Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 12:12am
Faking spirituality with a spiritual glow
Column: Spiritual Psychology
Last week I spoke about the distance between spirituality and psychology. There's lots of talk about and interest in the two domains coming together. But in practice, sentiment trumps action. I characterized the present standoff as a friendly divorce — still talking, but no authentic communication or intimacy. To break this stalemate, each camp must pose the following question to the other at the beginning of a dialogue:
"What do you, Buddhism, Advaita, religious denomination, etc., say are open questions or puzzles that you think psychology can help answer?" And, similarly for psychology, "What do you think spirituality can add to make your domain more complete?" Without an open door or room for the other, the relationship will remain just talk and sentiment — kind of "making nice" without any substance.
Only when a need for the other is acknowledged will a meaningful dialogue be possible and common ground identified.
That was evident to me a few years ago when my colleague, Dr. Marcella Bakur Weiner, and I were asked by the Psychologists in Independent Practice Division of the American Psychological Association to write a booklet of guidelines for integrating spirituality into psychotherapy practice.
Not surprising that practitioners were eager for guidelines on spirituality. Their patients were asking for spirituality, and practitioners were losing clients to spiritual approaches to healing — many clients were gravitating to ashrams and gurus rather than traditional settings.
We were fully aware, though, that we were treading on a muddy quagmire and potential sink hole. Nevertheless, we forged ahead and ultimately developed a set of 12 general spiritual principles that we thought provided the beginning of common ground that could be developed further into solid footing that both domains could comfortably live with.
To our surprise, the proposal was summarily rejected — with the comment that our guidelines were "too religious."
Here are the 12 principles spelled out. You judge — I challenge you to find the "religion."
1. UNCERTAINTY. Uncertainty means that we cannot know everything or have total answers for our dilemmas. At the same time, healing can take place without complete knowledge.
2. FAITH. Faith in a Higher Power surrenders the belief that the individual is totally in charge. Faith paves the way for accessing the spiritual dimension. It also can reduce anxiety by affirming the belief in a higher power or intelligence that can provide guidance — an ally that can aid healing.
3. MYSTERY: Many aspects of the self and reality are beyond our knowledge, according to this principle. Trust in the healing power of higher forces within and outside the self lessens the burden of the individual as the "knower-of-it-all." The individual becomes part of a larger whole.
4. MEANINGFULNESS. Albert Einstein asserted, "God does not play dice with the universe." This expresses a core spiritual principle that all life has meaning and purpose. Individual existence, even in the face of turmoil and conflict, does not diminish meaningfulness — meaningfulness is unconditional. Life events and circumstances, as well as internal struggles, can then be viewed as learning experiences for moving to higher ground. Embracing meaningfulness reduces feelings of powerlessness and victimization.
5. CONNECTEDNESS. Everything and everyone is interconnected. No one is entirely alone. Our personal stories weave into the stories of others. Life linked to life reveals one global condition. No one exists outside the total grid. Recognition and acceptance of connectedness reduces feelings of alienation and isolation.
6. HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS. The awareness that our consciousness tied to our personal experiences and day-to-day concerns are just one aspect of a more inclusive higher consciousness. The broader spiritual consciousness places conflicts and anxieties in perspective. Preoccupation with the personal self lessens as identity encompasses a larger picture of reality. Individual problems are no longer the be-all and end-all.
7. GRATITUDE. Gratitude expresses appreciation for life and the energies that provide us with mind, heart, spirit and the drive to grow and expand consciousness. It is thankfulness for the opportunity to accomplish our potential and purpose in life. Gratitude counters cynicism, negativity, self-blame and blaming others for conflicts and suffering.
8. COMPASSION. With compassion comes the awareness and sensitivity to the struggles and suffering of others, as well as the complexity of the human condition. In narrowing the split between self and others, compassion diminishes self-focus and expands consciousness. Compassion reduces the sense of isolation and loneliness. It calls attention to the common nature of pain and the interconnectedness of the entire human family.
