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I met two ladies this week who are facing similar intense pressures though in quite different circumstances. Each has chosen their own strategy towards survival.

One has chosen to fight her way through, the other glimpses another path. I dedicate this revisited blog post to my two friends as they tackle their personal ‘storms’.

A Transpersonal Crisis should be welcomed when it appears rather than fought against. It’s the Divine’s means for wakening us from our delusional slumber into a deeper level of awareness.

The so-called ‘Born Again’ experience of Evangelical Christians can be such an event but not the only one in our lives. We don’t experience a ‘new birth’ and then put up the shutters waiting for the promised pie in the sky.

As Lady Julian of Norwich, the Medieval English mystic, claimed: ‘All is well,all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well’. It takes a gift of faith or trust to see life and what it brings along in this way.

A dualist approach that interprets life as one long battle, empowering the ego, is the enemy of personal and spiritual growth. At least that’s been my experience so far!

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The Prodigal Prophet

The Prodigal Prophet

 

If you’ve never been involved in the market-place of organized religion you’ve missed something very unusual and at times extremely bizarre. You may also be very fortunate not to have been taken for a ride by many who run such religious groups.

If you’ve been, or presently are, an active participator in a particular faith group that expects a high level of commitment from you, then please do read on; it might just save your sanity somewhere up ahead.

I’ve been there and have the tee-shirt to prove it. Read my roller-coaster story ‘The Prodigal Prophet’ to understand where I’m coming from. I’ve painfully discovered that following Yeshua and giving one’s life over to a zealous religious group may not be synonymous.

Blessings

Dylan

The Wizard of Oz meets The Pilgrim’s Progress. Tired of religion? – then read on! A captivating autobiography of religious disillusionment, burnout and Divine Love.

Bumping into the Divine during the’ Irish Troubles’ Dylan Morrison was blissfully unaware of the amazingly painful journey that lay ahead. Searching for a more radical approach to the God thing, he passed through various manifestations of the Charismatic world before becoming a ‘Prophet’ in an abusive international Shepherding group.

The sudden death of his infant son, Ben, became the catalyst for Dylan’s painful disillusionment with religion, replacing it with a deep interest in psychology and self-help philosophies.

Sixteen years later with the dust covered Bible in the attic and the ‘tongues’ long gone Dylan was reinvaded by Divine Love in two mystical encounters. Six months later suffering from nervous exhaustion Dylan was emotionally stripped bare. Healing slowly began with a revelation of the pain of psychological attachments and the sense of Presence at the bottom of the dark abyss.

Dylan believes that the spirituality and mysticism of Yeshua, the Nazarene holds the answers for those tired of religious dogma and presentational overkill. An amazing story of hope for those wounded by abusive religion and life’s tragedies.

Available at http://amzn.to/1i1hJmB



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In the last post, through an understanding of our fragmented ego and its previously hidden subpersonalities, we were able to reintegrate our psyche firstly by means of an external (therapist) followed by an internal (Higher Self or I), authentic unifying centre.

This realignment of the psyche with our Higher Self or spirit, can I believe only come about through the mysterious process of mimesis. Mimesis, or mimetic desire, is simply the usually unconscious gravitational pull of  another’s desire upon our own.

Let’s give a simple example.

A young single man knows a young lady to whom he is not drawn relationally. His closest friend suddenly and unexpectedly announces his courtship of the young lady in question. Strangely something starts to take a foothold within the previously uninterested young man. A desire begins to stir within for the already spoken for young lady and so begins the rivalry love triangle made famous by playwrights throughout the ages.

What accounts for this sudden shift of desire. Has the young lady in question had a make-over and a personality transplant. No, our subject has been infected by the desire of his now romantic friend. Like a strong magnet, his friends desire has aligned his own in the direction of the now common target – the affections of the young lady.

Such a malevolent mimetic process is the core of the human condition.

What has this to do with our realignment of  psyche and spirit? Namely this: the mimetic process, although now skewed in dysfunctional humanity,was originally a Divine gift, granted for our contentment and well being. Spirit, due to its Divine Source is a powerful desire magnet in comparison that of the fragmented ego.

