SELF-AWARENESS THROUGH JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVES

Sumedha Sadhana participants were busy last week exploring the question “Who am I?” through the module “Self-Awareness through Jungian Perspectives.”

The module was facilitated by Dr. Ajoy Fernandes, a Salesian priest psychologist from the Province of Mumbai.

Dr. Fernandes first helped the participants to identify their MBTI types and then explained how the type influences the approach to life, work, relationships and spirituality.

He then helped the participants to discover, honour and integrate their “persona” and shadow through experiential exercises, active imagination, drawings and movies.

Participants appreciated the programme very much and found it very useful to discover themselves. Even those who have had experience with the MBTI Types earlier observed that Dr. Fernandes’ presentation and approach were far more helpful and richer than their previous encounters with Types.

Participants described Dr. Fernandes’s presentation as “very clear, simple and systematic.” They said it really helped them to identify their personality characteristics, their persona and shadow and move toward greater acceptance and integration of these.

Last week also witnessed the visit of the Salesian General Councillor for South Asia, Rev. Fr. Maria Arokiam, to Sumedha Centre. He arrived on 21st and left on the 22^nd.

He met with the three Salesians at the Centre and spent time interacting with the participants of Sumedha Sadhana. The visitor planted a sapling and impressed on the participants the need for ecological sensitivity.

The Visitor described the services that Sumedha Centre offers as “very essential and much needed, something very much in keeping with what Don Bosco had done in his own time for Church and Society.”

JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVES ON SELF AWARENESS

An Important module of the ongoing Sumedha Sadhana programme is entitled Jungian Perspectives on Self-Awareness. It was held from 18 to 23 October and was facilitated by Dr. Ajoy Fernandes, PhD, a Salesian priest from Mumbai.

Dr. Fernandes first helped the participants to identify their Jungian Type using the Myers Briggs Type Inventory. He then focused on the Dominant and Inferior Functions and their impact on one’s spirituality. The exploration of dominant and inferior functions also served as introduction to the Persona and the Shadow. Participants were helped to identify their persona and shadow through fantasy and guided imagery exercises. He then moved on to an examination of the Animus and the Anima” and provided insights and strategies for their integration using two films, Spiderman II and Earthsea.

A final integration of the week’s explorations and experiences were accomplished through creation of Mandalas. Participants offered these Mandalas at the concluding Eucharist, integrating psychological exploration and spiritual practice.

Participants found this module immensely useful for growing in self-awareness and expressed great satisfaction with the way the module was handled. On a scaled of 1 to 10, one representing “Very Little Useful” and 10 “Immensely Useful,” nine of the 18 participants gave a perfect 10 on the scale to represent their assessment of the Degree of Usefulness of this module. Two participants gave a score of 9 and seven a score of 8. Two participant comments from several that illustrate satisfaction:

“The process helped me to go step by step in the journey of self-discovery till I got in touch with the real issue that bothered me for months…. Expressive art and imaginary exercises were very helpful to me, especially art.” Sr. Winie.

“I had done this workshop earlier about 10 years ago. But the way Ajoy did it was different. He had a unique style which I found useful. It was not a lecture but a non-threatening self-discovery in my own inner journey. Fr. Philip