The Way of Sacred Attention combines Sacred Attention Therapy and Sacred Attention Spiritual Training for comprehensive psycho-spiritual development. Sacred Attention Therapy emphasizes inner work as vital for global well-being, bridging psychology and spirituality. Sacred Attention Spiritual Training offers a modern, spiritually-centered approach.
The Creation of a Divine Meta-Psychology, through Sacred Attention Psychology and the Sacred Attention Project, connects individuals with their spiritual essence. Sacred Attention Psychology focuses on genuine spirituality, emphasizing the release of past attachments.
The Art of Conscious Living includes Human Awakening Groups, the Arhat Project, and Lay Counselor Support and Training. Human Awakening Groups promote inner development, focusing on the three stages of awakening. The Arhat Project accelerates personal transformation through psycho-spiritual discipline. Lay Counselor Support and Training extends therapy principles for compassionate and effective communication.
Learn more about this fascinating approach in the latest MysticMag interview.
You’ve introduced the concept of The Way of Sacred Attention. Could you provide a concise overview of what this concept entails and why it’s significant in the realm of personal development and psychology?
The Way of Sacred Attention is a comprehensive set of teachings and practices based on the work of Richard Harvey and his 3-stage model of human awakening: Stage 1 – liberation from childhood conditioning; Stage 2 – opening to the true heart-nature of the human being; and Stage 3 – developing spiritual discipline or sadhana and the unfolding of the life of wisdom, devotion, and service.
The Way of Sacred Attention is significant in the realm of personal development and psychology because The Way of Sacred Attention moves beyond psychoanalytic, humanistic, wholistic, and transpersonal psychologies to offer liberation from the conditioned self and discovery of our true self.
The Creation of a Divine Meta-Psychology is a unique concept. Can you delve into what this concept means and how it contributes to our understanding of psychology and human well-being?
Metapsychology is that aspect of any psychological theory that refers to the structure of the theory itself rather than to the entity it describes. In this way, the Way of Sacred Attention describes the structure of the psychology behind Richard Harvey’s 3-stage model of human awakening and how psychology and spirituality synergistically merge to offer a new understanding of the human condition and the emergence of our true, divine self.
The Art of Conscious Living suggests a particular approach to life. What are some practical steps or strategies individuals can adopt to embrace this concept and lead more conscious and fulfilling lives?
The Art of Conscious Living emerges from our devotion to our inner work and spiritual practice—both culminating in the development of our spiritual discipline. During the early stages of inner work, it can be helpful to work with a trusted counselor or therapist. Similarly, as one delves into and grows spiritually, a trusted spiritual teacher can offer invaluable guidance along the way. Ideally, although rare, seek an individual who is both a therapist and spiritual teacher. From Richard Harvey’s 3-stage model of human awakening emerges the rare individual who is a blend of therapist and spiritual teacher.
In a fast-paced world filled with distractions, how can individuals incorporate the principles of sacred attention and conscious living into their daily routines to achieve a greater sense of balance and meaning?
Developing an inner work and spiritual practice is essential to the Way of Sacred Attention. Establish a sacred space where you can spend time each day on your inner work and spiritual practice. Prepare this sacred space as an extension of yourself and treat it with the utmost respect and reverence. From your inner work and spiritual practice will emerge a new sense of self, and your relationship to the world outside you. Your ‘meaning’ in this life will become clear and a balanced life will emerge that will culminate in a heightened sense of peace and joy.
Spirituality often intersects with psychological well-being. How do you see the integration of spiritual concepts within the framework of The Way of Sacred Attention, The Creation of a Divine Meta-Psychology, and The Art of Conscious Living?
The Divine Meta-Psychology of the Way of Sacred Attention is the theory, the Way of Sacred Attention is the pedagogy (the method), and the Art of Conscious Living is the theoretical application of the Way of Sacred Attention. From the theory and pedagogy flow psychological and spiritual teachings, concepts, and practices that may be applied to our daily lives. The psychological and spiritual merge to allow a new understanding of the human condition and offers release from this conditioning to realize our true self.
