by Allan Pinches
Psychiatry is marked by its almost total disregard of spirituality, in considering the mental health of individuals.
As mainly agents of psychiatric orthodoxy, psychiatrists do us no favours by dismissing spiritual factors from the equation. The standard medical model of mental illness is based on rather mechanistic and reductionist theories about physiological, biochemical and genetic factors, rendering us "biochemical units in a state of dysfunction" -- and where they do consult psychology, ego-based psychological theories devoid of any concept of "soul" predominate.
The imperatives and needs of the soul are left unattended. Perhaps these things do not appear tangible enough for some psychiatrists to bother about and perhaps they are difficult for them to access because it requires a high degree of experientially based understanding, personal development, empathy, spiritual insight, and "talent" to factor in matters of spirituality and soul in a therapy setting.
What a bitter irony that the word "psychiatry" is derived from the Ancient Greek word "psyche" which literally meant "soul." With a few rare and honorable exceptions, psychiatrists can hardly be described as Doctors of the Soul.
Mental illness experiences and breakdowns often give a greater relevance and immediacy to the person's own spirituality, whatever form it may take. A breakdown can compel us to do the necessary spiritual work, nurturing our inner world, and honouring the Unconscious, as the source of great creative ideas and energies. Spiritual factors may be involved in the development of the condition, how people will experience and cope with it, and what sort of recovery they can expect to make.
I believe there is a need for more holistic and empowering approaches to treatment, with a restoration of the proper place of "therapy" programs and one-to-one counselling, rather than medication being the first and only resort.
Some alternative healing approaches such as Reiki or other massage methods, meditation, affirmations, and creative exploration therapies such as drama for self awareness, art, music, journal and creative writing, reflective story telling and creative voice and movement can have a very positive effect on a person's mental wellbeing.
Widest definition of spirituality
In discussing the spiritual aspects of mental illness, I am using the widest possible definition of the word spirituality. Basically this embraces matters of the spirit or the soul and our personal understanding of and relations with God, the Universe, or the Higher Self. While I borrow key ideas from many areas, I am not advocating any particular religion or code of beliefs. I believe there is wisdom to be found in the whole diversity of spiritual paths. An essential distinction between spirituality (as an experience) and religion (as a set of beliefs), is the personal and individual nature of one's spirituality.
Healthy spirituality infers to me a sense of wholeness, wellbeing, being comfortable with life and its challenges, right actions, and having love for ourselves and others. Afflicted spiritual aspects include low self esteem or self hatred and a poor orientation - or lack of love -- for ourselves, others and the world.
A breakdown, far from being the "end of the road" it may seem in the darkest days, can be a catalyst for change and development in our lives, possibly opening out to new ways of being in the world.
A key message I want to convey is that far from being some meaningless "mishap," a breakdown is intrinsically bound to the whole questions of meaning, purpose and identity.
It also cannot be divorced from socioeconomic factors, the stresses of modern life, personal history, class, education, occupation, race, religion and a host of other factors. The glaring lack of true "community" in today's social reality is, I believe, a major factor in the upswing in the incidence of mental illness seen in recent years.
Living in a mass-society where stress is endemic because of irrational and self-defeating practices based on competition, rugged individualism, masculinist aggression and officially encouraged greed and materialism. Such a social environment affords little opportunity for self-exploration, contemplation and development of a true individuality. Rather than the "luxury" these things are often held to be in our system, they are vitally important for fostering optimum mental health. Treatments and rehabilitation programs should reflect this principle.
Nowadays there are very few places of retreat or genuine sanctuary for people to go to when they need time out, and spiritual reflection. It seems that many who would have once gone to a monastery or on a pilgrimage, now end up in virtually the only available "sanctuary" provided today, the psychiatric hospital.
It seems a common pattern that many people's breakdowns follow periods of intense spiritual exploration and attempts at self realisation. This seems to occur far too often to be overlooked in considering the nature and causation of mental illness, and discovering workable, individualised approaches to achieving recovery. In fact some psychiatric practitioners seem to believe that a strong interest in spirituality is in itself a symptom of mental illness.
