The Process of Integration

“Integration,” is a word that is commonly defined as “the process or action of integrating,” or as “the process of combining into a whole, into a single unit.” Etymologically, it comes from the Latin word, “integer,” or “integrare,” which means, “made whole.”[1] As a word, it is used in a variety of contexts, but regardless of what the context may be, its essence remains the same - Integrating, - Combining. Made whole.

As an evidence-based practice, CBT is much broader than many practitioners have come to appreciate and there has been a number of principles, tools, and concepts that have been shown to make a significant difference, yet have remained unavailable, except to a few. As we often say, this is far from malicious. For every 18 months, the amount of knowledge in our field doubles. This is why it is essential to master the application of a body of knowledge that leads to transformation the moment it is fully understood.

Part of this body of knowledge can be summarized through the following points:

1. Who we think we are, our results in life and our habits are dependent on the types of beliefs we hold. Based on where our beliefs are coming from, they can be categorized as:
   • Normal (Ordinary) Blueprint-Based Beliefs, and
   • Natural Blueprint-Based Beliefs
2. Our Normal (Ordinary) Blueprint-Based Beliefs come from the triad of our Genetics, our Experiences (Environment), and the process of Epigenetics.
3. Our Natural Blueprint-Based Beliefs, on the other hand, derive from the triad of The Fundamental of Mind; The Fundamental of Thought; and The Fundamental of Consciousness
4. These 3 Fundamentals, which make up our Natural Blueprint are behind our biology and our psychology; and when they work as one, they are integrated, leading to wellness and wellbeing. When they are not merged, they are disintegrated, which is the mechanism behind all physical and mental health conditions.

• Normal (Ordinary) Blueprint-Based Beliefs, and
• Natural Blueprint-Based Beliefs

With this body of knowledge then, it makes sense for us to learn about, fully understand, integrate, and know how to promote and properly implement it. This whole process is known as the “Process of Integration.” In a previous article, entitled, The Formula to Help Cease Suffering, we introduced this process and now we are going to expand on it.

First, it is worth repeating that there is not one single formula for the Process of Integration, however, for practical purposes, we are going to introduce the following one, known as:

The Triad of Integration:

There are 3 components to it and it is also known as, The Triple R Process or the Thought Management System. But, before we proceed, let’s take a step back and review The 3 Fundamentals to bring a full context to it all:

As we said above and in previous articles in this series, by integration we mean the blending of the Fundamentals. This means that The 3 Fundamentals are working as one, as a whole. Now, what we know is that, in practice, they actually rarely do for most individuals, and here is part of the explanation as to why:

The Fundamental of Mind, which is the Intelligence Center, the Coordinator, or the Enabler, functions like a computer. Garbage in, garbage out. It does not discriminate. It is impartial. It is devoid of biases, and does not assume, or pretend. It neither doubts nor does it give the benefit of the doubt. It just responds based on the input it receives without failure. This, as you may suspect, could be a great thing or not, depending on the two other Fundamentals. Let’s explain:

The Fundamental of Consciousness is the Decisive Factor. The more conscious or aware I am of how to make the best use and get the most out of my computer, the more I get out of it. Which means I start to operate it differently. Do you remember the day you discovered all these great tricks you could do with your new electronic device? Yes, it meant your level of consciousness as it relates to that electronic device of yours increased and since then, you never went back to using it the same way again. How could you? Unless you forgot how to operate it, and even then, you would somehow remain with the awareness, with the consciousness, that there is more you can do with it, and you will find someone to help you remember, or you will google it, or search on YouTube. Either way, you will do something, striving for integration, maximizing how you operate your device, what type of input it needs, knowing you can expect a proportional output.

The Fundamental of Thought is the Operant Factor, the input, which is the driver, the catalyst, but as you can see, it is far from the Decisive Factor.

What does all this mean? It means the following:

The Fundamental of Mind is Neutral in the process, in the sense that it uses whatever it receives as input. The Fundamental of Thought is nothing more than an opportunist. It’s there, taking advantage of the circumstances if it is allowed. If it is not allowed, then it just goes on doing what it always does; coming, and going, without any effect whatsoever. Putting it a different way, for a thought to really be the catalyst, the Operant Factor, the driver, or the input, it needs to be focused upon in a certain way. And this focus or level thereof is decided by one’s level of consciousness - The Fundamental of Consciousness.

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If we were to summarize this in the most succinct way possible then, we might safely say this: The ultimate process of Integration is dependent upon The Fundamental of Consciousness. This would be both a true and accurate statement, for The Fundamental of Consciousness is the Decisive Factor. Moreover, there is a process to raising one’s consciousness. And while the process of Integration does include that, it does not and cannot start there. This is why this practical Process of Integration that we are currently expanding upon is also known as The Hierarchy of Thought Management.

