Dear Friend: this blog entry is still in its inception...it is still a work in progress...it is a reflection on the role of suffering and pain in bringing about our spiritual awakening and subsequently our spiritual growth and development.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For most of us, it is only in the midst of pain (physical, mental or emotional) and agony coupled with a sense of the inadequacy of all tangible resources available to us (to adequately address our suffering), that we feel induced or motivated into venturing out into the spiritual realm in search of some intangible that we can reach out to who will hear our cry and deliver us from our distress.
Is it any wonder then that the poor (poor in the sense of their limited tangible resources) are oftentimes observed to be the ones who most easily embrace a belief in the intangible (be it God or some other supernatural)?
Is it any wonder then that young and innocent children who are subjected to traumatic emotional and/or physical experiences likewise have no hesitations in opening up their hearts and reaching out to God when they are made aware of Him and His immense love for them?
~~~~~
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Steps to True Healing of Depression
As a famous saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures”.
When one is in the abyss of a deep and prolonged depression, he/she will be at one of many levels (stages) within it. I characterize the descent down this hole as the throngs of depression increasingly engulfing every inch of a person’s entire being and spirit until it practically suffocates the life out of that person. That point of suffocation is what I like to refer to has “hitting rock bottom” (hitting the bottom of the abyss). That place is a dark, dark place. It is at this point where you feel most desperate. One of two things can happen at this point. The depressed will feel absolutely desperate to find and try anything to get himself/herself slowly back out of the hole…or the sufferer will feel completely overwhelmed, feel a complete absence of control over their life situation, feel resigned and beaten down that he/she will not have any fight left in them and will shortly thereafter might make an attempt to take their life.
A true friend is someone who can somehow find a way to influence a sufferer, who is at rock bottom, to believe that he/she still has some fight left inside them. That is not an easy feat. However, once some (any) amount of will to fight is restored, the next step would be to influence the sufferer into believing that there just might be some benefit (for their ongoing fight) to be gained in psychotherapy or counseling. The fight belongs to the sufferer…the proper role of friends, counseling, and psychotherapy is that of coach…to provide guidance and encouragement throughout the fight.
It is important to point out here that despite whatever doubts one may have about the veracity of neurotransmitter imbalance and its direct cause/effect association with depression, one must assume this theory to be valid (in the absence of any compelling proofs disproving it) and take the appropriate medications to stabilize the condition. If neurotransmitter imbalance is indeed is a factor and it is not adequately stabilized, then all the steps to healing (outlined below) may prove to be simply impossible for the depressed to bring him/herself to do. The brain is like a machine, if it is not functioning properly, then the signals that it sends out to the body to perform an act will be garbled and distorted.It is therefore my point of view (arising from the insights gained from my own experience) that a depressed person should take some anti-depressant/s (and do so religiously) until such time is reached when the benefits of the steps outlined below begin to really take hold in his/her body and he/she is completely out of the hole. That point is also when the depressed can (and should) discontinue the use of these drugs…in my own experience, a point in time came when continuing to take anti-depressants began to be counter-productive and get into the way of complete healing. A depressed person will be able to “feel” when such a point comes.
Once the depressed has made a choice to fight, he/she will not shy away from trying anything and everything (even steps that may have seemed corny or downright silly to a normal person)…his/her intense sense of desperation will drive this. I was at that point once, and I now share with you here the various steps that I employed to successfully work my way out of that predicament.
It is crucial to make it absolutely clear to the depressed that the lasting healing that comes about as a result of doing the steps (outlined later in this reflection) takes place very slowly. Depending on the severity of the underlying factors, complete healing may even take years to come…this is (after all) the healing of the spirit that we are talking about here. A breakdown of the spirit is the culmination of several years of “soul neglect” or “soul abuse” that could span (quite possibly) a person’s childhood and adult years.
Much energy and effort will need to be exerted at the beginning just getting oneself to the point of doing any of the steps. Do not set expectations upon yourself to do too much, too soon. The path to healing is about small victories attained one small step at a time, one day at a time…with each success motivating you onward to the next. A the end of your journey, when the depressed is completely out of the abyss, he/she must continue to do the steps in order to maintain lasting healing.
The steps are a three-pronged (trident) approach which I categorize according to the following objectives:
1. Knock down the barriers to healing
2. Block the self-perpetuating nature of depression
3. Provide “nourishment” and care to the soul
Knock Down the Barriers to Healing
The process of all healing (physical and spiritual) cannot begin unless this crucial step is done first – FORGIVENESS. A great physical and spiritual healer exemplified this principle in all His works…every act of healing He did was begun by the act of forgiveness. If this worked for this great healer, it certainly makes sense to follow His example, don’t you think? For me, this made total sense.
The process of forgiveness begins with a reflective process of taking an honest inventory (a difficult step, the landscape of which is filled with the landmines of self-denial) of all the persons for whom a sufferer holds deep-seated feelings of grudge, anger, hate, or desire for vengeance. These powerful feelings and sentiments are all poisons to the spirit that eventually manifest in the form of serious ailments to the body. The sufferer must then muster all the strength he/she could muster to sincerely forgive (in his/her heart) these persons and all the wrongs (most likely perceived rather than actually real) they inflicted against him/her.