Spirituality now a divergeant path in an increasingly complex world:
There has been an enormous diversification of spirituality over the past five decades mandated by a tidal wave of scientific, technological, political, social and economic rapid change. There are many dilemmas relating to values and morality, and more sophisticated debates about issues which were once perhaps too narrowly and simplistically defined. Changes in spiritual modes have brought opportunities for personal spiritual growth and realisation, but also bring many possible complications to individual lives, particularly the young, and have created an atmosphere of spiritual confusion. Many people have been painfully caught in the middle of a clash of paradigms, western materialism versus (broadly Eastern) spiritual values.
The spiritual confusion that marks the final years of the 20th Century affects every aspect of our lives.
We increasingly sideline organised religion in today's world, making way for a new "rationalism." While there may be some positive aspects to this, we may have lost a large part of the moral and spiritual resources organised religion provided. Where there was once "faith" in a higher power, "certainty" about life's meaning and sacredness, and a strong belief in the power of love to overcome problems in the world, there is now growing secularism and something of a spiritual vacuum.
Increasingly this void is leading to a growing interest in alternate spiritual paths including Eastern religions, ecologically based alternative philosophies and a burgeoning Spiritual Supermarket running the gamut from "born again"Christianity, tele-evangelism, spiritualism, to New Age philosophies, and "mind powers."
While there are "New Age" teaching systems of genuine value and of real help, there are also many blind alleys, false prophets, and mind bending "trips" which can mislead people and prevent learning of true and authentic spiritual knowledge.
The rise of Christian fundamentalism in recent years has also brought problems, with rather simplistic solutions being promoted for complex and multi-faceted problems. The Bible writers could not have been expected to anticipate the conditions of the modern world, and fundamentalists tend to stick to literal interpretations of scripture, creating problems with applying these teachings in today's infinitely more complex times. However, many Christian principles and the Gospels still have much to offer.
All of this has enormous impact on the psychological wellbeing of individuals. It often occurs to me that the people most markedly affected also tend to be those who have the most highly developed social consciences and genuinely care about the welfare of their fellow humans.
It takes a long time for the person to learn to navigate their course in a supposedly "rationalist" world system which dismisses spiritual endeavour as worthless and even misguided or "crazy." There are many pitfalls, disappointments and obstacles in this world for the spiritually inclined. There can be the dual problems of not only being misunderstood by others but also not clearly understanding ourselves. Confusion, breakdowns, highs and lows can follow, often leaving the person in a "nowhere" state for some time.
Major experiences and many setbacks on the "road toward enlightenment":
Many spiritual seekers search, work and struggle towards the enlightenment, the desire for which animates their hearts and minds. For many people this becomes the main preoccupation in life, a burning ambition, and they can seem strange and different from their friends and family. This can be a source of conflict in some people's lives, and lead to all sorts of twists and turns in life's road.
Spiritual exploration often involves a period of "emptying" or melancholy, when one is approaching a big spiritual experience and some people can't handle this stage because of possible lack of support or guidance at this crucial time. Some people "break down" at this stage.
It seems to be a recurring theme common to all religions that spiritual transformation can only happen after the person has "died to their old self" and become "reborn" into a new, transcendent awareness. Essential to these teachings about a metaphorical "death" is the relinquishing of ego-based attachments like materialism, selfishness and manipulation to gain power over others, replacing these things with loving compassion. Some spiritual teachers say the ego or I-self must be eliminated altogether to allow the person to identify with a Higher Self, which is often said to be "at one" with the Universe.
This metaphorical "death" process can be extremely painful, often leading to what has been described as the "long dark night of the soul." Part of the problem, I believe, is that our whole social, political and economic systems are based on ego demands and gratification, and attempts to subjugate the ego do not "gel" with the prevailing system. Many spiritual seekers run into severe problems, obstacles and conflicts. This is not to say that these teachings are invalid-- they can be very helpful and enlightening-- but it must be acknowledged that it is very difficult to live by Eastern teachings in Western capitalist societies.
Some people get lost in the sensations of spiritual experiences, and seek after yet more sensations. This is regarded by genuine spiritual teachers as a mistake. They would point out that the object of spiritual endeavour is not in having a wonderful ego-trip. Unfortunately many, if not most seekers go through a stage where their egos become inflated by the new experiences, as the ego strives to take all the credit for everything that is happening.
