"How does a baby think?" asked Arthur.
"By feeling, primarily. A baby feels when it is hungry or sleepy. When sensations are presented to it, a baby can feel whether they are bringing pleasure or pain, and it responds accordingly. A baby isn't inhibited about wanting pleasure and avoiding pain."
"I don't see anything special about that," Arthur said. "Babies just cry and smile and feed and sleep."
"Many mortals will be lucky to do those things after they grow up." Merlin muttered. "Being here in this world in a state of contentment is a real achievement."
A newborn baby's innocent instinct about what feels good or bad is quickly lost. Voices begin to appear inside, at first the voice of mother saying "yes" and "no," "good baby" and "bad baby." When yes, no, good, and bad are in line with what the baby wants, no harm is done. But inevitably a conflict arises between the baby's needs and what its parents expect. The inner and outer world begin to clash. Very soon the seeds of guilt and shame are planted; the fearless temperament of a newborn becomes stained with fear. The baby has learned to doubt its own instincts. The inner impulse of "This is what I want" turns into a question: "Is it all right if I want this?"
We spend our whole lives working back t the state of self-acceptance we were naturally born with. For years the questions multiply, and into the secret caverns and dark cellars of the psyche we shove as much doubt, shame, guilt, and fear as we can. These feelings remain alive, however deep we hide them. All the inner conflicts that we find so hard to reconcile lead back to a shadow self.
(DC. The Way of the Wizard)
No comments:
Post a Comment