PERDEV 11: Wholeness and Balance

Wholeness

• A sense of integration.

• A transcendental life goal.

Integration

It is when the different aspects of the individual - mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual - are in harmony or balanced.

Emeth and Greenhut (1991)

They wrote that we are all pilgrims on a journey toward wholeness and fullness of life.

Carl Jung

He recognized that…

• Man is essentially a whole being.

• Life is full of opposites.

• Split-self & the need to restore fragmented pieces of self in the hope of bringing out the uniqueness of an individual.

Simply put, wholeness is his definition of psychological health and wellness.

Individuation Process

Singer (1972) detailed this in his book Boundaries of the Soul.

• It is a path to self-knowledge

• It moves along two tracks

• Its ideal is the conscious realization

• It allows people to find their own direction

• It offers a way toward restoring faith

Singer

The author of the book titled Boundaries of the Soul

Gestalt Theory/Gestaltism

A theory that posits that psychological distress or mental problems are significantly caused by the split self.

• Man is a whole being functioning as a unit.

Soma

Body

Psyche

Mind

Kepner (1987)

They explained, “An integrated approach aims to bring together all aspects of a person so that he/she can experience himself/herself as a unitary organism.” 

Physical Development

Points to the body and its functioning.

Cognitive

Refers to thinking patterns, reasoning, and the ability to learn, remember, and solve problems.

Remembering

A function of the brain that depends on short-term or long-term memory.

Throop and Castellucci (2011)

They listed the 3 tips to improve memory, namely repetition, organization, and mnemonics.

Repetition

The act of going over material repeatedly.

Organization

Refers to the process of arranging information in a structured, logical, or meaningful way to make it easier to understand, remember, and retrieve. This can involve grouping related items together, creating categories or hierarchies, using outlines, or forming patterns that help the brain encode and recall the information more efficiently.

Mnemonic

A device that aids your memory. Acronyms and rhymed words are kinds of this.

Critical Thinking

• Derived from the Greek words “kritikos” and “criterion.”

• Implies discerning judgment based on standards.

• Requires the ability to reason out, infer, analyze, interpret, and explain.

Kritikos

Discerning judgement

Criterion

Standards

Motus anima

• It is said to be the Latin description for emotions.

• According to Hasson (2012), it means “the spirit that moves us.”

Physiological Component

The part of emotion that involves bodily arousal. It includes changes in the brain, autonomic nervous system, and endocrine system. Examples include dilated eyes, dry mouth, goosebumps, sweaty palms, and increased heart rate during stress.

Cognitive Component

The part of emotion that involves a person’s conscious interpretation of a situation. How you perceive or think about an event affects your emotional reaction, which may differ from how others feel.

Behavioral Component

The outward expression of emotions seen in facial expressions, body language, and manner of speaking. It is how emotions are displayed to others.

Primary Emotions (Plutchik)

Basic emotions that develop as we grow.

Spiritual Development

The process of growing and nurturing the spiritual side of oneself, which involves seeking love, comfort, guidance, and inspiration from a Higher Being or divine presence. It is an integral part of personal life and overall development.

Received Faith

Spiritual beliefs taught by parents or significant people during childhood. These are the initial beliefs a person grows up following before evaluating them independently.

Personal Faith Exploration

The stage, often during adolescence, where an individual evaluates previously received faith, asks questions about God, meaning of life, career, and relationships, and develops a personal spiritual identity. (Muus, 1996)

Muus (1996)

They proposed that during adolescence, individuals begin evaluating their received faith, asking deep questions about God, the meaning of life, personal identity, and future goals, marking a critical stage in spiritual development.

Lettie Cowman (1870–1960)

Author who emphasized the importance of remembering and nurturing the spiritual side of oneself through her writings.