One very effective aspect of psychotherapy related to this process of forgiving others is the verbalization of a depressed person’s emotional pain that he/she uncovers at various levels of his/her psyche. Only by voicing it out can a person truly release it out of the mind and system…merely thinking about it (realizing without vocalizing) keeps the pain residing inside.
An equally important aspect of forgiveness is the sincere act of seeking and asking forgiveness (where possible) for all injury that the depressed believes he/she caused another. A sense of being forgiven is one spiritual gift that comes from a belief in a God who is merciful and forgiving especially in cases where the depressed is unable to seek forgiveness from the injured person directly. For this to work, the depressed must come to know and be able to accept that he/she is forgivable.
Block the self-perpetuating nature of depression
Depression is such a smart disease. Not only does it consume the depressed and sucks practically all the life out of him/her, it preserves itself by immersing the depressed into patterns and living conditions that perpetuate it. In order to get into the path of healing, the depressed must force him/herself into activities that counteract the self-preserving elements of depression.
The self-perpetuating patterns of depression are:
• Staying in bed all day
• Wallowing in complete inactivity
• Indulging in unhealthy activities on the internet
• Stopping or avoiding all contact with people or friends
• Staying in the dark
• Neglecting the cleanliness of one’s body, clothing, and living area (allowing your existence to deteriorate into filthy conditions
• Neglecting the eating of food (no desire to cook or eat)
• Focusing solely on oneself and the condition they are in
• Use alcohol or other narcotics (these are actually depressants) to numb the pain
Conversely, here are some of the steps that a depressed person must strive to do every day to counteract the above:
• Fill your environment with as much natural light as possible (open you blinds or curtains completely; go out of the house and take a walk, even a short one, in the natural light)
• Get out of bed and out of your room
• Find and engage in some simple activity that forces you to come in contact with people (strangers or friends)
• Find and engage in some easy form of volunteer work that serves the ones who are most in need (this forces the depressed to take his/her eyes (focus) off him/herself and his/her condition
• Listen to uplifting and inspirational music
• Wear a fresh set of clothes (especially underwear) each day
• Take a long, slow shower; visualize the water washing away the spiritual dirt and poisons away from the body
• Read spiritually uplifting and inspirational books
• Practice proper breathing several times in the day (gets more oxygen into your brain)
• Eat nourishing foods that do not require much effort to prepare
Provide “nourishment” and care to the soul
Here are some activities that give nourishment and care to the soul. Strive to do little bits of these day by day:
• Find some simple activity that touches on your creative side and employs the use of your hands or feet (such as drawing, painting, crafts, working with clay, pottery, playing a musical instrument)
• Give of yourself (via the use of your hands…not your money) to others in need such as participating in some simple volunteer activity in your local area…there is no activity that is more spiritually gratifying and healing than to bring some relief to the suffering of another
• Go out and find some part of Mother Nature where you can “reconnect” with her and thus get back in connection with your element…gardening is one activity that I did; walking on the water along a quiet beach with the roaring sound of powerful waves filling me and the soft, cool breeze sending electricity throughout the nerves of my body; walking along a beautiful nature trail high atop a mountain and feeling a sense of closeness with creation and the creator
• On a rainy day, go out into the rain and get soaked...allowing yourself to just drift away...letting go all your cares and concerns and allowing the healing power of water to cleanse your spirit
• Take a moment to find the beauty in the everyday common things of nature around us that we have gotten used to seeing and overlooked (look at a flower, for example…one flower…and soak in all aspects of its beauty…then marvel at the beauty of creation…and see that you yourself are a beautiful part of creation)
~~~~~
When one is in the abyss of a deep and prolonged depression, he/she will be at one of many levels (stages) within it. I characterize the descent down this hole as the throngs of depression increasingly engulfing every inch of a person’s entire being and spirit until it practically suffocates the life out of that person. That point of suffocation is what I like to refer to has “hitting rock bottom” (hitting the bottom of the abyss). That place is a dark, dark place. It is at this point where you feel most desperate. One of two things can happen at this point. The depressed will feel absolutely desperate to find and try anything to get himself/herself slowly back out of the hole…or the sufferer will feel completely overwhelmed, feel a complete absence of control over their life situation, feel resigned and beaten down that he/she will not have any fight left in them and will shortly thereafter might make an attempt to take their life.
A true friend is someone who can somehow find a way to influence a sufferer, who is at rock bottom, to believe that he/she still has some fight left inside them. That is not an easy feat. However, once some (any) amount of will to fight is restored, the next step would be to influence the sufferer into believing that there just might be some benefit (for their ongoing fight) to be gained in psychotherapy or counseling. The fight belongs to the sufferer…the proper role of friends, counseling, and psychotherapy is that of coach…to provide guidance and encouragement throughout the fight.
