I’m going to leave this posted for a while, in case someone is interested in different conceptual models of therapy which I’ve found relevant to meditators. Hope this helps in some way!
INSERT: Here’s my current suggested use of the models, based on the nature of the meditator’s “problem”.
Use of Meditation Modalities
Always the question: be with “the problem” or apply a method? I say tend toward being with the problem, unless a method speaks to us.
Always the question: is progress stage like, cycle like, fractal, or muiltidimensional? I say tend to think of it as multidimensional, nothing is without consequence, nothing is wasted, “progress” is actually beyond mapping.
Nature of Problem is… | Practice is… | Event is/are… | Major Wisdom is |
Concrete/Operational | Normal life, normal skill development | Psychological insights, A&P type mystical insight | Perception of world isn’t “real” , problems may not be real |
Bodily | Meditative movement – yoga, weights, chi kung, martial arts “forms” | Psychological insights, A&P type mystical awakening | Mind and body related, subtle body is mind |
Personal | Therapeutic “listening” meditation, the bubbling-up of personal thoughts | Psychological insights, A&P type mystical insight | Flavors of reactivity and neurosis limits self-expression, relaxed mind is best |
Authority, Self-Will | Fenner’s Natural Release/ Relaxation meditation | Glimpse of Presence | Basic self worth and self trust |
Solid Time | Biocognition, Past/present/future | Thought/body Insights into shame, betrayal, abandonment | Past is pride and shame, honor includes both.Future is hope and fear of betrayal, faithfulness includes both.Present is self-presence and fear of abandonment, commitment includes both – we can meaningfully “lose ourselves” as presence |
Impersonal Reality – “It” realm | Insight Meditation, the bubbling up of impersonal states | Nanas, Jhanas, Cessations | No control of mindstates |
Contextual Reality – “we” realm | Surrender – 6 realms paradigm is helpful | Nibbana – ending of mindstate | Dependent Origination and “gone” |
Uncontrollable, elemental reactive reality – “I” realm | Introspection – 5 elements paradigm is helpful | “Knowing”, awareness found within reactivity | No escape |
No Solution | All of above/No practice – reconciling emptiness and form | Awakening 1 – reality doesn’t hide, yang | Mind nature, no being (nor non-being) |
No Problem | All of above/No practice – reconciling self and other | Awakening 2 – natural love, reality as beloved, yin | Heart nature |
No thing | Spontaneity, success and failure to live from Awakening 1 & 2 | Awakening 3 – reconciling of interior and exterior, void | Gut nature, No interiority (remember, our gut is actually on the outside of our body – we’re a donut, not a sphere) |
END OF INSERT, back to original list of models…
Therapeutic Models for Meditators
- RAIN (Brach) Model
- Natural Release (Fenner) Model
- 6 Realms (Trungpa) Model
- Vipassina “Nana/Jhana”(Folk/Ingram) model
- Biocognition “Boundaries of Abundance” (Martinez) Model
- Aro “Neurosis” (Ngak’chang Rinpoche) Model
- Tibetian “5 Elements” (McCleod) Model
- My Stuff… still in draft
RAIN (Brach) method:
Theory – if the right attention is brought to emotional suffering, it will be released.
Treatment Method – basically desensitization, experiencing the suffering with mindfulness.
Usage – suitable for a conscious practioner with desire to expose and explore emotional landscape. Perfect for a mature person with a spiritual heart like an over-ripe fruit, needing gentle handling.
Letter | Meaning |
R | Recognize (note) what is arising (fear, hurt, etc.) |
A | Agree to “be with it,” to “let it be.” |
I | Investigate in a non-analytic way, get to know how the body, heart and mind experiences these energies. You might inquire by asking yourself one or more of the following questions: “What is happening?” “Where am I feeling this in my body?” “What sensation, feeling or emotion wants attention?” “What wants acceptance?” The “I” is also Intimacy: experiencing difficult sensations and emotions with a direct, gentle, kind attention; and offering compassion to the place of vulnerability. |
N | Non-Identification (disembedding) not having your full sense of Being defined by it. In other words, not taking it personally! |
Natural Release (Fenner) method:
Theory: Basically psychological but highest/best state is presence. People move through predictable progression from a problem mentality to developing greater presence.
Treatment Method: Basically needs therapist to undercut perceived problems until arrive at presence. Can also work for self-treatment but Dilemma can be confusing without a guide/model.
Usage: Lower phase emotions are realm of basic psychotherapy. Coexistance is healthy psychological human and is gateway to more spiritual dimension of Dilemma and Presence. Not sure if this model is limited because it doesn’t seem aware of “enlightenment” but Presence could be the point of enlightenment.
