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THE MISSING TWIN TOWERS 09/12/01

  • 911
    On 09/12/01 I walked from 14th street and Union Square down to the hole in the ground that used to be the Twin Towers. It was an eerie and surrealistic experience. Check points with soldiers and policemen were on every block. Somehow I found a way to get to within two blocks of the center of the destruction. The light had a strange brownish glow due to a mixture of the heavy particles of the disentegrated buildings filtering the winter sunlight. Many people were wearing face masks to help them breathe. I was struck by the nearly universal dazed and shocked expressions of a multitude of awe struck onlookers like myself. However, as bad as it was, I was also struck by the noble activity of hundreds - or was it thousands - of workers and volunteers that were quietly, and methodically attending to the grim work of cleaning up this horrible lower manhatten "Pearl Harbor" mess. Returning to Union Square I came upon a hastily erected evolving memorial. On subequent days I came upon similar memorials, most notably a large one in Grand Central Station. What most stirred me were pictures of kin who were unaccounted for as yet, apparently posted by relatives and friends, desperately clinging to the hope that their loved ones had some escaped the horror and might be recognized by someone, anyone, who would take the time to carefully scan their names and faces and. if indeed spotted, would hopefully notify them. It was quite shaking to have to face up to the brutal fact that nothing is absolutely secure - life is tenuous at best. Perhaps all that can be done at such times is to try to remain steady and, if so inclined, to record such occurrences as objectively as is humanly possible.

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK

  • AUTUMN TRIUMPH
    I was feeling depressed yesterday morning. Additionally I was restless and somewhat agitated. My body wanted movement. I looked outside noticing that the fall colors were shimmering flooded with sunlight. I picked up my small canon camera and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. The walk was magical. The pictures that follow speak for themselves. After only a few pictures it was obvious that my depression completely lifted. My conclusion is that immersion in nature - any season - is likely to be the best natural anti-depressant.

THE CHRISTOS' GATES

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THE CHRISTOS' GATES in the SNOW

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NATURE'S GLORY

  • New York City Fruit Stand #3
    What I most love about nature is it is so natural. It is what it is. It is so full of beauty. It gives so much and asks for nothing in return. Most of the flowers and yard photogaphs are a theme and variation from flowers and tomatos I plant each spring. I enjoy watching the buds ripening and opening up. I particularly enjoy the uniqueness of each flower as it unfolds sometime mid summer. As I zoom in for closeups I sense these colorful mysteries speak to some elemental and most essential best prrt of me. As I focus upon the details of each unique flower, or fruit, or tree, or mixture of shadow and light, or glitter, or sparkles, I feel as connected to being alive and resonant with my natural 'friends' as at any time or with any people in my life. I appreciate the democratic spirit clusters of flowers have for themselves collectively and individually. They seem to celebrate being alive as they unself consciously display their radiance for whomever wishes to take note - or not. They seem utterly indifferent whether anyone cares or not. They don't fuss or get irritated as they 'graciously' make room for each other. I can appreciate what Van Gogh felt in the open sunlight painting his sun flowers and hay stalks - giddily - passionately grasping for the right words as he expressed his feelingsin his letters to Theo {his brother}. Observing nature with direct perception, not having to find words to describe what is experienced, is a tonic for me - a being who derives his lively hood from systematically searching for just right words.

TIMES SQUARE, ETC.

  • Washington Square Arch Newly Litup
    Times square by day or night pulsates with excitement, noise, and electricity. If you are bored, or under stimulated go to Broadway and 42nd street to be atmospherically reinvigorated. No need to spend a fortune going to usually dissappointing theatre - just stand on a corner in Times Square and watch the passing show - fixed or in motion. A well crafted building is a joy to behold. Equally so are machines like the Metro North Railway trains, stations, tracks, wires virtually all of the trappings that go into making a transportation system. So too - unusual scenes such as colorful canoes glittering amongst tall green pine trees on a bright sun filled summer day delights my senses and stirs my soul. There is so much not to like but it is all worth it when my senses are stimulated. It is very true: you can't appreciate the light unless you can take note of the darkness.

RECORD SNOW STORM

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« FEELING GOOD ABOUT BEING A PSYCHOANALYST | Main | WHAT DOES THE PRESIDENT MEAN BY "WINNING" THE WAR »

March 21, 2007

INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY AND PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

                     A GROUNDED SPIRITUALITY

I hope that I am not perceived as stepping on anyones "spiritual" feet but for me the experience of spirituality may be fruitfully integrated into the concepts of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis when it is conceptualized as naturalistic and immanent rather than mystical and transcendent.

My ideas largely came about in my working with 5 ex - 12 step patients who I would describe as "God obsessed" but who left, unable to accept the 'higherpower concept." In the copious notes I kept I noticed that they were all preoccupied with what I will refer to as "spiritual" issues. These issues are: trust, faith, hope, love, and persistence. Note that all of these concepts are associated with a theme of primary motivation.

I also noted that these themes might well be thought of as the essence of year one consciousness - a combination of what I refer to as kaleidoscopic consciousness and symbiotic consciousness. When discussed from the perspective of self psychology, affect intolerance, the need to construct a cohesive self, helping each patient learn to regulate their own self esteem - each, over the period of one - two years was able to begin to fill what they had referred to as a life long "hole in their soul."

Each also began shifting from from the compulsive need to project their final authority either to a transcendent God, me or other idealized authority figures, to an acceptance of themselves as their own final authorities.

If any one is interested in viewing these ideas in greater breadth and depth I invite you to look at my web site gibbsonline.com . Press the theories tab and look for my paper on Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Spirituality.

March 21, 2007 in A GROUNDED SPIRITUALITY |

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