THE GROWING SELF MODEL

The Stream & Channels

How repeated experiences become familiar patterns, expectations, and ways of making sense of life.

The Rain falls and flows through the Mountains. All of this information is organized by the structures of the mind so that it flows with a dependable direction, volume, and intensity without any effort from the Self. This Stream is all of the information available to us from both the outer and inner world.

When we are small, we are limited by our development and that makes for a small Stream. As we grow physically, emotionally, and mentally, the Stream becomes larger, deeper, and faster.

The Stream itself is always changing because life is always changing.

New experiences, emotions, relationships, memories, and environments all add movement to the water. The Stream’s foundation is a muddy bed where the water is able to carve Channels into the softness below.

These Channels form naturally as the water repeatedly flows in the same directions. The more often the water moves through a certain path, the deeper and easier that path becomes.

These Channels help organize the Stream and reduce pressure on the Landscape. Without them, the water would spread everywhere at once and the system would become chaotic and difficult to manage.

As the Channels deepen, the surface of the Stream becomes calmer and more predictable. This is where balance and harmony begin to form within the Landscape.

The mind takes information from the world and forms concepts that are easier to manage. These concepts help the Self predict what is likely to happen and how to respond.

I do not have to study every detail of a chair before sitting down because I already have a concept of what a chair is and how it functions. The mind constantly creates these shortcuts so the Self does not have to relearn everything from the beginning every single day.

But concepts are never complete.

I don’t have to think of every part of a dog when a dog is mentioned because I already know what a dog is. The problem is that the dog I’m imagining and the dog you are thinking of are probably different. Neither of our concepts includes every possible dog.

So, if I say “the dog is coming over,” you may picture a tiny puppy while I picture a giant mastiff standing in your kitchen. The concept helps us function, but it is still incomplete. The same thing happens emotionally and relationally.

We form Channels around experiences and meanings. If I repeatedly experience criticism, I may develop a Channel that expects rejection. If conflict always led to danger growing up, the Stream may learn to avoid conflict altogether. If love felt conditional, the Landscape may begin organizing itself around earning approval.

These Channels help the Self predict life and reduce uncertainty, but they can also narrow the flow of the Stream over time. The deeper a Channel becomes, the easier it is for the water to keep flowing there.

Repeated thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences deepen the paths within the Landscape. This is why habits become automatic and why certain emotional reactions happen so quickly.

The Stream naturally follows the paths that already exist.

Some Channels become so deep that they begin shaping what we notice in the world around us. A worried Landscape may notice danger everywhere while a lonely Landscape may notice signs of rejection and overlook signs of connection.

The Channels are necessary, but they are not perfect.

They simplify reality so the Self can function, but sometimes they become too rigid or outdated. A Channel that once protected the Self may continue operating long after the danger has passed.

The Landscape keeps expecting the same storms even when the weather has changed.

Growth happens when the Stream encounters something that no longer fully fits the existing Channels. The water begins pushing against the old paths and creating new ones.

At first this creates tension and instability because the Stream no longer knows exactly where to flow. But over time, the Landscape can reorganize itself around new meanings and wider understandings.

Different Channels can also compete with one another.

Part of me may want to be honest while another part wants to avoid conflict.
One Channel may push toward connection while another pushes toward safety and distance.
The Stream can split in different directions at the same time and this creates tension within the Self.

In the model of the Growing Self, the Channels are the concepts, patterns, expectations, and meanings that organize the Stream and guide the flow of the Landscape.