Five Insights on the Power of the Journaling Method

I first became acquainted with Journaling as a personal process when I attended an Ira Progoff "Journal Workshop" at the Carl Jung Center in Houston during the 1970s. Progoff developed a structured method for a daily diary that encouraged the identification, examination and resolution of personal issues. I followed his process long enough to gain skill in this approach to personal development.

In the first offering of MAN 4142 as a special topic in January 1979, I designed Journaling into the course as the primary vehicle for focusing student interest on the course content. The objective for the Journal then as now was to write about how the things covered in class related to and were of value in the student's personal life. That has turned out to be one of the best curriculum design decisions I've ever made.

Returning once again to that process for myself during the past month has deepened my appreciation for the didactic power of the approach. I will more vigorously than ever emphasize the work in my classes. Here are some of the insights that have clarified for me in these past weeks:

1. First and foremost, Journaling brings immediate personal experience into the spotlight of conscious awareness. Charles Tart points out we largely go through our day on automatic pilot with little or no consciousness of what we're doing. Awareness is the first grand step to rediscovery of who we are.

2. Once the spotlight is on immediate experience, we have the choice to give it attention for self reflection. At this point our natural response turns away since we generally seem to have little desire to "study" ourselves. But Journaling forces the issue. There the experience is, and to do an entry, we have to reflect on it and write about it.

3. Journaling on a daily or weekly basis, provides the foundation for integrative insights that naturally arise from the flow of our experience consciously passing before us. This happens when given the opportunity because the deeper we probe, the more we find a natural desire for "self perfection" rising to the surface.

4. As these insights emerge, we are drawn to integrate these discoveries into personal behavior changes. Since we are also positive feedback oriented "self correcting" creatures, this too takes place naturally when given the opportunity and some encouragement from the facilitator.

5. Finally the quality of the Journaling process is substantially enhanced when we know that there is a trusted audience beyond ourselves that we are writing for. In the classroom, I am the audience of one for the student's Journal. Over the term their trust develops as they open more and more deeply in the process they share with me.

Thank you folks once again for being my trusted audience! Your listening and feedback has made this past month a more meaningful and valuable experience than otherwise would have been the case. I really appreciate your being there.

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