Someone is in there…
Spell Bound
In scary movies when something moves in a dark haunted room, one character usually turns to the other and says ” did you hear that”. That character wants to know if the person beside them hears the movement and/or sounds that they have heard. What happens when no one is there and you hear something? If you are in a dark scary place alone, you might become frightened. But what if the sound or voice is not in a house but in your head? Lieberman says this voice could be the unconscious speaking. I will attempt in this blog to explain the religious themes that came to mind as I read Lieberman’s thoughts in “Spell Bound”.
The Unconscious
Lieberman describes the unconscious as being so powerful , and so different from conscious thought, that when it’s activated it can be experienced as a kind of possession, a visitation from a foreign entity that can feel friendly, hostile, or a little of both.He also borrows from Jung’s thought that the unconscious can be seen as an eruption, invasion, or incursion.{1}Both theorist agree that the unconscious takes over and become dominate at times. An individuals personality can determine if this domination is beneficial or detrimental. As noted by Lieberman, there is sometimes what individuals may call a divine inspiration that takes place. Individuals profess that these inspirations usually help to produce great works.
Lieberman takes us through magical thinking, where one does not have to scientifically know that they are experiencing something. The magic of it, is that they don’t need a name they only need to enjoy it. Unlike previous thoughts that have taught us we needed names to have meaning, we now can experience what Lieberman says could be similar to the supernatural. Lieberman does not leave out the spiritual aspect of the unconscious, he is descriptive in showing how others have shared their views and experience of spirits. He quotes Kandinsky in saying, “the souls in the things around us are silent more often that they speak. He also spoke about how in our unconscious we seem to animate things, causing it have meaning for ourselves. He shares the story of a pool contractor that speaks to rocks, feeling that the right ones will spiritually speak back. He describes how a spiritual presence can be like a background hum, which was named by a theologian as a “numinous experience.”{2}
A Word From the Lord
When Lieberman set out to describe what unconscious was my unconscious thoughts directed me to the voice of the Lord. I could hear in the back ground of my thoughts the words “the sweet whisper”. Many times I’ve heard the voice of the Lord described a this sweet whisper and have experienced it for myself. What Lieberman shared ring true to me in both my secular education and christian views. There was something/someone in there that we had no control over.
When Jungs description was read, I begin to thing of the Holy Spirit. The words eruption and invasion reminded me that when the holy spirit takes over you may try to contain it but it will not allow you. The description automatically placed a picture in my mind having me think about when the spirit is high in a services and the members can’t seem to hold their peace.
The unconscious being a divine inspiration was not far fetched for me either. There are many times that great things have blossomed from the voice of the Lord. The great Martin Luther King, Jr. often spoke of what God had given him in visions and through inspiration. Many ministries have been born through divine inspiration. Many lives have been changed. His thoughts about magical thinking quickly help me to realize that the gifts of God and the beauty of what he has made was what he likened to supernatural.
Conclusion
In closing, Lieberman’s thoughts and writing took me to many place unconsciously as a believer. As he referenced the contractor speaking to the rocks, I was reminded that I also spoke to objects. I have spoken to the (animated) or figurative mountains in my life and I have told them to move. I have also had a numinous experience with a dunamis ending. I can truly say, that someone definitely is in there, but he is not just in my head he is in my heart.
Lieberman, Daniel Z. Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind. BenBella Dooks.
About the Author
Shonell Dillon
A daughter of the KING of kings and the LORD of lords. A lover of LIFE!3 responses to “Someone is in there…”
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“he is not just in my head he is in my heart.”
Wow! I love this so much! I also love how you told those mountains to MOVE! Get on out of here because Dr. Dillon is in the house!
Praying over you and your journey! The Lord is Good!
Shonell – Relating the unconscious mind to the Holy Spirit was brilliant. There is so much we will never understand about the MIND of God and how it manifests in creation and in our own lives. Yet comparisons like the ones you made in your post show where there is overlap between our spiritual lives and what we have learned in disciplines like science and psychology. Thank you for making the connection here and keep telling those mountains to move!
Shonell,
I love that the Lord is not just in our heads, but in our hearts as well. And I loved how you described his voice as that sweet whisper. It’s certainly a still small voice. Blessings over you.