SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - THE TRICKSTER IN YOU

In almost every culture we find the concept of the 'Trickster'. 

The great Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung described this as the universal force or pattern within the mind that explains - and allows for - the irrational, unpredictable and chaotic side of human nature.  read more

Perhaps this part of us is most easily understood by our modern expression 'thinking outside the box'.

The trickster is the part of us that creates balance for the analytical and logical component of our minds.  It's the aspect of our persona that allows us to play, be silly, lighthearted and nonsensical. read more

The trickster suggests that reason must be complemented by unreason if it is to achieve its full potential.  Here's a perfect example:      

'When Jonas Salk was researching the polio vaccine that would bear his name, he decided to distance himself from his work for a short period by going to the monastery of Assisi in Italy. Salk had a keen interest in architecture, and his encounter with the shapes and spaces, light, materials, colours, and the history of this monastery had a profound impact on his mind and spirit. Salk became highly energised. "Under the influence," he later recalled, "I intuitively designed the research that I felt would result in the desired vaccine. I returned to my laboratory in Pittsburgh to validate my concepts and found that they were indeed correct!"

Throughout history researchers often have achieved success only when they allowed play and other distractions to mingle with the intellect — in other words, when they have invited the Trickster to come out to play.'  more

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas...

OWN YOUR INNER TRICKSTER

Most of us do play this role from time to time.  Sometimes we feel guilty about it, other times we get a kick out of being 'bad'...  

If we tune into the concept that this part of us has a positive purpose in our lives we can begin to use it more consciously. 

Feeling stuck?

Access your inner trickster!

*  Think of a situation where you felt bogged down and unable to see any way forward.

*  Now imagine you could access the Trickster part of you… go for silly, contrary, playful and irrational. 

*  You can act out this role in reality or in fantasy. 

*  Imagine you are a clown, or that wonderful Coyote in the Native American stories.  http://www.native-languages.org/legends-coyote.htm

*  Let yourself really get into this.  Use your voice, your body movements, facial expressions…

You are letting yourself counter-balance the limitations you are feeling by stretching - for the moment - into something totally different. 

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