Could you share some real-life examples or stories that illustrate how individuals have applied these concepts to transform their lives and enhance their overall sense of well-being and purpose?
The names of individuals below are fictitious to protect the identity of the individual experiences shared.
Tom was a leader in his field and he had been one of a team of experts assembled together in a think tank concerning national security. This intense and concentrated international assembly was full of powerful relationships, competitive sometimes, and often unforgiving, striving for excellence. The competition, the vying for place, the judgment, and the criticism all triggered his childhood material big time and he felt helpless to tackle it in any adult or mature fashion. When he appeared in a room with one woman colleague he felt infantile and battled to breathe, be taken seriously, or even to survive the encounter. Tom was encouraged to “take the other in,” to allow her into his heart. Not to see her as a separate person other than him, not to set himself in opposition to her in any way, but to incorporate her in him with her confidence and fears, her need to win or dominate others, her own insecurities and unease, and to merge it with his own. To adopt an entirely new perspective of integration, deep closeness, and intimacy with the other human being who appeared in form before him. Tom struggled with the idea. As a fiercely intellectual person, this strategy seemed too simplistic to him, too idealistic, too irrational. But Tom eventually warmed to the idea. In about three weeks of practicing this method of “taking the other in” he had transcended his antipathy and acquired animosity toward the woman colleague and then he extended the practice to the others, all with, to his great surprise, a resounding success. He had ceased to control “things in their divided state.”
Patricia had always thought of herself as a nice person – polite, thoughtful, considerate. She rarely got angry or threw a temper. But Patricia’s inner work changed all that. She found that underneath the “niceness” there were feelings and passions she would never have guessed at. Jealousy, rage, fear needs, desires – they all poured out of her. Patricia discovered that she had left so much of herself behind. It was as if she had met life’s challenges by pruning off pieces of herself that were unacceptable until what remained was nothing like who she really was. It took a huge amount of soul-searching, honesty, courage, and persistence. But eventually, Patricia got there. Now, Patricia has never felt more like herself. Behind the niceness was her rage, her need, and her sadness, but behind that, Patricia discovered her capacity for joy, love, and fulfillment.
Dick was a young man who had adopted an alternative lifestyle. He lived in a van and spent a lot of his time at music festivals. He was frustrated at not being able to sustain an intimate relationship. On the few occasions when he had experienced a relationship of any intimacy, he had abandoned his partner when she had fallen in love with him. Dick’s early childhood was characterized by material plenty and emotional poverty. His early home life was practical and emotionally barren. Dick discovered that his adult stance of “rebel” had been fuelled by this frustration in his early life. Dick’s inner work took him into the realms of the heart energetically, through deep breathing and awareness of his emotions. He practiced speaking about his emotions with congruence and relevance, experienced how his physical body expressed his emotions and developed his emotional capacity. Gradually, he was able to fully recognize and honor his emotional life, transcend his repressive conditioning, and sustain a loving relationship.
Helen habitually “wiped” the money off her hands when she paid for her therapy at the end of her sessions. She handled the paper notes with deep disgust and agitation like they were excrement on her hands. When this was pointed out to her, she focused on this matter until the reason became clear. Following her exploration in therapy, Helen decided to take a part-time job, although she had no financial reason to do so. Nevertheless, it was crucially important to Helen that she re-address her relationship with money and personal empowerment. In time, Helen replaced her entire wardrobe with clothes she had paid for herself, and, at the end of her sessions, she proudly presented her payment out of her own earnings.
After almost three decades in the information technology industry, Philip knew he was not happy and that he needed to make some big changes in his life. Philip left his full-time job and set himself a drift to explore a new way of living in the world. Within a few months, Philip’s journey led him to the teachings of Richard Harvey. Philip’s transformation was swift and life-changing. He became ordained into a priesthood order and studied to become certified as a psychological-spiritual psychotherapist. Philip’s life became devoted to service to humanity.
