Home Blog

The Dance of the Unconscious: How States of Possession Shape Our Creative Journeys

0

There are moments in life when you have deep epiphanies, creative thoughts, or an unrelenting desire to understand something. It might feel as if a divine force is communicating with you, but a closer look reveals that those are the unconscious parts of you that have been craving attention.  

German psychologist Erich Newmann coined the term “states of possession” to describe profound experiences that reveal something new and raise new possibilities about the self. In his book, “Art and the Creative Unconscious: Four Essays,” he explores the connection between creativity and the unconscious mind, and how artistic expressions arise from the collective unconscious.

States of Possession

“To be moved, captivated, spellbound signifies to be possessed by something; and without such a fascination and the emotional tension connected with it no concentration, no lasting interest, no creative process, are possible. Every possession can justifiably be interpreted either as a one-sided narrowing or as an intensification and deepening.”

Newmann dedicated his life to researching these unseen processes. Transformations comprise stages of possession. That is why Newmann calls it possession, because once you are possessed by an idea, apart from involving your entire being, all your creative forces, it transforms the self by including the suppressed, abandoned parts of us that have been yearning for inclusion in our conscious experience. 

Moments of Irruptions

These abandoned parts of us also become a source of transformation. “Most striking are those transformations which violently assail an ego-centered and seemingly airtight consciousness, i.e., transformations characterized by more or less sudden ‘irruptions” of the unconscious into consciousness.”

states of possession

According to Newmann, in the primitive culture, men were more open to the unconscious, more connected with the archetypal images, and they were better equipped to handle these ‘irruptions.’ 

But in a modern society that is so disconnected with its own self, such “irruptions” would feel different. We experience such moments in times of suffering – illness, pain, extreme hunger, and thirst.

During these moments, the unconscious starts to emerge through the small openings, resulting in experiences of revelation, transformation, and sudden clarity.

These personal transformations, despite their sudden nature, do not apply to the total personality – it is only a fractal of the whole. 

“What we encounter most often are partial changes, partial transformations of the personality… Unless changes in consciousness go hand in hand with a change in the unconscious components of the personality, they do not amount to much… Possession by a personal complex, an emotional content, leads only to a partial transformation that overpowers consciousness and its center, the ego… Whereas partial changes in the personal unconscious, in the “complexes,” always influence consciousness at the same time, and changes effected through the archetypes of the collective unconscious almost always seize upon the whole personality.” 

Flow State and the Collective Unconscious

What we know as the ‘Flow state’ begins as an “irruption”. Neumann noted that although all creative endeavors involve a degree of possession, what sets exceptional art apart is that this ownership is not the ultimate goal of the creative journey; rather, it serves as a foundation for a higher purpose that transcends self-fulfillment and aims at understanding universal truths.

“When we consider the totality of the human psyche, in which consciousness and the unconscious are interdependent both in their development and in their functions, we see that consciousness can develop only where it preserves a living bond with the creative powers of the unconscious… It must not be forgotten that the outside world that we apprehend with our differentiated consciousness is only a segment of reality, and that our consciousness has developed and differentiated itself as a specialized organ for apprehending this particular segment of reality… We pay a heavy price for the sharpness of our conscious knowledge, which is based on the separation of the psychic systems and which breaks down the one world into the polarity of psyche and world. This price is a drastic curtailment of the reality that we experience.”

creativity and the universe 1

Creativity flourishes at the intersection of ownership and openness, where our psychological processes drive us toward a specific path that aligns with the readiness to explore outside, embracing the wholeness and limitless nature of reality.

“Always and everywhere [the creative person] is driven to rediscover, to reawaken, to give form to this world. But he does not find this world as though seeking something outside him; rather, he knows that this encounter with full reality, the one world, in which everything is still “whole,” is bound up with his own transformation toward wholeness. For this reason he must, in every situation, in every constellation, refresh the openness into which alone the open world can enter.”

Further Reading

Creativity and the Unconscious – research paper

Siddhartha, a Book that Felt like Home

0

Have you ever felt a sense of belonging? Sometimes it’s a place, a person, or even a pet that makes you feel that there’s purpose, there’s meaning to life. This is especially true if you have at times or even most times felt out of place, a misfit in this world, yet a seeker of one’s own truth.

Sidhhartha the Seeker

When the stories told haven’t been enough, you outgrew your culture, so you hopped around discovering others, learnt the lessons, and moved on for greater wisdom. You crossed many paths, you were lost on some, and yet on others, you lost yourself. But in the end, everything seemed to come together in this symphony that created joyous highs and shattering lows.

