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Relativity of Spirituality in a Material World
Peace, Harmony & Tranquility (PHT) is located where mind, body & soul find balance, stability, serenity, and comfort. It's where a conglomeration of complexities fit together into one big simplicity. An example would be a 4-year college degree filled with 160 credits of time-sacrificing courses, midterms, finals, etc. In the end we are handled a title, e.g., B.A. or B.S., which is a simplistic representation of the complexities harnessed to achieve it. When we are handed our diploma we realize it's a simplistic piece of paper representing 4 years of sacrifice and hard work. The emotion experienced from the success is PHT.
Each day is filled with new complexities which we either harness or hide from. We have difficulty sustaining PHT because life is constantly evolving, as we move about in both the spiritual and material worlds. Each individual experiences adjustments in "reality," which swings us on a pendulum between our natural and spiritual worlds, and dependent upon our perceptions (relativity). The "outer" forces shift our reality, and our "inner" ones respond, in an effort to maintain PHT. Hence, we re-align (adjust) ourselves to maintain it. One's perception of PHT depends upon the various value systems and life's events which modify them (wisdom), so the definition of "PHT" is endless, i.e., one of modulation. Humans like fixed definitions (labels) because they are easier to see and understand. Modulators have more variables and can therefore be more frustrating to harness.
One's PHT might not be synchronous with another's, and can lead to discord when 2 asynchronous individuals interact, e.g, poitical debate. Enlightenment of one individual by another would have the opposite effect. Other events such as a musical concert or college pep rally can bring all those attending completely "in-sync" with each other, thus totally void of chaos and discord. My university Poli Sci professor Edward Weisband at SUNY-Binghamton, now at V-Tech, once spoke about "mass affect" which occurs at Grateful Dead concerts. Everyone's pendulum apparently aligns to the same "frequency" which allows a harmonius mass to exist in PHT. There are about 100 trillion cells in our body, each holding their own electromagnetic (EM) force. They all spin in the same direction, thus creating one big EM force, again, spinning in one direction. That so many individual cells can harmoniously communicate with each other on a minute-by-minute basis is mind-boggling. Interestingly, cancer cells and traumatized cells do not spin in the same direction as the "normal" ones.
Life is a series of complexities
Relativity, Stress, Caffeine and Starbucks
Our state of mind is dependant on our surrounding environs as well: I'm much more relaxed walking through Central Park on a cool-breezy Sunday afternoon, than rollerblading across a noisy, hot, humid, grid-locked midtown manhattan summer day, dodging horn-honking yellow cabs and the briskly moving jay-walking pedestrians, as I make my way to an urgent care house call. There's PHT in the latter only if one sees the humor in it. Work is not "work" if you enjoy it. Mountains are mo-hills if you want them to be. Everything has a relativity to it. When I order a coffee at Starbucks, they tell me I'm a "guest" and not a "customer," and a "small" coffee is actually a "tall" one. I ask for "non-de-caffeinated" coffee with "real" (4%, whole) milk, because Starbucks no longer keeps "real" milk with the other condiments, and they often give me de-caf because naturally caffeinated coffee is no longer the norm. At the same time, Red Bull is a hot item. Go figure.
Rollerblades, Sunshine, Relativity, Childbirth and the Dalai Lama
After my skating escapade across the chaotic city is complete and I arrive at my house call, I'm usually greeted by a smiling patient, concerned family member or friend who answers the door. Storms are often followed by sunshine. It's similar to what a mother goes through (with the exception of the magnitude) during childbirth: As the huge head (usually 6 inches in diameter) of the baby passes through the birth canal, the mother screams and shrills from a pain worse than a kidney stone and almost as bad as a pelvic fracture (see Petra Nemcova's story below). A man might appreciate the experience if he were to evacuate a football. But when the baby lands in the doctor's forearms and begins to cry, there is nothing more beautiful to see than the satisfied smile on the mother's face, completely void of pain. That's relativity. A friend of mine is a close friend of the Dalai Lama, and asked him why he smiles all the time, even when so much chaos and adversity surrounds him. The Dalai Lama burst out laughing, and said "What else is there to do?" Einstein's explanation of relativity is well-known. I placed the quote on my Evocative Quotes webpage.
Synchronicity of Human Relationships and Social Behavior
Events such as stress and trauma can lead to a re-alignment which take us "out-of-sync" with those we were previously "in-tune" with, and synchronization with those who we normally are not. In relationships this is the main reason for the "break-up" and "make-up," i.e., something takes us to another area of the pendulum and thus out-of-tune with an individual we were previously in-tune with (break-up). The make-up occurs due to either individual re-aligning themselves (change or compromise), in order to restore the synchronicity between the two, and restore PHT. A relationship of any kind is most stable when one's pendulum is aligned with another, and can be destroyed by tragic events which drastically swing it from its resting position. This is the most important reason why "rebound" relationships fail, as the alignment may be off due to adjustments being made from the previous relationship, as the rebound relationship progresses. Vacations often restore the synchronicity of a relationship due to removal of external forces which were adversely affecting PHT, back home. The 2 individuals can then absorb the PHT of the temporary tranquil environs, and back in-sync. Finding PHT on vacation has its exceptions as well, as you read the next passage about a couple seeking some PHT in Thailand during Christmas holiday.
