Long ago our ancestors knew a fundamental truth that we are only recently rediscovering: good mental health is inextricably intertwined with deep spiritual development. Transpersonal psychologists in the past several decades have produced "good science" that shows that people who have strong spiritual beliefs and practices are generally more resilient in the face of life crises, and tend to have an easier time recovering from some physical illnesses.
This should not be surprising. After all, the psyche -- a Greek word for soul -- which has come to be used for the mind or one's consciousness in modern times, is inescapably spiritual in its core nature. And so are we.
This does not mean that we must return to church or temple, or become ultra religious to fulfill the promise of deep spirituality as a safeguard for mental and physical health. Let's not confuse religious belief and observance with spiritual development, which is about cultivating awareness, empathy and wisdom, being of service, and having tolerance and integrity -- all virtues that can and should apply no matter what religious framework one believes in.
As an educator and therapist who deals with psychospiritual issues, I find that healing emotions often involves developing one's spirituality. These healing and development efforts in education and therapy are about raising consciousness in order to support transformation in the learner or client.
Transformation is more than just change. It occurs at such a deep level that we are truly different beings when we undergo transformation. Transformative change is essential for all of us in order to become better people, able to make a beneficial difference in the world and in our own lives.
No matter where you are in your personal spiritual journey, or mental health status, it is useful to ponder these five transformative questions.
1. In the way you are living your life, how are you being the medicine?
In teaching naturopathic medical students, the relevance of that question is obvious. But if we think about medicine as energetic spiritual power, as the First Peoples of America did and do, I think this question applies to all of us on the path of transformational consciousness.
Being the medicine is about how you are living your life in such a way as to be respectfully and appropriately using the spiritual power that is innate within you. What can you further develop in order to be the medicine more fully?
2. What do you trust?
Notice I didn't ask who. This question is asking: in what do you place your belief that all is and will be as it should be? It's always interesting to try to take this question down as deep as one can with as much honesty as one can stand.
In your everyday life, are you acting in congruence with what you say you trust? If not, what needs to be surrendered, reframed, or healed in order to be in alignment with what you say you trust?
3. For what cause would you give your life, and would historians say this is what you actually gave your life energy to?
The answer to this question is often very telling as to how congruent we are with our espoused and lived values. What we prioritize in thoughts, words, and deeds on a daily basis is what we are giving our life energy to.
Many of us say we value our families, but then we work 16 hours a day, rarely eat a meal together, and put business success above interpersonal family relationships. Doing this is giving life energy to work, to stress, to something other than the family that is supposedly valued. What we’re actually doing is not congruent with what we’re saying we give our life to.
Philosophers might say that happiness comes from not waiting until circumstances force you to choose between the cause for which you would give your life, and the life you live everyday. Are you really living a life of purpose and meaning now, and if not, what needs to change?
What you put your attention on grows. Are you growing what you want to be growing? If not, how does your attention need to shift? It really means something spiritually profound and psychologically healthy to be able to say you walk your talk. Can you say that with full integrity? If not, look at how you need to re-prioritize your choices.
4. How would you describe the sensory experiences of peace of mind, contentment, curiosity, soul healing, and connectedness as felt on the insides of your body?
Have you ever thought about how such qualities of mindbodyspirit and experience have bodily felt sensory components?
Try paying attention to this some time. The results can provide an amazing awakening in consciousness. In fact, this is a great meditation exercise as part of a spiritual development effort.
5. At the end of your life, what will you have dared so that you can pass on with no regrets?
Daring to take risks is one of the most essential transformative energies that I know of for both spiritual development and mental health. In fact many mental health and relationship problems start from a fear of risking being fully seen as our authentic selves, fear of asserting our whole truth, fear of risking rejection and abandonment by those we love, fear of risking pride or security, and other large and small risks.
Daring is a catalyst for becoming everything we are meant to be. It's not just about skydiving or bungy jumping. It's about daring to live a life as large as you can envision. Try it; it's a powerful medicine.
Take a chance on small risks at first, until you get the hang of it, and don't neglect practical safety measures----even Evel Knievel wore a helmet. Just think about it-----how far will you leap into the unknown, or over the perceived mountains that turn out to be molehills? Where would you expect to land?
Deah Curry PhD, psychotherapist since 1990 and adjunct faculty for naturopathic midwifery students at Bastyr University, helps women achieve empowerment, emotional balance, and spiritual awakening by using intuitive, transpersonal, and flower essence approaches to personal growth. An award winning researcher-writer on subtle energy, Dr Deah is the co-author of Healing Presence and An Organic Inquiry Primer for the Novice Researcher, available at www.BuyBooksOnTheWeb.com or Amazon.com. She can be reached through her website at www.InnerJourneyWork.com.
Copyright 2006 by Deah Curry PhD
Originally published in the June 2006 PWN edition of Wisdom Magazine
