Complete Catharsis

     When discussing the idea of “processing feelings”, it is common for at least one workshop participant to approach this endeavor as though there is an “end point” to feelings; a time and space in which the less palatable of the emotions will no longer exist in their life.  This misunderstanding causes individuals to work at expressing old and yucky feelings as though once they are cleared out, they will never return.  The belief of this complete catharsis is that once old anger, sadness, and fear are processed the individual will never experience angry, sad or fearful feelings, again.  This is not an accurate perception.

     This faulty perspective creates a number of issues.  It causes a dangerous notion to be present.  This belief does not allow for our existence as energy channels.  Our natural state is that of a conduit for the energy of God and the Universe.  I like to compare it to a lava tube in which the creative molten flows through. 

      The perspective of complete catharsis causes the perception of the self as being a vessel or a receptacle.  With this belief we become containers, something that is filled up and can then be emptied.  Because of this receptacle paradigm we greatly mistreat our channels.  The vessel notion allows for the idea that “I can put anything into it, I just need to take the trash out every once and a while”.  This belief makes it seem as though we are some how internally galvanized and that the stuff we choose to keep in the receptacle or put into the receptacle cannot leach into our physical or etheric bodies.  I am here to tell you that it is time to “take out the trash”, so to speak.  It isn’t however a receptacle that needs to be cleaned out, but rather the idea itself that needs to be “trashed”.

     If one examines the contents of these “containers” there would be much shock and surprise at what each of us have chosen to save; low end emotions like anger, sadness, and anything else that is “not supposed to” be felt.  Also, within these “containers” is found the remains of unhealthy diets caused by the over consumption of processed foods and violent media.  It is the nature of these contents that to me would define our containers as garbage cans or trash receptacles. 

     How does all this debris remain within us, after all, it is exactly the opposite of which we’d like to fill ourselves?  This occurs due to resistance; because we resist feeling these painful feelings, we keep them.  To complicate matters even more, we then pile on further layers of harmful refuse by watching, hearing of or reading about violence.  Since a vast number of us don’t eat “clean” diets, free of processed foods yet another layer of “junk” is added to this trash heap.   This layering of offal is a problem because the Law of Attraction and Quantum Physics says that energy is magnetic.  If all you are carrying around with you is “trash”, all you are going to be magnetic for is MORE TRASH! 

          Instead of treating our feelings as optional, we must understand that they are energy based.  I like to think of feelings energy like food energy.  Food provides a perfect example of our channel nature.  Food energy consumed must move through the channel.  You wouldn’t expect to keep all that you have eaten in your body.  You’d eventually explode!  The only way not to produce food waste is to not eat.  If you do not eat, you die.  Our body produces the energy of feelings and just like the waste of food, it needs to be released, or we become toxic.  Once the energy of a feeling exists in the body, you have to allow the “waste” to move through you.  As with food, if you were able to completely empty of feelings, you’d be dead.     

     This is not to say that you can’t make a choice to create less anger, sadness, and fear in your life.  However, as long as you are in the body, you will have the whole scope of human emotions.   You will create anger.  You will create sadness.  You will create fear.  And, as long as you are producing the energy of the whole scope of human emotions, you will need to feel the whole scope of human emotions or your channel will become clogged.

     Begin this process of unclogging your channel by changing the complete catharsis metaphor.  Shift the way you look at the energy system you are.  Watch what you put through this channel.  Clear out the obstacles blocking you, the conduit of life.   Allow your creative, authentic, feeling energy to flow.

                                                                                         Michelle L. McClellan, Psy.D. ©