Self-mastery and self-regulation – 11

And now let’s let off steam…by writing! (Catharsis I)

“Just as in a kettle, when the internal pressure becomes too high, a safety valve opens and steam comes out with a hissing noise, so when the human soul is full of emotional and impulsive energy pushing for expression, it will find some way out, some way to discharge; in other words, man tends to ‘vent’ in some way.”

Assagioli

One of the methods (see The 4 methods for creative management of psychic energies) that enables one to gain a certain mastery over psychic content is catharsis.

The fact that catharsis is the first method (before critical analysis, disidentification and the development of the will) listed by Assagioli gives, in my opinion, a clear indication about the most appropriate way to proceed when seeking to develop self-mastery and self-regulation: even before delving into critical analysis and the practice of disidentification, it is, in fact, important to develop the ability to (re)connect with one’s own experiences. By recovering these experiences, letting them flow freely, “unloading” them so to speak, catharsis is perhaps the safest way to liberate pent-up energies, to liberate the “I” and bring about authentic disidentification.

Catharsis has been widely used since the beginning of Psychoanalysis. Both Freud and Breuer realised that one could not eliminate symptoms by simply bringing an unconscious content back to consciousness, but that the emotional discharge accompanying such awareness was crucial.

The foundation of catharsis is simple: we relive, as realistically as possible, the events or situations from our past, which have created psychic disorders and symptoms. If we really relive these experiences with sufficient intensity, we can discharge in the present those emotions that we were not able to release in the past (Parfitt, 1990).

The main techniques indicated by Assagioli (1965) are:

  • live it again
  • verbal expression
  • writing
  • diary
  • muscular discharge

Although in Psychosynthesis, disidentification and critical analysis are the two main methods used to dissolve excess emotional charge or impulsive reactions, there is also a recognition that “there are instinctive forces within us, vital elements, for example sexual and aggressive impulses, which cannot be dissolved in this way, but arise again and again; there are attachments which, although criticised and devalued, persist with obstinacy” (Assagioli, 1965).

Pitching one’s will against these energies is of little use. And even if the will were to succeed in forcefully controlling them, it would risk provoking resistance and conflict, leading to possible harmful consequences. In these cases, the first task of the will is to discharge these tensions using the various cathartic techniques and, when appropriate, to provide a certain measure of effective gratification (symbolic satisfaction).

EXERCISE: WRITING

Writing is an extremely powerful tool whose efficacy should not be underestimated. By allowing ourselves to write freely about a chosen theme, we may start expressing things that we had never thought of before, new ideas may come to us. In any case, writing can be liberating and can facilitate real catharsis (Ferrucci, 1990).

Psychosynthesis (Assagioli, 1965) considers writing a particularly effective way to unload emotions: paper is the most patient and receptive of listeners. Writing can be used, for example, to discharge anger, frustration, irritation against someone, irrespective of whether such emotional reactions are legitimate or appropriate. Psychosynthesists will encourage clients to write a letter to the person triggering such reaction. In it, they may give full expression to their resentment and indignation, affirming their rights, without restraint, really giving themselves permission to vent without inhibition. Of course, the aim of the exercise is not to actual send the letter to the person in question, but rather to hand it to the therapist or destroy it, possibly through a specially designed ritual. The technique is more helpful than it may appear, because it involves the interesting mechanism of symbolic satisfaction. The unconscious is satisfied by this symbolic retaliation in writing (Assagioli, 1965).

In addition, writing may yield even greater and higher benefits; the initial outburst may sometimes make space for a more serene and objective contemplation of the events, which may lead to more clarity and more effective problem-solving. For this reason, in Psychosynthesis, it is often recommended that we keep a diary, regularly giving expression to the stirrings of our souls onto the page (Assagioli, 2022).

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