Psyche & Soul 22: A SPLINTERED, DISTORTED SPIRITUALITY

 sumedhacentre@gmail.com

podcast link:

https://anchor.fm/boscom/episodes/2-22-PSYCHE--SOUL-51-en1kka

 Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual Wellbeing at Jeolikote, Uttarakhand, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.

Last week end we reflected on Everyday spirituality. This weekend we shall continue our reflections on spirituality, especially the impact of dualism on spirituality.

….

Thomas Kuhn, a social scientist at the University of Chicago, wrote a book in 1962 entitled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions that soon became a classic in social sciences. That book introduced the concept of Paradigms, paradigm shifts and resistance to paradigm shifts.

Twenty years later the physicist Fritjof Capra wrote a book called The Turning Point in which he tried to explain Kuhn’s concepts in a lay person’s language. Capra focused on two paradigms. One, the Dualistic which influenced thought and behaviour for thousands of years, to which was added the mechanistic understanding in the Modern Era to form the Dualistic-Mechanistic paradigm. The paradigm that has emerged recently is the holistic to which is added the ecological to form the Holistic-Ecological paradigm. 

Paradigms and paradigm changes come handy when discussing everyday spirituality.

THE DUALISTIC-MECHANISTIC PARADIGM

The Dualistic (from Latin Duo) paradigm splits reality into two and places one over the other and often against the other. The split between matter and energy, body and spirit, reason and passion are examples.  Dualism influenced culture and society, as well as religion and spirituality, for thousands of years and laid the foundations for patriarchal domination. 

 

The mechanistic understanding split reality not only to two, but many bits and pieces. Like the clock, the classic model of a machine, which works perfectly when every part in it works in orderly conjunction with every other part, the whole universe, consisting of bits and pieces of matter, works perfectly when everything in it is moving according to a pre-designed harmonious order. Order and harmony were considered essential to proper order in society.

 

CHANGE SEEN AS EVIL, PERMANENCE AS GOOD

We know that much chaos and confusion accompany change, as happens, for example, when governments change. Permanence, the opposite of change, maintains order, stability and harmony. Societies for whom order and harmony were cardinal virtues, as also those in power, saw change which undermines these as evil.   Change because it is evil had to be resisted. Permanence and its constituents –stability and order—were to be promoted to maintain peace and harmony. Change against stability can be seen as the primordial split that gave rise to hierarchy and patriarchy, as well as the honour given to tradition.

Denigration of the Body

Change can be seen as the basis for the hugely influential split between body and soul/spirit.  The body – the material element – decays and disappears and so is evil.  The soul or spirit which maintains one’s identity even after the body decays and disappears is good. The body was pitted against the spirit as inferior and dangerous. This view of body and spirit had a profound impact on the understanding and practice of spirituality.

Spiritual doctrines and disciplines developed a negative and even antagonistic attitude toward the body. The body came to be considered an enemy of spirit and needed to be subjugated and punished so that the soul could be strengthened. Since sexuality is an important dimension of our embodiment, it was considered as something dangerous to the spirit and even evil. Since marriage involved sexuality, those who embraced virginity or celibacy were considered to be living and practising a superior, holier way of life. Bodily asceticism was seen as essential for triumph of the spirit.

Reason over Emotion

The Greek philosopher Plato and his student Aristotle helped to further entrench dualistic notions and their consequences. They proposed that thinking concerned with pure reasoning is superior or more advanced than thinking permeated by sensory input and emotions.  Sensations and emotions bring about turbulence and instability and so are bad and inferior. Reason contributes to order and stability and so is good and superior.

Subjugation and Oppression of Women

The dualistic split between body and spirit, reason and emotions and placing them hierarchically one over the other had a profound impact on the way women and men were viewed.

Emotion and bodily changes (which were considered evil) were considered to be mainly female experiences while reason, associated with the spirit (and considered good), was attributed to the male. Good, thus, became identified with the male and evil with the female. The good had to triumph over evil. Reason had to triumph over passion. Hence man had to dominate woman. (Please note: This is not my thought. I am only presenting the notions and beliefs which were present.)

An extreme consequence of this ideology was identification of women as embodiment of evil, Satan. The witch-burnings of the Middle Ages, and even later, was a direct result of this identification.

Patriarchy

This kind of dualistic and hierarchical notions attributing goodness, reason and superiority to men led to patriarchy – a philosophical, cultural and political system in which men controlled knowledge and resources, and determined what role women can and cannot play in society. The evolution of patriarchy had disastrous consequences for the treatment of women in society and Church as well.

 The patriarchal mindset influenced spirituality and religious practices too. The exclusion of women from sacred space and the privileged position men enjoy both in society and the Church stem from patriarchal thinking.

 

For introspection

• What do the ideas presented here about dualism, body, sexuality, patriarchy, evoke in you?
• Can you recognize how these are impacting your life- your beliefs, attitude and behavior?
• Can you recognize the influence these have influenced our understanding and practice of everyday spirituality?

 Prayer

In the Book of Genesis we read how God created men and women as equal and after creating them he proclaimed his delight in them. “Very good!” he said.

Jesus had a profoundly different attitude toward body, sexuality and women, very different from the prevailing notions and attitudes in his society. Can you recognize how he was different? Which gospel scenes come to mind in this context? You could spend some time talking to him about whatever is evoked in you by this podcast.

Jose Parappully SDB, PhD

sumedhacentre@gmail.com

 

SAD NEWS!

With great sorrow I regret to announce the passing away of Rev. Fr. Varghese Kalluvachel (age 66), Salesian priest of the Province of Kolkata and a former Visiting faculty member at Sumedha Centre (Photo below)

He died this morning (26/11) at 1.30 am at Caritas hospital, Kottayam Kerala.

Fr. Varghese used to take sessions on Consecrated life at Sumedha, as part of the Sumedha Sadhan programme. He himself had attended a full Sumedha Sadhana programme earlier. He had doctorates in philosophy and Consecrated Life.

Besides being a scholar he was a jovial human being who loved entertaining people with his numerous jokes. I am sure he will make heaven a more joyful place!

We also received the sad news of the death of Rev. Fr. Sebastian Alancheril, my former Provincial in Kolkata and my former Rector at Don Bosco, Delhi. He is the one who as Provincial gave me permission to study psychology in the US and who as Rector of Don Bosco, Delhi, when I returned to India, encouraged me in setting up Bosco Psychological Services at Don Bosco Tech, Okhla. I owe him much. May he rest in peace.

Jose Parappully

Psyche & Soul 21 PSYCHOLOGY, SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

  podcast link:

https://anchor.fm/boscom/episodes/2--21-PSYCHE--SOUL--50-emq4hm  

Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospritual Wellbeing at Jeolikote, Uttarakhand, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.

The title of this podcast “Psyche & Soul” alludes to a profound truth, namely “psyche,” that stands of psychology, and “soul,” standing for spirituality, go together.

We normally assume that the two are very different. Not really. Both have to do with everyday life and behaviour and thus have much in common. Good psychology is good spirituality, and good spirituality is good psychology

For a very long time there was mutual animosity between proponents of religion and spirituality on one hand and psychologists on the other. That has changed. Today three is clear acknowledgment that both psychology and spirituality are integral part of being human and both have a positive impact on health and wellbeing.

GROWING INTEREST IN THE SPIRITUAL

This changed attitude is in keeping with emerging trends in society and culture. Three is today an increased interest in spirituality on the part of people all over. Survey after survey shows that the number of people who say they are now more spiritual than they used to be is considerably larger than those who feel they had become less spiritual.

Sales of books show that there is a thirst among people today for things spiritual. Already a few years earlier Chicken Soup for the Soul had broken new grounds in publishing and become a runaway best seller, and various soups as sequel to the original recipe have been churned out year after year.

A few years ago, a distinguished group of business people representing some of the richest corporations in the world went on a long retreat for the explicit purpose of designating the single overriding need of contemporary society. The conclusion they arrived at, to their own surprise, was this: “the single overriding need of contemporary society is to rediscover, celebrate and incarnate the sacred.”

The rich and famous - business tycoons, media stars, fashion models and sports stars - are leaving lucrative and glittering careers and moving into monasteries, ashrams, Zen Centres, and the wilderness in search of the sacred.