It is important to point out here that despite whatever doubts one may have about the veracity of neurotransmitter imbalance and its direct cause/effect association with depression, one must assume this theory to be valid (in the absence of any compelling proofs disproving it) and take the appropriate medications to stabilize the condition. If neurotransmitter imbalance is indeed is a factor and it is not adequately stabilized, then all the steps to healing (outlined below) may prove to be simply impossible for the depressed to bring him/herself to do. The brain is like a machine, if it is not functioning properly, then the signals that it sends out to the body to perform an act will be garbled and distorted.It is therefore my point of view (arising from the insights gained from my own experience) that a depressed person should take some anti-depressant/s (and do so religiously) until such time is reached when the benefits of the steps outlined below begin to really take hold in his/her body and he/she is completely out of the hole. That point is also when the depressed can (and should) discontinue the use of these drugs…in my own experience, a point in time came when continuing to take anti-depressants began to be counter-productive and get into the way of complete healing. A depressed person will be able to “feel” when such a point comes.
Once the depressed has made a choice to fight, he/she will not shy away from trying anything and everything (even steps that may have seemed corny or downright silly to a normal person)…his/her intense sense of desperation will drive this. I was at that point once, and I now share with you here the various steps that I employed to successfully work my way out of that predicament.
It is crucial to make it absolutely clear to the depressed that the lasting healing that comes about as a result of doing the steps (outlined later in this reflection) takes place very slowly. Depending on the severity of the underlying factors, complete healing may even take years to come…this is (after all) the healing of the spirit that we are talking about here. A breakdown of the spirit is the culmination of several years of “soul neglect” or “soul abuse” that could span (quite possibly) a person’s childhood and adult years.
Much energy and effort will need to be exerted at the beginning just getting oneself to the point of doing any of the steps. Do not set expectations upon yourself to do too much, too soon. The path to healing is about small victories attained one small step at a time, one day at a time…with each success motivating you onward to the next. A the end of your journey, when the depressed is completely out of the abyss, he/she must continue to do the steps in order to maintain lasting healing.
The steps are a three-pronged (trident) approach which I categorize according to the following objectives:
1. Knock down the barriers to healing
2. Block the self-perpetuating nature of depression
3. Provide “nourishment” and care to the soul
Knock Down the Barriers to Healing
The process of all healing (physical and spiritual) cannot begin unless this crucial step is done first – FORGIVENESS. A great physical and spiritual healer exemplified this principle in all His works…every act of healing He did was begun by the act of forgiveness. If this worked for this great healer, it certainly makes sense to follow His example, don’t you think? For me, this made total sense.
The process of forgiveness begins with a reflective process of taking an honest inventory (a difficult step, the landscape of which is filled with the landmines of self-denial) of all the persons for whom a sufferer holds deep-seated feelings of grudge, anger, hate, or desire for vengeance. These powerful feelings and sentiments are all poisons to the spirit that eventually manifest in the form of serious ailments to the body. The sufferer must then muster all the strength he/she could muster to sincerely forgive (in his/her heart) these persons and all the wrongs (most likely perceived rather than actually real) they inflicted against him/her.
One very effective aspect of psychotherapy related to this process of forgiving others is the verbalization of a depressed person’s emotional pain that he/she uncovers at various levels of his/her psyche. Only by voicing it out can a person truly release it out of the mind and system…merely thinking about it (realizing without vocalizing) keeps the pain residing inside.
An equally important aspect of forgiveness is the sincere act of seeking and asking forgiveness (where possible) for all injury that the depressed believes he/she caused another. A sense of being forgiven is one spiritual gift that comes from a belief in a God who is merciful and forgiving especially in cases where the depressed is unable to seek forgiveness from the injured person directly. For this to work, the depressed must come to know and be able to accept that he/she is forgivable.
Block the self-perpetuating nature of depression
Depression is such a smart disease. Not only does it consume the depressed and sucks practically all the life out of him/her, it preserves itself by immersing the depressed into patterns and living conditions that perpetuate it. In order to get into the path of healing, the depressed must force him/herself into activities that counteract the self-preserving elements of depression.
