Stop and consider life is but a day; a fragile dew-drop on its perilous way from a tree’s summit. When they especially do not deserve it is when people need love the most. In field of medicine, we know that certain recognized sicknesses are the result of a physician’s (witting or unwitting) invitation to consider oneself weak or sick. Such conditions are designated iatrogenetic diseases. If we speak of iatrogenic illness, is it not just as meaningful to speak of iatrogenic wellness? Or “mother-o-genic” wellness; or “psychologist-o-genic” wellness? Could we classify some physicians as wellness-inviters, i.e., healers, and others as sickness, who have a knack for persuading others that they are weak, helpless, and sick? There are some people in society who have a proven flair for transmitting powerful invitations to others to regard life as pointless and hopeless and to regard themselves as weak and worthless. There may be many in society who are gifted at getting people to “give up,” to yield, to give in. Mental hospital personnel invite or shape patients so that they will conform to current conceptions of how a mad person should appear. And a visit to any mental hospital will prompt this question: “What kind of behavior and attitude are invited by the hospital buildings themselves? By the social organization that prevails there?” #RandolphHarris 1 of 15

Much of the traditional psychiatric symptomatology can be explained as the outcome of invalidating and disconfirming behavior from relatives and professional people toward anyone who experiences difficulty in living. In fact, it is warranted to wonder whether hospital personnel can take healthy behavior when it appears in the ones called “patients,” or do they rather get terrified by it when it appears and persuade the patient (invite one) to stop this nonsensical autonomy and self-expression and step into line. Do hospital personnel invite “crazy” behavior, and punish healthy behavior? In Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, patients who became bumptious were sedated or electroshocked into their appropriate social roles. If that did not work, they were lobotomized. I do not think the story told in that novel is far from truth. At least in then existing mental hospitals. A person’s attitude to reality is something extraordinarily persistent, but the more persistent one’s mental habitus (the norms, values, attitudes, and behaviours of a particular social group/class) is, the less permanent will be one’s effective achievement of adaptation. This is the necessary consequence of the continual changes in the environment and the new adaptations demanded by them. Thus it may easily happen that an attitude can no longer satisfy the demands of adaptation because changes have occurred in the environmental conditions which require a different attitude. #RandolphHarris 2 of 15

An example of an attitude that can no longer satisfy the demands of adaption, when changes have occurred in the environment is that require a different attitude has occurred is like when a feeling-attitude seeks to fulfill the demands of reality by means of empathy, but easily encounters a situation that can only be solved by thinking. Then one is at an impasse. In this case the feeling-attitude breaks down the progression and the progression of the psyche (human soul, mind, or spirit) also ceases. The vital feeling that was present before disappears, and in its place the psychic value of certain conscious contents increases in an unpleasant way; subjective contents and reactions press to the fore and the situation becomes full of affect and ripe for explosions. Thee symptoms indicate a damming up the psyche, and the stoppage is always marked by the breaking up of the pairs of opposites. During the progression of the psyche the pairs of opposites are united in the co-ordinated flow of psychic processes. Their working together makes possible the balanced regularity of these processes, which without the inner polarity would become one-sided and unreasonable. We are therefore justified in regarding all extravagant and exaggerated behavior as a loss of balance, because the co-ordinating effect of the opposite impulse is obviously lacking. #RandolphHarris 3 of 15

Hence, it is essential for progression, which is the successful achievement of adaptation, that impulse and counter-impulse, positive and negative, should reach a state of regular interaction and mutual influence. This balancing and combining of pairs of opposites can be seen, for instance, in the process of reflection that precedes a difficult decision. However, in the stoppage of psyche that occurs when progression has become impossible, positive and negative can no longer unite in coordinated action, because both have attained an equal value which keeps the scales balanced. The longer the stoppage lasts, the more the value which keeps the scales balanced. The longer the stoppage lasts, the more the valued of the opposed positions increases; they become enriched with more and more associations and attach to themselves an ever-widening range of psychic material. The tension leads to conflict, the conflict leads to attempts at mutual repression, and if one of the opposing forces is successfully repressed a dissociation ensures, a splitting of the personality, or disunion with oneself. The stage is then set for neurosis. The acts that follow from such a condition are unco-ordinated, sometimes pathological, having the appearance of symptomatic actions. Although in part normal, they are based partly on the repressed opposite which, instead of working as an equilibrating force, has an obstructive effect, thus hindering the possibility of further progress. #RandolphHarris 4 of 15

