PERSONA, SHADOW, THE UNCONSCIOUS AND SPIRITUALITY

Two important and closely-related modules facilitated during April 2018 as part of the 9-week-long (March 15-May 16) Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey" were: 1) the  "Unconscious Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey” facilitated by Dr. Johny Dominic Padinjar, the Assistant Director of Sumedha Centre and 2) “Jungian Perspectives on the Spiritual Journey” facilitated by Dr. Ajoy Fernandes, Director of Prafulta Mental health Services in Matunga, Mumbai.

Johny Dominic helped participants explore the dynamics behind the helplessness that they often experience in not being able to do what they want and doing what they do not want.  Using concepts from Freudian, Jungian, NLP and Transactional Analysis theories he helped them unleash the powers of the unconscious to facilitate healing and wholeness.

Working from a Jungian perspective Ajoy Fernandes helped participants explore especially their identity and understand their personality type and its implications for their spiritual journey, and helped them move toward greater personal integration by exploring and owning their persona and shadow and integrating their animus/anima.

Both these modules and the module facilitators were very much appreciated by the participants. The modules provided participant’s much awareness about themselves, particularly regarding their defense mechanisms and their shadows.

During this period the the General Councilor of the Salesians of Don Bosco for South Asia, Rev. Fr. Maria Aroka Kanaga SDB visited Sumedha Centre. He interacted with the Sumedha Participants and along with them planted a sapling to encourage ecological sensitivity and care – something that is part and parcel of the spirituality explored and practices at Sumedha Centre.

HALFWAY THROUGH 27TH SUMEDHA SADHANA

The half-way mark through the 27^th Sumedha Sadhana was celebrated with an afternoon picnic to the River Bola, near Jeolikote,  on 25^th October.

The river currently does not have much water. So, the participants could wade through the water, jump over the rocks  and prepare tea on the dry river bed famous for its  dark sand.

The 27^th Sumedha Sadhana commenced on September 25. The first two weeks were facilitated by Jose Parappully, the Programme Director.

Parappully helped participants to look at the current realities on the psychospiritual journey, discern what God might be telling them through all that is happening and make choices as response to those invitations.

He traced the rise and fall of dominant cultural paradigms, especially the Dualistic-Mechanistic and the Holistic-Ecological and presented the impact of these paradigms on spirituality. He presented 17 characteristics of a “Mature Spirituality for Today” and helped participants to assess themselves on these characteristics and redesign their priorities.

He also helped them trace their developmental experiences through infancy to adolescence. He will be addressing Midlife dynamics later in the programme.

The films “Siddhartha,” and “Chocalat” supplemented class explorations.

The third week focused on “Personality and Spirituality.” Ajoy Fernandes, a counselling psychologist an currently Vice Provincial of the Mumbai Don Bosco Society, helped participants discover their personality types through the MBTI, and explored the implications of each personality type for spirituality. 

Fernandes presented the Jungian concepts of Persona and Shadow, Animus and Anima and their impact on personality and spirituality. He explored these concepts using structured exercises and the films “Spider Man” and “EarthSea.” The entire module was integrated through creation of Mandalas.

The theme for last week was “Sexuality, Celibacy and Intimacy.” This module was facilitated by Joe Mannath, currently Secretary of the Conference of Religious of India. Topics explored include Stages of Psychosexual Development, Celibate Maturity, Sexual Attraction in Ministry, integration of Sexual Feelings in Celibate Life, Helps to Happy Celibate Life, and Celibate Friendship. 

Class explorations were supplemented by films such as “Love Comes softly,” “Dead Man Walking,” and “Joshua” as well as Video Meditations.

“Somatic Meditations” – consisting of Music, Songs, Yoga, Dance, Sacred Scripture, Centering Prayer and other forms of Meditations -- to begin the day are regular part of the Sumedha Sadhana. These are facilitated by Jose Parappully.

The  day concludes with creative Liturgies that integrate the day's experiences through Scripture, Songs and the Eucharist. 

Participants whose birthdays fall during the period of the Sadhana are felicitated with some level of festivities.

The 27^th Sumedha Sadhana, the last for the year 2014, concludes on November 30.