The process of psychological development of human beings

 

The process of psychological development of human beings must be understood first in order to understand the mechanisms and methods of Youth Mind Training and Mother Therapy.

The process of psychological development of human beings adopted in Youth Mind Training and Mother Therapy is based on the Theory of Mimind and Xesmind, so it is quite different from the conventional ideas currently adopted in the field of psychology and psychiatry. The concept of the process of psychological development adopted here is simple, but it is a crucial concept in psychology treatment for children and teenagers providing the skeletal construct for the design and effects of the therapy.

[The process of psychological development]
- Under age 5 : The phase of survival
- Age 5 to 13 : The phase of adaptation to relationships
- Age 13 to 20 : The phase of formation of self-identity
- Over age 20 : The phase of self-actualization

The Theory of Mimind categorizes the process of psychological development into 4 phases. Human mind does not change but stays the same all throughout the life time. It is human psychology and unconscious habits that can change depending on circumstances and experiences. The alteration of the unconscious comes from the alteration of habits, and it is not from or about the alteration of mind. Human psychology consists of three components : perception, memory, and expression. The process of psychological development involves the process of psychological changes as a result of the operation of mind and psychology at each phase.

* Phase 1 : The phase of survival (under age 5)

In this phase of psychological development, children’s psychology is focused on preparing for survival with healthy body. Providing knowledge education may not be effective and even cause adverse effects for the present and the future.

* Phase 2 : The phase of adaptation to relationships (age 5 – 13)

Once the probability of survival as a human being is secured, children’s psychology begins to focus on learning about and adapting themselves to human relationships. They try to adapt themselves to relationships with people around them including parents, siblings, and other family members. Then, they expand their relationships to those with teachers and friends. Their psychology does not yet focus on academic achievement itself in this phase.

* Phase 3 : The phase of formation of self-identity (age 13-20)

This phase starts around 4th or 5th grade in elementary school and continues until they graduate from high school. Once they have learned to adapt themselves well in relationships with people, children begin to form their own thought standards to prepare themselves for self-actualization in their adulthood. This phase is not for self-actualization itself but for forming standards for self-actualization though trial and error.

Children form habits of adapting themselves to relationships in the phase 2 and form habits of pursuing self-actualization in the phase 3. These habits form one’s own thought standards. Children and teenagers are flexible, resilient, and quick to learn and accommodate different habits with great capacity for perception and memory.

In the phase of adaptation to relationships, understanding and rationality are not taken as top priority, so children in this phase tend to listen to parents and teachers and follow directions as guided. However, teenagers in the phase of formation of self-identity need understanding and explanation for all matters since their psychology requires them to form habits for their own thought standards. They cannot accept what they cannot understand. They always try hard to understand what is going on around them, and naturally generate stress and wounds in the process when the phenomenon they deal with does not accord with their thought standards.

This mechanism explains the phenomenon where teenagers tend to confront adults over diverse issues or rebel and wander about. It is all because they try to understand or they do not understand why the matter goes the way it does. They will express and argue for their own thoughts and feelings and persist on keeping their own ways when they are stopped or restrained.

Teenagers consider rationality and understanding very important. They are stressed and wounded when they cannot accept through understanding, causing many of them experience psychological difficulties. They cannot and should not avoid this process since it is only teenagers themselves, not parents or teachers, who must form habits for their own thought standards.

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Mother Therapy : https://www.mothertherapy.net/
Korea Institute of Psycho-education : http://www.uip.ac/