The struggle between the opposites would persist in this fruitless way if the process of regression, the backward movement of the psyche, did not set in with the outbreak of the conflict. Through their collision the opposites are gradually deprived of value and depotentiated. This loss of value steadily increases and is the only thing perceived by consciousness. It is synonymous with regression, for in proportion to the decrease in value of the conscious opposites there is an increase in the value of all those psychic processes which are not concerned with outward adaptation and therefore are seldom or never employed consciously. These psychic factors are for the most part unconscious. As the value of the subliminal elements and of the unconscious increases, it is to be expected that they will gain influence over the conscious mind. On account of the inhibiting influence which the conscious exercises over the unconscious, the unconscious values assert themselves at first only indirectly. The inhibition to which they are subjected is a result of the exclusive directedness of conscious contents. (This inhibition is called the “censor.”) The indirect manifestation of the unconscious takes the form of disturbances of conscious behaviour. In the association experiment they appear as complex-indicators, in daily life as the “symptomatic actions,” and in neurotic conditions they appear as symptoms. #RandolphHarris 5 of 15

Since regression raises the value of contents that were previously excluded from the conscious process of adaption, and hence are either totally unconscious or only dimly conscious, the psychic elements now being forced over the threshold are momentarily useless from the standpoint of adaptation, and for this reason are invariably kept at a distance by the directed psychic function. They are altogether incompatible contents and tendencies, partly immoral, partly unaesthetic, partly again of an irrational, imaginary nature. The obviously inferior character of these contents as regards adaptation has given rise to that depreciatory view of the psychic background which is habitual in psychoanalytic writings. What the regression brings to the surface certainly seems at first sight to be slime from the depths; but if one does not stop short at a superficial evaluation and refrains from passing judgment on the basis of a preconceived strict and rigid doctrine, it will be found that this “slime” contains not merely incompatible and rejected remnants of everyday life, or inconvenient and objectionable terrestrial tendencies, but also germs of a new life and vital possibilities for the future. This is one of the great merits of psychoanalysis, that it is not afraid to dredge up the incompatible elements, which would be a thoroughly useless and indeed reprehensible undertaking were it not for the possibilities of new life that are possessed in the repressed contents. That this is and must be so is not only proved by a wealth of practical experiences but can also be deduced from the following considerations. #RandolphHarris 6 of 15

The process of adaptation requires a directed conscious function characterized by inner consistency and logical coherence. Because it is directed, everything unsuitable must be excluded in order to maintain the integrity of direction. The unsuitable elements are subjected to inhibition and thereby escape attention. Now experience shows that there is only one consciously directed function of adaptation. If, for example, I have a thinking orientation I cannot at the same time orient myself by feeling, because thinking and feeling are two quite different functions. In fact, if I am to satisfy the logical laws of thinking, so that the thought-process will not be disturbed by feeling, I must carefully exclude feeling. In this case I withdraw as much of the psyche as possible from the feeling process, with the result that this function becomes relatively unconscious. Experience shows, again, that the orientation is largely habitual; accordingly the other unsuitable functions, so far as they are incompatible with the prevailing attitude, are relatively unconscious, and hence unused, untrained, and undifferentiated. Moreover, on the principle of coexistence they necessarily become associated with other contents of the unconscious, the inferior and incompatible quality of which I have already pointed out. Consequently, when these functions are activated by regression and so reach consciousness, they appear in a somewhat incompatible form, disguised and covered up with the slime of the deep. #RandolphHarris 7 of 15

If we remember that the stoppage of the psyche was due to failure of the conscious attitude, we can now understand what valuable seeds are possessed in the unconscious contents activated by regression. They contain the elements of that other function which was excluded by the conscious attitude and which would be capable of effectively complementing or even of replacing the inadequate conscious attitude. If thinking fails as the adapted function, because it is dealing with a situation to which one can adapt only by feeling, then the unconscious material activated by repression will contain the missing feeling function, although still in embryonic form, archaic and undeveloped. Similarly, in the opposite type, regression would activate a thinking function that would effectively compensate the inadequate feeling. By activating an unconscious factor, regression confronts consciousness with the problem of the psyche as opposed to the problem of outward adaptation. It is natural that the conscious mind should fight against accepting the regressive contents, yet it is finally compelled by the impossibility of further progress to submit to the regressive values. In other words, regression leads to the necessity of adapting to the inner World of the psyche. #RandolphHarris 8 of 15

