Starting IFS with Audio journaling.

[Zelenn]

So I have experiemented with a couple different therapy methods, I've seen professional therapists for DBT, CBT, and REBT, Sentence Completion ala Nathanial Brandon etc and have recently started playing with IFS as a self therapy method. I was curious what your thoughts are on IFS, what's a great resource for learning more about IFS, and what has your general experience been?

 

Also, are there any Skype groups for IFS? If not, would anybody like to chat with me on Self Knowledge related topics on a regular basis?

[Kevin Beal]

Jay Earley's book Self Therapy is pretty good. I talk about an experience that I had with IFS/Mecosystem/Active Imagination work in this video I made, if you're interested.

 

I don't know if there are any skype groups that talk about it, unfortunately. I hope you are able to get one started. That would be rad.

[Zelenn]

Jay Earley's book Self Therapy is pretty good. I talk about an experience that I had with IFS/Mecosystem/Active Imagination work in this video I made, if you're interested.

 

I don't know if there are any skype groups that talk about it, unfortunately. I hope you are able to get one started. That would be rad.

I think it's great that you're making videos on the topic and posting them. I saw that your last was 4 months ago. I encourage you to continue. They're valuable to us all as examples of honesty in pursuit of self knowledge.

 

Also, it goes without saying that we two could have Skype conversations on the matter of IFS. Perhaps from our conversations others would join in. Are you interested in having a conversation?

[Kevin Beal]

I've been considering making more videos recently, so thanks for the encouragement!

 

I've got some projects of my own that are taking up a good chunk of my time lately so I can't commit to anything at the moment.

[PatrickC]

I always swore by audio journalling and did it for years.. Which is why people think I'm some grumpy old git that walks around his neighbourhood mumbling to himself..

 

I joke of course. I think it's a marvellous way to connect with yourself. I particularly enjoyed relistening to my recording an hour or so later during my commute, in which I would jot down a thing or two I learn't about myself. All good.

[Zelenn]

I always swore by audio journalling and did it for years.. Which is why people think I'm some grumpy old git that walks around his neighbourhood mumbling to himself..

 

I joke of course. I think it's a marvellous way to connect with yourself. I particularly enjoyed relistening to my recording an hour or so later during my commute, in which I would jot down a thing or two I learn't about myself. All good.

Do you focus on a particular bubject when you audio journal or is it more stream of conciousness?

 

I have noticed that I tend to ramble on and that my thoughts are scattered. My mind can make HUGE lateral leaps to other subjects and its become a bit of a game with me to listen to what I said and then fill in the gaps by tracing back through the thoughts and memories I had THEN that led to me saying what I've recorded.

 

Does that make sense? Clear as mud?

 

I would like my journaling to be more purposeful. I lose my train of thought so easily. It honestly kind of concerns me how scattered I can be sometimes.

[PatrickC]

Do you focus on a particular bubject when you audio journal or is it more stream of conciousness?

 

I'd say it was a bit of both. More a stream when I didn't have something particular to focus on.

 

It's worth catching yourself when you start to ramble. But it can take a bit of time, if you're just starting out for the first time. Stefans conversations with listeners are useful ways to remind yourself how to remain focused. But rambling is always worth the question, 'why am I rambling?'. What am I avoiding or what would I prefer to focus on.

 

Also the re-listening back to them (soon after) is essential and making some written notes will help improve future audio journals, which are ultimately inner dialogues. They will teach you (if you persist) how to eventually remain focused (become present) in the moment, which is kind of the goal of journalling.

[Zelenn]

I'd say it was a bit of both. More a stream when I didn't have something particular to focus on.

 

It's worth catching yourself when you start to ramble. But it can take a bit of time, if you're just starting out for the first time. Stefans conversations with listeners are useful ways to remind yourself how to remain focused. But rambling is always worth the question, 'why am I rambling?'. What am I avoiding or what would I prefer to focus on.

 

Also the re-listening back to them (soon after) is essential and making some written notes will help improve future audio journals, which are ultimately inner dialogues. They will teach you (if you persist) how to eventually remain focused (become present) in the moment, which is kind of the goal of journalling.

Ya know, that's quite insightful. I've never thought of rambling as a defense mechanism against dealing with the real issues. But now that you mention it, I can see that. I've been journaling recently about MGTOW topics and I tend to get in to a ramble about the statistics. I'm not entirely sure what that means, or what I'm avoiding, but it's worth pointing out.

 

I've recently gone back to college and I've noticed that attractive women are paying attention to me (a problem I've never had before.) Specifically when I talk about virtue, ambition, self improvement, peaceful parenting, etc. This has put me in a position where I know that some "hot chicks," with no other redeeming features, are interested in me and thus I have "women on the brain." And this is NOT the appropriate time in my life to be fucking around, or getting married, or even dating seriously. I have work to do, important work, hard studying (Biotechnology AKA Genetic Engineering) and long hours at work (phlebotomist at a large Diagnostics company.)

 

That and I have looked around and seen the "nuclear smoking craters" that remain of the lives of men that get involved with unvirtuous women. This has me contemplating MGTOW ideas and wonderig if women are worth the effort and what I can do to insulate myself against the institutionalized uses of violence by women against men.

 

When I journal about the topic, or even when I think about the topic, I get "stuck" in the numbers. Right, 97% of combat related deaths are male, men only win child custody battles something like 14% of the time, 70% of all divorces are initiated by the woman, etc etc. Many of my rants are just me repeating these statistics as though that were an argument.

 

But, I'm going to take your wisdom on board here and journal about what I might be avoiding by rambling. Thanks for the insight.

[PatrickC]

You know that's so interesting. I've been taking a celibate approach to my life for the last couple of years with MGTOW in mind. During that time I've learn't to try and avoid the abstractions of what happen to other men and concentrate mostly on my own experience.

 

Not to say that that I don't have empathy with those men, because I do. Being aware of the pitfalls of romance is definately useful in this regard. But more importantly I learn't to concentrate on my own needs and reflect on my own desires when it comes to my romantic relationships. Some of that has been seeing myself for what I am (or what I became), which was often quite uncomforting at first, but ultimately helpful for me in overcoming (and understanding) some of the understandable (unprocessed) paranoia that can occur in ones mind when swallowing this particular (MGTOW) red pill.

 

All I can say, is when journalling, keep challenging yourself, particularly when your thoughts make you feel uncomforatble. That disccomfort is actually trying to help you.

[Quadrewple]

If not, would anybody like to chat with me on Self Knowledge related topics on a regular basis?

 

That sounds awesome.  I'm interested in finding and exploring new ways to heal in addition to my CBT therapy which I still attend and plan on attending for the foreseeable future.  I've also recently broken off some relationships which were not helping me move forward in healing so having some other people to chat with about healing trauma may be just what I need right now.