Question:
I have learned the sefer ‘Da Es Dimyoncha”, and the Rav has written there that the imagination is a “second” [learned] power of the soul, and that it is based on combining already existing information. In light of this, I want to ask: I am involved with therapy, and one of the recognizable patterns which I encounter in therapy sessions with my clients is, that they often have negative thinking. There is a tendency they have to take any statistic and interpret it negatively. Many times the person will imagine the worst kinds of scenarios that can result from different situations. After I learned the words of the Rav, I asked myself: If a person is drawn towards negative thinking, does this mean that his imagination is impaired? If that is the case, then instead of working with the client to help him cease his negative thinking patterns, it seems that we need to work on a more elementary power of the soul, where the imagination is coming from. Is my understanding of the Rav’s words, and my experience with regards to this issue I am encountering, correct? I would like to hear a brief listing of different ways in which I can help the client access his ‘elementary’ power in the soul and solidify it.Answer:
One can work with the root, which is the thoughts, by building a well-constructed and orderly power of thought. It is also possible to work with the ‘branch’ – the imagination – by sorting out the imagination. One can also work with the emotions, by developing the person’s emotional realm. It is also possible to work with the person’s will, by teaching him how to nullify a negative will and to reveal a positive will.
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