PRI is a method to free yourself from negative emotions.

PRI ( Past reality Integration ) been created by Ingeborg Bosch. She’s a Dutch psychologist. Her work is inspired by Alice Miller, the well known author of “The Drama of the Gifted Child” and many other books. Bosch also worked closely with Jean Jenson, and also the primal therapy by Arthur Janov.

The title of the blog post is actually the title of the only book she has published so far in the US. I myself have read all three of her books translated in French. She is coming to Quebec in 2013. I think it will be to meet therapy professionals. So far, she has taken care herself of training therapists about using PRI.

I have always been interested in following trends in therapy, like CBT ( Cognitive Behavior Therapy ), ACT ( Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ), and the movement of positive psychology. Hopefully, PRI will catch on in the US.

I love the way she explains how to identify the negative emotions and destructive habits using PRI. I find it makes a lot of sense.

Here are the main ideas you’ll find in PRI:

•  Dual Consciousness ( Adult and Child )
• Old pain
• Symbols
• Defense mechanisms and reversal
  • False Hope
  • False Power
  • Primary Defense
  • Denial of Needs
  • Fear
• Regression

It seems complex, but it’s not. PRI starts with  a series of 3 steps:

1. Self-observation
2. Symbol recognition
3. Defense reversal

According to Bosch, when we are born, we have one consciousness. It separates in two when fear becomes part of our life. This build the wall of defense mechanisms. As we grow older, we develop awareness. Since our parents are not perfect, some needs won’t be filled properly, and we develop the primary defense. The emotions we go through are too tough to accept, so another layer is added: false hope and false power. If we live even more neglect, the defense mechanisms wall gets reinforced with a new layer called denial of needs.

As a child, the wall is useful for our survival. As adults, it’s an obstacle. PRI helps to get rid of it as much as possible. PRI allows us to to increase awareness of our emotions, to find out the ones associated with current reality versus the illusions triggered by symbols in our daily lives.

I like the fact that Barbara Fredrickson, the author of “Positivity”, endorses PRI.

You can check the PRI site for more information, or you can buy the book “Past Reality Integration: 3 Steps to Mastering the Art of Conscious Living” from Amazon.

PRI is about the art of conscious living.