Perhaps some people have spiritual experiences such as an "awakening" or "Satori" which their mind and body are not adequately prepared for and become "freaked out" by it. This can happen particularly if people are getting most of their learning from books, without personal guidance by a teacher, who would usually oversee the person's preparations for spiritual experiences, and carefully guide the person's progress.
Some people get lost in the complexities of religion and confuse archetypal ideas with personal reality. So ideas like the "Christ Consciousness" being potentially available to anyone, or God dwelling "within" can be distorted into mistaken beliefs, that one is, in fact, the returned Christ, or Mother Mary or God. Sometimes this can be explained as a self-consolation for a terrible life, feelings of inferiority and insignificance, or wishing and hoping for Heavenly justice in a world of seemingly endless pain and suffering.
Or the person may break down after some sort of life trauma, such as a job or relationship setback, which sharply derails spiritual work when they are in a vulnerable state.
Some people on the spiritual path do not pay enough attention to the need to remain "grounded" during their meditation and exploration, and could lose touch with consensus reality or relate so closely to alternative paradigms that they sound "mad" when they attempt to explain themselves.
Use of illicit drugs, which sometimes accompanies some forms of spiritual exploration can also add to the person's vulnerability to mental illness.
Many, but certainly not all, mental illness experiences can be attributed to "spiritual crisis" situations.
Mental illness, spiritual crisis and learning life lessons:
Perhaps it is better to regard a breakdown as part of a "healing crisis" rather than an illness in its own right. Many lessons will be learnt and wisdom gained in the "deepening" processes of the soul, which often follow a breakdown.
We ask ourselves questions about:
• how to love and be loved;
• loving ourselves;
• our relations with the Infinite;
• whether there is a God and what are our obligations to it, and our expectations of it;
• the meaning and purpose of life;
• discovering our real interests;
• following our soul urges, rather than what we are told to do;
• setting priorities of what things are most and least important to us;
• how we can relate meaningfully and get along with others;
• helping ourselves by helping others;
• how we can find true happiness;
• how to find peace;
• how we can be true to ourselves, in the ways we live;
• right actions as usually the most practical and productive behaviour;
• and how to go beyond the conventions of a manifestly sick social order.
Spirituality has a great deal of relevance to all these sorts of questions.
It seems to be a recurring theme in most eastern religious systems that one can experience a transformation or raising of consciousness, to a new, transcendent awareness, sometimes called Cosmic Consciousness. A Cosmically Conscious person is said to be "at one" with God or the Universe and in a state of full enlightenment. The main object of such enlightenment is said to be to serve humanity.
There may be occasional new flashes of insight. Soon there are "peak" spiritual experiences, which involve a deep sense of peace and wellbeing. Later, after much practice and reflection, there may be a spiritual awakening, where one feels "touched" by the divine, with an inner explosion of love and bliss. The new initiate experiences a powerful and euphoric sense of oneness with the Universe and an immediate connection with all living beings. Such an experience, which can come on suddenly, is sometimes called Satori, and is regarded as a foretaste of Cosmic Consciousness.
For some spiritual seekers a key realisation has been that social change starts from within each individual and then radiates outwards to others. Rather than religious ideas being used as a dogmatic means of social control, the new spirituality can serve to liberate the person and empower him or her to find loving compassion, meaning, satisfaction, pleasure and happiness in their lives.
Compare this to the old fashioned religious teachings which encouraged feelings of guilt, frowned on pleasures, turned sexuality into a "sin", promoted fears of God's wrath and hellfire and brimstone horror stories, and taught that life, with its sorrows and inequities was something to be endured until, after death it would all be made right by going to heaven. Life has a way of teaching us that heaven and hell are not so much places as states of mind in the here and now. Living and thinking creatively opens up many options for creating our own kind of personal world, which we can share with others.
