Metaself

A Handy Tool for Three Overlapping Groups:

For Individuals,
MetaSelf can help you —

Imagine a loving "I" attending to your evolving parts.
Re-ground your abstract values in your body's structure.
Use balance as a detailed metaphor for self-regulation.
[ Read more … ]

For Educators & Healers,
MetaSelf can —

Help somatic healers and "heady" clients communicate.
Enlarge spatial thinking to include figurative space.
Integrate verbal skills with visual/spatial skills.
[ Read more … ]

For Researchers & Theorists,
MetaSelf can —

Promote cognitive science using ordinary language and pictures.
Offer conceptual metaphor as a self-transformation tool.
Ground the idea of "self" in the body's structure in gravity (Lakoff & Johnson).
[ Read more … ]

1. Beyond Space and Time

This figurative space is beyond the wall, outside the system (the room), and represents the many different things people consider ultimate reality; fundamental beliefs such as: God, Love, consciousness, highest purpose, nothingness, alternate realities, … you can fill in your own examples.

[ Read more about this BEYOND space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

2. The System I Am Inside Of

Any system I'm inside of, is represented by the room (or the wall), which is a container with an inside and outside. This can be a social system like a family, organization or nation; or a natural system, like an ecosystem, Earth, or entire natural universe.

[ Read more about this INSIDE space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

3. The Back of My Mind

The back of my mind is a figurative space holding whatever is Out of sight, out of mind, hard to bring out — painful memories, hidden potentials, the inner child, the natural self. A metaphorical space, not a region of the brain, … you can fill in your own examples.

[ Read more about this BACK space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

4. My Body

This space represents my body, as it is oriented and moves in space and gravity; my external senses, my awareness of balance, and visceral sensations that are part of emotions and felt senses; my present awareness.

[ Read more about this BODY space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

5. The Front I Maintain

This space is the front I put up, my persona, mask, etc. The self is seen figuratively as a container that is relatively transparent and open, or relatively opaque and closed; the tension between avoiding shame and wanting to be integral and authentic. I can notice how I feel inside and how I try to look outside.

[ Read more about this FRONT space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

6. My Work/Creative Output

This figurative space represents what I give out, my output; my work, labor, product or contribution; my gifts, talents, skills, ideas, traits, or resources; my abilities and energy; Or: What I would like to develop and offer; an avocation or passionate interest; Or: What I am willing to do to get by.

[ Read more about this OUTPUT space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

7. My Boundary

The boundary is figurative space around my personal space which I defend; a self-protective shield that I assert (or fail to assert) when angry or fearful.

Related: assertiveness training, social skills, emotional intelligence; also a container that marks my stuff and restrains me within my area of responsibility.

[ Read more about this BOUNDARY space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

8. What's Going On Between Us

What goes on between us or among us, our Inter-action, play space, connecting, understanding, love.

Winnicott's potential space where meaning emerges between parent and child; Buber's Between I and Thou.

Also competition and conflict; where relationship becomes a system (the room).

[ Read more about this BETWEEN space on the MetaSelf Details: Front/Back page. ]

For Individuals, MetaSelf can help you —

Imagine a loving "I" attending to your evolving parts.
Re-ground your abstract values in your body's structure.
Use balance as a detailed metaphor for self-regulation.
Picture an image of yourself to reflect on and monitor.
Integrate parts by using a familiar spatial vocabulary.
Be aware of your basic assumptions and spiritual beliefs.
Uncover and remember hidden strengths and conflicts.
Give overwhelming emotions a larger spatial context.
Boost your working memory with spatial memory.
Use metaphors of vision and viewpoint consciously.
Deepen your empathy with a detailed spatial structure.
Heal the Cartesian mind/body/spirit split.

For Educators & Healers, MetaSelf can —

Help somatic healers and "heady" clients communicate.
Enlarge spatial thinking to include figurative space.
Integrate verbal skills with visual/spatial skills.
Work with a range of ages and visual or verbal skills.
Start concretely, then reveal more abstract meanings.
Spell out various aspects of the concept of "self."
Provide sketches and charts to make teaching easier.
Encourage non-artistic sketching for creative thinking.
Expand to include art, gesture and movement as tools.
Picture various systems that people are in as rooms.
Structure sharing, discussion and problem solving.
Visualize a figurative location for "an outside observer."

For Researchers & Theorists,
MetaSelf can —

Promote cognitive science using ordinary language and pictures.
Offer conceptual metaphor as a self-transformation tool.
Ground the idea of "self" in the body's structure in gravity (Lakoff & Johnson).
Sketch the self as a stick-figure gestalt (Dan Roam).
Explain the idea of "embodied mind" in spatial, bodily terms.
Use four bodily spatial contrasts to teach image schemas.
Apply a broader idea of spatial reasoning (M. Knauff).
Incorporate I-maps, You-maps and We-maps (Dan Siegel).
Flexibly introduce systems theory (F. Capra & P. L. Luisi).
Stay open to various belief systems "beyond space and time."

MetaSelf

A tool for self-assessment and personal change

Familiar body-centered metaphors are assembled into
a full picture of our mental, psychological, social,
ethical, and spiritual selves;

Using simple pictures and an everyday spatial vocabulary;

Drawing on cutting edge research from Cognitive Science.

Learn How Your Body Structures Your Mind and Your Life

A Handy Tool for Three Overlapping Groups:

For Individuals,
MetaSelf can help you —

For Educators & Healers,
MetaSelf can —

For Researchers & Theorists,
MetaSelf can —

MetaSelf

A tool for self-assessment and personal change

Familiar body-centered metaphors are assembled into a full picture of our mental, psychological, social, ethical, and spiritual selves;

Using simple pictures and an everyday spatial vocabulary;

Drawing on cutting edge research from Cognitive Science.

Learn How Your Body Structures Your Mind and Your Life

A Handy Tool for Three Overlapping Groups:

For Individuals, MetaSelf can help you —

For Educators & Healers, MetaSelf can —

For Researchers & Theorists,MetaSelf can —

1. Beyond Space and Time

2. The System I Am Inside Of

3. The Back of My Mind

4. My Body

5. The Front I Maintain

6. My Work/Creative Output

7. My Boundary

8. What's Going On Between Us

For Individuals, MetaSelf can help you —

For Educators & Healers, MetaSelf can —

For Researchers & Theorists,MetaSelf can —

Familiar body-centered metaphors are assembled into
a full picture of our mental, psychological, social,
ethical, and spiritual selves;

For Individuals,
MetaSelf can help you —

For Educators & Healers,
MetaSelf can —

For Researchers & Theorists,
MetaSelf can —

For Researchers & Theorists,
MetaSelf can —