We live in an accelerated world that leaves us with a sense of speed and restlessness that almost forces us to focus our attention towards the outside without taking a few moments to look inside ourselves. What does introspection reveal to us?
"Who looks out, dreams; who looks inside, wakes up "Carl Gustav Jung.
The language of introspection
The term of introspection has been the subject of many questions and controversies in the fields of philosophy and psychology. Already in Classical Greece, Plato wondered: "Why not calmly and patiently review our own thoughts, and examine thoroughly and see what these aspects in us really are?", Being introspection compared sometimes with perception and memory. But what does this term really mean?
Introspection is a mental process by which the person looks inside and is able to analyze their own experiences, that is, makes a self-observation about their consciousness processes (private objects, mental events or phenomenal things), with which, it can be known to a greater extent. It would therefore be the reflective capacity of the mind to refer to or become aware of its own states.
Characteristics of introspection
This method has the peculiar characteristic of being subjective, since it is the individual himself that observes himself, from his criterion and therefore, from the construction of his reality. But it would be really impossible in this context to approach objectivity, being a subject that has to do with the self. It also has a certain feature of unfolding, since we take ourselves as subjects of analysis, in addition to the role of the observer or researcher.
The process of introspection is complex and requires training if you want to get good results, in addition to having a good attitude of acceptance and sincerity, and not get carried away by the web of self-deception.
Practice introspection
The practice of introspection begins with the act of paying attention, of listening. In any situation that presents itself or where we are immersed, instead of rushing, it would be advisable that we stop for a moment and examine our interior, observing it, connecting with what we feel, since by verifying our internal state, we can take care to the situation in a more appropriate way than if we let ourselves be carried away by the first impulse.
This complex process leads us to reflect deeply on what we are, feel and learn, in addition to offering us the possibility of advancing in our spiritual development, since introspection will help us to discern what is good for us, providing us with tools to transform the situations that we face and go on our way.
Every day, it is very important to stop on the road, no matter where we are or what we are doing, but it is important to focus attention towards us, towards our being, our essence, connecting with silence and learning to listen to ourselves; becoming unattached observers of external situations.
Introspection therefore has positive and negative aspects, serving as a means to improve and progress in life. It is a useful method to approach our psychic reality that provides the basis for our personal stability and allows us the deeper exploration of our being and the possibility of making changes.
Introspection not only helps us to know ourselves better, but also to respect, love and accept us as we are.
This is what Eckhart Tolle expresses: "When you lose contact with inner stillness, you lose contact with yourself. When you lose contact with yourself, you lose yourself in the world. "