Prayer and meditation groups are in vogue. Quasi-spiritual movements like the Art of Living attract thousands of enthusiasts. Catholic Charismatic Retreat Centres are mushrooming.

Among the new spirituality seekers the vast majority are young people. For example, more than 80 percent of those attending the Art of Living gatherings is said to be young people. The Jesus Youth is another testament to this newfound interest among the young in spirituality.

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

While there is growing interest in spirituality, there is also disillusionment with religion. Spirituality and religion are related but they are distinct concepts. Both religion and spirituality are born of the awareness of the transcendent—that which is beyond us. In religion the transcendent is often personified as a Supreme Being or Deity –and finds expression in a shared belief system (Creed), common rituals (Cult), and generally accepted norms of behaviour (Code). These are popularly known as the three C’s of classical religions.

Spirituality, unlike religion, is a personal experience of the transcendent, not necessarily mediated by social or religious institutions – through the 3 C’s. This personal experience can be had within and without religious traditions. Thus, we can have a profound experience of the transcendent when we worship together in church, temple or mosque. However, we can also have a profound experience of the transcendent through music and dance, in the beauty of nature, at the seashore or mountain top, or the intimacy of a love relationship, and in any moment of ordinary life.

Spirituality unlike religion, is a very broad concept. It involves everything that enhances the sense of the sacred. True spirituality enables us to be in touch with and feel connected with the divine that is present in our everyday life, and is not limited just to religious worship or practices. When we are spiritual, this sense of the sacred and of the divine permeates the whole of our life, and manifests in the way we live and relate.

For introspection

·         Do you see both psychology and spirituality having much that is common? Or do you see the two are quite separate?

·         How do you feel about the distinction made between spirituality and religion? Are you more of a spiritual person than a religious person?

 

Prayer

Spirituality is best expressed in relationships. The sacred takes on flesh and blood in communion, both with the divine, with one another. We know that God wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. Jesus, for example, invites us to abide in him. In Chapter 15, 1-15 of John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of the wine and the branches, inviting us to deep union with him, and to love one another just as he loves us. We could read this beautiful passage, stay with whatever it evokes in us and express our desire to abide deeply in him and grow in love of him and one another.

Have a pleasant weekend. Be well. Be safe. Blessed.

Thank you for listening.

Pictures: Courtesy Google Images

 Jose Parappully SDB, PhD

sumedhacentre@gmail.com

Psyche & Soul 19 COVID – 19: A TIME OF MASSIVE DISRUPTION

 Podcast link:

https://anchor.fm/boscom/episodes/2-19-Psyche--Soul--45-em422p

 Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospritual Wellbeing at Jeolikote, Uttarakhand, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.

This weekend we shall reflect on the Covid-1- disruptions and their impact on health and happiness…

 We are currently living through perhaps the worst crisis the global community has faced in the last 100 years, since the Spanish flu of 1918. Covid-19 has disrupted life on a massive scale.

 I characterize this time with three phrases: a time of unsettling disruption, a transformative time and a time for community and compassion.

 A TIME OF UNSETTLING DISRUPTION

The world as we knew it has disappeared. Established order has been replaced by unpredictability. Securities by uncertainty. Faith by doubt. These lead to a number of debilitating emotions – anxiety, fear, hopelessness. Covid-19 has exposed our vulnerabilities and revealed the fragility of life. We have witnessed the death of dear ones and colleagues. We ourselves live in dread of falling a prey to it. The pandemic has stripped away our illusions of safety and control.  We are living in a time of unsettling disruption of life.

 Unsettling Health Crisis

The disease itself has been very unsettling, not only for infected persons, but for most people. We are only gradually discovering the extent of harm the disease causes. And the scenario is alarming.

Covid-19 has transformed itself from a respiratory illness to a multi-systemic disease. It has caused cardiovascular and neurological problems and these are predicted to remain long after the supposed recovery. About one fifth of hospitalized Covid-19 patients have damage to their hearts, even if they never had cardiac issues before.

Neurological complications range from inflammation of the central nervous system, brain disease with delirium or psychosis, strokes and peripheral nerve problems.

The virus could leave a minority of the population with subtle brain damage that only becomes apparent in years to come.

