Stress and Human Spirituality Chapter 7

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Stress and Human SpiritualityChapter 7
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• The winds of grace are blowing perpetually. We
  only need raise our sails.
• Sri Ramakrishna

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A Turning Point in Human Consciousness

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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

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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

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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

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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

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The Path of Hildegard von Bingen The Divine
Mystery

• Twelfth century female Christian mystic
• Some things simply cannot be explained by
  science.
• Its best to simply appreciate the bigger mystery
  of life.

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Native American Medicine Wheel
The Path of Black Elk Mother Earth Spirituality
Path of Quiet Mental health through the lines of
nature
Path of Introspection Soul searching to find
balance
Path of Sun Respectful of self, all people, and
environment
Path of Peace Youth and wonder
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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

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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

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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

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The Path of Jesus of Nazareth

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

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The Path of Joseph Campbell The Heros Journey

• We are at this moment participating in one of
  the very greatest leaps of the human spiritto a
  knowledge not only of outside nature, but also
  our own deep inward mysterythe greatest leap
  ever.
• Joseph Campbell

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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

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The Path of Albert Einstein

• God does not play dice with the Universe.
• Albert Einstein

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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

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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

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A Model of Spirituality (continued)

• Spiritual potential - the potential of ones
  inner resources
• Spiritual health - the utilization of ones 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

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

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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.