Just as adaptation to the environment may fail because of the one-sidedness of the adapted function, so adaption to the inner World may fail because of the one-sidedness of the function in question. For instance, if the stoppage of the psyche was due to the failure of the thinking attitude to cope with the demands of outward adaptation, and if the unconscious feeling function is activated by regression, there is only a feeling attitude towards the inner World. This may be sufficient at first, but in the long run it will cease to be adequate, and the thinking function will have to be enlisted too, just as the reverse was necessary when dealing with the outer World. Thus a complete orientation towards the inner World becomes necessary until such time as inner adaptation is attained. One the adaptation is achieved, progression can begin again. The principle of progression and regression is portrayed in the myth of the whale-dragon worked out by Forbenius. The hero is the symbolic exponent of the movement of the psyche. Entry into the dragon is the regressive direction, and the journey to the East (the “night sea journey”) with its attendant events symbolizes the effort to adapt to the conditions of the psychic inner World. The complete swallowing up and disappearance of the hero in the belly of the dragon represents the complete withdrawal of interest from the outer Word. #RandolphHarris 9 of 15

The overcoming of the monster from within is the achievement of adaptation to the conditions of the inner World, and the emergence (“slipping out”) of the hero from the monster’s belly with the help of a bird, which happens at the moment of Sunrise, symbolizes he recommencement of progression. It is characteristic that the monster begins the night sea journey to the East, for instances, towards Sunrise, while the hero is engulfed in its belly. This seems to me to indicate that regression is not necessarily a retrograde step in the sense of a backwards development or degeneration, but rather represents a necessary phase of development. The individual is, however, not consciously aware that one is developing; one feels oneself to be in a compulsive situation that resembles an early infantile state or even an embryonic condition within the womb. It is only if one remains stuck in this condition that we can speak of involution or degeneration. The Spiritual Formation Lines presents discipleship to Jesus Christ as the greatest opportunity individual human beings have in life and the only hope to corporate humankind has of solving its insurmountable problems. It affirms the unity of the present-day Christian with those who walked beside Jesus during His incarnation. To be His disciple then was t be with Him, to learn to be like Him. It was to be Christ’s student or apprentice in kingdom living. #RandolphHarris 10 of 15

Christ’s disciples heard what He said and observed what He did, and then, under His direction, they simply began to say and to the same things. They did so imperfectly but progressively. As He taught: “Everyone who is full trained will be like his or her teacher,” reports Luke 6.40. Today it is the same, except now it is the resurrected Lord who walks throughout the World. He invites us to place our confidence in Him. Those who rely on Christ believe that He knows how to live and will pour our His life into us as we “take His yoke and learn from Him, for He is gentle and humble in heart,” reports Matthew 11.29. To take His yoke means joining Him in His work, making our work His work. To trust Christ is to understand that total immersion in what He is doing with our life is the best thing that can happen to us. The grace of God is one of the most important subjects in all of Scripture. At the same time it is probably one of the least understood. All Christians believe in grace. Many of us frequently quote Paul’s well-known words in Ephesians 2.8-9: ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. And John Newton’s beloved hymn “Amazing Grace” is said to be the all-time favorite hymn in the United States of America. Why then do I say the grace of God is one of the least understood subjects in the Bible? #RandolphHarris 11 of 15

When we think of grace, we almost always think of being saved by grace. That is why Ephesians 2.8-9 is so familiar to us. Even Christian literature available on the subject of grace seems to deal almost exclusively with salvation. However, the Bible teaches we are not only saved by grace, but we also live by grace every day of our lives. It is this important aspect of grace that seems to be so little understood or practiced by Christians. Most of us tend to base our personal relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace. If we have performed well—whatever “well” is in our opinion—then we expect God to bless us. If we have not done so well, our expectations are reduced accordingly. In this sense, we live by works rather than grace. We are saved by grace, but we are living by the sweat of our own performance. Moreover, we are always challenging ourselves and one another to try harder. We seem to believe success in the Christian life (however we define success) is basically up to us: our commitment, or discipline, our zeal, with some help from God along the way. We give lip service to the attitude of the apostle Paul, “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15.10), but our unspoken motto is, “God helps those who help themselves.” The realization that my daily relationship with God is based on the infinite merit of Christ instead of on my own performance is a very freeing and joyous experience. However, it is not mean to be a one-tome experience; the truth needs to be reaffirmed daily. #RandolphHarris 12 of 15

Now, in order to see what this means and why it is so, we must be clear about what the “heart” or “spirit: is within the human system and how it can effectively govern our lives for good. The human heart, will, or spirit is the executive center of a human life. The heart is where decisions and choices are made for the whole person. That is its function. This does not mean that the whole person actually does only what the heart directs, any more than a whole organization actually does precisely what the chief executive officers (CEO) directs. That would be ideal, perhaps (and again, perhaps not); but as any CEO or person in a management position—or even the head of a family—knows, the system rarely goes as it is directed, and never perfectly so. Many factors are always at work in the decisions and actions that actually occur. The individual, like the group, is often divided into incoherent fragments. “Like a city that is broken into and without walls is the human who has no control over one’s spirit,” reports Proverbs 25.28. Still, the ideal is there because of the necessities imposed by real life—a house divided cannot stand, and so on—and only to the degree that we come close to that ideal are our lives well directed or even coherent. In a World deeply infected with evil and stuff that just happens, the usual case is that the individual does not consistently do what his or her own heart says is good and right, and all too often it is the same with groups of all kinds. #RandolphHarris 13 of 15

