Stress and Human Spirituality

Chapter 7

“The winds of grace are blowing perpetually. We only need raise our sails.”

—Sri Ramakrishna

A Turning Point in Human Consciousness

Defining Human Spirituality

• The concept of spirituality escapes the confines of human language.

-Higher consciousness-Faith -Transcendence-Self-reliance -Self-efficacy -Mysticism-Self-realization -Self-actualization -Community-Enlightenment -The Divine -Love

-Others

Defining Human Spirituality (continued)

• Differentiate between spirituality and religion

• Inclusive• Experiential• Knowing you are part of something

much bigger than yourself• Recognition of the Divine, whatever that

means to you• Perennial philosophy

The Path of Carl Jung: Connecting with the Divine Consciousness

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.”

—Carl G. Jung

Consciousmind

Unconscious mind

Collective unconscious

The Path of M. Scott Peck: Four Stages of Spiritual Growth

“Love is part of the journey of the human spirit. Remember that when you get to the fourth stage, the Mystical Communal stage, you are really only at the beginning.”

—M. Scott Peck

The Path of Hildegard von Bingen: The Divine Mystery

• Twelfth century female Christian mystic• Some things simply cannot be

explained by science.• It’s best to simply appreciate the bigger

mystery of life.

Native American Medicine WheelPath of Quiet

Mental health through the lines of nature

Path of Sun

Respectful of self, all people, and environment

Path of Introspection

Soul searching to find balance

Path of Peace

Youth and wonder

The Path of Black Elk: Mother Earth Spirituality

The Path of Matthew Fox: Creation Spirituality

“I see the recovery of the ancient tradition of creation spirituality as a gift for our times. Perhaps ecology and cosmology can awaken our slumbering world and in doing so, awaken our slumbering spirits.”

—Matthew Fox

The Path of Joan Borysenko: Spiritual Optimism

“Growth of the soul is our goal, and there are many ways to encourage that growth, such as through love, nature, healing our wounds, forgiveness, and service. The soul grows well when giving and receiving love.”

—Joan Borysenko

The Path of Deepak Chopra: Seven Universal Laws

“Consciousness in motion expresses itself as the objects of the universe in the eternal dance of life.The physical laws of the universe are actually this whole process of divinity in motion, or consciousness in motion.”

—Deepak Chopra

The Path of Jesus of Nazareth

• The power of unconditional love• The power of forgiveness• Honoring "The Golden Rule"

The Path of Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Journey

“We are at this moment participating in one of the very greatest leaps of the human spirit—to a knowledge not only of outside nature, but also our own deep inward mystery—the greatest leap ever.”

—Joseph Campbell

The Path of Lao Tzu: The Way of the Tao

“Why did the ancients cherish the Tao?

Because through it, we may find a world of peace, leaving behind a world of cares, and hold the greatest treasure under heaven.”

—Lao Tzu

The Path of Albert Einstein

“God does not play dice with the Universe.”

—Albert Einstein

Common Themes of Spirituality

• (Also known as “Seasons of the Soul”)– Centering (Autumn)– Emptying (Winter)– Grounding (Spring)– Connecting (Summer)

• We go through many seasons in one lifetime• We can go through many seasons at once

with several life events

A Model of Spirituality

Wisdom keepers (psychospiritual theorists) cite four aspects of human spirituality:

1. Relationships

-An insightful internal relationship

-Powerful external (interpersonal) relationships

2. Values (personal value system)

3. A meaningful purpose in life

4. Appreciating the divine mystery of life

A Model of Spirituality (continued)

• Spiritual potential - the potential of one’s inner resources

• Spiritual health - the utilization of one’s inner resources

• Roadblocks on the spiritual path - everyday stressors

• Distractions on the spiritual path - attractions that become distractions

• Interventions to promote spiritual health - nearly every stress management skill

Importance of Spiritual Well-Being

• Ageless wisdom conveys that spiritual well-being is the cornerstone to wellness

• Stress and spirituality are inseparable partners in the dance of life

• Stress is now defined as the feeling of separation from one’s divine source

• As global stress increases, there is a greater need to reestablish this connection

Current Research on Spiritualityand Health

• Health status and church attendance• Healing power of prayer

• Note: Because spirituality is hard to define and difficult/impossible to measure, researchers have opted to measure aspects of religiosity, thus adding to the confusion of spirituality and religion.