The self-perpetuating patterns of depression are:
• Staying in bed all day
• Wallowing in complete inactivity
• Indulging in unhealthy activities on the internet
• Stopping or avoiding all contact with people or friends
• Staying in the dark
• Neglecting the cleanliness of one’s body, clothing, and living area (allowing your existence to deteriorate into filthy conditions
• Neglecting the eating of food (no desire to cook or eat)
• Focusing solely on oneself and the condition they are in
• Use alcohol or other narcotics (these are actually depressants) to numb the pain
Conversely, here are some of the steps that a depressed person must strive to do every day to counteract the above:
• Fill your environment with as much natural light as possible (open you blinds or curtains completely; go out of the house and take a walk, even a short one, in the natural light)
• Get out of bed and out of your room
• Find and engage in some simple activity that forces you to come in contact with people (strangers or friends)
• Find and engage in some easy form of volunteer work that serves the ones who are most in need (this forces the depressed to take his/her eyes (focus) off him/herself and his/her condition
• Listen to uplifting and inspirational music
• Wear a fresh set of clothes (especially underwear) each day
• Take a long, slow shower; visualize the water washing away the spiritual dirt and poisons away from the body
• Read spiritually uplifting and inspirational books
• Practice proper breathing several times in the day (gets more oxygen into your brain)
• Eat nourishing foods that do not require much effort to prepare
Provide “nourishment” and care to the soul
Here are some activities that give nourishment and care to the soul. Strive to do little bits of these day by day:
• Find some simple activity that touches on your creative side and employs the use of your hands or feet (such as drawing, painting, crafts, working with clay, pottery, playing a musical instrument)
• Give of yourself (via the use of your hands…not your money) to others in need such as participating in some simple volunteer activity in your local area…there is no activity that is more spiritually gratifying and healing than to bring some relief to the suffering of another
• Go out and find some part of Mother Nature where you can “reconnect” with her and thus get back in connection with your element…gardening is one activity that I did; walking on the water along a quiet beach with the roaring sound of powerful waves filling me and the soft, cool breeze sending electricity throughout the nerves of my body; walking along a beautiful nature trail high atop a mountain and feeling a sense of closeness with creation and the creator
• On a rainy day, go out into the rain and get soaked...allowing yourself to just drift away...letting go all your cares and concerns and allowing the healing power of water to cleanse your spirit
• Take a moment to find the beauty in the everyday common things of nature around us that we have gotten used to seeing and overlooked (look at a flower, for example…one flower…and soak in all aspects of its beauty…then marvel at the beauty of creation…and see that you yourself are a beautiful part of creation)
~~~~~
The Root Cause of Depression
The pharmaceutical industry would like to have you (and the scientific and medical community) believe that clinical depression (for the most part) is a manifestation of a chemical (in particular, neurotransmitters) imbalance. The neurotransmitters that are most commonly “put back in balance” by the mode of action of anti-depressants are dopamine, noradrenaline (norepinephrine), and serotonin. Prozac, for example, is the first of a class of drugs called SSRIs that tries to bring back in balance the serotonin levels of a depressed person.
At best, anti-depressants (and all other types and classes of psychiatric drugs) are able to put the levels of neurotransmitters back in balance (to some degree of another). These drugs do not have any power to affect or address the root cause of the chemical imbalance itself. For all the advancements in medicine and science, that root cause (and the curing and management of it) is still clouded in mystery.
As someone who has fallen into the abyss of a life-threatening depression (it is not important to know how long I was in that hole) and who battled his way out of it permanently, I feel that I am in a position to offer a point of view that is worth being taken into serious consideration by those who are in the hole and by friends who are trying to help someone out of the hole.
The root cause of a deep and prolonged depression (or the underlying chemical imbalance; if you prefer to address it from the physiological point of view,) is a breakdown in the harmony between the body and the soul. Neurotransmitter imbalance is a physical manifestation of this breakdown between the body (tangible) and the soul (intangible). The best term that I can think of that seems most applicable to refer to this condition is “spiritual breakdown”.
Because of their inherent nature of deciphering only that which is tangible, medicine and science cannot offer anything (tangible) to heal a condition that is rooted in the intangible. Yet, the intangible is real…it is grasped only by those who open their minds to getting to know the intangible aspects of their being and existence.
Medicine and science also offers psychotherapy as means to bring about healing. This usually is used in conjunction with drugs but is also used alone. However, its efficacy is limited to helping the patient gain a better understanding of aspects of human nature that is associated with their condition (specifically, unhealthy thinking and unhealthy thought processes). Human nature is within the realm of the body and is, thus, outside the realm of the soul. Psychotherapy is therefore is inadequate for addressing the root cause, notwithstanding the beneficial psychological aspects of it.
The key to long-lasting healing is in finding a way to restore harmony between the body and the soul. Even if one cannot bring themselves to fully believe in the existence of a soul within them, one has nothing to lose by way of trying the steps that can bring back harmony between the body and soul.Drugs can only stabilize (albeit imperfectly) the chemical imbalance for as long as you are taking it. You will still need to address the root cause (spiritual breakdown) in order to heal the condition of depression permanently and break away from any dependence on imperfect drugs and/or psychotherapy.
I share some steps (that worked for me) for the healing of spiritual breakdown in my blog titled "Steps to True Healing of Depression".
~~~~~
At best, anti-depressants (and all other types and classes of psychiatric drugs) are able to put the levels of neurotransmitters back in balance (to some degree of another). These drugs do not have any power to affect or address the root cause of the chemical imbalance itself. For all the advancements in medicine and science, that root cause (and the curing and management of it) is still clouded in mystery.
As someone who has fallen into the abyss of a life-threatening depression (it is not important to know how long I was in that hole) and who battled his way out of it permanently, I feel that I am in a position to offer a point of view that is worth being taken into serious consideration by those who are in the hole and by friends who are trying to help someone out of the hole.
The root cause of a deep and prolonged depression (or the underlying chemical imbalance; if you prefer to address it from the physiological point of view,) is a breakdown in the harmony between the body and the soul. Neurotransmitter imbalance is a physical manifestation of this breakdown between the body (tangible) and the soul (intangible). The best term that I can think of that seems most applicable to refer to this condition is “spiritual breakdown”.
