BOOK REVIEW: What the World Needs Now!

(2) Be Intelligent.

(3) Be Reasonable.

(4) Be Responsible.

(5) Be in Love.

Lonergan's American Jesuit follower Robert M. Doran extensively discusses the dissolving of images that block cognition, which in effect is what Tony refers to as baggage, the kind of stuff that encumbers us and that we need to be free from in order to love. In the life of St. Ignatius Loyola, the dissolving of images that block cognition (and thereby block clear thinking) involved the famous gift of tears. People in the last century or so who have been lucky enough to have everything in their psyches cooperate with their undergoing psychoanalysis using dream analysis may have also experienced the dissolving of images that block cognition. Certain other kinds of psychotherapy that do not use dream analysis may also assist certain lucky people in dissolving images that block cognition. But Tony suggests that people can undertake working on dissolving images that block cognition through awareness.

At times, Tony's comments about awareness call to mind the practice known in Ignatian spirituality as an examen of conscience, which can be understood as an examen of consciousness. An examen is the practice of examining oneself and one's conscience and consciousness. Usually, one would undertake such a process of examining oneself in down-time when one can reflect in peace on the day's events.

However, at other times, Tony's comments about awareness call to mind the more formal practice of meditation such as Buddhist meditation -- more formal practice, that is, than the practice of reflecting on one's day in an examen would be.

But perhaps what Tony has in mind is that one might un-self-consciously move from the practice of awareness in an examen to the practice of meditation such as Buddhist meditation.

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).