9. FORGIVENESS. Compassion and forgiveness are intimately entwined. In recognizing the struggles of others, it becomes easier to let go of blame and accusations for one's own plight. Blaming often binds to a past, which no longer exists and cannot be changed. Forgiveness frees energy for focusing on the here-and-now. It naturally encourages personal responsibility for growth. Forgiveness liberates the higher self.
10. UNIVERSALITY. Spirituality represents a level of consciousness that transcends connectedness — a universal reality in which all is one. Recognizing that the perceived world is not the only reality frees the person to find a higher more inclusive reality that can provide joy, peace and security.
11. SURRENDER. Surrender does not mean submissiveness or passivity. Rather, it is an active spiritual principle tied to all the other principles. Surrender to spirituality means opening up to receive the broader reality. It expresses confidence in the healing power of transcendence.
12. SUFFERING AND REDEMPTION. Pain is often the starting point of renewal, both in psychotherapy and spiritual paths. Suffering is commonly the impetus for seeking help and opening up to new dimensions. It also prompts spiritual seekers to explore spiritual solutions to life dilemmas and examine larger, overarching issues of meaning and purpose. Building a stronger self while deepening spiritual commitment can yield powerful synergy. Since suffering and redemption relate directly to personal conflicts, as well as spiritual issues, they can be called on to reinforce motivation for growth in both realms.
Where is the religion in these principles.? There are no rituals, doctrines or specific practices connected to any particular religion. After puzzling over the meaning of the rejection, we finally concluded that these principles, as general as they might be, challenged the religion of popular psychologies by suggesting a broader reality than their limited conception.
Clearly we have a rough road to hoe to reach genuine dialogue between psychology and spirituality before we can seriously begin to think integration. As the dominant psychologies continue to worship at the altar of the ego, they will fiercely defend its bastions and not open the door to a broader consciousness that transcends ego. But that will not stop the pretense of reaching for the spiritual dimension. The professed request made to us for integration guidelines was more likely a wish to maintain psychology practice with business as usual with an added superficial spiritual glow that would masquerade as integration.
This ersatz spirituality is a near enemy of spirituality — "spirituality" with a disguised ego in charge. Spiritual quests abound with near enemies — the ego versions of spirituality. In my book "Escape Your Own Prison, Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free," I identify numerous near enemies. We'll take a look at those next week.
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the president of the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy and is the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Bernard Starr.
"What do you, Buddhism, Advaita, religious denomination, etc., say are open questions or puzzles that you think psychology can help answer?" And, similarly for psychology, "What do you think spirituality can add to make your domain more complete?" Without an open door or room for the other, the relationship will remain just talk and sentiment — kind of "making nice" without any substance.
Only when a need for the other is acknowledged will a meaningful dialogue be possible and common ground identified.
That was evident to me a few years ago when my colleague, Dr. Marcella Bakur Weiner, and I were asked by the Psychologists in Independent Practice Division of the American Psychological Association to write a booklet of guidelines for integrating spirituality into psychotherapy practice.
Not surprising that practitioners were eager for guidelines on spirituality. Their patients were asking for spirituality, and practitioners were losing clients to spiritual approaches to healing — many clients were gravitating to ashrams and gurus rather than traditional settings.
We were fully aware, though, that we were treading on a muddy quagmire and potential sink hole. Nevertheless, we forged ahead and ultimately developed a set of 12 general spiritual principles that we thought provided the beginning of common ground that could be developed further into solid footing that both domains could comfortably live with.
To our surprise, the proposal was summarily rejected — with the comment that our guidelines were "too religious."
Here are the 12 principles spelled out. You judge — I challenge you to find the "religion."
1. UNCERTAINTY. Uncertainty means that we cannot know everything or have total answers for our dilemmas. At the same time, healing can take place without complete knowledge.
2. FAITH. Faith in a Higher Power surrenders the belief that the individual is totally in charge. Faith paves the way for accessing the spiritual dimension. It also can reduce anxiety by affirming the belief in a higher power or intelligence that can provide guidance — an ally that can aid healing.
3. MYSTERY: Many aspects of the self and reality are beyond our knowledge, according to this principle. Trust in the healing power of higher forces within and outside the self lessens the burden of the individual as the "knower-of-it-all." The individual becomes part of a larger whole.
