โWe are generally afraid to become that which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments, under the most perfect conditions, under conditions of greatest courage. We enjoy and even thrill to the godlike possibilities we see in ourselves in such peak moments. And yet we simultaneously shiver with weakness, awe, and fear before these very same possibilities.โ Abraham Maslowโs โJonah Complexโ
The Biblical Jonah
The story of Jonah is familiar with his running away from Godโs mission to the inhabitants of Nineveh. Wishing to relieve the storm tempest suffering of his fellow sailors, he has them throw him overboard only to be swallowed by the big fish. God hears his prayer and his acceptance of the mission, at which he succeeds.ย
The Jonah Complex
Abraham Maslow has coined the phrase โJonah Complexโ as our unwillingness to accept that vision of the โgod-like possibilities we see in ourselves.โ There is the notion of the whale of despair we feel when we deny these possibilities. Paying attention to and working towards these possibilities goes a long way to resolving the โJonah Complexโ.
The Jonah File
An imaginary โJonah Fileโ would contain a statement of the โgod-like possibilitiesโ we sense, our โGod-given credentialsโ or aptitudes that we are born with as well as the training we have or need to actualize the possibilities.
The content of our โJonah Fileโ would be the basis for creating an agenda or โproject charterโ for a proposed โJonah Projectโ.
A Jonah Project
A Jonah Project takes its name from the biblical book of Jonah whose story has lead to Abraham Maslowโs coinage of the โJonah complex.โ The extremely talented Jonah flees rather than accepting his abilities to convince others to turn back to their authentic selves.
A Jonah project is a personal or professional aspiration whose fulfillment just might make a significant difference in our lives:
Think about it this way: There is something I have often thought about doing, but keep avoiding. It would solve a problem or make me feel better.
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Direction or Project Goal:
WWW.SPLITROCKSTRATEGIES.COM is a Jonah project of Rabbi Nicolas L. Behrmann, HUC โ71.ย It comes about because of his desire to integrate his IT background with his unfinished rabbinic projects.
A Possible Workshop Description
Whatโs in Your Jonah File?
โWe are generally afraid to become that which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments, under the most perfect conditions, under conditions of greatest courage. We enjoy and even thrill to the godlike possibilities we see in ourselves in such peak moments. And yet we simultaneously shiver with weakness, awe, and fear before these very same possibilities.โ Abraham Maslowโs โJonah Complexโ
The integration of Jewish Midrash โ techniques guiding the search for contemporary meaning in the ancient spiritual texts โ with the insights and experiential techniques of educational and therapeutic innovations is a fundamental approach to the study of the book of Jonah.
The workshop and its workbook โWhatโs in Your Jonah File? โis based on the biblical book of Jonah whose story has led to Abraham Maslowโs coinage of the โJonah complex.โ The extremely talented Jonah flees rather than accepting his abilities to convince others to turn back to their authentic selves.
Jonahโs running away and being swallowed by the whale of despair is suggestive to Maslow and ourselves of our own fear of becoming โthat which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments,โ and the consequences for each of us should we continue to deny unfulfilled aspects of ourselves.
The โWhatโs in Your Jonah File?โ workshopโs purpose is to invite its participants to โexperimentallyโ enter into the โexperienceโ of the Biblical text and traditions without any pre-commit to an ideology/theology. Through guided fantasy and role-play, participants learn techniques of living bible interpretation and gain insights into themselves.
Whatever oneโs spiritual upbringing, โexperimentalโ entering Jewish historical and spiritual experience can teach us much about ourselves. Centuries of rich experience become creative resources that we can try on to discover or rediscover important aspects of ourselves or significant others in our lives.
The โWhatโs in Your Jonah File?โ workshopโs goal is to provide a safe refuge towards which to run to escape the bounds of the Jonah Complex.
