—— © Dr. Satya Prakash Choudhary
| Agni | Soma | |
| Agni level 1-intrapersonal | Soma level 1-intrapersonal | |
| Agni level 2-interpersonal | Soma level 2-interpersonal | |
| Agni level 3-social | Soma level 3-social | |
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Agni-Soma ‘Biune’ level
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Intrapersonal level of Agni :
At the foundation of Agni’s individualizing, differentiating, self-actualizing tendency is a life energy that vitalizes and activates the birth, growth, and emergence of self from its dependence upon the biological mother. Psychologically, ‘intrapersonal’ agni signifies the differentiation of the individual self from the family of origin, especially the parental influences. Thus ‘intrapersonal’ agni facilitates the individual self’s attainment of a separate identity, path, and purpose.
‘Intrapersonal’ agni or Level 1 agni allows for the unique development of self-identity and personality. At its core, Agni stands for the ever-indefatigable hero, the blazing warrior. Agni represents the drive to venture forth into life and to impress our uniqueness and character upon it. Agni symbolizes the ongoing, evolutionary process of individuation and differentiation of self. As the individual self goes through various experiences, a uniqueness of perception, experience, and identity is the result. A healthy and optimum functioning of Agni thus makes for a confident individual.
Through its specific style, manner, coloration, and point of view, the “I” discovers its own radiant vitality, individual strength, and power. Level 1 agni represents our need to shine, our desire for recognition, our self-esteem and issues related to what makes us feel proud or ashamed of ourselves. The energetic and dynamic process of effectively expressing (an exhilarating sense of self is largely determined by the foundation level energies of Agni, i.e. ‘intrapersonal’ agni.
Summary of ‘intrapersonal’ Agni functions:
Un-integrated or immaturely developed ‘intrapersonal’ Agni results in:
Soma reflects the formation of a strong emotional foundation, which may in turn foster a sense of emotional confidence and inner peace. Soma denotes impressionability and sensitivity. Its foundations are laid in early life, when we are imprinted by the psychology and emotions of our parents, in particular by the mother or whoever the primary caregiver is. If the infant experiences the caregiver as dependable, it creates an emotionally secure base for the child to explore the world. Thus children develop secure emotional attachments if their parents are attuned to their needs for safety, security and being physically cared for and if parents are responsive to children’s signals that they require their needs to be met. How the infant ultimately learns how to regulate his/her emotions will depend heavily on how the caregiver(s) regulates his/her own emotions. As children become better at expressing their needs and emotions, they learn self-regulation skills.
How we got along with our early caregivers tends to be the script we follow throughout our lives. Think of how you got along with your early caregivers. Was it safe? Did you feel secure? Was it smothering? Was it consistent? Was it unpredictable? Was it fair? These early relationships probably are still present in your current relationships with your loved ones. In fact their influence is seen in how you relate to others generally. The early development of secure attachments to caregivers is important for the later development of emotional competence.
If the individual experiences a series of challenges to forming a stable emotional foundation during the early formative years, later in life there will be a need to pursue experiences that allow more supportive intrapersonal emotional foundation to be laid. Yet a lack of the much needed inner stability and emotional security will lead to a deep rooted insecurity that might express itself in compensatory mechanisms through identifying one’s level of security to external and material possessions that can provide support and comfort- meaning the house, vehicles, land etc.
At a deeper level the quality of one’s relationships is also largely determined by the first level of Soma functioning. The experience of internal tranquillity and well-being will ensure that our relationships with others will be based upon a healthier emotional foundation as we look to the self — and not obsessively toward others — to fortify, nurture, and sustain the individual’s ego-strength, in a healthy emotional affirmation. Likewise a lack of the much-needed emotional foundation will manifest in an unconscious (at times even obsessive) attempt to derive it from the relationships that one may have with others. This may find expression as a strong yearning for emotional security, for developing relationships that nurture and strengthen one’s inner emotional life. This can often manifest as an impulsive need to ‘cling’ to others. Another way in which it can manifest is an inability to properly register and respond to the feelings of those around us. Freud is not far from the truth when he suggested that the infant’s tie to its mother is the first and longest lasting relationship, as well as the prototype for all later affairs of the heart. Thus the optimal blossoming of ‘intrapersonal’ level of Soma functioning is a prerequisite for satisfactory adult relationships.
Summary of ‘intrapersonal’ Soma functions:
Un-integrated or immaturely developed ‘intrapersonal’ Soma results in: