The Unfolding of Experience

Abstract

The basic process of unfolding as a way of discovering newness in human experience is explored here. Two kinds of unfolding are distinguished: (1) sequential or "horizontal" unfolding, in which we develop through time, as new meanings appear, one step at a time, each step partly building on those that have preceded it (as in psychotherapy); and (2) an even more surprising kind of vertical emergence, in which something totally new and fresh breaks through and we see things in a radically different way and discover new depth in our lives (as in meditation). The dynamics of unfolding are then shown (1) to illuminate parallels between certain phenomena in physics, brain functioning, and human experiencing; (2) to clarify the core process of change in psychotherapy; and (3) to shed light on the relationship between therapeutic self-discovery and the more radical kinds of awakening often realized through the practice of meditation.