The Non-Ordinary – Part XIII: Connecting With Our Interior Selves – The Instinctual Self

The Wild Instinctual Self

There is a realm of the non-ordinary just beneath the surface of consciousness. Our unconscious is populated with aspects of the “self” - some we are familiar with, some we are vaguely aware of and some are completely unknown to us. Many of these aspects of “self” have little to do with the everyday, ordinary world. They have more to do with the non-ordinary; that for which solid definitions and explanations are harder to come by.

The instinctual aspects of our “self” have primal characteristics, having to do with survival, the body and how the body and nature work to bring out some things that we don’t normally access in our everyday world.

A month or so ago I took my one-man tent to “Grampa’s Land,” several acres that my husband’s grandfather settled back in the day. The tent is one huge screened window on the top and sides, perfect for sleeping out under the stars. I woke up several times during the night to behold a “sky show” of ineffable beauty. The Dark Skies of the countryside allowed a breathtaking view, even the band of the Milky Way was visible. Shooting stars and a crescent moon rising near dawn, so bright it cast a shadow was part of the show. This wild, nature-filled experience tapped into an instinctual aspect of who I am. I’m hard pressed to bring the reality of that experience into the everyday world in way that holds adequate meaning. Yet it was food for the soul, nourishment for my interior landscape.

Years ago I began training for my first ever triathlon. It was just a “Sprint” event, but still, the training was a challenge. I had never learned to swim. Oh, I could dog-paddle and frog crawl across a pool, but the serious business of rhythmic breathing and coordinated arm strokes with leg kicks had never entered the picture. As a mature adult, it was not easy to learn this new skill. The need for intense connection with my body came to the forefront in that process, something rather animalistic in a way, perhaps not unlike mountain climbing or long treks that push our bodies into survival mode. A greater discovery of the instinctual part of myself was essential.

In some ways we create our “selves,” certainly not on our own, and not with ultimate power, nothing like that. For as James Hillman in The Soul’s Code tells us, we are born with a “blueprint.” An acorn will become an oak.

But we definitely have a hand in co-creation and this participation lasts throughout our life span.

Unlike the oak tree, that is pre-destined to stick to its set of instructions, influenced only by things like the wind that may blow, or the soil that provides support, or other neighboring outside influences, humans have other considerations that factor in. We have the capacity to interact with our set of blueprints. We can look within and become aware of our own interior landscape. We’re able to gather wisdom and use it with thoughtful intent.

The Instinctual Self is resident in all of us. It can be cultivated, helping us to become more of who we were meant to be, who we want to be. In many ways we’ve let that part of ourselves die away, being captive to more urban and suburban settings. Our sophisticated culture has made the wild parts of ourselves become suspect and in some instances, taboo. We have the capacity to create a “self” that is more instinctual. It’s our choice. The power to co-create through discovery is ours.

How do you connect with your interior landscape?

Writing Prompt for the Week: My Wild Self