Illness Lies in our Resistance to Consciousness

From the book The Origin of Illness, Norberto R. Keppe

We become ill because we resist seeing our problems; that is, we constantly attempt to ignore our weak points. As for our qualities, there is no need to focus on them because they form the structure of the personality and of life itself; or better, they exist on their own.

Patient: I’m so terrified of seeing problems, and as a unable to show my students their difficulties.

Analyst: Can you give an example?

Patient: I’m afraid of seeing any problem, no matter how simple. If you observe the world around you, you will see that society generally deals only with the positive aspects of the human being — as if there were something wrong with seeing mistakes.

Patient: I feel like I’m an outsider. I’m afraid of socializing like other people and I can’t manage to get over it.

Analyst: It’s important for you to perceive that you live like an outsider.

Patient: I’ve known this for quite some time but I can’t manage to change, not even one iota. In fact, my wife always gets very upset about this! I include this excerpt from a session of analysis to clarify the fact that since knowledge is an integral part of the being, true understanding of a problem comes only through its correction. This explains the need to know the truth in order to feel well. Practically speaking, love, reality and correct action are what constitute being. If illness stems mainly from censorship, we are forced to admit that illness is a psychological process that is largely dependent upon the will This distinction I make is the principal key to resolving the problem of the psychological and sociological pathology of humanity. I believe that our lack of consciousness results from our resistance in seeing our mistakes. It seems that we have no choice: either we accept consciousness and admit goodness into our lives, or we refuse consciousness and disrupt our lives.