A life without reflection is a life without vitality

"An essential point is to perceive emotions as allies in our process of inner discovery and inner illumination. Moreover, to understand that it is neither possible nor desirable to interrupt, as an unlimited containment, the emotions we feel. You have to handle them. Both the so-called positive and negative emotions are placed in us with functions that leverage our psychic-spiritual maturity." (Leonardo Machado, in an interview published in this edition, one of the highlights of this week.)

The unconscious impulses seek their manifestation, but the repression of the conscious prevents the satisfaction of these unconscious desires, so that these desires or impulses try to manifest themselves by symbols in indirect ways. When, exaggeratedly, the conscious exerts a repressive function, the body becomes ill. And then one pays a very high price by suppressing the satisfaction of a desire.

The desires that are peculiar to us manifest themselves as if they were symptoms. And they can be caught up in their gravitation with a vigilant and conscious attitude. Freud said that the destiny of impulses and desires is to become conscious, promoting a life where reflection is the characteristic of being.

"Know thyself." (Phrase attributed to Thales of Miletus, one of the seven sages of Greek antiquity.)

Self-knowledge is as important as the analysis of discovered content. Without observing our behavior, our lives pass in vain, repeating the same repressive mechanisms. This repetition is a morbid mechanism, which can degenerate into illness. The analysis of these unconscious contents makes it possible, through the mechanism of self-knowledge, to "take the reins" of these impulses and control their own existence.

"A life without reflection does not deserve to be lived," said Socrates. Many of us live in the repetition of mechanisms of behavior, without reflecting on existence itself. We do not realize the morbidity that sometimes exists in such behavior. And yet, we go through such automatism without seeking the awareness of our thinking, speaking and acting. A life without reflection, as the quoted and admired philosopher thought, it is a life without vitality, in which we do not reflect on our behavior and do not know who we are and which direction our goals are.

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jesus' teaching noted by John 8:32.)

When unconscious content becomes manifest, consciousness is released from repression and healing takes place. It is in this sense that desire is released. We will know the truth about ourselves and be freed from our addictions and the repressive apparatus. But care must be taken in allowing the fulfillment of desires without criterion, because no one is unaware that there are negative contents that must not be satisfied.

All this process is the result of self-knowledge. And verbalizing is essential to the success of the self-study work. One way of doing this it is recommended by Augustine of Hippo (Spirit) in The Spirits’ Book, question 919-a, in which he recommends to us the analysis of our behavior throughout each day. By knowing our way of acting, we can recognize our course and our weaknesses. Impulses are an important part of our mental economy. Not only do they express themselves in our behavior as they guide our ideas.

If we have the necessary vigilance to analyze our thoughts, we will have a very clear knowledge of our impulses and desires. To do so, we must reflect on them, because we are too busy with the behavior of others, forgetting that it is for us that we must return to our observation.