Voice Dialogue, relationship, and the aware ego process

Voice Dialogue with Astra Niedra


 

 

What is Voice Dialogue?


Voice Dialogue refers to the technique and theoretical structure created by American psychologists, teachers and authors Dr Hal Stone and Dr Sidra Stone, which allows us to experience and integrate the many facets, selves or energy patterns of our psyche.

 

The technique allows us to dialogue with different parts of our personality to discover how those parts operate in us: we discover which parts we are identified with and which parts we have disowned and relegated to 'the shadow'. Voice Dialogue allows us to unhook from those selves which have been dominant or primary in our life and to begin to explore their opposites. This gives you access to new perspectives and energy systems, which not only enriches the inner resources available for you to draw on as you deal with life's challenges, but also gives you a more comprehensive picture of who you are.


By shining your awareness onto the various facets of yourself, you ignite a process where a new space in your consciousness evolves where you can experience the parts of your psyche as distinct from you. So instead of feeling that you are driven, you become aware of the driven part of you, and are able to balance it out with an opposite energy such as a relaxed self, or a meditation-loving self, or even a lazy self. Rather than feeling self-critical, you can isolate your self-critical voice and bring objectivity to it from your self-accepting side.


The Drs Stone have named this always fluid state of consciousness the aware ego. Because the aware ego is a process rather than a state, where you bring awareness to your ego, or to who you had always thought you were, one can not say one has an aware ego. An aware ego is what enables you to stand beside a self and experience it and also its opposite - being able to accept both. The aware ego is the essence, the core, the real gift of the Voice Dialogue system. No other technique that I am aware of allows you to sit between selves and feel both, yet also not identifying with either. It is a space of true choice and freedom, and is something which needs to be experienced to be understood.


The results of becoming more conscious are that you gain access to, and acceptance of, more of who you are. The ideas, feelings and energetic states which become available to you are greater. You realise that it is okay to feel conflicted in some areas of your life; that when you make a decision there is another part of you who would prefer to do something else; that you can enjoy caring for your children but also want time to yourself without them, that you can enjoy the theatre and also sport, that you have spiritual inclinations but also want material comforts. By embracing more of your selves and their often conflicting needs, you will be able to make more conscious decisions rather than acting out of habit or compulsion. You will have more self-acceptance and self-understanding, as well as understanding and acceptance of others.

 

For a description of some of the selves you might be familiar with, please see the page Which self are you?

 

To discover how to really make a difference in our troubled world read this article: Making relationships work

Visit my Amazon Bookstore, for books on relationships, parenting, personal growth, spirituality, planetary healing and inspirational art, including books on Voice Dialogue by Drs Hal and Sidra Stone.

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Home study course

If you can't make it to see a Voice Dialogue facilitator or do a workshop, and you're interested in seeing Voice Dialogue in action, then this DVD and CD set will give you a complete explanation of the Voice Dialogue system, including examples of facilitation sessions.

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Features Drs Hal and Sidra Stone explaining their work, interviewed by Michael Rowland. See www.bodymindinformation.com for details - please note, you will be taken to another web site by clicking on the link.