All the lessons, all the learning, all the stories carried you higher up the mountain, and the higher you got, the smaller the crowd, till only a handful of people seemed to keep up with your pace. The peace of solitude was blissful, but the question, What is this place and why am I here. Perhaps the questions are different for each one of us, but if you feel connected to any part of what was said above, I would like to introduce you to Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.

“I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” ~ Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Siddhartha, a Gem on the Journey

Like a madman who raves about a beautiful sunset or a flower, who doesn’t realize that the beauty truly is in the eyes of the beholder. I recommended Siddhartha to every, tom, dick and harry after I read it. So the above paragraphs are to filter out who would gain from this book. This book was a delightful surprise, I did not expect to find these divine moments of truth or a space that beckoned belonging.

Imagine putting everything in your mind and pausing for a while and assuming the roles of the characters in the book. If you notice, I said characters, strangely, in this book, I would not just find myself in only a single character, but I found parts of me across the characters in Siddhartha. From Govinda, the ferryman, and even the woman in the garden, each of them seemed to live my moments of existence and Siddhartha’s fun and frolic, hardships and joys, ecstasy and sorrows, all of them seemed to tingle me somewhere.

Ever felt a book was written about you? A movie that was based on your life? A song that was sung for you? It’s fulfilling to know that there’s someone who exists or existed that you could connect with on a deeper level, the term ‘soul connection’ where you just feel like damn we were cut out of the same material. To finally know that you’re home, it’s a different kind of feeling to know that you belong, especially when you never have.

We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel… is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
Ursula K. Le Guin

The book dives into the spiritual journey of self-discovery of Siddhartha, set in India during the time of Gautama Buddha. An interesting bit of trivia, the word Siddhartha is made up of two Sanskrit words: siddha (achieved) + artha (what was searched for).

The best way to approach understanding reality and achieving enlightenment, according to Hesse’s novel, is through experience, or the entirety of conscious events in a human life. Hesse’s design of Siddhartha’s journey demonstrates that understanding is not attained through intellectual methods or by losing oneself in the world’s sensual pleasures and the accompanying pain of samsara, but rather through the completeness of these experiences, which is what enables Siddhartha to achieve understanding.

Siddhartha, Comforting the Discomforted

The book is a little over 100 pages and because I found it that captivating, I went through it in a single day. What I personally found captivating is how Siddhartha’s journey, the one of a seeker, does not get bound down by external circumstances. He’s not satisfied in the deepest wells of lust, riches or belief systems, this is what resonated with me. He does not find solace in the external world until he comes to peace with what is. No guru, no experience, no knowledge got him up that hill, but he used them as support on his way there.

“I have had to experience so much stupidity, so many vices, so much error, so much nausea, disillusionment and sorrow, just in order to become a child again and begin anew. I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the greatest mental depths, to thoughts of suicide, in order to experience grace.” ~
Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

If you have read Siddhartha, I do hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, do let me know in the comments. If you haven’t, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for, here’s the full book for you to listen to.

Siddhartha - FULL AudioBook 🎧📖 - by Hermann Hesse - Buddhist Religion & Spirituality Novel

Resources:
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

The Parents Playbook: 6 Ways to Keep Your Child Innocent in a Digital Age

“The greatest lessons in life, if we would but pause and humble ourselves, are not gleaned from the erudite adults, but from the so-called ‘ignorant’ children.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Child-like innocence is such a gratifying quality that children ‘naturally’ possess. Several poets, authors, and philosophers honor this quality – it exudes purity and solace – a piece of inspiration.

It is something that adults yearn for, and I feel that the ones who still retain that childlike innocence and curiosity are generally people who work with children – teachers, educators, parents (perhaps). 

What saddens me or, rather, prompted me to write this piece is the growing evidence that this childlike innocence is disappearing at an early age. My heart bleeds to see a 5-year-old and 8-year-old talk about world matters, showing the middle finger, spewing abusive words, playing games on a device, being manipulative, and so on. This seems to have a toll on the child turning them into young adults even before hitting puberty. 

Instead, children should be so immersed in play that it becomes a way of expressing their innermost feelings and processing their day’s experiences and events. Many parents, nowadays, want their children to grow up too soon. Society advocates such kind of an upbringing. What are the consequences of this? The child ends up growing intellectually, and somewhere, innocence is lost or repressed. 