Because of their inherent nature of deciphering only that which is tangible, medicine and science cannot offer anything (tangible) to heal a condition that is rooted in the intangible. Yet, the intangible is real…it is grasped only by those who open their minds to getting to know the intangible aspects of their being and existence.
Medicine and science also offers psychotherapy as means to bring about healing. This usually is used in conjunction with drugs but is also used alone. However, its efficacy is limited to helping the patient gain a better understanding of aspects of human nature that is associated with their condition (specifically, unhealthy thinking and unhealthy thought processes). Human nature is within the realm of the body and is, thus, outside the realm of the soul. Psychotherapy is therefore is inadequate for addressing the root cause, notwithstanding the beneficial psychological aspects of it.
The key to long-lasting healing is in finding a way to restore harmony between the body and the soul. Even if one cannot bring themselves to fully believe in the existence of a soul within them, one has nothing to lose by way of trying the steps that can bring back harmony between the body and soul.Drugs can only stabilize (albeit imperfectly) the chemical imbalance for as long as you are taking it. You will still need to address the root cause (spiritual breakdown) in order to heal the condition of depression permanently and break away from any dependence on imperfect drugs and/or psychotherapy.
I share some steps (that worked for me) for the healing of spiritual breakdown in my blog titled "Steps to True Healing of Depression".
~~~~~
Proving the Intangible
This came to me in the midst of taking a morning shower while contemplating the articulation of a belief in the intangible…Only by following the path laid out before you by the act of believing in the intangible will you find its proof or disproof.
To further illustrate with an example, if you want to establish the truth or falsehood of Jesus Christ and all that He claims to be, then earnestly follow His steps and you will find the answer you seek along that path.
The application of this effective methodology of proof/disproof is by no means limited to just validating or invalidating the intangible beliefs associated with Jesus, you can use it to validate/invalidate any other intangible.
Consider the following illustration. If there are five intangible beliefs before you that claim to be the truth but only one is true and the other four false, you can employ the above prescribed methodology to find and discern the one true Way. If you happen to pick and start with one of the four false ways, you walk will eventually make you realize its falsehood and you will go back and try another until you find the true one.
Here is the dilemma of those who happen to already be on the true Way but whose path had been chosen for them by others (such as their parents) and are still immature with the process of walking the path. As they walk this path, they have doubts midway if the path is the true Way and wonder if they should stop, turn around, and go back to try the way that they would have selected had they been given the choice at the start. At the end, given enough time, they will find the true Way but they will feel that so much time had been wasted trying the other false ones.
So here is a lesson that we can all learn from the above real-life predicament; if the way that you are in seems difficult but spiritually rewarding, stay the course until you arrive at the point of determining truth or falsehood. The true Way is a difficult path with plenty of temptation to abandon midway…stay the course to the endpoint because it is only there that you will find that which your soul seeks.
I have followed my own advice and that is how I came to be where I am today with my walk in the faith…the same place where thousands of saints and earnest believers (who have followed the true Way) find themselves in.
If you are having difficulty deciding which path to try first, then I suggest observing closely the experience of others who are earnestly following each of the five and then select the one followed by followers who stay the course and keep going.
Please allow me to leave with you two statements that Jesus Christ boldly declared:
“I am the Light of the world...he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”
~~~~~
To further illustrate with an example, if you want to establish the truth or falsehood of Jesus Christ and all that He claims to be, then earnestly follow His steps and you will find the answer you seek along that path.
The application of this effective methodology of proof/disproof is by no means limited to just validating or invalidating the intangible beliefs associated with Jesus, you can use it to validate/invalidate any other intangible.
Consider the following illustration. If there are five intangible beliefs before you that claim to be the truth but only one is true and the other four false, you can employ the above prescribed methodology to find and discern the one true Way. If you happen to pick and start with one of the four false ways, you walk will eventually make you realize its falsehood and you will go back and try another until you find the true one.
Here is the dilemma of those who happen to already be on the true Way but whose path had been chosen for them by others (such as their parents) and are still immature with the process of walking the path. As they walk this path, they have doubts midway if the path is the true Way and wonder if they should stop, turn around, and go back to try the way that they would have selected had they been given the choice at the start. At the end, given enough time, they will find the true Way but they will feel that so much time had been wasted trying the other false ones.
So here is a lesson that we can all learn from the above real-life predicament; if the way that you are in seems difficult but spiritually rewarding, stay the course until you arrive at the point of determining truth or falsehood. The true Way is a difficult path with plenty of temptation to abandon midway…stay the course to the endpoint because it is only there that you will find that which your soul seeks.
I have followed my own advice and that is how I came to be where I am today with my walk in the faith…the same place where thousands of saints and earnest believers (who have followed the true Way) find themselves in.
If you are having difficulty deciding which path to try first, then I suggest observing closely the experience of others who are earnestly following each of the five and then select the one followed by followers who stay the course and keep going.
