Riding Between the Worlds by Linda Kohanov

Author:Linda Kohanov
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781577315766
Publisher: New World Library

TRUE COMMUNITY

The False Self and the Authentic Self certainly weren’t new ideas when I incorporated them into my work. References to these two conflicting aspects of the human psyche can be found in religious and psychological texts the world over. But as I watched the horses respond to people in different yet strangely consistent ways, depending on which “self” was active, I amassed a great deal of practical knowledge about the phenomenon. The truth of the matter is, people have been waxing philosophical about freedom and enlightenment for centuries without significantly changing their behavior, least of all in groups. When human beings get together, they almost can’t help reinforcing the same patterns of social conditioning their ancestors rebelled against or tried to emigrate away from — only to inadvertently re-create them again in whatever new world, new religion, or new political movement originally promised change.

Horses, however, have an uncanny ability to see through the False Self’s trickiest maneuvers. Given half a chance, these animals quite naturally draw out and reinforce the Authentic Self. Of course, they act like any other slave when dominated into submission. But unlike human serfs, horses are remarkably resilient when they sense an opening. It’s like they’ve been waiting, for thousands of years, to catch us off guard so that they can help us remember who we really are — in part, I suppose, so they can finally be appreciated for who they really are.

Just as I diligently searched the literature for evidence of shared emotion, I became for a time obsessed with accounts of the False Self–Authentic Self dilemma. I was thrilled to find numerous writers throughout history documenting the same dynamics I had first observed with the help of my horses, sometimes using the exact same vocabulary. Among the most powerful yet accessible of these books are Alice Miller’s The Drama of the Gifted Child and John Welwood’s Toward a Psychology of Awakening. In When the Heart Waits, Sue Monk Kidd eloquently sums up this seemingly universal experience of awakening:

“Is it possible, I asked myself, that I’m being summoned from some deep and holy place within? Am I being asked to enter a passage in the Spiritual life — the journey from false self to true self? Am I being asked to dismantle old masks and patterns and unfold a deeper, more authentic self — the one God created me to be? Am I being compelled to disturb my inner universe in question of the undiscovered being who clamors from within?”

As Epona’s interspecies staff answered those questions with a resounding Yes!, we became more adept at helping other people recognize and strengthen the Authentic Self. We were repeatedly awestruck at how talented this aspect of the psyche could be in negotiating relationships and life challenges. Over time, eight skills proved universally relevant in building partnerships and communities capable of supporting authenticity. In the process, we moved from instinctively engaging these abilities to consciously promoting their development.

I eventually formalized the list and began handing it out at seminars.

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