Why do we want our children to grow fast? How was it for you when you were growing up? Did you spend a lot of time outdoors or in front of the TV? 

“Slow down childhood…It takes a lot of slow to grow.” ~ Unknown

Reasons for losing innocence

This can be attributed to myriad reasons – overconsumption of all kinds – media, food, information, products, or clothes – it’s all fast-moving, it’s all on your face, and we want it attitude is encouraged. 

Just at the click of a button, we can get anything and everything to our doorstep; all we have to do is just collect it. It is all too easy, there are choices galore for every aspect of our lives – from education to social media, or from the kind of transport you want to the kind of food you wish to eat. 

This makes the dotcom generation feel more connected in the virtual world and less connected with their reality. They are losing the capacity to connect with other individuals because they spending more time on screens than outdoors.

Even the food we eat, we are all aware of the kind of food children are consuming. We are what we eat. If the child is too dependent on processed foods, sugar, and soda, it affects them physically, developmentally, and psychologically.

Our busy lifestyle to climb up the ladder of material success sometimes deprives us of having a real connection. When your children see you, what do they see? Are you on a device? Do you remember the time you saw your grandmother knit or stitch, cook or garden, sing, and bake you something special? What are you as the parent teaching your child?

How can we as parents or caregivers or guardians protect this innocence? Here are 6 ways to save or keep your child innocent in a digital age ~

Keep the wonder alive

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
~ Albert Einstein

This is the one thing that will always stay with the child even when he grows up. A 3 or 4-year-old has developed this newfound curiosity in the world around him: “Why is it like this? “Why do we do this? How does this work?” 

Rather than intellectualizing the answers, provide an answer that is satisfying and keeps the awe and wonder alive. When we give ready-made answers to the child, it becomes their truth, which leaves little or no room for further imagination to take place. When the learning journey caters to the curiosity of the child, it sparks their imagination and creativity.

Imagine if the child just asks Google for their answers at that age. What would the outcome be in such a situation? 

Spend time in nature 

“Restore balance. Most kids have technology, school, and extracurricular activities covered. It’s time to add a pinch of adventure, a sprinkle of sunshine, and a big handful of  outdoor play.” ~ Penny Whitehouse.

Keeping Your Child Innocent in a Digital Age

The solution to many problems in life lies in spending sufficient time in nature. As I have always said, Nature heals, like Shinrin Yoku has immense healing benefits. Children feel at home outdoors; the vastness, greenery, trees, wind, sunlight, and fresh air work on the child’s overall health. Not only children but adults too feel revitalized after spending time outdoors..

We often climb the nearby hill with our children on weekends, and it is a wonderful time to bond with them and reconnect with nature’s elements. Even the most energetic, difficult-to-handle, or misbehaved child is at ease when taken out in nature.

The elements of nature work on the psychological and physical well-being of children. Research proves that children who actively interact with nature are likely to have a better quality of life and tend to live longer. It boosts their cognitive development, team-building skills, and independence; relieves anxiety and depression; improves memory and ability to concentrate; and improves familial and social-relational skills, self-management, and self-esteem.

The later, the better

“Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write, and count. It is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace that is right for each child. Earlier is not better.” ~ Magda Gerber.

My daughter and I go to the garden every morning to play, and several passersby say Hello, and ask me, “Is she going to school?”, I say, “Not yet,” and they give me a surprised look and say, “But isn’t she 3 already?” and I say, “I am not in a hurry to put her in a school.”

The modern-day trend is to put the child in school the moment she starts walking around; even if the child hasn’t quite developed their speech, they are rushed to a play group. This prevents the child from spending time at home, takes away his play time, and can also lead to insecurity. 

A study led by the University of Exeter Medical School found that starting school young can put a child’s well-being at risk. Children starting school at an older age consistently exhibit better educational outcomes.

A young child who is still dependent on the parents/caregivers feels nourished in a warm, secure environment and needs the touch and care of his parents to grow healthily. If the child’s environment is filled with anxiety, worry, stress, competition, and too many instructions, it reflects on the well-being of the child. 

“You cannot make people learn. You can only provide the right conditions for learning to happen.” ~ Vince Gowmon

According to Rudolf Steiner, 0 to 7 years of age is when the life forces of the child are focused on the physical development of the child. by pushing academics and intellectual learning too early, drags the life forces from working on physical development to mental stimulation. 

