Philosophy, religion and theology; Psychology; Core heart feelings; Four immeasurable truths; Heart; Heart based psychology; Heart intelligence; Sacred emotions
摘要
This qualitative study involved the creation and assessment of a seven-week heart-focused psycho-spiritual inquiry program, Map of the Heart. The program’s curriculum was comprised of heart-based practices and theories designed to develop heart-centered awareness. The purpose of this investigation was to reveal and understand the personal experience and expression of heart intelligence and to define it and its personal meaning while illuminating the clinical relevance of Map of the Heart curriculum in the field of counseling psychology. The curriculum was organized into six weekly themes based upon core heart feelings associated with the Four Immeasurable Truths, Buddhist virtues, and practices for cultivating the heart. Informed by East-West psychology, the curriculum highlighted perennial philosophy from both Eastern and Western religions and indigenous and psychological traditions, integrating spiritual discipline with Western neuroscience research and psychotherapy practices. The research design used heuristic phenomenology and co-operative inquiry to explicate the individual and group experience of heart intelligence. Data analysis was primarily derived from a series of one-on-one semi-structured interviews and group dialogue sessions with nine state-registered psychotherapists. Research findings indicated that Map of the Heart may support psycho-spiritual and clinical skills development and may encourage personal and interpersonal conflict resolution. Co-researchers reported increased experiential awareness of their own heart center and a defined ability to connect internally, reinforcing therapeutic intuition, perception, and sensitivity, subsequently strengthening the therapeutic alliance. Increases in therapeutic presence, empathic listening, attunement, and accurate mirroring were also reported. Co-researchers reported a greater ability to work more effectively with difficult clients and complex mental health issues. As a result, transformative changes in the client were observed. Co-researchers indicated that they were able to effectively use aspects of the curriculum for therapeutic intervention and clinical directives, where the heart became a focal point of the session. For example, the client focused on their own heart center by implementing heart breathing and other heart-related exercises to facilitate self-inquiry and emotional self-regulation. Map of the Heart offers the beginnings of a theoretical template and experiential basis upon which psychotherapists, psychologists, and mental health care and other professionals can access and integrate the spiritual, psychological, and physiological terrain of the heart for therapeutic process and intervention. Further investigation is necessary to determine a more comprehensive psychology and theoretical orientation of the heart.
目次
Abstract iv Acknowledgments vi Dedication of Merit ix List of Tables and Figures xix Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Key Concepts and Terms 6 Purpose and Significance of the Study 7 Research Questions 7 Relevance to East–West Psychology 8 Autobiographical Relevance 9 Researcher Assumptions 11 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 12 Defining Intelligence and Heart Intelligence 13 The Physical Heart 26 The Spiritual Heart 31 Map of the Heart Curriculum 40 Love 41 Compassion 48 Gratitude 53 Forgiveness 60 Equanimity 70 Chapter 3: Method and Procedures 79 Research Participants 85 Procedures 85 Curriculum 87 Propositional Knowing 87 Practical Knowing 87 Presentational Knowing 88 Experiential Knowing 88 Data Collection 88 One-on-One interviews 89 Indwelling and Cooperative Inquiry Sessions 89 Self-Rating Psychograph 90 Journals 90 Artwork 91 Data Analysis 91 Validity and Limitations 93 Validity 93 Limitations 94 Research Delimitations 95 Chapter 4: Findings 97 One-on-One Interview 1 97 HB 1 97 HB 2 98 HB 3 99 HB 4 101 HB 5 102 HB 6 103 HB 7 104 HB 8 106 HB 9 107 Essential Themes: A Composite of Questions 1 and 2 from Interview 1 108 Heart Intelligence Was Experienced in the Absence of It 108 As a Sense of Wellbeing 108 As a Feeling of Openness and Spaciousness 108 Experienced in the Body as Physical Sensations 108 Heart Intelligence Is Associated with Listening to the Heart and Being Guided by the Heart when Making Decisions 109 Heart Intelligence Is Related to Spiritual Experience or Practice 109 Heart Intelligence Is Experienced as a Relational Phenomenon That Promotes a Sense of Connection 110 Heart Intelligence Is Experienced through Making a Distinction Between the Heart and the Head 110 Heart Intelligence Is Experienced through Professional Therapeutic Work with Others 110 Heart Intelligence Is Difficult to Describe in Words, It Is Beyond Words and Thought 110 Heart Intelligence Is Experienced as an Intuition or a Kind of Knowing 111 Heart Intelligence Is Experienced as One of the Core Heart Feelings (Love, Compassion, Gratitude) 111 Heart Intelligence Is Experienced as a Sense of Safety 111 Interview Two: Question One 111 HB 1 112 HB 2 112 HB 3 113 HB 4 113 HB 5 113 HB 9 114 HB 8 114 Essential Themes and Supporting Statements from Interview Two, Question One 115 Definition Did Not Change 115 MOH Expanded One’s Definition and Awareness of Heart Intelligence 115 Heart Intelligence Is a Non-Conceptual Knowing 116 Heart Intelligence Is Innate, Associated with One’s "Essence" 116 Heart Intelligence Is Relational; It Enhances Communication and Connection 117 MOH Increased the Ability to Access Heart Intelligence and to Trust It 117 Heart Intelligence Is Associated with a Sense of Warmth and Openness 117 Heart Intelligence Is Holistic 117 Heart Intelligence Increases One’s Ability to Tolerate and Work with Difficult Emotions and Situations 118 Heart Intelligence Is Healing and Transformative 118 Heart Intelligence Is the Ability and a Tool to Respond to Life 118 Indwelling Analysis 120 Week Two: Love 121 Alexandra’s Introduction 124 Week Two – Love: Themes and Supporting Statements 1