Please allow me to leave with you two statements that Jesus Christ boldly declared:
“I am the Light of the world...he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”
~~~~~
Believing in the Intangible
The inability to believe in the intangible is the single most potent roadblock to realizing in our life the numerous beneficial gifts that a belief in the intangible brings and offers.
Our belief in the intangible may be characterized by one the following scenarios:
1. We can and do believe in the intangible (mostly like due to the influence of a religious or spiritual upbringing) but our belief is tempered and plagued by nagging and deep-seated doubts stemming from the lack of absolute proof of trueness to support it (a burden borne by, for example, those who are blessed with a highly analytical or logical mind). Our minds are open and we have the desire to believe but we are vulnerable to being swayed into disbelief by stronger influencers (who do not believe) who challenge our lack of proof.
2. We have never been exposed to any religious or spiritual teachings or points of view during any part of our entire life (formative, teen or adult) and thus we find it extremely difficult or impossible to embrace any degree of belief in the intangible. We have the desire to believe but are unable to bridge the intellectual divide that blocks us from effectively opening our minds to the belief.
3. We are quite content, happy, fulfilled and at peace with our lives and have harmony with others in the absence of any belief in the intangible and find no reason or motivation to explore or entertain any ideas or thoughts that are rooted in the realm of faith (belief in the intangible and everything associated with it). Our mind is not open to believing but it is not completely closed either.
4. We loathe, resist and will fight any thought process or belief system that is based on a belief in the intangible. Our minds are completely closed to the fallacy of the belief in the intangible and we feel threatened by the prejudicial and damning practices that we perceive certain institutions of the faith to be waging against us.
My own personal spiritual experience is characterized by the first scenario above. A saving grace for me was the persistent (almost nagging) and powerful “calling” from the intangible that I experienced in my spiritual dimension. Others have used the term “aching” to describe this persistent feeling that somehow cannot be associated with any tangible part of the body. Nevertheless, the aching feeling is real; as real as the toothache of a decaying tooth. The spiritual benefits arising from this experience is just as real regardless of whether the perceived experience itself is true or false.
It is an exercise in futility to attempt to find rational, logical, and analytical proof for the truth of the intangible and all beliefs associated with it. I have tried this activity for years, foolishly and mistakenly nullifying practically all existing beliefs that I held while I immersed myself in the process of "finding the truth". Not only was this an activity that ended up in vain, it constituted the darkest period of my life…dark because I made a choice to close myself off from the light while I was making an earnest effort to find it. The light did not walk away from me…I walked away from it.
I eventually came out of that dark period…walking away with what I ultimately wished to find…an unbreakable faith in God and all beliefs associated with Him that I embrace to be true…this time though, without a deep-seated need for tangible proof or validation.
Keep this in your mind and thinking always - The intangible cannot be validated through tangible means.
Just as those who chose to believe in the intangible cannot prove its truth with tangible means; to a like and equal degree, those who chose not to believe cannot prove its falsehood. Does it make sense then (even to the logical and rational person) to deprive oneself of an entirely different dimension of existence that offers the sort of inner peace, completeness and fulfillment that only a “life in the faith” can bring, just because we are incapable of proving its truth or untruth?
Absolute truth will manifest itself clearly over time no matter how anyone tries to cover, alter, hide from or deny it. When the truth concerning the intangible becomes evident to you, it will become so through the very visible and tangible benefits that a belief in the intangible brings into one’s life (or the life of someone you know who believes).
Stated another way, for those who make the choice (in the midst of this stalemate in reckoning within the rational and tangible dimension) to earnestly open their hearts to believing in the intangible, the direct effects of the spiritual gifts that this choice brings to their lives will incrementally bring them closer to a steadfast faith that transcends their need for tangible proof.
Here are some of the potential spiritual gifts that a life in the faith enjoys:
• Courage to face fearsome life challenges and tackle them head-on
• Wisdom to recognize the right thing to do
• Strength to execute the right thing to do
• Flexibility and elasticity to adapt to whatever life and living conditions we are placed in
• Inner peace that comes from knowing you can handle and survive any life challenge with the aid of all the above
• A solid foundation on which to build our sense of what we hold with value, our set of principles and our guide for prioritizing things in our life
• A sense of place and purpose in this world and all humanity
• A sense of compass and direction• Perseverance in overcoming aspects of our human nature that are poisonous to body-soul harmony
• Ability to love, to love truly, and be loved
• A reliable spring of hope that we can always turn to when everything else (tangible) has failed us
Given all these beneficial gifts that a belief in the intangible potentially brings to the life and well-being of a person (regardless of the validity of the belief) and subsequently to society, we should consider never ever doing any action that would cause an individual’s belief in the intangible to be in doubt. They already do enough self-doubting themselves.
These thoughts are written down here to bring light and healing to the spiritually sick or broken. In doing so, I have come to fully understand what a great spiritual teacher and healer meant when He said to His criticizers, “They who are strong have no need of a physician, but they who are ill; I came not to call righteous men, but sinners to reformation.”