Phase Emotions | Emotions | Generic Problems/Comments |
Disconnection | Isolation, Rejection, Fear, Distraction, Separation | What is the point? I give up. This is ridiculous. This is dangerous. This has nothing to do with me. They have no business in how I feel. |
Conflict | Anger, Vindictiveness, Blame | I’m furious. It is their fault. I can’t bear feeling like this. They make it difficult for me. |
Codependence | Dependence, Neediness, Boredom | I have to please them. Without her I can’t do this. I have to ask him if it is okay. What will they think if I do this. |
Coexistence | Vigilance, Application, Ambition, Learning | I’m getting better at this. I can see what I need to change. I’m making progress. I’m getting closer. When you do this, you get closer. What else can I do? |
Dilemma | Confusion, Laughter, Perplexity, Anxiety | I don’t know if I’m making progress or not. There is nothing to do. Should I continue or stop. Is there something to do? This is crazy. |
Presence | Aware, Alert, Relaxed, Calm, Clear, Spacious, Present |
6 Realms (Trungpa) Model:
Theory: There are major modes of being that capture how we think of ourselves in terms of our effect/integration with the environment. The realms are a tautology – the subjective sense of inner being is co-created with the objective sense of the outside world; the evidence of the reality of the inner world is supplied by the outer world and vise versa. Because there is not a causal thing that links one realm to another, living with this paradigm can feel like being completely re-born is different realms.
Treatment Method: This works as a way to get someone sensitive to the gestalt context in which they live. It can be used to help sensitize people living in the lower realms to how they create the conditions for their suffering. It can be used as a cautionary and humbling device for people living in the upper realms. Wisdom is lived out in the human realm, the other realms are not conducive to maturation.
Usage: For increasing sensitivity to base psychological conditions, but this model works on ever more subtle levels. Might be good reminder of the wisdom in human realm for advance practitioners who want to define themselves by higher attainments.
Realm |
Conditions and attitudes which characterize and hold in this realm |
Attitudes which cause Descent |
Attitudes which cause Ascent |
Gods/Divas |
Abundant pleasures that are gently enjoyed |
Holding too tightly to pleasures, fear of loss of pleasures |
Not possible to go higher, but acceptance and honest enjoyment tends to keeps one here |
Jealous Gods |
Abundant pleasures that are easily taken from others |
Devoting more energy to taking or competition rather than enjoying pleasures |
Letting go of taking and simply enjoying the pleasures available |
Humans |
World of nuance, where decisions must weigh the trade off between competing pleasures, between effort expended and resulting gain, wisdom in avoiding suffering |
Repeating old patterns which have worked in the past |
Obtaining and becoming fascinated with using power of discernment |
Animals |
World of patterned behavior, going through life on autopilot and obtaining basic satisfaction |
Worry/anxiety that old patterns will not work into the future |
Investigation of experience and being more conscious in decision-making |
Hungry Ghosts |
Desperately seeking pleasures in a world of scarce (but enough) pleasures |
Fixating on never having abundance, intense striving for next pleasure |
Enjoying pleasures that one has |
Hell Beings |
World nearly empty of pleasures, many opportunities for suffering, pain feels unavoidable |
Impossible to go lower, but lashing out and anguishing over suffering tends to keeps one here |
Unnecessary pain is avoided by acceptance, not fighting pain that is already here |
Vipassina “Nana/Jhana” (Folk/Ingram) model
# |
Jhana |
Ñana, a.k.a. Knowledge of |
Basic Insight(s) |
Basic Flaw(s) |
|
0 |
0.4 |
(The Waterfall) |
It is time to meditate, my mind is a mess | Poor concentration, poor investigation, usually swamped by the content/stuff | |
1 |
1.1 |
Mind and Body |
Thoughts, intentions and mental echo (consciousness) become objective | Don’t see Causality, easily solidified to first jhana | |
2 |
1.2 |
Cause and Effect |
Intentions precede thoughts and actions, consciousness echoes sensations | Don’t see Three Characteristics | |
3.1 |
1.3 |
The Three Characteristics |
Begin to see Three Characteristics: impermanence, suffering, no-self | Fight them, don’t see them very clearly, mostly at physical level | |
3.2 |
1.4 |
See the Three Characteristics more directly, set up for deep insight into them | Mind not fast or precise enough yet | ||
4.1 |
2.1 |
The Arising and Passing Away |
Shift into direct observation, mind speeds up, deep insights begin | Like a kid moving from a bicycle to a car | |
4.2 |
2.2 |
Ten Corruptions of Insight arise | Ten Corruptions of Insight not seen as they are, like a 16-year-old driving a Ferrari | ||
4.3 |
2.3 |
Ten Corruptions of Insight seen through, Peak Experience on spiritual path | Still holding back, precision not as all-encompassing as they think, arrogance, unbalanced evangelism | ||
4.4 |
2.4 |
