uncovering repressed memories

[Izz]

i had been doing inner work, which led me to uncover certain repressed memories. anyone else resonates?

[Starman]

When we do inner work, especially when we consistently quiet our mind, what we have stuffed down inside of
us rises to the surface, especially repressed memories. This is part of the rapid growth process of doing inner
work. When we do inner work we speed up our natural conscious growth process.

[Izz]

Originally Posted by Starman

When we do inner work, especially when we consistently quiet our mind, what we have stuffed down inside of
us rises to the surface, especially repressed memories. This is part of the rapid growth process of doing inner
work. When we do inner work we speed up our natural conscious growth process.

Makes sense

thank you so much

[A human Being]

I can absolutely relate, yeah, I've been doing pretty intensive inner work the last few years, following a period of severe anxiety and depression in 2017, and in that time I've had all sorts of repressed memories surface. It's not like I was trying to make that happen, either, it was simply a by-product of my meditation practice for the most part I believe (as an example, just recently I've had memories surface of my first year of high school, which was a lonely and rather frightening time for the most part - I think it's significant that those memories surfaced).

It's as Starman says, doing the inner work causes all the memories and emotions you'd repressed to surface - it's very much like Pandora's box, it seems to me, all the darkness comes tumbling out. Not always a very pleasant process, but I believe it's necessary if we're to become truly liberated beings (I think that desire for liberation is key, if the desire isn't there people will just tend to spend their whole lives trying to minimise/manage their suffering).

What's especially important to be conscious of, it seems to me, is the emotional content of the memories, because it's the unresolved underlying emotion that causes us to feel troubled by certain memories. Allowing those emotions to be fully felt is key, I think.

[Izz]

Originally Posted by A human Being

I can absolutely relate, yeah, I've been doing pretty intensive inner work the last few years, following a period of severe anxiety and depression in 2017, and in that time I've had all sorts of repressed memories surface. It's not like I was trying to make that happen, either, it was simply a by-product of my meditation practice for the most part I believe (as an example, just recently I've had memories surface of my first year of high school, which was a lonely and rather frightening time for the most part - I think it's significant that those memories surfaced).

That makes sense. Thank you so much for having the heart to share

In my case, I repressed both certain negative and joyful memories (I repressed joyful memories and even memories of loved ones due to past abuse, being shamed and trauma) but I think a lot of them are uncovered by now

Most difficult, yet most necessary inner work

[Starman]

We may call it whatever we want to call it, and I’ve often called it “my demons;” things
I have consciously or unconsciously repressed. I feel it is important to face our demons
and in so doing come to see what they are trying to show us below their surface.

“The face of the prince of darkness is but the opposite face of the prince of light,”
The Hebrew Kabbalah. Inner work can metaphorically help us change our demons into
angels. We can learn from the darkness just as well as we can learn from the light.

There is a popular saying that “often you have to go through hell to reach heaven.”
What we have suppressed is often the hell in our lives that we would rather forget.
Heaven and hell are within us. Working through the emotional stuff brings us into a
wide open, unrestricted freedom; then we may literally start to see that greater light
which is within us.

Light is awareness which helps us to see and penetrate the illusions of everyday life.
This is my experience. I have shared many times here on this forum how I lost my
eyesight while serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, was blind for 5-years
and went through more than a dozen eye surgeries to regain my eyesight. This was
part of the hell that I repressed and had to work through. We all have our cross to bear.

Peace and Good Journey

[A human Being]

You're so welcome, Izz, and thanks for starting the thread because I think it's an important topic (and one that had been on my mind, funnily enough!)

Originally Posted by Izz

Most difficult, yet most necessary inner work

Yep, most necessary - and it sounds like you're doing really well

[Starman]

The great work of humanity is self-transformation, and while the work of transformation is automatic,
it happens more effortlessly, and more quickly, when we move out of the way. Inner work removes
obstacles that slow down the automatic process of self-transformation.

The process of spiritual development is automatic, regardless whether we work on ourselves or not.
Working on ourselves we may come to a point that we realize spirit is seeking us much more than
we could ever seek spirit.

I am the fish, God is the fisherman, the hook of inspiration is in me and I am being reeled in. Like
a moth to the flame the attraction is unbreakable. Full circle work; returning consciously to that
from whence we came.

[Starman]

In Sanskrit it is called “Kundalini,” in western psychology
it is called “libido,” and other cultures call it by other names.
It is the transformational energy within us. It aided in growing
our human body within our mother’s womb, it aided in developing
our human consciousness when we were born into this world.

It assists in raising our consciousness even now, and will be the
energy that assist us from our physical body when we can no longer
inhabit a human body. It is the serpent energy coiled at the base of
our spine which springs forth in the development of our conscious
awareness. This so-called serpent energy is directly connected to our
attention and what we do with our attention.

This is my experience but it is also noted in the Hermetic Qabbalah.
“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding,“
The Kybalion.

Originally Posted by Izz

Most difficult, yet most necessary inner work

Yes it is, and if done correctly they're the most harrowing experiences (because you'll find plenty of them) that will ever happen to you. But by far the most liberating, it beats Bliss by a long way. It's called Shadow Work and Teal Swan is the go-to gal. It's one thing unearthing the memories but you have to dismantle the 'mechanisms' that created them in the first place, otherwise you're trying to heal with what created the mess in the first place.