My interpretation of this teacher’s use of the term “sinners” here is to refer to those who are spiritually broken as a result of a lifetime of actions and choices that have corroded their body-soul harmony. I will expound more on the concept of “sin” in one of my next reflections.
Here are the three fundamental spiritual questions about the intangible that we can use to guide and shape our belief in it:
1. Does the intangible (from which all creation originates from) exist?
2. If this intangible exist, what are its characteristics and nature?
3. What, if any, is the nature of the relationship between this intangible and mankind?
For those readers who are more accustomed to a different terminology (such as my kids), here is a rewording of the above questions:
1. Does God exist?...does the soul exist?
2. If God exists, what is the nature and character of God?...what is the nature of the soul?
3. What, if any, is the nature of the relationship between God and the soul?
These are the questions that all religion seeks to provide mankind with the answer to. Religion is thus a means to an end (the end point being the finding of the truth concerning these three questions)...it should not and must not be the end-point itself.
Mankind was not made to serve the needs of religion; religion was made to serve the needs of mankind.
Our belief in the intangible may be characterized by one the following scenarios:
1. We can and do believe in the intangible (mostly like due to the influence of a religious or spiritual upbringing) but our belief is tempered and plagued by nagging and deep-seated doubts stemming from the lack of absolute proof of trueness to support it (a burden borne by, for example, those who are blessed with a highly analytical or logical mind). Our minds are open and we have the desire to believe but we are vulnerable to being swayed into disbelief by stronger influencers (who do not believe) who challenge our lack of proof.
2. We have never been exposed to any religious or spiritual teachings or points of view during any part of our entire life (formative, teen or adult) and thus we find it extremely difficult or impossible to embrace any degree of belief in the intangible. We have the desire to believe but are unable to bridge the intellectual divide that blocks us from effectively opening our minds to the belief.
3. We are quite content, happy, fulfilled and at peace with our lives and have harmony with others in the absence of any belief in the intangible and find no reason or motivation to explore or entertain any ideas or thoughts that are rooted in the realm of faith (belief in the intangible and everything associated with it). Our mind is not open to believing but it is not completely closed either.
4. We loathe, resist and will fight any thought process or belief system that is based on a belief in the intangible. Our minds are completely closed to the fallacy of the belief in the intangible and we feel threatened by the prejudicial and damning practices that we perceive certain institutions of the faith to be waging against us.
My own personal spiritual experience is characterized by the first scenario above. A saving grace for me was the persistent (almost nagging) and powerful “calling” from the intangible that I experienced in my spiritual dimension. Others have used the term “aching” to describe this persistent feeling that somehow cannot be associated with any tangible part of the body. Nevertheless, the aching feeling is real; as real as the toothache of a decaying tooth. The spiritual benefits arising from this experience is just as real regardless of whether the perceived experience itself is true or false.
It is an exercise in futility to attempt to find rational, logical, and analytical proof for the truth of the intangible and all beliefs associated with it. I have tried this activity for years, foolishly and mistakenly nullifying practically all existing beliefs that I held while I immersed myself in the process of "finding the truth". Not only was this an activity that ended up in vain, it constituted the darkest period of my life…dark because I made a choice to close myself off from the light while I was making an earnest effort to find it. The light did not walk away from me…I walked away from it.
I eventually came out of that dark period…walking away with what I ultimately wished to find…an unbreakable faith in God and all beliefs associated with Him that I embrace to be true…this time though, without a deep-seated need for tangible proof or validation.
Keep this in your mind and thinking always - The intangible cannot be validated through tangible means.
Just as those who chose to believe in the intangible cannot prove its truth with tangible means; to a like and equal degree, those who chose not to believe cannot prove its falsehood. Does it make sense then (even to the logical and rational person) to deprive oneself of an entirely different dimension of existence that offers the sort of inner peace, completeness and fulfillment that only a “life in the faith” can bring, just because we are incapable of proving its truth or untruth?
Absolute truth will manifest itself clearly over time no matter how anyone tries to cover, alter, hide from or deny it. When the truth concerning the intangible becomes evident to you, it will become so through the very visible and tangible benefits that a belief in the intangible brings into one’s life (or the life of someone you know who believes).
Stated another way, for those who make the choice (in the midst of this stalemate in reckoning within the rational and tangible dimension) to earnestly open their hearts to believing in the intangible, the direct effects of the spiritual gifts that this choice brings to their lives will incrementally bring them closer to a steadfast faith that transcends their need for tangible proof.
Here are some of the potential spiritual gifts that a life in the faith enjoys:
• Courage to face fearsome life challenges and tackle them head-on
• Wisdom to recognize the right thing to do
• Strength to execute the right thing to do
• Flexibility and elasticity to adapt to whatever life and living conditions we are placed in
• Inner peace that comes from knowing you can handle and survive any life challenge with the aid of all the above
• A solid foundation on which to build our sense of what we hold with value, our set of principles and our guide for prioritizing things in our life
• A sense of place and purpose in this world and all humanity
• A sense of compass and direction• Perseverance in overcoming aspects of our human nature that are poisonous to body-soul harmony
• Ability to love, to love truly, and be loved
• A reliable spring of hope that we can always turn to when everything else (tangible) has failed us
Given all these beneficial gifts that a belief in the intangible potentially brings to the life and well-being of a person (regardless of the validity of the belief) and subsequently to society, we should consider never ever doing any action that would cause an individual’s belief in the intangible to be in doubt. They already do enough self-doubting themselves.