“When what we introduce into the children’s world of ideas and feelings is in line with the direction of the developmental forces of a given stage of life, we strengthen the entire developing person in a way that remains a source of strength throughout that person’s life.” ~ Rudolf Steiner   

Minimalism rules

Less is always more, especially in times like these when there is a gamut of everything all around, easily available. Minimalism is the need of the hour, to teach children to mend their torn pants instead of purchasing a new one (of course, young children will not sew, but the adult can mend it for them). It’s not just stopping buying things altogether, but making a wise choice of what is required and what is not.

As adults, we have to make the conscious choice to chip away the unnecessary distractions – for example, go climb a hill instead of going to a mall, and bake a cake together instead of simply ordering it online. Support your local farmers and not big MNCs, eat simple home-cooked meals – these are small changes in our daily lives that can make a profound impact on our children. Most importantly, practice what you preach. 

Play, play, and more play 

“If children played all their childhood (I mean it), they would be ready for life. They would be emotionally strong (providing no other damage has been done) and would have all the basic skills to handle life. Our anxiety for children to know certain things at specific ages is an enormous obstacle to trusting and allowing their natural development. When children play, they are the only qualified authors of this magical process. It is rarely too late to acquire knowledge, but often it is dangerously too early and out of harmony with the internal journey of the child.” ~ Naomi Aldort

EwbyulNXAAMnL7v

Young children learn through play. They engage in play in a distinctly personal manner, shaped by their configurations of spirit and soul, as well as unique experiences within their environment. 

It is the responsibility of the adults to cultivate an environment that fosters the potential for healthy play. More outdoor time, more play time in the sun and mud, and healthy play materials that nurture the senses – like pinecones, pebbles, mud, trees, cotton drapes, silk, and sustainable toys instead of plastic.

Play is not only an end in itself but a necessary precursor to the later development of intellectual and other capacities 

This keeps their innocence intact, as the child is allowed to be, to connect with their surroundings, to connect with nature, and not rushed into developing their intellectual capacities too soon. 

A dash of mindfulness and intuition…

Being mindful on your parenting journey establishes a strong foundation for your child. The more mindful you are in terms of play, food, media, consumption, rest, and daily rhythms, the healthier your child is likely to be. 

Each child is different, there cannot be a single formula that fits all. Always remember that you know your child better than anyone else, and when you are aligned with that truth, the process of raising children becomes a fulfilling experience. 

Mothers are naturally intuitive. Listen to your intuition, that inner voice that tells you this will not work out or this is a better choice for your child. By tuning into your inner guidance rather than external opinions, you can more effectively address your child’s needs. Here are 5 ways to tune into the power of your intuition.

When the child’s needs are met, many common childhood challenges and difficulties can be alleviated, helping to preserve their innocence.

See the world with the innocence of children.

Approach the world with the daring of children.

Love the world with the readiness of children.

Heal the world with the purity of children.

Change the world with the wisdom of children.
~ Neale Donald Walsch

To sum up the importance of preserving childhood innocence, here’s a heartwarming poem by Rabindranth Tagore. Tagore explores the contrast between the simple joy of a child’s play and the adult’s pursuit of material wealth.

Child, how happy you are sitting in the dust, playing with a broken twig all the morning.
I smile at your play with that little bit of a broken twig.
I am busy with my accounts, adding up figures by the hour.
Perhaps you glance at me and think, “What a stupid game to spoil your morning with!”
Child, I have forgotten the art of being absorbed in sticks and mud-pies.
I seek out costly playthings and gather lumps of gold and silver.
With whatever you find you create your glad games, I spend both my time and my strength over things I never can obtain.
In my frail canoe, I struggle to cross the sea of desire and forget that I too am playing a game.

References

The Role of Interaction with Nature in Childhood Development
Starting school young can put child wellbeing at risk
The effect of school starting age on health, education, and work

Image source

Children playing

Awakening the Warrior Within: A Journey Towards Self-Mastery and Inner Peace

0

“The basic wisdom of Shambhala, is that in this world, as it is, we can find a good and meaningful human life that will also serve others. That is our true richness.” ~ Chögyam Trungpa

Martial artists, Samurai warriors of ancient times in Japan, Native Americans, etc., were more than just warriors. There’re warriors who mastered life’s challenges and obstacles not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, fearlessness, courage, and higher awareness.

True mastery is not mastering others, but mastering our former self, and adopting a morality centered on self-improvement. 

