5. Conclusions

Assagioli, with his background in esoteric psychology, was deeply interested in subtle energy and foresaw the emergence, after his lifetime, of new ways of working that would incorporate this dimension. . Today the fields of subtle energy and energy medicine are rapidly gaining momentum. As I was writing this, a publication arrived from the Institute of Noetic Sciences entitled "Subtle Energy, the Medicine of Tomorrow"—no doubt a harbinger of things to come.

Powerful methods of processing psychic material have become available through body and energybased therapies such as EMDR, Energy Psychology, and Emotional Transformation Therapy. It is like having a faster computer chip that enables more rapid as well as deeper resolution of issues. The enhanced processing, I believe, is a function of various factors. Perhaps, the most important of these is working from consciousness or the witness state rather than from the rational mind. This can be facilitated by such means as brainwave entrainment and the use of sound, which tend to induce meditative states. Another important element is the simple fact of paying attention to one's experience in the body. This tends to go directly to the heart of things, as Gendlin found with his Focusing method, bypassing the ego's defenses and the rationalizations of the mind.

Energy psychology practitioners work directly with the body's healing process in other ways as well, such as tapping on meridian points. Another factor that, in my view, enhances processing is the more focused use of intention in these therapies, as in the practice of 'targeting' an issue. Selecting a target for healing seems to function much like typing a topic into a search engine. The wisdom of the psyche then seeks out and brings to the client's attention whatever is needed for this healing to take place.

A further way in which the will supports healing is described in the depth energetic approach. Active and receptive modes of the will are integrated to produce a state of 'focused surrender' in which healing is directed by higher intelligence.

Finally, I believe that the trauma paradigm is an important element in these new therapies. Many energy therapists believe that all pathology is a function of trauma in some form and that release of trauma residue held within the body/mind is essential for healing. They believe that 'small t' trauma, such as not being seen or understood can be treated effectively in much the same ways as 'big T' Trauma, like serious loss or abuse. I have found in my own work that when trauma or Trauma is not addressed and cleared from the system, dysfunctional behavior persists. It is difficult for a person to disidentify from victim consciousness or a wounded child subpersonality when the underlying trauma is untreated. As the importance of trauma was not fully recognized in Assagioli's time, the topic has usually not been included in Psychosynthesis training. This is one area where we can borrow from the energy therapies.

This paper shares some highlights of what I have learned about subtle energy over the past decade. I believe that Psychosynthesis, with its understanding of the depths and heights of the psyche, the role of disidentification, and the subtleties of the will, has much to contribute to and learn from the field.