The Three Characteristics are hints of the Ultimate, Realization can be attained | They don’t know as much or see as clearly as they think they do | ||
5.1 |
3.1 |
Dissolution |
(Beginning of Dark Night/Dukkha Ñanas) With highs come lows, with extreme highs come crashes | Attachment to A&P, long for past abilities, clarity and balance fade | |
5.2 |
3.1 |
Hints of the implications of transience at a more mental level. In 3rd vipassana jhana, center of attention vague, periphery open and more clear. | Effort must be more gentle and accepting, vagueness must be understood, insights now coming around to shake observer | ||
6 |
3.2 |
Fear |
Acceptance difficult, Fear can be frightening and fun. Insights coming around at observer, violating | Fascination with fear, lost in the content | |
7 |
3.2 |
Misery |
Acceptance is difficult, Misery can be miserable and fun | Fascination with misery, lost in the content | |
8 |
3.2 |
Disgust |
Acceptance is difficult, Disgust can be disgusting and fun | Fascination with disgust, lost in the content | |
9 |
3.3 |
Desire for Deliverance |
Realization must be beyond reality, A Lack of Enlightenment is Unacceptable | Effort still made to create this, lost in the content | |
10.1 |
3.3 |
Re-observation |
The GREAT KICK in the ASS, You won’t find the answer in any phenomena or reaction to them. Sense of observer shaking. | Basic acceptance of implications of previous insights low, large potential for messy bleedthrough into life | |
10.2 |
3.4 |
You can’t do it, and so you completely give up and accept defeat | Exhaustion | ||
11.1 |
4.1 |
Equanimity |
Realization can be attained, formations become obvious, begin to include full field of experience, name and form as integrated experience | Mind still speeding up, synchronizing, and recovering | |
11.2 |
4.2 |
Realization is imminent, the true nature of formations becomes obvious | Anticipation, over-confidence | ||
11.3 |
4.3 |
Mastery of seeing the true nature of formations | Still holding back, center still seems to be that which masters | ||
11.4 |
4.4 |
Attachment to mastery vanishes, effort to attain or do vanishes, it all happens by itself | Very few | ||
12 |
4.4 |
Conformity |
Effortless conformity of perception with the Three Characteristics of Full Formations. | None | |
13 |
4.4 |
Change of Lineage |
This is realization/changes made in relationship to phenomena | None | |
14 |
4.4 |
Path |
The first/next Path is Attained | None | |
15 |
N/A |
Fruition (Nirvana) |
This is the non-experience of Nirvana beyond space, time and the universe | N/A | |
16.1 |
0.1 |
Review |
The Path has been attained, hints of limitations shown soon enough | Mind too powerful to really be stable or balanced, aftershocks of realization | |
16.2 |
0.2 |
The stages of the path can be mastered and integrated | Still working on mastery and integration | ||
16.3 |
0.3 |
The stages of the Path are Mastered | Integration is lifelong, Dualities May Remain if this not the Last Path |
Biocognition “Boundaries of Abundance” (Martinez) Model:
Theory: Our sense of self is vulnerable early in life to overwhelming negative experiences, these experiences cause biological-psychological-cultural wounds that can be re-triggered. Positive states are also linked to wounds because this is the original context in which the triggering insult occurred. They are inflicted by those with authority over you and dependent on survival. Occur within the context of intimacy, love.
As a result, wounds cause limits to dimensions of happiness because they are re-awakened by both similar insults as well as similar contexts of happiness. You can only experience joy to the extent that you feel worthy of the experience, wounds associated with happiness is the limiter of joy.
Treatment Method: Essentially desensitization. Find a safe place, a safe posture (solid seat, warm, back protected), imagine happiness, look for the “kill joy” negative feeling, that is the wound, experience the sensations of wounds without judgment. A more active method is to apply an antidote by creating a healing field, as described below.
Usage: Basic psychotherapy usage, but good model for why spiritual openings can have negative rebounds.
Wounds |
Stress Neurotransmitter |
Sensation |
Healing Field, Re-Empowerment |
Shame, creating Hopelessness |
pro-inflammatory products (not cortisol) – auto immune disease |
hot, humiliating, shrinking, embarrassment, want to disappear |
Honor: what is the honorable thing to do now? Do this without carrying forward the sensation of shame. |
Abandonment, creating Fear |
Adrenaline, flight response – cancer disease |
cold, isolation, aloneness, fear |
Commitment: commitment to oneself. if person x abandons, I will commit to doing y for myself. |
Betrayal, creating Frustration/Anger |
Adrenaline and Cortisol, fight response – heart disease |
hot, anger, being tricked |
Loyalty to self, valuing oneself: set boundaries, do something beyond the moment of betrayal. |
Aro Neurosis (Ngak’chang Rinpoche) Model:
Theory: Our pain and confusion from the addiction to splitting experiences into form (knowing) and emptiness (not knowing) and then feeling aversion to empty experiences and grasping at form experiences, relaxing the aversion creates acceptance of emptiness (not knowing) and resulting happiness and freedom.