When the reintegration of our psyches begins the mimetic power of the spirit Higher Self kicks in to hold the newly formed psychic family together. Our spirit’s desire for unity and unconditional love infects the newly reconciled subpersonalities bringing a feeling of wholeness to our psyche.

From where does our human spirit obtain its healing magnetism?

Simply put, from its Source, the Divinity from whom it was birthed. The Divine mimetic power was replicated in the spirit of man.

The Divine purpose all along has been the individual alignment of psyche and spirit with His Spirit. Such is the message of the Eden story where Divinity communed with mankind before his desire centre was skewed through the magnetic mimesis of the adversarial serpent.

As seekers of Truth we are simply asked to allow our ‘desire’ centers to be realigned in the direction of the Divine magnetic flux – to live and move and have our being in the sea of Divine Desire.

The result of this spiritual mimesis will be seen by all as we reflect the image of our Divine Source.

Maybe at last they will say ‘You’re Just Like Your Father in Heaven’

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In the last post we saw that once our subpersonalities have been loved into the open, reliving the pain of their traumatic birth and welcomed without condemnation into the family of our psyche that psychological healing takes place.

This process usually takes place initially in the presence of an authentic unifying centre – an unconditionally loving counsellor or friend who replays the role of  the ‘parent’ figure in the initial formation of the individual’s psyche. The psyche is given, if you like, another opportunity to form as originally planned by its Source. The deeply buried subpersonalities are welcomed but rewired to play their enriching role within the totality of the hereto painfully fragmented psyche.

Does this mean, however, that the individual becomes permanently dependent on the external authentic unifying centre for their future sense of well-being, like a child who never develops to a place of individuation from  its parents?

Thankfully not. Such a non-judgemental ‘parental’ role is temporary, similar to the jump leads needed to start a car’s engine when the battery is flat. Who then replaces the external authenticator to host the developing family of the psyche round the table of  acceptance?

To answer this let’s first look at two aspects of our being:

The Psyche or Soul

This is the part of us that comes into being through our interface with the external world, particularly our conscious sense of ‘I’, our self-image reflected onto our psychic screen by those around us. Ideally, but rarely this psyche ought to be a genuine, if earthed, reflection of the essential aspect of our Being, viz our Higher Self or spirit.

Spirit or Higher Self

This aspect of who we are is the original essence planted into ‘us’ by the Creative Source or Divinity behind the Cosmos. Timeless and unchangeable this is our lifeline, our contact point with the Divine and  the Love Energy that keeps the whole Cosmos running. Indeed this spirit or Higher Self is the imprint of the Divine Spirit on our humanity, a reflection, if you like of the Godhead itself.

Simply put, in a perfect world our soul or psyche would be a reflection of our spirit Higher Self, which in turn would be a reflection of  our Divine Source. Thus would Divinity paint itself on the canvas of  humanity, earthed in a multitude of unique representations that reflect the fathomless nature of its Being.

So who takes over the job of authentic unifying centre in our psychological healing, the host of our reintegrated subpersonality meal?

The answer is simple if strangely puzzling to the non integrated ego. The Higher Self begins to emerge from its previously hidden position in our Higher Unconscious, the home of our spiritual/intuitive nature.

With its constancy and connection to the Unconditional Love of the Divine it is well placed to fulfill its original role as authenticator of  the soul Self. Rather than taking our sense of psychic Self from those around us it is this new revelation of our Spirit Self that quietens our previously tantrum prone survival subpersonalities, integrating them within a reborn psyche.

Once we realise that the previously fragmented ego is no longer  the hiding place of our much sought sense of peace, we can tap into the Wisdom of our Higher Self or spirit, the missing link with Divine Source and its unconditional Love.

Yeshua, the Second Adam, was the incarnation of such a Divine flow of Love and Energy. Perfectly aligned within Himself and with the Divine Father he showed us what we’d been created for – intimacy and communion with a non condemning Creator.

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In the last post we saw how the reintegration of the subpersonalities within our fractured psyche is the path to psychological and spiritual healing. Yeshua ate with the diverse outcasts of His day: similarly we are to learn to embrace these broken parts of our psyches and welcome them Home.

