PRELUDE:
This writing aims to illuminate possible ways of creating a “real-enough” interaction with materials within our unconscious through theoretical metaphors and practices, using a map I have created around sounds as one channel of expression.
Before starting our journey, I would like to underline that the unconscious realm extends far beyond sounds. However, we can start dipping our little toe into this immense ocean by approaching its mysterious existence through the lens of “sounds.”
As Jung brilliantly illuminates: “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
OVERTURE:
At any given moment, we continuously encounter multiple, overlapping sounds that we keep contributing to through a dynamic exchange between producing and listening, within a soundscape encompassing all animate and inanimate entities.
But what about the sounds we interact with within our “inner soundscape”?
What do I mean by sounds?… And what is this thing called an inner soundscape?…
What possible forms can this interaction take?… How can the way we engage affect these forms?
How can we cultivate a “real-enough” interaction?
How can we bring these understandings into practice to open a space for learning from our experience, not just from theory?
We will begin by drawing on concepts from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Jungian psychology which have immensely inspired this creative process.
SUPPORTING CONCEPTS:
I would like to begin by introducing the following concepts that will form part of the language of this writing, with particular emphasis on the aspects I consider essential to understanding the map I have created. While these brief definitions cannot capture their full complexity, they offer a starting point for our exploration.
*IFS;
IFS is a model of psychotherapy that understands “Parts” as aspects of our inner world with their own feelings, beliefs, needs, and perspectives. Some carry pain; others seek to protect us. The “Self” is an inherent core of compassionate awareness and leadership. IFS invites a dialogue between this “Self” and “parts” through noticing “parts” without being overwhelmed by them, entering a curious, compassionate dialogue to understand what they carry.
*Jungian Psychology;
The “I,” or ego, is the center of consciousness, while the “Self” encompasses the whole psyche, conscious and unconscious. Individuation is the process of becoming more whole by developing a relationship between these aspects. Jung’s method of Active Imagination supports this through conscious dialogue with images, feelings, and figures emerging from the unconscious.
INNER SOUNDSCAPE AND ITS FEATURES:
A soundscape is the acoustic environment as experienced by an individual in a particular context. Therefore, “inner soundscape” is a metaphor I use for the different sounds we may encounter within ourselves as forms of expression.
Within the framework of this writing;
These sounds refer to our “inner voices” that give voice to our “parts.” Yet an “inner voice” is not limited to words or verbal thought. Images and bodily sensations can also be considered their forms of expression.
“Inner voice” is not simply inner speech. We can approach inner speech as one perceptible manifestation of the “parts” within our inner soundscape, whose depth extends beyond those manifestations. Here, “inner voice” refers specifically to the expression of their unknown aspects, which may reveal themselves through spontaneous responses.
Furthermore, I want to differentiate between the inner voice and the outer voice. Within this framework, the “outer voice” refers to the conscious facets (“I”) of our “Self,” whereas the “inner voice” refers to its unconscious facets. This mapping draws on the Jungian understanding of Self; the IFS Self is a distinct concept. I also want to underline the presence of the “other voice,” representing the voices we interact with outside ourselves, which continuously shapes and is shaped by our “inner” and “outer” voices. While keeping its presence in mind, this writing focuses on the interaction between the “inner” and “outer” voices.
Since we are in constant interaction with the outside world, these voices aren’t frozen in time; they keep changing and affecting each other. This approach invites us to explore that ongoing process in the here and now. Hence, the form of interaction we aspire to with our inner soundscape can be described as “real-enough.” This concept does not posit reaching “the great reality,” but merely opens up the possibility of encountering the reality as “it is”; in the rawest form available to us through our present experience.
POSSIBLE FORMS OF INTERACTION:
Alongside this transformative possibility of a “real-enough” interaction, there might be some other forms that we might lean towards.
The possible forms of interaction are inextricably shaped by how we engage with our inner voices. To explore these ways of engaging, I introduce you to a two-dimensional spectrum encompassing “the act” and “the type of act,” mapped, respectively, along an x-axis extending between producing and listening, and a y-axis extending between “quiet” and “loud.” Together, they form four quadrants, each containing countless possible ways of engaging.
However, I would love to underline that each of us might engage in loudness and quietness across different interactions, with varying intensities and frequencies. These terms describe qualities of engagement within my map, rather than literal sound levels or fixed qualities of a person.