Treatment Method: Not sure, seems like desensitization again by consciously being with the experience of aversion until it yields the unified field of experience described in table below.
Usage: Good method for integrating peak wisdom experiences into daily life.
Element | Symptom | When we try to consolidate empty form quality of these elements…we experience of aversion to passionate empty quality | Experience of aversion (passionate empty quality) | So we relax the experience into the unified experience of… |
Earth | Territorialism | Hollowness and Insecurity | Generosity and Equanimity | |
Water | Aggression | Fear | Clarity | |
Fire | Obsession | Isolation | Indiscriminate Compassion | |
Air | Suspicion and Paranoia | Groundless Anxiety | Self-accomplishing Activity | |
Space | Depression | Bewilderment | Ubiquitous intelligence |
5 Element (McLeod) Model:
Theory: Our reactive patterns are caused by avoiding sensations…
Treatment Method: Using visualizations to cultivate sensations and being able to fully experience the sensations and not fall into pattered reaction.
Usage: Good method for diffusing reactivity at the sensation-trigger level (as opposed to narrative story level
Element |
Initial Reaction |
Feeling = Fear |
Open Space |
Pristine Awareness |
Earth |
Rigidity |
hollowness or uncertainty = Instability | Earthquake | Balanced, knowing without judgement |
Water |
Fluidity |
external threat = Engulfment | Tidalwave | Mirrorlike, knowing clearly |
Fire |
Intensity |
aloneness = Isolation | Featureless Desert | Distinguishing, knowing the particulars |
Air |
Busyness |
groundless = Destruction | Falling | Effective, knowing what to do |
Void |
Dullness |
overwhelmed = Being nothing | Blankness | Totalness, knowing totality |
5 Elements |
Provoking |
Calming |
Earth |
Your position is weak. You are on shaky ground. |
You position is solid. You are on solid ground. |
Water |
There is danger everywhere. You are going to be overwhelmed. |
You are safe, no one is going to hurt you. I’m going to make sure of that. |
Fire |
You are alone in this situation as far as I’m concerned. |
You are not alone. This is a difficult situation, but you and I are going to get through it together. |
Air |
You have no idea what to do. |
You know what needs to be done, and I know you can do it. |
Void/Space |
You don’t even know where you are. |
Where are we now? Here in this room, this is where we are. |
Interpersonal 6 Realms (McLeod)
Realm |
Principal Emotion |
Provoking |
Calming |
Gods/Divas |
Pride |
I’m right, that’s just how it is. |
You are right. |
Jealous Gods |
Jealousy |
I’m better than you. |
You are better than me. |
Humans |
Desire |
I want you. |
You have me. |
Animals |
Reactivity/Instinct |
I’m just trying to survive. |
You are living, not just surviving. |
Hungry Ghosts |
Greed |
I’m taking everything. |
You can have whatever you want. |
Hell Beings |
Anger/Hatred |
You are against me. |
I’m on your side. |
That’s lovely stuff! Thanks for sharing. Are you familiar with Listening From the Heart of Silence: Nondual Wisdom & Psychotherapy by Prendergast et al?
Also possibly of interest to you, a blend of CBT and Orthodox Christianity: http://ancientchristianwisdom.com/
Thanks for those references Ona, I’m going to check them out!
Wow! Just discovered this. And I was planning on going to bed early tonight…
Hi Shargrol, thanks for this (I didn’t know you were developing your own model) – I’m interested in what you mean when you use the term ‘therapeutic.’ Could there be a meditative model or path that was not therapeutic? How does the ‘therapeuticness’ of these models align/interact/differ to psychotherapy ‘therapeutic-ness’? Does this have any relationship to ‘multiple axes of development’ type theories/ideas? And if so, can or should we take into consideration the actual life of the model developer (Trungpa would be the most obvious example here) when asking whether something is therapeutic or what its therapeutic-ness is? (in a way that might be different or similar to how we would do so if we were to frame something as a ‘method for awakening’ rather than a ‘therapy’)?
Sorry for the delayed response, I just noticed your (very good!) questions! I’m going to copy and paste the questions into the message board, to hopefully draw others in on the conversation.