These thoughts are written down here to bring light and healing to the spiritually sick or broken. In doing so, I have come to fully understand what a great spiritual teacher and healer meant when He said to His criticizers, “They who are strong have no need of a physician, but they who are ill; I came not to call righteous men, but sinners to reformation.”
My interpretation of this teacher’s use of the term “sinners” here is to refer to those who are spiritually broken as a result of a lifetime of actions and choices that have corroded their body-soul harmony. I will expound more on the concept of “sin” in one of my next reflections.
Here are the three fundamental spiritual questions about the intangible that we can use to guide and shape our belief in it:
1. Does the intangible (from which all creation originates from) exist?
2. If this intangible exist, what are its characteristics and nature?
3. What, if any, is the nature of the relationship between this intangible and mankind?
For those readers who are more accustomed to a different terminology (such as my kids), here is a rewording of the above questions:
1. Does God exist?...does the soul exist?
2. If God exists, what is the nature and character of God?...what is the nature of the soul?
3. What, if any, is the nature of the relationship between God and the soul?
These are the questions that all religion seeks to provide mankind with the answer to. Religion is thus a means to an end (the end point being the finding of the truth concerning these three questions)...it should not and must not be the end-point itself.
Mankind was not made to serve the needs of religion; religion was made to serve the needs of mankind.
~~~~~
True Essence of Love & Friendship
The word “love” has been so commercialized, overly romanticized, exploited and twisted that we almost cringe whenever we use the term or hear it from others (I do).
Yet, love in its truest form and meaning is the very essence of our being…love is an aspect of our soul and thus is the food of the soul…love is active and cannot be held stationary in one place…love needs to flow and the direction of this flow is away from the self and toward others…eventually love flows back from others to ourselves…thus completing the circle of love.
A great and highly spiritual teacher said that there is no greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. If you can grasp this, then you have truly grasped the meaning of true love. Laying down one’s life for another does not refer only to death such as when a mother chooses to put her life in harm’s way to save the life of her child. Laying down one’s life also refers to making a choice to forsake the life we want to live if by doing so, a vital enhancement in the spiritual, emotional, and physical development and well-being of a friend would be realized.
The following is a section taken from an article by Serge Kahili King that is fitting to share here.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said "The only way to have a friend is to be one." But many people have trouble making friends because they don't know how to be one. So here is a set of guidelines to help you remember:
F = Freedom (give up control)
R = Respect (respect your differences)
I = Interest (take an interest in your friend's interests)
E = Equality (treat your friend like an equal)
N = Nurture (nurture your friend's best qualities)
D = Devotion (be loyal and helpful whenever, wherever, and for as long as you can)
Strive to make each day a "Be A Friend" day.
~~~~~
Yet, love in its truest form and meaning is the very essence of our being…love is an aspect of our soul and thus is the food of the soul…love is active and cannot be held stationary in one place…love needs to flow and the direction of this flow is away from the self and toward others…eventually love flows back from others to ourselves…thus completing the circle of love.
A great and highly spiritual teacher said that there is no greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. If you can grasp this, then you have truly grasped the meaning of true love. Laying down one’s life for another does not refer only to death such as when a mother chooses to put her life in harm’s way to save the life of her child. Laying down one’s life also refers to making a choice to forsake the life we want to live if by doing so, a vital enhancement in the spiritual, emotional, and physical development and well-being of a friend would be realized.
The following is a section taken from an article by Serge Kahili King that is fitting to share here.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said "The only way to have a friend is to be one." But many people have trouble making friends because they don't know how to be one. So here is a set of guidelines to help you remember:
F = Freedom (give up control)
R = Respect (respect your differences)
I = Interest (take an interest in your friend's interests)
E = Equality (treat your friend like an equal)
N = Nurture (nurture your friend's best qualities)
D = Devotion (be loyal and helpful whenever, wherever, and for as long as you can)
Strive to make each day a "Be A Friend" day.
~~~~~
Healthy Perspective on Human Nature
Do not waste your time and efforts trying to change your human nature...that is an exercise in futility (from my own personal experiences)...rather, focus on OVERCOMING those parts of your human nature that undermine your body-soul harmony.
There are two benefits that you reap from this change in perspective:
1. You attain acceptance of and peace with your human nature and thus free yourself from counter-productive guilt trips
2. You increase your likelihood for incremental successes that (over time) manifest in your becoming the better person you strive to become
~~~~~
There are two benefits that you reap from this change in perspective:
1. You attain acceptance of and peace with your human nature and thus free yourself from counter-productive guilt trips
2. You increase your likelihood for incremental successes that (over time) manifest in your becoming the better person you strive to become
~~~~~
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