And how rare to find a group that consistently functions well for the good it envisions. In fact, the group usually exhibits the divided hearts and lives of its members even more strikingly than does the individual alone. That is because of its larger scope and greater complexity. When successful, spiritual formation (or, really, reformation) unites the divided heart and life of the individual. That person can then bring remarkable harmony into the groups where he or she participates. Be one a dictator holding the fortunes of a nation in the hollow of one’s hand, or a despised outcast, degraded, destitute, and sin-steeped, none is too high to find a place in the illuminate’s orbit of contact, just as none is too low. For the first time virtue of self-knowledge is the inner understanding of others, the intellectual sympathy with them. Through this sympathy one is able to place oneself at the point of view of each being with whom one has to deal, or of each school of thought which one has to lead to one beyond its own. If it can be said that one has any negative attitude at all, it may be noted that one has a strong disinclination to talk about the Quest to those who are uninterested in it, or antagonistic to it. Enlightened individuals hold their convictions calmly where others preach them violently. One is indifferent to laudatory articles about oneself in the public prints as to condemnatory gossip in the private circles. One can understand why they hold these views even though one does not share them. #RandolphHarris 14 of 15

The current of peace an enlightened individual carries along is part of the gift of grace from God, so one does not have to struggle for it. O God, Who hast made the most glorious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thine Only-begotten Son, to be exceeding sweet and supremely lovable to Thy faithful servants, and tremendous and terrible to malignant spirits; mercifully grant that all who devoutly venerate this Name of Jesus on Earth, may in this life receive the sweetness of holy comfort, and in the life to come attain the joy of exulting gladness and never-ending jubilation; through the same name Jesus Christ our Lord may we feel better than we are, wiser than we are. Please kindle this spark that allows us to be wholly possessed by the love of God and give us the guidance for which we have long been waiting. The words of God are like a lighthouse to those seekers who are still grouping in the dark, and even to those who have found the light. O God, Whose Only-begotten Son hath appeared in substance of our flesh; grant, we beseech Thee, that through Him Whom we have acknowledged as outwardly like unto us, we may attain an inward renewal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. “O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires,” reports Ether 3.2. Therefore, no insult will I give one’s spirit, by telling what one’s sees from the native merit. #RandolphHarris 15 of 15

MILLS STATION AT CRESLEIGH RANCH

Rancho Cordova, CA |

Now Selling!

Mills Station at Cresleigh Ranch is Rancho Cordova’s newest home community! This charming neighborhood offers an array of home types with eye catching architecture styles such as Mission, Mid-Century Modern, California Modern, and Contemporary Farmhouse. These homes are symbols of the creative freedom and optimism that is prevalent in the Age of Information. The homes are constructed by artisans who take great pride in showcasing their craftsmanship. Furthermore, the designs for these homes are inspired by the classical architectural elements and forms that have withstood the test of time. Various details, such the windows, porches, and rooflines, provide traditional forms that are easily understood and emotionally comforting. The homes in Mills Station utilize the same traditional values and provide a sense of continuity by linking the present to the past. The Farmhouse and other plans, for example, are designed to recapture the harmony of style and timeless design of the bygone Victorian era.

Along with this nostalgic charm, Cresleigh homes created houses that are retreats from today’s fast paced soictey,  with spacious living areas, multi-purpose media centers, and elegant master suites. The design knowledge Cresleigh has accumulated from open-concept space planning, along with the realization that people also desire private, personal areas, has resulted in a blend o unobstructed views, along with versatile alcoves and cozy nooks for privacy. Located off Douglas Road and Rancho Cordova Parkway, the residents of Cresleigh Ranch will enjoy, being just minutes from shopping, dining, and entertainment, and quick access to Highway 50 and Grant Line Road providing a direct route into Folsom. Residents here also benefit from no HOA fees, two community parks and the benefits of being a part of the highly-rated Elk Grove Unified School District. As you browse through Cresleigh’s website, we hope you agree that these designs offer a lasting tribute to the design and integrity of the Victorian Era and reflect all the modern comforts. Perhaps one of them will not only recall for you the comfort and serenity that you desire, but also fulfills all the requirements you may have for your ideal home. https://cresleigh.com/mills-station/residence-2/

Here is also a link for a virtual walk through of Mills Station Cresleigh Ranch Resident 2 with Mrs. Abbie Johnson:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rpm_C0hXkY&feature=youtu.be