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Paradigm... an example, or pattern, a model of the world, a narrative about how and why "things" are the way they are, a worldview or an archetype, a belief system. Turns out, your paradigm, your narrative (your story about your life) is what makes you, you! |
Fun (and somewhat tragic) Facts about Paradigms
As children we largely complete our paradigm or worldview
about how "things are" by 7 years of age. We've decided what is "true."
As human beings, we are generally not inclined to question what
we've already defined as "true."
...which is why stubborn, long term, painful problems
always require a shift in paradigm.
Did you say "psychospiritual"?
Indeed. I did.
Our paradigms have been with us for a long time usually in the basement of our less than conscious mind, delivering approvals or disapprovals on our (and everyone else's) thoughts, feelings, and behaviors).
Usually what triggers an increase in introspective investigation is some sort of major emotional upset: sickness, loss, a relationship breakup, or shock of some other sort.
When that happens our assumptions, what we have always taken for granted about "how things are," suddenly and sometimes quite dramatically, fall apart.
Recovery from this type of pain, if and when recovery does occur, involves witnessing the cataclysmic dismantling of our belief system, and the conscious, challenging, rebuilding of another one, hopefully a more generous, kind and accurate accounting of "how things are," now.
That said, and keeping in mind that spiritual belief systems account for how we make sense of who and what we are, here's the point: our belief systems (paradigms) determine how we feel about and relate to ourselves and to other beings. Our paradigms answer the "big philosophical questions" whether we've ever consciously thought about them or not. Our paradigms define and enact our relationships in the world.
Our paradigms include our ideas about the Intelligence (for many the word "God" works well here) that gave rise to the material world and life as we know it. And, most importantly, our ideas about that Intelligence, determines what we think about ourselves at the most essential and radically elemental level.
THAT IS OUR PSYCHOSPIRITUAL PARADIGM