There is also evidence that patients who recover from coronavirus infections may lose their immunity to reinfection within months. In one study, ninety days after treatment no detectable antibodies were in the bloodstream of most of the recovered patients.

Self-isolation, quarantine, lockdown, and loss of livelihoods have led to an increase in mental illness. Loneliness, anxiety, depression, insomnia, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicidal behavior, as also domestic violence, have increased.

 Unsettling Economic Crisis

Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the global economy that is predicted to continue for years. The UN Trade and Development Report 2020 has forecast that 90 to 120 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty in the developing world, with close to 300 million facing food insecurity. In India, crores of people, especially daily wagers lost their jobs and many are still unemployed. Many small businesses have closed down. The World Bank and rating agencies have have forecast a deep recession, predicted to be India's worst since independence.

 Unsettling Ethical Crisis

The lack of medical equipment to treat the infected threw up unsettling ethical and moral challenges. We heard disturbing reports about medical professionals and families having to make difficult and painful decisions as to who gets to be saved, who was dispensable and could be left to die. We have seen images of total disregard for the dignity of people in death, the callous manner in which dead bodies have been disposed of.

 While we hear of inspiring stories of courage and generosity we also hear disturbing stories of exploitation and callousness – unscrupulous and greedy people placing profit before public health, hoarding precious medical equipment and supplies or inflating prices making them unaffordable, leading to loss of lives.

 We saw the height of selfishness - panic buying in which those who could afford emptied the store shelves of essential commodities to stock their kitchen cupboards with months of supplies depriving others of daily necessities.

 Medical personnel who place their life on line daily at great sacrifice, have been ostracized and forced to stay away from their families and communities for fear they would be the carriers of the virus, and even harassed and attacked. Stigmatization, exclusion and harassment have also been experienced by people infected or suspected of having the virus.

Unsettling Social Crisis

Social distancing, a misnomer, has changed the way we relate to one another. Our social ties are fragmented. Social connections and gatherings that used to provide comfort, e and stress release and rejuvenation, have been severely restricted. Number of people permitted at common worship, which provides us solace, comfort and support, is also severely limited.

 Marriages are under severe strain.  The lack of private time, time outside the home, and inability to see friends have caused tension in many marriages, driving people to seek extramarital affairs.  It is predicted that as the pandemic abates, rate of divorce as well as extramarital affairs is going to rise further.

 Children are deprived of in-person schooling. This will have a very negative impact not only on their intellectual development, but also on their social and emotional growth.

 Covid-19 also laid bare the depth of structural iniquity that characterises our society. The lockdown enabled one class of people to luxuriate in the comfort of their home, passing time in superficial ways of entertaining themselves, their shelves overflowing with comfort foods, while another was trudging along the highways, feet bleeding, bundles on their heads, babies at their hips, facing police harassment to boot, seeking food and shelter – struggling to survive. Haunting pictures of deprivation and death on the road have seared into our collective memory.

 Unsettling Spiritual Crisis

The pandemic has thrown many of us in to a spiritual crisis. Our faith is shaken.  We are forced to ask some very fundamental existential questions. Is there a God? What kind of a God would permit this catastrophe? Does God really care? Do our prayers have any value? The dogmas and doctrines of institutional religion are failing and our own prayers and devotion don’t seem to offer comfort or consolation.

 A Bleak Future?

What is further disconcerting and disorienting is the news that the researchers have predicted that every three years we are going to face a new pandemic, worse than the present one – all related to climate change -- which is going to create a permanent state of disruption and uncertainty. Worst of times is going to be prolonged, may be permanent.

 For Introspection

·         As you look back over the period of Covid-19, what are the disruptions you have personally experienced and are continuing to experience?

·         What has been the impact of these on you? How are you coping with these?

·         Do any of the disruptions described in this column particularly unsettle you, disturb you? Which? Why and How?

 Prayer

There is story in the biblical Book of Genesis where the patriarch Jacob wrestles with God all through the night. May be you are also wrestling with God about the Covid-disruptions. You could read the passage (Genesis Chapter 32, 24-32) and stay with whatever the story evokes in you in the context of Covid 19 disruptions and spend some time in prayer, talking to God and listening to God..

Pictures: courtesy Google Images

FR JOSE PARAPPULLY SDB

sumedhaccentre@gmail.com