Beyond the Clouds by Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, S.A.C. | Page 80

During the many flights over the Atlantic Ocean, I have often thought about
the Bermuda Triangle. I’ve read much about this mysterious, bottomless pit, of
which ships and airplanes have vanished suddenly into nature’s striking
mystery. Sitting so high in the sky, I’ve visualized the scene below; the
darkness of the ocean’s depth, which includes the scariest sea creatures
amongst the most precious pearls and stones. Imaginations can really go wild!
In psychology, we study about the reality and function of the unconscious
mind. In some way, this psychic reality can be compared to the Bermuda
Triangle and the the depths of the oceans. Often, this is the undiscovered
realm of our mind, containing many emotions, memories, and symbols, that
person is usually not aware of. However, these subconscious materials have a
profound influence on our everyday living. The insecure feelings we
experience, the affective memories associated with particular persons and
events, as well as the crazy dreams during sleep are all connected to the works
of the unconscious mind. Like plunging meters below the sea, the unconscious
mind also contains many treasures from which artists, poets, novelists, and
mystics draw great inspiration.
There is a mysterious realm in each person, a realm that is even unknown to
himself, yet very much a part of us. As an image of the Creator Himself, the
human being cannot be diagnosed and dissected merely by human sciences and
technology. His being is something far more than that, and we need to bow our
heads before this sacred mystery. In the Christian sense, each one is a temple
of God; a dwelling place of the Divine Being. Holding an awareness of this most
precious fact changes one’s own perception of himself as well as others.
Though we will never fathom the depth and width of this mysterious, inner
part of our core being, our own inroad can be gradually widened through
meditation, self-reflection, counseling, and -above all- through prayer and
contemplation. In this way, it’s so important to reduce the weight of the
unknown part of our self by opening up the windows of the mind and heart;
especially through the psychic part of our being.
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