4. MEANINGFULNESS. Albert Einstein asserted, "God does not play dice with the universe." This expresses a core spiritual principle that all life has meaning and purpose. Individual existence, even in the face of turmoil and conflict, does not diminish meaningfulness — meaningfulness is unconditional. Life events and circumstances, as well as internal struggles, can then be viewed as learning experiences for moving to higher ground. Embracing meaningfulness reduces feelings of powerlessness and victimization.
5. CONNECTEDNESS. Everything and everyone is interconnected. No one is entirely alone. Our personal stories weave into the stories of others. Life linked to life reveals one global condition. No one exists outside the total grid. Recognition and acceptance of connectedness reduces feelings of alienation and isolation.
6. HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS. The awareness that our consciousness tied to our personal experiences and day-to-day concerns are just one aspect of a more inclusive higher consciousness. The broader spiritual consciousness places conflicts and anxieties in perspective. Preoccupation with the personal self lessens as identity encompasses a larger picture of reality. Individual problems are no longer the be-all and end-all.
7. GRATITUDE. Gratitude expresses appreciation for life and the energies that provide us with mind, heart, spirit and the drive to grow and expand consciousness. It is thankfulness for the opportunity to accomplish our potential and purpose in life. Gratitude counters cynicism, negativity, self-blame and blaming others for conflicts and suffering.
8. COMPASSION. With compassion comes the awareness and sensitivity to the struggles and suffering of others, as well as the complexity of the human condition. In narrowing the split between self and others, compassion diminishes self-focus and expands consciousness. Compassion reduces the sense of isolation and loneliness. It calls attention to the common nature of pain and the interconnectedness of the entire human family.
9. FORGIVENESS. Compassion and forgiveness are intimately entwined. In recognizing the struggles of others, it becomes easier to let go of blame and accusations for one's own plight. Blaming often binds to a past, which no longer exists and cannot be changed. Forgiveness frees energy for focusing on the here-and-now. It naturally encourages personal responsibility for growth. Forgiveness liberates the higher self.
10. UNIVERSALITY. Spirituality represents a level of consciousness that transcends connectedness — a universal reality in which all is one. Recognizing that the perceived world is not the only reality frees the person to find a higher more inclusive reality that can provide joy, peace and security.
11. SURRENDER. Surrender does not mean submissiveness or passivity. Rather, it is an active spiritual principle tied to all the other principles. Surrender to spirituality means opening up to receive the broader reality. It expresses confidence in the healing power of transcendence.
12. SUFFERING AND REDEMPTION. Pain is often the starting point of renewal, both in psychotherapy and spiritual paths. Suffering is commonly the impetus for seeking help and opening up to new dimensions. It also prompts spiritual seekers to explore spiritual solutions to life dilemmas and examine larger, overarching issues of meaning and purpose. Building a stronger self while deepening spiritual commitment can yield powerful synergy. Since suffering and redemption relate directly to personal conflicts, as well as spiritual issues, they can be called on to reinforce motivation for growth in both realms.
Where is the religion in these principles.? There are no rituals, doctrines or specific practices connected to any particular religion. After puzzling over the meaning of the rejection, we finally concluded that these principles, as general as they might be, challenged the religion of popular psychologies by suggesting a broader reality than their limited conception.
Clearly we have a rough road to hoe to reach genuine dialogue between psychology and spirituality before we can seriously begin to think integration. As the dominant psychologies continue to worship at the altar of the ego, they will fiercely defend its bastions and not open the door to a broader consciousness that transcends ego. But that will not stop the pretense of reaching for the spiritual dimension. The professed request made to us for integration guidelines was more likely a wish to maintain psychology practice with business as usual with an added superficial spiritual glow that would masquerade as integration.
This ersatz spirituality is a near enemy of spirituality — "spirituality" with a disguised ego in charge. Spiritual quests abound with near enemies — the ego versions of spirituality. In my book "Escape Your Own Prison, Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free," I identify numerous near enemies. We'll take a look at those next week.
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the president of the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy and is the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Bernard Starr.