Judaism and Focusing Technique

Focusing, a technique developed by Dr. Gene Gendlin, synergizes beautifully with many forms of Jewish spiritual practice and allows us to amplify our spiritual authenticity and depth of experience. This paper cites some of the traditional texts and teachers that seem to have a felt-sense in their spiritual practice and teaching and also two examples of the application of focusing in Judaism.

The prophet Elijah could and did benefit from a focusing-like experience. This is described in the book of Kings where G*d is said to ask him: "Why are you here, Elijah?" Elijah answers: "I am moved by zeal — the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life."

What a challenging life situation — fear and the dangerous energy of the zealot. What does G*d do in this tale? G*d sends Elijah out on a vision quest via a process that teaches him a truth we learn in Focusing:

[Note that I will translate the unpronounceable tetragrammaton, the Hebrew letters YHVH (yud hey vav hey) which are a composite of all forms of the verb "to be" as based on the biblical burning bush episode where G*d says G*d's name is: Ehyeh asher Ehyeh — "I am becoming what I am becoming."]

G*d: "Go out, and stand on the mountain in the face of YHVH (That Which is Becoming)."

That Which is Becoming passed by
and a great and strong wind tore the mountains
and broke in pieces the rocks
In the face of That Which is Becoming.
But G*d/That Which is Becoming
was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake;
but G*d/That Which is Becoming
was not in the earthquake;
and after the earthquake a fire;
but G*d/That Which is Becoming
was not in the fire;
and after the fire
a subtle (some translate "small") still voice."
I Kings 19:11-13

There it is — create a safe space, clear your mind of what's on your life's plate — and let the felt sense come and speak to you with the wind voice, the earthquake voice, the fire voice, and underneath it all, the voice of G*d, the message we get with the small focused upon voice when we do our practice and allow this to emerge.

The Hassidic text Etz Hazman comments on this experience in a piece called "In the Subtle Voice — In Stillness":

Subtly, in a moment, in stillness, and in contemplation, we are able to hear the echo (bat kol) of "that which I command you this day." Being that the "sound" of the "Bat Kol' comes in the subtle stillness, tenderly, it is more difficult to hear it if there is a denser stronger Kol (voice) which is overcoming and forcing it aside; polluting it. Therefore we must quiet the senses and expand beyond our immersion in the three garments of the soul: Thought, Speech and Doing. Then, as in "Let the whole earth be still before G*d," will "G*d be found in G*d's holy sanctuary" and in the soul, which is the meaning of "seek G*d where G*d can be found."….. If you consider that by means of this bittul, (literally self-annihilation — bittul ha yesh) you become a vessel for blessing, then you will achieve that level of clarity called "transparency" — it is only the sense of the reality of the self which disappears and you won't avoid experiencing the consciousness which is beyond the self. Whoever merits this clarity and concentrates inner vision on that which is arising in thought, is close to the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh).

Above we find Focusing at its deepest describing an experience that brings us close to an experience of what the author considers to be G*d. It certainly feels meaningful, fulfilling and holy.

Rav Kook, taught that the soul is always active, communicating, we just aren't listening to it. He explained the soul as our inner voice, our uniqueness, containing knowledge of our mission in life. He wrote that if one doesn't listen to her inner voice she will become depressed, enervation will wither, there will be a lack of passion, personal confusion. In the prayer book he edited, Olat Ra-aya, he also describes a felt-sense phenomenon:

The perpetual prayer of the soul continually tries to emerge from its latent state to become revealed and actualized, to permeate every fiber of the life of the entire universe...Sudden spiritual clarity comes about as a result of a certain spiritual lightning bolt that enters the soul...when many days or years have passed without listening to this inner voice, toxic stones gather around one's heart, and one feels, because of them, a certain heaviness of spirit. The primary role of spiritual clarity is for the person to return to... self, to the root of one's soul.

For an example [2] of this practice in action. This article first appeared at Focusing.org .