Reality is really a broad term. As an individual you might use it to mean the the opposite of dreams or fantasy. That's not far off from what Webster's Dictionary uses for a definition, "Something that actually exists, or happens" so in a matter of speaking we all use Webster's definition. But my research and sources took it a step further, far enough to say that reality is what you choose to make it each and every day of your life.
I already shared some of the views I wrote about, such as the article about the playwright who became her character, I've seen people become so involved with their character that they are their character. But I loved the information that I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh on being aware of our feelings and emotions, not fighting them but not allowing them either. It's a really interesting topic to me. Do we create our reality? Yes, that was my initial question and I believe that the answer to that question is absolutely. Personally I was just searching for more information on this topic, and I found out a lot that has really opened my mind to new ways of thinking.
Don't run when you get scared of what you can create. Embrace it and nourish it, let it be all it can be! You won't experience what it's like to run in the sun if you live your life in the shadows in fear of what might happen. Live, laugh, love, and love yourself.
Anxiety, Depression, addiction, despair, suicide. All negative terms that people usually don't like discussing. Well, unless you're a psychiatrist who is trying to find out HOW you're feeling instead of WHY you're feeling. Personally, I have huge anxiety issues, I've struggled with depression and have had my own suicidal wishes in the past. I would like to make it understood right now that I do share personal stories every now and then, not to gain sympathy or empathy, but I feel it helps tell the truth of the matter, and makes it helps present my own knowledge on the matter based off personal experience. I had several therapists who were more concerned with HOW I was acting and what I was doing to cause myself to feel the way I felt. I ended up getting out of therapy and never going back because I wasn't being helped. I never thought that an answer could be so simple. Life.
Logotherapy, derived from Greek "logos" which translates to "meaning" and "therapy" meaning treatment of an illness.
Existentialism, is a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of an individual person through their act of free will.
Viktor Frankl, a psychologist and neurologist, founded logotherapy and existentialism analysis. Frankl had 29 honorary doctorates from different universities, published 32 books in 32 languages, was married twice, fathered one child, was a grandfather to two, and great-grandfather to one. He was born in Vienna in March of 1905 and died in Vienna in September of 1997. He followed teachings of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler. Frankl's theory includes 3 views, Freedom of Will, Will to Meaning, and Meaning in Life. I will be taking a closer look at his second view, Will to Meaning.
Viktor Frankl explains that we are autonomous people who seek characteristic ways of expressing and shaping our worlds. Frankl believes we also constantly seek the meaning of life, and too often are over concerned with finding it so much that it consumes us and leads to our unhappiness. An article found on franklzentrum.org tells us who Frankl is and also says, "Any existential frustration of the need for meaning may lead to aggression, addiction, depression, despair and suicidality; it may also trigger or aggravate psychosomatic illnesses and neurotic disorders" (Zentrum Wien, 2). So when we think too much about what life means and what we are meant for, it could have such negative affects that it could cause our mental health to deteriorate. When I look back at my life and why I struggled with so much sadness and despair, I realized that at least 50% of the time I was confused about what the meaning of life was, I was worried that my life had no meaning and that it never would. I convinced myself life was terrible and there was no point to it. But Frankl offers hope, "Logotherapy helps patients identify, remove or cope with inhibitions and blockades hampering them in the search for meaning. It sensitizes them, making them perceive potential meaning. In this context, logotherapy does not offer meaning, it merely supports patients in translating into reality the potential for meaning they discover for themselves" (Wien, 2). So if we are willing to look at this theory and are willing to look at what he's telling us, then we will receive support to find a potential meaning for our reality. Our reality being what we create, the potential is great and often limitless, it's just a matter of what we believe.
Also in my research I found an article on Rogerian Theory. A theory created by a man named Carl Rogers, this theory also called Person-Centered Therapy. Rogers created the theory in the 1940's, it does not focus on people as flawed, who have problematic behavior, instead each person's desire for growth and change. Rogers is quoted for saying, "Individuals have within themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for altering their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and self-directed behavior; these resources can be tapped if a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided" (Goodtherapy.org, 1) Again if we are willing, we are capable of self-understanding, changing our attitudes and behavior if we want it enough. Rogers doesn't say anything about our outlook on life having anything to do with it, but he does say that a person has to be willing.
http://www.goodtherapy.org/person-centered.html#
If we are willing to see it, we will. If we are willing to have the desire we are capable of much more than we think, and our potential meaning will start to make sense. So be willing to do what you feel is right for your growth.
What did I do? How did I do that? This is all my fault! Everything is against me today! I can't do anything right! Words and phrases that go through all our minds at some point for some reason or another. But what few fail to realize is that if this is what you really think, then no nothing will go right for you.
Before I go on, I'd like to explain this picture to the left. In several ways it stuck out to me, and seemed perfect for todays post. Notice, the fire, fire fighters, and the little girl, and a couple random people just staring. I wondered at this picture, where are the parents looking for their kid? Why does this child not show emotion? What was going on in that house that caused a little girl to want to catch it on fire? What I have learned so far on this topic tells me that for some reason or other this little girl wanted to create that fire, to wreck her home, I don't know what reason, but she wanted it and created it.
I found an article in The Atlantic, by Judith Ohikuare, on March 10, 2014, that tells the story of a young woman, a playwright, who viewed herself as her character so much so that she practically became the character.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/how-actors-create-emotions-a-problematic-psychology/284291/
""It was depressing," Margolin recalls. "My character would cry, and I would cry. She was miserable, and I was miserable. She was a frustrated, ignorant person trapped in a narrow life, and I felt like that. Once, while I was on stage, my purse was robbed in the dressing room, and I felt like everybody backed away from me, thinking I would infect them with tragedy. These were lovely people-I loved them dearly-but my character was unattractive and somehow, so was I. Something about that infused the community of theater actors that I was in"" (Judith).
While this is a quote of a quote it describes what I'm trying to say. This woman chose to be like her character, and so she ultimately became her character. She chose her reality, she wanted to be her character because she felt like she wasn't meant to be who everyone else saw her as. She explains earlier in the article that she doesn't like who she is, that she wants to be a different woman. So she set her intent, she set her desire to become someone else, and she became someone else.
I failed to find a video on the suggested video cite, I looked on Youtube and also made sure to research the author of the video I did find. I found a video by David Icke, a man known for referring to several political figures as reptilian aliens who are basically evil and want to enslave mankind. I will not be referring to any of that in my blog, rather a video that talks about what I am trying to convey. You can read more of David Icke here: https://thrivedebunked.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/who-is-david-icke/
Now for the video:
Icke tells us that if you truly believe something, then that's your truth, your reality. I fully believe that, and I fully believe his view on if you're surrounded by people dragging you down, then you will convince yourself that you are a victim and you bring yourself down.
I hope I have answered some of my classmates questions in today's blog. Happy 4th!
