Irina Kruglova (Latvia). Individual Approaches to Transition from Internal Dialogue (Tension) to Eternal Peace (Silence)

The research ‘Individual approaches to transition from internal dialogue (tension) to internal peace (silence)’ (SPPA, Riga) considers internal dialogue as an important phenomenon, which is a good indicator of a person’s entire psychological condition and an important point of applying efforts for regulating this condition.

The following questions are defined for study in the work:

• What is the content of the notion ‘internal dialogue’?
• What is the difference between constructive internal dialogue and destructive internal dialogue?
• What are individual methods for interrupting destructive internal dialogue?
• What internal states are experienced by respondents as a result of interrupting destructive internal dialogue?
• What are individual notions of internal dialogue and what are individual methods of interrupting internal dialogue in relation to achieving the state of internal silence?

It should be noted that theoretical analysis of the notion of internal dialogue in psychology and psychotherapy makes it possible to single out several approaches to its interpretation. Summarising the results gained by using content analysis, the following definition of the notion ‘internal dialogue’ can be given. Internal dialogue is a means of processing information, used for making decisions and solving internal tasks and conflicts, based on comprehension of the situation and reflection of the internal state, executed by means of auto-communication by a multi-subject personality.

The problem is that internal dialogue can serve the function of development and be a vehicle of personality development, and, in this case, can be called constructive internal dialogue, but it can also slow down and hinder development, and, in this case, it can be called destructive internal dialogue.

The negative aspect of the functions of internal dialogue seems to be insufficiently reflected in psychological studies. It should be noted that understanding the nature of communication with oneself is of singular importance in the practice of psychotherapy: it has immediate impact on the concept of the process itself, on the definition of the mechanisms of the personality transformation, and on the choice of therapeutic strategies.

Hence, the primary task in practical work with a client is to help him/her to realise his/her internal dialogue as being an independent psychical process and to see which function it performs in the client’s internal life.

Essentially, to interrupt internal dialogue is to switch internal thinking activity. Interrupting and correcting internal dialogue leads to changing the actual state of the subject. The opinion that interrupting internal dialogue always leads to one or another kind of positive results does not have unambiguous proofs as yet. Anyway, it is useful to learn to stop internal dialogue. In this sense, it should be understood that stopping internal dialogue is not an end in itself but a practical procedure, making it possible to accelerate the process of switching to constructive internal work or external activity and the process of the client’s general psychological development. The state of internal silence and peace can be achieved, and it occurs as a result of stopping internal dialogue. To achieve the state of internal silence and peace, it is necessary to replace interfering, disquieting internal dialogue, which often results from an unfinished action, and to consciously concentrate one’s attention on the internal process, excluding the problem from the area of attention.

The practical importance of the research lies in the fact of revealing methods for stopping internal dialogues and of demonstrating internal states that result from the interruption. These findings can be used in practical work with a client, whose problem is destructive internal dialogue.

The present research does not claim to study exhaustively the issues related to internal dialogue, methods of stopping internal dialogue and states resulting from stopping internal dialogue. The value of the research is in the fact that, on the one hand, it scientifically explains one possible way of achieving the state of internal silence and, on the other hand, it may form the basis for developing methodology of studying internal dialogue and methods of stopping it.