Our past crises often linger, unresolved and coloring our perceptions and emotions. We might find that these past events have disabled us in certain areas of life, and we must ask ourselves if it is worth the continuing cost. Fortunately, there are now mechanisms available to help us handle these residuals, investigate our feelings, and let them go so that we can heal.
One powerful technique is to place the past event in a different context, to see it from a different perspective and give it a different meaning. Viktor Frankl, the renowned psychiatrist and author of “Man’s Search for Meaning,” first recognized the value of this approach, which he called “Logotherapy.” By re-contextualizing traumatic occurrences and emotional events, we can change them considerably and heal.
Even the most “tragic” life experiences contain hidden lessons that offer opportunities for growth, expansion, and development. Sometimes, our unconscious purposefully brings us into a crisis so that we can learn something important that could not be learned otherwise. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, concluded that the unconscious has an inborn drive toward wholeness, completeness, and realization of the Self, and that it will devise ways to bring this about, even if they are traumatic to our conscious mind.
Jung also identified an aspect of ourselves called the “shadow,” which represents all of our repressed thoughts, feelings, and concepts. In a crisis, we are often brought into familiarity with our shadow, making us more human and more whole. By acknowledging and surrendering to our shadow, we can handle our forbidden impulses, thoughts, and feelings, so they no longer unconsciously control us.
Passing through a life crisis makes us more compassionate, accepting, and understanding of ourselves and others. By handling an emotional crisis, we gain greater wisdom and experience lifetime benefits. Fear of life is really the fear of emotions, not facts. Once we have mastery over our feelings, our fear of life diminishes, and we feel greater self-confidence. We can then take on life with a new attitude, acknowledging the hidden gift in every experience, and healing our past.
When we look back at our lives, we may notice that there are certain events that have left a mark on us, events that we haven’t fully processed or healed from. These events could be anything from a breakup, a loss of a loved one, a traumatic experience, or even a job loss. The emotions and thoughts surrounding these events can linger in our subconscious mind and continue to impact our lives in various ways, limiting our potential for growth and happiness.
But there is hope. We now have tools and techniques that can help us uncover these residual feelings, investigate them, and ultimately let them go. One such technique is to place the event in a different context and see it from a different perspective. This means giving it a different meaning, taking on a different attitude towards it, and acknowledging the hidden gift in it.
Frankl was a psychiatrist who survived the Nazi concentration camps, and he discovered that emotional events and traumatic occurrences can be healed if a new meaning is placed around them. He found that even in the most horrific circumstances, one can choose to find a deeper meaning and purpose, which can lead to inner triumph and healing.
Frankl’s approach, which he called “logotherapy,” has since been widely used in the field of psychology and has helped countless individuals heal from their past traumas. By re-contextualizing a past difficulty or trauma and seeing it as an opportunity for growth and development, we can transform our perception of the event and allow ourselves to move forward with greater wisdom and self-awareness.
For example, let’s say you lost your job unexpectedly. At first, you may feel devastated and uncertain about your future. But after some time has passed, you may realize that your former job was stunting your growth and causing you physical and mental stress. You may even see that losing the job was a blessing in disguise because it allowed you to discover new abilities and talents that you wouldn’t have otherwise explored. This change in perspective can help you heal from the pain of losing your job and move forward with a more positive outlook.

It’s important to note that every life experience, no matter how tragic, contains a hidden lesson. When we discover and acknowledge the hidden gift that is there, a healing takes place. In some cases, it may seem in retrospect that there was actually an unconscious purpose behind the event, as though our unconscious knew that something important had to be learned and, painful as it was, it was the only way it could be brought into experience.
This concept is part of the psychology of Carl Jung, who believed that there is an inborn drive in the unconscious toward wholeness, completeness, and realization of the Self. He also believed that the unconscious will devise the ways and means of bringing this about, even if they are traumatic to the conscious mind. Jung also talked about the concept of the “shadow,” which is all the repressed thoughts, feelings, and concepts about ourselves that we do not want to face.
One benefit of going through a crisis is that it often brings us into familiarity with our shadow. It makes us more human and more whole to realize what we share with all of humanity. All the stuff that we thought “they” were guilty of is equally in ourselves. Thus, when it is brought up to conscious awareness, acknowledged, and surrendered, it no longer unconsciously runs us. Once the shadow has been acknowledged, it loses its power. All that is necessary is merely to recognize that we have certain forbidden impulses, thoughts, and feelings. Now, they can be handled with a “healthy” approach, which involves acknowledging their existence and finding healthy ways to express or cope with them. For example, if someone has a tendency towards anger, they can acknowledge that anger is a natural human emotion but then find healthy ways to express it, such as through exercise or meditation.
On the other hand, if someone tries to suppress or deny these forbidden impulses, thoughts, and feelings, they may lead to destructive behavior or even mental health issues. For example, if someone denies their sadness and instead tries to constantly put on a happy face, they may develop depression or anxiety as a result of repressed emotions.
In recognizing and accepting our forbidden impulses, thoughts, and feelings, we can move towards a more balanced and healthy approach to life. By understanding and working through these difficult emotions, we can ultimately become more resilient and better equipped to handle the challenges that life throws our way.
Of course, this process is easier said than done, and many people may need professional help to navigate through their emotions. But the first step towards healing and growth is always acknowledging and accepting the reality of our internal struggles.
This is what I do with the help of the client’s Higher Self. The Higher Self knows exactly what is blocking the client to achieve full potential and abundance in life and how to remove, modify or reframe it during the session and heal the issues.