Synopsis of the talk given by David Kneller at the Therapist Support Network Group Meeting 27/06/09

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF METAPHOR
by David Kneller Aug 2009

Synopsis of the talk given by David at the Therapist Support Network Group Meeting 27/06/09

INTRODUCTION

Quote me happy

Use of quotations to bring about therapeutic change

Metaphor is considered a powerful tool by the corporate world (Norwich Union becomes Aviva). Space Hopper.

The importance of keeping our metaphors fresh not becoming ROTE

REMINDER OF WHAT METAPHOR IS

A means of describing/ explaining something, which may be quite abstract, by comparing it with something else. This has been used by others like poets, artists, and movie makers.

SHAKESPEAR

Shakespeare illustrates this quite very nicely with sonnet 18

“Shall I compare thee with a summer’s day, thou art more lovely and more temperate.”

His use of nominalization and deletions to hide the gender of the object of his sonnets (a young man)

We can change quotes and rely upon the minds tenancy to look for similarity and “fill in the gaps.”

Sonnett 59 is a metaphor for his inability to find the words he needs to express his love and he uses the Bible quote of there being nothing new under the sun.

He loops the quote by splitting it and adding a further metaphor about unwanted children (his unwanted ideas) then closes the original quote by referring to the sun.

He lived around the time of The Renaissance, when Kabala fused with Christianity and Hermetic ideas, when Dr John Dee was Queen Elizabeth I’s spiritual adviser and astrologer and brought these ideas to England.

It is believed that JRR Tolkien modelled the character of Gandalf on Dr John Dee.

THE SECULAR  AGE AND MORAL AND POPULAR CULTURE

In Shakespeare’s time the world was far more familiar with religious symbolism and Iconography, though today we have the medium of movies like Lord of The Rings.

Moral tales

A sense of duty

Courage

How 2 insignificant people can make all the difference in the world

A metaphor of Tolkiens experiences in WW1

How much would a Lord of The Rings fan enjoy having Gandalf as their inner advisor?

JUNGIAN ARCHETYPES AND TAROT

Gandalf also has a particular resonance as he fits in with the Jungian Archetype of the Wise Old Man, often looking for the one good soul.

Zaruthustra

Diogenes

Moses

Lot

Lao Tzu

And The Hermit from The Major Arcana of The Tarot Keys

He saw connections between them and his own system of Archetypes. In Collective Unconscious.

THERAPUTIC USES OF TAROT

Good for people on purple wavelength, interested in mysticism, astrology.

The whole Major Arcana is a metaphor for our journey through life. Life as a series of initiatory experiences that help us grow.

Cards can be used to tell a story to impart a quality needed by client

In trance a character from the card can be used as an inner advisor (The Hermit, The Fool, woman from Strength card).

Client can become one of the characters in the card.

SOME EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION

FOOL:  For overcoming negativity, depression. The fool just enjoys life from one moment to the next. No self torture. The can see life below himself and is filled with absolute wonder like child. Jonnie Appleseed

MAGICIAN: Focusing the will on a specific goal, directing the will to make it happen. Feel the will as energy that is directed. “As above so below”.

TEMPERANCE: Client pours and mixes the contents of a vessel in to a cauldron (the gifts of the unconscious mind with the conscious mind or perhaps the personality. Like the flooding technique.

THE STAR: Similar to above.

THE DEVIL: Good for overcoming obsessions and addictions. The client cuts the chains that tie them to the foot of a plinth at the foot of the devil. Similar to cutting the chains that bind trance. Client should not look at the devil.

STRENGTH: Androclese and The Lion, <placew:ston><cityw:ston>St Jerome. Androclese (the higher self) removes thorn from the lions paw and tames it. Victory of higher self over lower self using love.

Good for overcoming rage, anger, jealousy.

THE HERMIT: An inner advisor. Client can become The hermit and holding his lamp overcome their cynicism of others and look for the good on other people.

The cards are based upon mythological figures, which are part of our culture and the collective unconscious. So when using these ideas we don’t have to mention the cards directly just perhaps the figures that inspired them. As some people might be alarmed at the mention of the word Tarot.

THE WESTERN ESOTERIC TRADITION /KABALAH AND SUFISM

Discuss the similarities between hypnotherapy and mysticism.

Use of trance

Induction utilizing physical awareness.

Breathing

Visualisation

Metaphor

The Cabalistic Tree as a metaphor of creation including body and mind.

The House of The Psyche meditation (hall is personality, study is intellect, loft is unconscious mind), communication with unconscious mind can take place here.

Unconscious mind as connection with The Creator.

Sufism also uses metaphor in the form of story telling as in conversational hypnosis.

Celtic tradition uses story telling too

Story of Sufi teacher accepting student with bad habits.s

CLOSE

All these traditions use metaphor as a tool to bring about profound inner change and many techniques can used in therapy with a small change of language or emphasis.

Some suggested reading

BOOKS and CD’S by Zev Ben Shimon Halevi (warren Kenton)

The Zohar : Amazing tales of medieval Rabbi’s

The Book of Tokens a description of the Tarot Keys.

Hazrat Inayet Khan: The Way of Illumination.