The unseen energetic world of frequencies and vibrations operating behind the observable world of light and sense perception, is described by Masters of the East and contemporary physicists, and embedded in Māori lore. This is an area of intense fascination for me. It is this element of fascination, along with my love of knowledge, that saw me through the various twists and turns that my PhD journey took, up to confirmation. I think that following my heart was so important in this process – That and having a good supervisor! Be certain to seek out a supervisor whose primary research interests and expertise align with your own particular interest and needs.
My research explores the interface between Hakomi psychology and mātauranga. Hakomi is grounded in 20th Century body-mind depth-psychologies, Eastern sciences, and the living-systems branch of physics. The philosophical and scientific underpinnings of Hakomi converges pervasively with vitalistic knowledge embedded in Māori lore. Interface research between the two knowledge systems brought to light the fundamental role that energy plays in psychosomatic development, health and wellbeing, pathology, and psychological (whole- being) healing and transformation. The accumulated literature in this area is vast, providing numerous lines of investigation and expanding our scope of scientific and culturally relevant knowledge for academic psychology in Aotearoa. I really enjoyed the opportunity to share my discoveries and insights at the confirmation event.
Having gathered such a rich and abundant trove of information, not only did I need to share it, but there needed to be a point! What would I DO with the knowledge I had acquired? The idea to join with Ngāti Kahungunu tōhunga and expert Hakomi psychotherapists in a series of overnight wananga to explore an approach to psychological healing and transformation, came abruptly during a moment of silence. As ‘thinky’ as we academics need to be, learning to go beyond thought, into Te Po, or Te Korekore, through meditative techniques, can be extremely useful when thinking reaches its limits!
I would say it has been a long and winding journey for me, and not one for the faint-hearted. However, several research proposals and two confirmation reports later, I am very happy in the space I now find myself. I am on a path that I find worthwhile, with good company. Through extensive background research, I feel the theoretical grounding is thorough, and moving into the practical phase, I feel a sense of spaciousness, and am enjoying the gently-paced planning with my participants who I feel very blessed to be conducting this research with. It will be a collaborative journey of exploration, discovery, and creativity! 😊
K.R. PHD Candidate
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