The Hierarchy of Thought Management allows clinicians the ability to meet patients and clients where they are, working gently with them, without pushing them to go deeper than they may be ready to. In the same vein, this Process of Integration is also known as a “Hierarchy,” because like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs[2], it gets easier to apply the second component of the triad if the first one is fully mastered. Let us now look at what this triad in the Process of Integration looks like:

1. Refocusing: You help your clients work without the thought, which means without focusing on it, without thinking about it, without fighting it, challenging it, and without despising it either. You help your patients refocus their thinking on something totally different, providing some unrelated input to their mind, while the unhelpful thought may still be in the background, it is not being focused on, therefore it is not being served as input for the Fundamental of Mind. There is a large number of interventions that patients can use to master this step of Refocusing, and they can be grouped under the following two banners: A. Cognitive Behavioral Techniques; and B. Cognitive Behavioral Exercises.[3,4]
2. Restructuring: is the second component in the triad of the Process of Integration. And it follows the Hierarchy very well. When you are helping your patients through the step of Restructuring as part of the Process of Integration, you are practically helping them to learn to work through their incessant thoughts. In order words, they are no longer ignoring the thoughts, like they did at the step of Refocusing, they are not going to give their mind something else to focus on or to necessarily think about. Rather, they are going to work through the thought, as if they were less afraid, and more empowered now. They will no longer need to close their eyes when it’s dark because they will know that darkness simply means the absence of light, and darkness will remain only until they choose to turn on the light. This is exactly what we help our patients do when they are working through the step of Restructuring. This step has two parts to it: A. Cognitive Restructuring; and B. Substitution. And, like most steps, they are not to be taken at the same time, but rather, one at a time.

   One question that often comes up is whether or not Cognitive Restructuring challenges (in the negative context) the unhelpful incessant thoughts or if they can be harmful to introduce. To this, we respond with a resounding “No,” and add that it is a great question. When doing Cognitive Restructuring, we are not attacking, challenging, confronting, or reframing the thought itself. Rather we are working with the Cognitive Error or Distortion[5], which is contained in the automatic, incessant thought. Similarly, during Substitution, the only time we ever even acknowledge the thought is when we are establishing a baseline or the situation at hand. In other words, when we are doing a thought log. Once we have an inventory and start practicing, there is no more attention given to the unhelpful thought. In Substitution, we are simply working through the thought, bypassing it, and working with its substitute.

   Lastly, working without the thought, or through it is far from a form of denial, because thought, in general, is just a thought, and is neutral and does not become active until it is focused upon, one way or another.

3. Redirecting: The third and last step in the Process of Integration is Redirecting [6]. When we refocus, we work without our incessant thoughts. When we restructure we work through our incessant thoughts, and when we redirect, we work with our incessant thoughts. “What?” is a common reaction to this. It is a level of maturity, responsibility, and empowerment that you really want your patients and clients to arrive at. At this step, your patients are no longer afraid of their own thoughts. They no longer regard their own thoughts as their enemy, and they no longer relate to their incessant thoughts as if they were “bad.” Rather they use their incessant thoughts to arrive at insightful thinking about themselves, about others, about their past, about their future, and about the world. In other words, our patients’ belief systems shift because their consciousness or their level of awareness has increased. The two parts in that last step of Restructuring in the Process of Integration are: A. Insightful Thinking-Based; and B. Consciousness Level-Based. The higher the level of consciousness, the more effective our patients will become at working with their incessant thoughts. This in turn will lead to increased freedom, less suffering, more creativity, and will lead to a new way of navigating the world.

A side note: At times, the concept, “Redirecting,” may be confused with “Refocusing.” When this happens, think of the term, “Repurposing,” each time you hear “Redirecting.”

Is there more to the Process of Integration? Well, we are only touching the surface. Yet, does the above insight suffice to help you reduce pain and suffering for your patients and clients? With a 200% guaranteed, “yes.” The premise of CBT is simple, and it is based on what we have always known: Our interpretation of a situation, rather than the situation itself determines the feelings and behaviors that follow. Our interpretation is dependent upon our level of consciousness. Many may spend a lot of their time trying to help their patients control their thoughts. Only a small number of those patients will be successful over the long-term. Most will be successful only for a limited amount of time. Thoughts are not to be controlled, and, will never be controlled. Rather, our Decisive Factor - our awareness, our level of consciousness, is to be raised, which will then instruct our thoughts, in an effortless way. We can help our patients allow their awareness to do the job for them, while they, instead, focus, on living life the way they have always wanted to, with authentic happiness, authentic success, peace of mind, and fulfillment, all while creating cool stuff and contributing to the world. For this to happen, they are to know how to make space in their noisy mind. And you can help them achieve this in the most effective and efficient way through the Process of Integration.

Isn’t this an idea worth spreading?