How are we to practically do this?

Once a subpersonality is identified by observation, we can start a dialogue with it. Ideally this is done in the presence of an authentic unifying centre.

What or who is such a centre?

When the initial fragmentation of the developing psyche took place it was in response to the withdrawal of unconditional Love by a parent or significant ‘other’. If this Love had not been withdrawn then the parental figure would have fulfilled the role of  an authentic unifying centre; a role that is vital for the health development of the young psyche. Unconditional Love maintains the unity of the psyche despite the pressures that it faces.

In the healing of the adult, but subpersonality – ridden, psyche such an authentic unifying centre proves vital, replaying the initial role of the adult’s parent.

Who can operate as a unifying centre?

In theory anyone who operates out of unconditional Love. Practically speaking though an experienced therapist or counsellor may be the first one to participate in the role of a ‘healing parent’.

The safety of unconditional Love enables the previously hidden and fearful subpersonality to emerge from the Shadows of our unconscious. Such love enables the little one to express its energy and pain, the core of its character and its reason detre.

How can this subpersonality manifest?

I believe such a subpersonality screams out for recognition. Prior to the Presence of unconditional Love its manifestation was that of a wounded animal, always wary of danger and further rejection, ready to attack in defense before scurrying off back into the Shadows of our pain.

In the Presence  of unconditional Love, the subpersonality comes out of hiding and expresses its nature through emotion, bodily sensations and often visualisation. Under the guidance of a trained therapist the history of the survival personality can be brought into the Light without any fear of rejection. Like the gushing of a new oil well, the healing of such a survival personality can be dramatic and almost instantaneous.

Once the pressure cooker of buried emotion is released the subpersonality is ready to take its place around the psyche’s table with all its healed compatriots.

Who is to host such a meal for the soul?

The answer to that comes in the next post.

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The Prodigal Prophet is now in its final form.

Why not order a copy for Easter or even better download an ebook version for your Kindle or Laptop?

It’s a book for 3 groups of readers.

Those beginning to feel dissatisfied with or disillusioned by their formal faith.

Those who gave up on religion a long time ago.

Those who don’t want to buy into formal religion but yearn for a deep spirituality.

Available through Night Publishing at:

http://www.nightpublishing.com/dylan-morrison.html

Blessings

Dylan

The Prodigal Prophet

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In my last post in this series we looked at the initial step in dealing with our survival sub-personalities viz observation.

Once we can identify a number of these ‘mini-me’s we are on the road to receiving healing.

As we saw previously many of these little defensive personalities within have been created through trauma, often mimicking the behaviour of our parents that we believe will cause them to love us. This bondage to the self of ‘the other’ is, I believe, the root of much of our psychological pain.

Where then does spirituality come into this healing process?

One unusual characteristic of Yeshua was Hs willingness to eat with the social outcasts of His day, with those commonly referred to as ‘sinners’ by the establishment’s religious power-brokers. Annoyed by the Nazarene’s transgression of their fellowship code Yeshua’s critics continually tried to drag Him back into line regarding their status-quo morality and so-called  orthodoxy.

A key to Yeshua’s world view and the Kingdom that he proclaimed was social and spiritual integration.

I believe that such welcoming integration is the principle of all healing, spiritual, psychological and physical.

So what are we to do with the sub-personalities that we’ve recently identified as part of our psyche?

Firstly we are to recognise and welcome them as part of  ourselves. Imagine a scene in ancient Palestine where Yeshua is lying on a couch, eating with prostitutes, extortionists and the general ‘lowlife’ of His day. Yeshua saw something deeply appealing and valuable, yet often wounded in His fellow guests. The road to their healing lay not in religious demands but in eating in the Presence of unconditional Love.

The same holds true for our fragmented psyche with its  strong survival sub-personalities. Each of  them has a light and dark side that contributes to our survival under stressful replays of their original birth trauma.

When I slip into my ‘father’s’ withdrawn sub-personality I exercise a form of detachment to avoid the rejection I perceive coming my way. Such a detachment has its plus side. Violent verbal or physical exchanges will probably be avoided. On the negative side the detachment leads to a lack of engagement with the issues involved and constructive dialogue.