Chögyam Trungpa, in his work “Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior,” speaks of the sacredness of a warrior’s journey. He emphasizes the importance of overcoming obstacles in daily life, recognizing one’s inherent goodness, and taking charge of enhancing one’s life. As one starts to engage with their true self, they reveal the basic goodness that resides within them. On this individual journey of warriorship, we realize the sacredness in every situation. Let’s dig deeper into the Shambhala teachings and ways to imbibe the spirit of the sacred warrior.

Let’s dig deeper into the Shambhala teachings and ways to imbibe the spirit of the sacred warrior. 

Body and Mind synchronization – Importance of Good posture 

“You are working with your mind and body; when the two work together, you never leave reality.”

body and mind synchronization

There is a close connection between the body and mind; when they are in harmony, it positively influences both posture and breathing quality. Good posture facilitates natural breathing.

Conversely, when there is a lack of synchronization, our bodies tend to slouch and the mind may begin to wander. It’s like a badly made drum, the skin doesn’t fit the frame of the drum, so either the skin breaks or the frame breaks. 

By recognizing the importance of maintaining a good posture, we can achieve synchronization of our mind and body, leading to an ideal state of tranquility and individual dignity. 

Mind and body synchronization is not a concept or a random technique for self-improvement, but a basic principle of human existence. 

The body can be compared to a camera and the mind is the film inside the camera, the question is how we can use them together. When the aperture and shutter speed are properly set with the film inside the camera, we can capture high-quality images, as both components work in unison.

Similarly, when the body and mind are synchronized, we experience clear perception, and a profound sense of self without uncertainty, restlessness, or anxiety, thereby fostering a deeper connection with our inner selves.

Don't let this stop you, show us some love and subscribe to continue reading!

If you're already a member, please login.

Image source:

10 Psalms to Reignite Your Love of Christianity

0

‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ ~ The Serenity Prayer

The Bible is a fascinating book, from old testament to new, but none are perhaps more accessible, than the Psalms. Located in the old testament, the psalms were written from the Israelite conquest of Canaan, to the post-exilic period, most likely compiled during the post-exilic period in the 5th Century BC.

Individual psalms were written as far back as Moses time, through the times of David, Asaph and Solomon, all the way to the time of the Ezraphites, who most likely lived after the Babylonian captivity, late 7th Century BC. This means the writing of the book spans one thousand years.

There are 150 psalms, and the book is divided into five sections, each ending with a doxology, or a hymn of praise. In English, the title translates into Greek, meaning ‘instrumental music,’ or ‘the words accompanying the music.’ The hebrew name of the book, Tehillium, means Praises, and they also address personal distress, and thanking god for deliverance.

The five main genres of psalms.

There are five main genres of Psalms, including: Communal thanksgiving psalms, in which the whole nation thanks god for deliverance. Wisdom psalms, reflecting the old testament’s wisdom literature. Pilgrimage psalms, sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem, entrance and prophetic liturgies, and a group of mixed psalms which don’t fit into any category.

I highly recommend them as prayers and thoughts to meditate on. Perhaps you could read one a day, perhaps one every Sunday, alongside a spiritual ritual of your choosing. 

Here are 10 psalms to reignite your love of Christianity

Please note, these are not the Psalms in their entirety.

Psalm 84

Yea, the sparrow hath found a house,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
even thine altars O Lord of Hosts,
my King and my God.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee. Blessed is the man who strength is in thee; whose heart are the ways of them.
For a day in the courts is better than a thousand.

I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Psalm 62

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
He is my only rock and my salvation, he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah. 
Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth to God.
Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth to mercy: for thou renders to every man according to his work.

psalms to reignite your love of Christianity

Psalm 121

(a song of degrees)

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 
My help cometh from the lord, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Isreal shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper: the lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 
The lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 37

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prosperity in this way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 138

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. 
When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.
Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He taketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 117

From the ends of the earth I call to you I call as my heart grows faint lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 612

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. 
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.”

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
I think you’ll agree, the Psalms are beautiful prayers, which hold the power to move mountains and part rivers. You may discover a favourite one, one which really speaks to you. You may even connect to the Holy Ghost while reading them, and incorporate them into your practice as you meditate or pray.
Praying is so important these days, especially as we approach turbulent times. Or even in times of peace, we can broaden our relationship with god, through a deeper awareness of his presence in our daily lives.

Psalms to reignite your love of Christianity

Holy Bible: PSALMS - Contemporary English Dramatized Audio (With Text)