With all of this said, let me introduce you to the definitions and characteristic qualities of these endpoints, understood as the extremes of each spectrum. Let’s remember that this engagement is happening in the here and now; it can change and take countless forms as it oscillates within these spectra.
Axes and Their Characteristics;
*Producing: The act of producing an outer voice.
*Listening: The act of listening to the inner voice.
*Quiet: The type of act that has a silent nature. It is neither a forced nor a learned silence in which one needs to be quiet in order to survive and adapt. On the contrary, it is calm and can thus give voice to the unknown by being ready to receive. This type of engagement can be associated with surrendering oneself to the unknown; yet it is not the absence of action, it’s the presence of alignment through a sense of agency. A sense of agency can be supported by the feeling of safety that leads to a trust in the “Self,” which, according to IFS, is characterized by calmness, curiosity, compassion, clarity, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness. These qualities can shape how we relate to ourselves and others by quietly guiding the dialogue. Thus, this engagement inherently affects our relationship with the unknown by opening a space for exploration; an exploration in which the inner voices do not need to be reactively resisted but can authentically emerge, opening the door to a “real-enough” interaction.
*Loud: The type of act that has a “noise-full” nature. “Noise-full” means being “full” of noise to fill the void left by the absence of the trust that I have explained above. Because of this, it needs to interfere by engaging in “silencing” strategies to protect oneself from the danger of ambiguity, learned and thus perceived as unbearable. It can develop various reactions of resistance that arise from not being ready to carry, and hence meet, the unknown. In order to survive, one must control as much as one can to avoid the suffering anticipated from the unpredictable. This type of engagement therefore transmits an incoherent energy to its recipients, including the “Self.” This energy can make it harder to receive clear guidance, see new opportunities, and access the larger field of possibility. Moreover, through the inherent inability to surrender oneself to the leadership of the “Self” thus the unknown, it might also hinder the possibility of encountering a “real-enough” interaction.
CULTIVATING A REAL-ENOUGH INTERACTION:
Before starting our inner dialogue practice, I would love to highlight some shifts in our understanding that might cultivate a “real-enough” interaction.
Maybe we can start by shifting our understanding of the potential answers coming from our inner voice; rather than engaging in lengthy intellectual analysis, we can focus on the immediacy of short, spontaneous answers. However, this immediacy does not come from rushing, but from a calmness that embodies softness.
Our body plays a vital role in sensing, processing, storing, and communicating lived experiences emerging from the interaction among “inner, outer, and other” voices. Therefore, we can approach our bodily cues and sensations as a bridge that offers guidance through the rawness with which it carries information.
Last but not least, we can notice potential preconceptions we might hold towards our “parts.” What if we shift our rigid understanding from “each of them defines who ‘I’ am” to a gentler one that sees them as distinct, coexisting parts of our “Self,” waiting to be heard, seen, and understood, and thus integrated into our consciousness?
INNER DIALOGUE: AN INTERACTIVE PRACTICE:
I profoundly believe that change unfolds through the experience itself. Therefore, I invite you to try the practice below, which takes a maximum of five minutes.
I will write down the invitations and the flow. Since this practice invites you to close your eyes and, if possible, lie down, you can first read the instructions without trying to answer the questions, and then begin. You can do it whenever you want, but the suggestion is to do it now, if possible.
Let’s engage in this inner dialogue through “quietly producing” the following questions for our inner voice and “quietly listening” to what answers might emerge.
Flow of the Exercise;
Before we begin, let’s take a moment to notice where our bodies meet the ground. If it feels comfortable, you can lie down and gently press your body into the floor, then release, noticing the sensations of contact and support. There is no need to change anything; simply notice what is here.
We can start by choosing a subject on our agenda: an experience that stayed with us, perhaps because of a conflict, or simply something we want to understand. Maybe we can choose the first thing that comes to mind after reading this.
Then, if it feels comfortable, we can close our eyes outwardly and open them inwardly, imagining that experience and gently noticing where in our body we sense activation as we stay with the image.
What kinds of sensations are present in that body part?
And then maybe we can take a few breaths and ask that activated body part the following questions.
After each question, an answer may emerge as just one or two words. We can then move on to the next question. If no answer comes, there is no need to force one.
*Questions;
Dear body part,
How are you feeling?
What do you believe?
What do you need?
What can I do for you?
And now we can slowly open our eyes to the outer reality, accompanied by whatever felt sense remains from quietly opening them to our inner soundscape.