Two things I have to work out upon arising from sleep: First, “Where am I?” and secondly, “What am I scheduled to do this morning?” Most days in a month, a Carmelite Provincial would be on the road and wake up in a bed not his own… more often than not, a bit disoriented. This can take its toll when done too often and with too little recovery time in between.
I don’t think I am any different from the millions of other people who struggle to confront the pressures of day-to-day living. Sometimes, reality is just overwhelming that it would be normal (and probably healthy) to have some form of escape. When we use one type of escape regularly, it becomes our coping mechanism.
Escapes come in different shapes and sizes. We often resort to some form of escape when we have reached what is known as a “limit situation.” As the term implies, this is a condition that a person finds himself in when he can no longer continue doing his tasks based on his normal working capacity. Only then can he summon powers beyond himself to overcome the said limit situation. This process of surpassing difficult situations is often referred to as “transcendence.” Common experience tells us that transcendence can only take place when a person has already reached his limit situation.
When we think of transcendence, we normally relate it to something that is good or beneficial. However, transcendence is not always an altruistic value. We may use not-so-healthy options to go beyond our limit situations. One merely has to think of violent tantrums, drugs, alcohol, promiscuity or shop-until-you-drop mentality as destructive coping mechanisms. Aldous Huxley (of “Brave New World” fame) coined the term “downward transcendence.” He came up with this term while experimenting with mind-altering drugs. Huxley’s use of drugs allowed him to transcend the normal human limits that were imposed on him by the realities of his life. Just like Aldous Huxley, we can cope with our limit situations in an unhealthy way (downward transcendence) or we can deal with them in a healthy way (upward transcendence).
Aside from the coping mechanisms usually employed by a Carmelite religious (e.g., prayer, spiritual direction, asceticism, etc.), I have two other favorite ways of handling limit situations. The first one is running. This activity not only helps me think things through but also clears my clogged-up arteries. The second one is reading in a nearby hamburger joint. The burgers are always gustatory delights, but they only come in second to the simple joys of reading. If the book I brought along is really interesting, I forget where I am and my attention is centered on the material at hand. My choice of books then becomes important because they aid in the upward transcendence I have chosen to employ. With a little exaggeration (and poetic license), one can probably say that a well-stocked bookstore is my opium den.
I am sure that many people do not consider running and/or reading as desirable coping mechanisms. The point I’d like to emphasize is that we always have options when we are faced with tremendous pressure. Any person can opt to transcend the limit situations he is confronted with in a healthy way or in a manner that harms himself.
Next time you wake up a little disoriented and have to confront what seems to be a limit situation, remember that God cares for you very much. And I think it would be in accord with His will if you try to use upward transcendence in coping with whatever difficulties you find yourself in.
