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 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.
There are differences in the perception of what this concept means depending on the culture or religion. In particular, different interpretations have existed in the western and eastern cultures. In the western world, the concept is mainly considered under the fields of psycho-analysis and humanistic psychology. In eastern societies, it have been heavily incorporated into religion. Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism all believe in the concept.
Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a separate self. Persons exist as undivided whole individuals. It is possible, however, to undergo awakening so as to realize this whole. In Sikhism, it is defined as the act of purifying self from a false ego. After this purification process, one enters a higher state of mind. They learn to detach themselves from materialism in favor of pursuing 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 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.
There are differences in the perception of what this concept means depending on the culture or religion. In particular, different interpretations have existed in the western and eastern cultures. In the western world, the concept is mainly considered under the fields of psycho-analysis and humanistic psychology. In eastern societies, it have been heavily incorporated into religion. Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism all believe in the concept.
Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a separate self. Persons exist as undivided whole individuals. It is possible, however, to undergo awakening so as to realize this whole. In Sikhism, it is defined as the act of purifying self from a false ego. After this purification process, one enters a higher state of mind. They learn to detach themselves from materialism in favor of pursuing 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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