With a breakdown, there is often a dis-integration of personality and confusion in the thinking processes, in the early stages. All the ingredients of identity, meaning and purpose go back into the melting-pot, and a longer "ferment" stage follows. In a long process much information and experiential learning grow into a new understanding of life. This understanding is often of a more fundamental nature: "I am human and I have unconditional worth." In computer parlance, we can describe the process as the data being gathered, processed, re-integrated, and a new synthesis emerging on the screen.
Over time, a new synthesis can develop in us, a sense of true self can build up, wisdom can grow, and perhaps a realisation that the world's priorities need not necessarily be ours. That we can be ourselves and pleased and proud at that. The seeker is then likely to justify his or her life's quest with the argument that spiritual work is just as valid as any other form of work or vocation, and that society and the planet needs its thinkers, dreamers, poets, artists, writers and seers of visions.
An afterword for mental health workers and other helpers:
Spirituality is inevitably both a "minefield" and a source of strength and inspiration to many mental health consumers.
This demands creative responses from support workers, case managers or doctors, who may be required to help reverse some of the damage of some consumers' over-identification with the "dark shadow side" of religion, sometimes arising our of early traumatic religious "abuse" experienced in families of origin.
Some consumers become fixated on concepts such as fundamentalist "hellfire and brimstone" scenarios, eternal damnation and the threat of a terrible Doomsday at any time now, or may feel compelled to "take up their own cross" and try to function in a harsh secular world while living out roles of religious figures. This is not conducive to a smooth passage through life, to say the least.
Some people become extremely depressed because of a delusion "bubble" bursting, as they return to a more everyday type of consciousness, but find the world and its problems all too horrible compared to the shining heavenly utopias of their former "waking dreams" that doctors call delusions. Some sufferers can spend years "trapped between worlds."
Some ways for spiritual seekers to avoid mishaps:
There are sometimes mishaps in spiritual searching, and the mental wellbeing helper needs to constantly highlight concepts such as:
• the need for having proper instruction from a recognised teacher, in spiritual learning. Not just books, which can be a haphazard way to learn;
• preparing the mind and body for spiritual experiences;
• the need to remain "grounded" while following spiritual or meditation practices, to avoid "spinning out" or losing touch with the common world; and,
• the concept of the need to strive for balance in all things, as a way of flowing with, rather than against, the basic tendency of nature and all natural systems to seek to return toa state of balance.
Indeed these imperatives are important in the healing process itself..
People going through mental suffering need a lot of very sensitive support and gentle guidance. It is important for workers to try to help the person reduce the damage of "afflicted spirituality," and start to heal, without interfering with destroying the underlying good and unifying aspects spirituality can offer.
This is very tricky, and may involve a gentle, long-term process involving a progressive re-orientation to approximated "consensus" reality and encouragement that the (so-called) "real" world is not such a bad place really, and try to instill hope that the person WILL gradually re-acclimatise to the everyday world. (Not that anyone would want recoverers to turn around and imitate the many desensitised and numb "normals" who calmly munch on their dinners while the world continues its orgy of death and destruction on the nightly TV news.)
Generic spiritual concepts can be helpful:
A useful frame of reference for support workers is a very wide and generic version of spirituality that recognises and respects the diversity, and often individual flavour of religious beliefs.
It is possible to work with concepts such as;
• an often eclectic comparative religion studies and mythology;
• the Universe;
• a Higher Power, which can reside both within and without;
• the importance of respect for others and other creatures.
• nature's bountiful beauty, healing powers, wholeness, and imperative to seek balance.
• notions of the common good as defined by traditional and International conventions;
• the practical and pragmatic good outcomes of right actions, as well as ethical benefits;
• the need many people have for a personal God and creator who loves them and has promised them Heaven after this life, if they live good faithful lives.
• Another key idea is philosophical stance of believing in the essential goodness and nobility of the human spirit, at its best.
Folk stories and fables, or having creatively facilitated "story telling" sessions about our lives or our ancestor's lives, or even an imaginary life we would like to have, can also be very rewarding for consumers. Such approaches tend to stimulate individuation processes and reinforce ego strength, which are often weakened in mental health consumers.
Allan Pinches is a former metropolitan newspaper journalist and a mental health consumer consultant.
This article previously appeared in 1996 on a previous website by the author, and highlights from the archives from 1996 to 2011 will be transferred to this blog.
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