A while back, I made a list of things that I think people tend to learn from engaging with the IFS process, so I thought I would post it here. (There are obviously tons of other ways to learn these things, and many people will already know a bunch of them.) These are in no particular order.
- Curiosity and compassion are very useful for doing introspection.
- Emotional/behavior/thought patterns can often be modified by interacting with specific memories.
- The mind isn’t unitary. It’s very normal to have conflicting thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
- Leaning into painful sensations is often a really good idea.
- We (humans) mostly see what we’re expecting to see.
- It’s possible to end long-running arguments with yourself.
- It’s possible to look back at memories that were once very painful and be at peace with them.
- Intense “negative” emotions aren’t always subjectively unpleasant.
- Often emotions will go away once you’ve heard what they’re trying to tell you.
People have also reported greater awareness of the physical experience of feeling emotions and recalling memories, and more vivid visualizations.
IFS can give people heuristics for recognizing confabulation.
Leading others through the IFS process also seems to promote enhanced social awareness, and increased curiosity about others, at least in certain contexts.
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