoid attachment to materialism and to focus on pursuing oneness with their creator.
One of the most recognized names in psychoanalysis is Sigmund Freud. Freud is one of the first proponents of this concept. His thoughts were advanced in later years by his students such as Erik Erikson, Carl Jung and Winnicott. Other psychoanalysts have contributed as well. Carl Jung is credited with the individuation theory while Erik Erickson came up with psychosocial development theory, an attempt to explain the changes that take place during 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 existed for centuries. Different societies have interpreted it differently but the fundamental principles have been more or less the same. Today, there is widespread adoption of both western and eastern interpretations. Western esotericism is believed to have resulted from this interaction.
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