“Some might call it the Holy Spirit, some might call it the soul, some might simply speak of inner resonance. The practical point is that pure being can move in both directions up and down from God to rocks, with humans as the free and conscious connector in between.”
Richard Rohr
4Fold Path map
The 4Fold Path map provides an overview of the archetypal whole person, featuring compass points of personhood and unfolding sequences for soul work. It serves as a template for the InnerView Guidance model and allows practitioners to follow multi-level transitions through the therapeutic process. The map is used to help navigate life stories as soul journeys towards personal integration. Its premise is that we live in two worlds: the finite, concrete, chronos dimension of our outer lives (horizontal axis on the map) and the infinite, intangible, kairos dimension of inner life (vertical axis). The balancing act of being human means having a foot in both worlds (matter/spirit) while holding our centre at the crossroads, where the perspectives of spirit, soul, ego and psyche intersect under varying life circumstances. The map is meant for anyone exploring or facilitating psychospiritual growth, by discovering what the soul wants in unfolding parallel phases on four different levels. The series of fourfold sequences can be used as a training and supervision tool, leading to practical interventions involving mindfulness practices, meditation methods, contemplative teachings, and guidance from the Wisdom Tradition.
(click the arrows to view the 4Fold sequences)
Compass Points of Personhood
SPIRIT is the transcendent, boundless dimension of the unmanifest infinite Self. It’s the fullness of life in its formless state.
SOUL is how the spirit takes form and shape. It’s the substance and quality of everything that’s grounded in lived experience.
EGO is the functional self that manages our day-to-day activities in a managerial way with its many life tasks to accomplish.
PSYCHE is the transpersonal, inclusive self of the collective unconscious, informed by symbols, archetypes, myths and rituals.
SOUL is how the spirit takes form and shape. It’s the substance and quality of everything that’s grounded in lived experience.
EGO is the functional self that manages our day-to-day activities in a managerial way with its many life tasks to accomplish.
PSYCHE is the transpersonal, inclusive self of the collective unconscious, informed by symbols, archetypes, myths and rituals.
Elements of the 4Fold Process
The overarching fourfold sequence for the InnerView guide to follow is witness – presence - essence - guidance. One element leads to the next, yet the phases are actually more like the convergence of a 4-way intersection than consecutive steps. The four foundations of soul unfoldment are presented in a parallel process with other four step phases (see map below) for the progressive attunement of clients. The basic CARE framework contains the other sequences. The CARE model draws upon generic phases of clinical intervention yet directs attention towards positive attitudes and qualities. The CARE acronym stands for Connect & contain (your challenge is human and manageable) - Assess & affirm (you’ve got what it takes to get through this) - Reframe & reorient (you are not defined by your life situation) - Encourage & empower (keep going, one step at a time).
Witness is the spacious awareness we bring to the blow-by-blow embroilment of life dramas. It involves the capacity to sit back and take a dispassionate, observer’s view, like watching a movie. Witnessing is fostered through mindfulness and meditative practices and instills the equanimity of ‘seeing the big picture.’ It also allows for a clearer view of the person behind the problem.
Presence dissolves the duality between self and other such that we can hold the space for our common humanity without judgment. With power differentials diminished by simple presence, needful healing can emerge which has an energy of its own.
Essence is otherwise known as the ‘true self’ or ‘point vierge’ - who we would be without mind, memory, or association; our unconditioned, unconstructed identity. It allows us a backstage pass to the value and worth of a person in and of themselves, aside from any ego strategies used to achieve significance and belonging. Our original nature, without shame.
Guidance is divining where a particular life situation meets the potential evolution of a person and becomes their growing edge. Whenever there’s a sense of suffering happening for a person, rather than to a person, guidance will emerge. The ‘flip side’ of a problem is revealed as an opportunity for self-compassion and soul growth.
Presence dissolves the duality between self and other such that we can hold the space for our common humanity without judgment. With power differentials diminished by simple presence, needful healing can emerge which has an energy of its own.
Essence is otherwise known as the ‘true self’ or ‘point vierge’ - who we would be without mind, memory, or association; our unconditioned, unconstructed identity. It allows us a backstage pass to the value and worth of a person in and of themselves, aside from any ego strategies used to achieve significance and belonging. Our original nature, without shame.
Guidance is divining where a particular life situation meets the potential evolution of a person and becomes their growing edge. Whenever there’s a sense of suffering happening for a person, rather than to a person, guidance will emerge. The ‘flip side’ of a problem is revealed as an opportunity for self-compassion and soul growth.