Actually, the tapes have relaxation/imagery parts, but also the other side of the tape often has a "heart to heart talk with Dr. Miller" where he discusses how to use the tape, background, and so on...
It's from these talks that this is excerpted...This one is from "Inner Child Healing" and I hope it comes across in text instead of hearing his voice speaking these words... Then there is something from the "I Am" tape.
Whether or not you decide you want to try out any of the tapes, I hope
some of Dr. Miller's words are as interesting -- and useful and
emotionally meaningful -- to you as they have been to me.
"Within the squealing, writhing, helpless newborn infant, although it may not be immediately visible to the naked eye, there is a Vital Spirit; warmth, security, soft voices, responsiveness, smiles and laughter, nurture the growth of this Spirit -- it needs tenderness, attention, and loving.
Without such support, it begins to wither and die, just as newborn Guinea pigs will die without licking and stroking by the mother.
Premature babies who do not receive daily stroking are more likely to become ill and perish, and children in orphanages who are not given attention die more frequently.
Similarly, a child whose physical needs are met, but whose spirit is not nurtured, may survive physically, but he will be spiritually malnourished, and stunted.
EACH CHILD IS BORN open,
vulnerable,
trusting,
courageous,
creative,
and loving.
These are intrinsic parts of its ability to grow, to change, and to heal --just watch the enthusiasm and inquisitiveness of little children, always busy exploring and enjoying.
At birth we feel Powerful, we feel capable, and enthusiastic about the world. We are unselfconsciously in touch with the Self. We have a natural self-confidence.
The tragedy is that far too often, parents and others in the environment fail to see the beauty of this human spirit, and if we do not love and cherish this human spirit, we fail to give it what it needs.
Once a child has been programmed to fit into one of another cultural role, it begins to think, "that's how things are", or, "that's the way I have to be", and something within begins to wilt.. The free spirit of the child is gradually smothered.
We are taught, by our care-givers and by our culture, to feel ashamed when we fail at something, even if we have sincerely given it our full attention and effort..
We are taught to feel guilty about things we have done that others don't want us to do..
We are compared negatively with others, and trained to feel inadequate, defective, not good enough.. We fail to receive unconditional love, respect and acceptance.. We are not cherished as the precious beings of light that we truly are.
These are some of the ways we are spiritually crippled by our environment.
Even when there has been no outright abuse, in the usual sense of the word, this lack of nurturance, in itself constitutes abuse -- spiritual abuse.
I have come to believe that truly deep healing cannot take place until the Spirit, too, has been healed.
When a fool, or one who is inexperienced looks at an acorn, he sees only a nut; the wise person sees an oak tree.
But in order to become an oak tree, the acorn must receive support, protection, and nurturing.
Similarly, when inept, inexperienced and inadequate parents look at a child, they see only a squirming mass of protoplasm that they think needs to be housebroken and trained "like a seal" or "a circus dog"
When eyes that have been opened by wisdom look at an infant, they see a unique, special, beautiful person -- a Once-Only Event on this Earth, that needs support, protection, and nurturance, so it can learn to thrive, to enjoy, and express its Truth, in this new world in which it finds itself.
And just as the body needs physical nutrients, the developing Self, -- the Spirit or Soul if you will -- needs its own kinds of nutrients: love, respect, responsiveness, honesty [...]
[Story about a friend who adopted a young African girl from a refugee camp, a child who grew many inches and gained many pounds after a very short time of finally being given enough food]
The child had been stunted in both height and weight, by the lack of proper food. As soon as the food was provided, she quickly grew into her physical potential..