Are parts eternal? Or do they have a lifecycle? Read on…
Allen writes:
Is there a lifecycle to parts?
Are they created, do they grow, bloom and eventually die away?
Dear Allen:
I’m so glad you asked! Yes, in our model, parts do come into existence, in response to trauma of some kind and the lack of Self-in-Presence in oneself or others.
Parts are limited versions of the whole self that adopt strategies to try to obtain some portion of what is missing while at the same time keeping awareness aware from the core hurt.
As for growing and blooming, yes, they can become more sophisticated at what they are trying to do for you as the years go by. But, being parts, they are never fully successful.
In our work, Untangling, we show how to be Self-in-Presence in relationship to parts so that each part receives what it truly needs.
The final result of doing that is that parts are no longer needed; they melt back into wholeness like rivers flow into the ocean.
They don’t die any more than rivers die. When parts are no longer parts they yield all their talents and skills to the whole Self. You no longer need to have a playful part, because you are playful. You no longer need to have an organized part, because you are organized.
It’s a lovely experience of completeness!
