Dealing With Guilt

 

Psychologists - Freud in particular - talk about two types of guilt - persecutory and reparative. The meanings of these labels is a complex explanation.  The Google Dictionary meaning of guilt refers to two types of guilt: 1) the guilt from having committed an offence or crime, or a perceived offence, and 2) guilt used as a manipulation to make someone do something.  For example, when a parent says it you do not do this thing for me, then you do not love me!

Guilt is an emotion that we get saddled with early on in our lives.  Someone tells us that we have done something wrong or bad and we feel guilty.  The problem is that everyone heaps guilt on us but no one says - here is how you relieve the guilt.

One of the best ways to release guilt is to forgive yourself, and promise yourself that you will not repeat the situation.  You can do this before you ask someone else for forgiveness.  If the person is not noted for being forgiving, then skip them because they will simply heap more guilt on you.  

An exercise that I do to release guilt is to write out what I am feeling guilty about and why.  I add the person's or group's name if I owe them an apology.  I say a short prayer of self forgiveness and ask that the person or group forgive me.  I throw my paper into the fire in the fireplace and ask the Universe to wash me in forgiveness for that action.  I give thanks.  I let the issue/action go.

This may not work for everyone as it works for me.  I teach this process to students and the students tell me that it seems to clear a weight from them.  

Blessings.