Once the pluses and negatives of our sub-personalities, unearthed from the dark layers of our subconscious are identified we can welcome them into the ‘family’ circle that communes without condemnation or self judgement. Another step to healing has been taken.

What are we to do with the often demanding energies of the now identified subpersonalities?

More of that in the next post.

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I’m delighted to report that my book ‘The Prodigal Prophet’ is now available on Amazon.com, Kindle sites and Smashwords. It’s been a long wait but I trust that my story can bring hope to those who can’t get their head around the whole God thing.

In my 54 years I’ve been round quite a few bizarre religious corners and would love to help you avoid some of the many pitfalls that lurk within mainline Christianity.

The paperback edition, with its truly inspirational cover by Canadian artist, David Hayward,  is now available on Amazon.com at:

Kindle US link

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the+prodigal+prophet&x=10&y=21

Kindle UK link

Smashwords link

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=the+prodigal+prophet

Blessings

Dylan

 

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In the last two posts we’ve seen how in times of stress we turn to our subpersonalities to help us survive. These little ‘me’s have been absorbed into our sense of Self following traumas in our infancy.

One such subpersonality is the mirror reflection of our mother/father taken on board when we sensed their disapproval or withdrawal of unconditional love during the development of Self during our formative years. The more the withdrawal of unconditional love and it’s replacement by conditional acceptance then the more powerful the parental subpersonality.

A young child will do anything to have its parents approval and becoming like that parent is one such psychic tendency. In future years, dealing with our own young offspring under stress we tend to switch into this parental survival personality to bring some order to the whole child rearing mess. Hence the whole process is replicated and another young Self twisted by the entrance of the conditional Inner Parent.

How do we find release from the resulting tyrany of these hidden characters or subpersonalities?

Firstly let me suggest that the general soloution lies in the psychic integration of such little personalities within a renewed sense of Self.

How do we get to that inner place of wholeness and acceptance?

The initial step sounds simple but is often difficult for us to take, viz the observation of all the subpersonalities within us. In my own experience these subpersonalities are often more apparent to our spouse/partner or close friends.

Ask them to let you know when you ‘switch’ into another identity if only momentarily. My wife will spot my ‘survival dad’ coming upon me when I go sullenly quiet or passive to cope with pressure. Where did I learn this strategy for survival – yes, from my dad.

So over the next few weeks, try and identify particular parental or other types of survival personalities that you turn to in order to get you through times of stress or judgement by others.

Do not try and get rid of these miniture persons but try and identify their main trait and make a note of them. You might be surprised at how many you get through in the course of a week!

Remember we are not trying to judge, reject or do violence to your subpersonalities at this stage. Our first step towards wholeness is to become aware of them and jot them down in a journal or notebook. Note down too what seems to trigger their usually dramatic appearance.

We shall continue our strategy for dealing with these subconscious little ‘me’s next time.

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Yesterday I looked at how an aspect of our mothers or fathers seem to lurk within us, only coming out when we are under stress. I called this little subconscious aspect a sub-personality that is part of our overall survival personality – like an emergency fireman lying around a fire station waiting for the bell to ring.

How did this aspect of our parent’s make up get inside us in the first place?

In our infancy the sense of Self is embryonic. The significant others in our development at this time are usually our parents. When unconditional love is transmitted to us our Self begins to form, gaining a sense of OKness that will help us in later life.

If, however, the flow between our parents and us is a conditional form of love or acceptance, then the developing Self is twisted in its development. Such trauma for the developing infant calls for drastic action. The Self fragments into numerous parts called sub-personalities. One such subpersonality is the parent in me formed when the infant’s subconscious logic argues like this:

My mother/father have rejected my Self – I will absorb part of their personality as my own. They don’t reject themselves so they will no longer reject me for I will be a mirror reflection of their own Self.

Such is the process whereby dysfunctional subpersonalities pass down the generations – a generational curse or what?

How to escape this syndrome?

More to follow.

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Do you sometimes wonder if, as the years advance, you’re becoming like your father or mother? Perhaps an aspect of their personality has been lying low in your subconscious for many years, perhaps from the time you were an infant. Now, in particularly stressful situations, he/ she is activated within your psyche to help you survive. They have become a little sub-personality within, that can cause your sense of I much anguish.

More in the following posts of this series.

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I’m delighted to report that my book ‘The Prodigal Prophet’ is now available on Amazon and Kindle sites. It’s been a long wait but I trust that my story can bring hope to those who can’t get their head around the whole God thing.

In my 54 years I’ve been round quite a few bizarre religious corners and would love to help you avoid some of the many pitfalls that lurk within mainline Christianity.

The paperback edition, with its truly inspirational cover by Canadian artist, David Hayward, is now available on:

Amazon.com link

Amazon.co.uk link

The ebook version can be found at:

Kindle US link

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the+prodigal+prophet&x=10&y=21

Kindle UK link

Blessings

Dylan

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A Swedish Tale

Swedish crime novels and TV series, like Wallander have, surprisingly, become the latest trend within the UK’s insatiable appetite for ‘who dunnits’. The dark intensity of the characters involved seem to resonate with the great British viewing public.

I’d like to tell you my own little Swedish tale that provides a powerful poignant twist as you shall see.

Recently while on holiday in Tenerife, a haven for the migrating Swedes who swop the frozen temperatures of their homeland for the balmy sun drenched beaches of  the Spanish island, I met my friends Sture and Margot Ogren.

Sture and Margot spend the winter on Tenerife, playing and singing ‘Gospel’ songs for anyone who will listen.

Anyway here is the little story they reported to me over a cup of Swedish coffee and a very tasty cinnamon bun.

In the resort of Los Christianos on the southern end of the island lies a little Swedish Lutheran Tourist church, nestling on the seafront  between the competing multitude of bars and cafes.

One Sunday morning a few weeks ago, a homeless man turned up at the morning service, smelling from all accounts, to high heaven. The stewards were at first reticent to allow him entry, probably suspecting ulterior motives on top of his hygiene problems. Fortunately the new lady pastor of the church would have none of it and welcomed the man in, mildly rebuking her congregations response to the visitor in their midst.

Towards the end of the service the man, a Swede himself who’d been living rough on the island for over 20 years, surprised all present by coming forward to take Communion. As the congregation milled around once the service was over ,the visitor seemed to have disappeared back into the busy tourist packed promenade that lay on the other side of the church entrance.

However the man had departed through another door that only he was to pass through that morning.

As one of the gentlemen in the congregation visited the church’s restroom he found more than he bargained for; the body of the homeless visitor lying on its cold tiled floor. The visitor had taken his final communion, indeed his final breath in the reality in which he’d lived as an outsider for so long. Now he was home, in the Presence of a Love that had called Him into that little Lutheran church, a portal through which he would pass, leaving behind his deep-seated rejection in the world of men.

Can this little tale beat a Wallander drama for sheer intensity? I certainly think so.

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Update December 2010

Hi Readers

I’m sure you’re wondering where I’ve been – well maybe not! Anyway I’ve been adding some Northern Irish dialogue to my soon to be published book “The Prodigal Prophet”. I ought to be finished before Christmas and then back to blogging.

The Prodigal Prophet

I just hope my friends in the USA will be able to understand the Norn’ Irish slang. I guess the natives of the Appalachians will have no problem being descendants from my Ulster Scot Tribe.

The cover for my book is the work of Canadian artist David Hayward, a true soul brother, whose work can be seen at http://www.nakedpastor.com/

I have the tips of some iceberg blogs brewing in my consciousness. One more in the ‘Yeshua sayings that you won’t hear in church’ series and then a few about the void that lies at the centre of us all.

Blessings to you all this cold dark December.

The Prodigal Prophet

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Thank you for your votes!

Hi fellow travelers

The results from the Night Reading poll have come in and I’m delighted to say that The Prodigal Prophet came out on top.

This will mean that it will appear in paperback sometime in early 2011.

I am so grateful to you all for reading my blog and helping to get my story out to those who are hurting.

Many, many, thanks

Your friend and fellow pilgrim

The Prodigal Prophet

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