Surviving a Tsunami: Petra Nemcova's Spiritual "Love, Always, Petra"
The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004 made jungian pendulums swing deep into either the spiritual or material archetypal world. Many sought deep religious spirtuality, while others archetypically negated the idea of a God who would allow such horrific events to occur. 300,000 people perished in one day (more than the number of American soldiers lost in the Vietnam war).
Model and author Petra Nemcova's unbelievable story of surviving the tsunami by clinging onto palm leaves with a pelvis broken in several places, 30 feet in the air for 8 hours, is one of the most surreal stories I've ever heard. After her hopes of survival vanished as the tsunami swept her off a rooftop and quickly sucked her out to sea, she was given a second chance to grab hold of some palm leaves sticking out just above the water's torrential surface. The current was so violent that her clothes were completely torn from her body. Petra suffered multiple pelvic fractures due to large heavy debris slamming into her, and was trapped in the tree for half the day, baking in the hot sun, dehydrated, and praying "Please, dear God, don't let another wave come" (n.b., pelvic fracture is one of the most excruciatingly painful events anyone could experience, particularly when clinging to a palm tree for 8 hours. Childbirth should be a "piece of cake" for Petra.). Petra asked one of the rescuers for his T-shirt, which he quickly took off and gave to her. Then, says Petra, "I took the shirt, let it fall into the dirty water, and then drew the dripping cloth up to my face. It felt so good, so refreshing, that filthy water. The men bowed and went off." She described hearing children scream "help, help," as she clung to the top of a palm tree, followed by erie silence of no screams at all.
After she was rescued and hospitalized she learned her fiancee Simon Atlee did not survive the disaster, instantly extinguishing any hope she had in finding him. Petra was awarded the "Survivor Award" by Glamour Magazine. Her book "Love, Always, Petra: A Story of Courage and the Discovery of Life's Hidden's Gifts" (co-authored with Jane Scovell) is a testament of spirit incapable of "soul-loss," even under the most adverse conditions imaginable. And now she's on a mission to make the world a better place. All proceeds from the book are being donated to Happy Hearts Fund , a charity which Petra founded, to assist in the tsunami relief effort. Petra recently opened a school and computer center in Thailand, with money raised by her charity. It's fitting such charity by Petra touched Thailand, where another "survivor" named Mother Theresa ran her orphanage (see poem at bottom of page)..
PHT, the Pendulum and Medical Practice
As a physician, it is important to know whether a patient is mostly archetypal or spiritual. Equally important is estimating where the pendulum rested before the illness adversely affected the individual. Healing a patient will hopefully allow the pendulum to return to its original position.
PHT is also influenced by whether our checks and balances mainly involve our peers in the material world, or a higher spiritual being. Many of us "go with the flow" when in the archetypal realm, and find ourselves "going against the tide" in the spiritual. Most humans will take the path of least resistance.
Achieving PHT
Achieving PHT is not always an easy task. In my medical practice, the main reason why a patient is coming to see me is to fix something which interferes with PHT, i.e., "illness." In the modern mainstream medical world, discovering the root-cause of a particular ailment is often an arduous and difficult task. It's not always easy to unravel the mystery of a symptom causing a discordant mind, body and soul. Hence, modern western healers, for the most part, rely on substances which assist the soul in believing PHT has been restored. Many of us self-medicate ourselves at parties in bars and night clubs in the same way, by taking substances which temporarily restore PHT. In allopathic medicine, it's usually the "prescriptus interuptus," i.e., a pharmaceutical. Society allows physicians and other healers to take this approach because it maximizes the total number of discordant souls to achieve PHT per unit time. PHT is also achieved when the soul removes discord from the conscious mind, tucking it away somewhere deep in the unconscious. Thus, for a while, the body and mind stop complaining, leaving the soul content in its temporary and unstable PHT, until the unconscious is no longer able to hide it from the conscious. Thus, one will experience the "psychosomatic" event, which often has no apparent relationship to the original source of discord. The problem is compounded as the individual turns to further "prescriptus interrupti" intervention: It's a vicious cycle.
 One's "quality of life" & "peace of mind" are completely dependent upon PHT.
If illness were a tree, then a healer should be looking at the roots, soil, and sunlight. Modern medicine teaches us to paint the leaves green, hoping the tree will get better on its own (which is often the case). Mark Twain once said doctors are really just entertainers for the patient, while the body heals itself. The body's incredible ability to heal itself makes a physician's job a lot easier. An educated patient helps as well.
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Mind/Body/Soul
A healthy body is worthless without a healthy mind & soul. The mind holds our thoughts and feelings, and the soul expresses them. The soul (usually) rules the mind and body, and many of us get into trouble when one of the other two takes charge. Dr Carl Jung described "soul-loss" as a life-threatening condition. My most challenging patient is the one totally void of hope, jaded by the medical system, and in my office only because a concerned family member or friend dragged them in to see me. There are plenty of "lost souls" in the world which we heal each day as family members, friends and concerned citizens. In my medical practice, I am confronted with those who experience soul loss due to a medical condition.
There are so many roads (both good and bad) which take us to PHT. Some positive examples might be yoga & meditation, religion, listening to music, or chatting with a loved one. Water sources seem to work well with me: boating, a walk along the beach or through a light rain, sitting by a waterfall, or tubing down a river. Getting patients well or a conversation filled with enlightenment is pure PHT. Negative examples might be excessive alcohol or illicit drug use. Any mind-altering substance (e.g., alcohol, marijuana, cocaine) is basically just that: "mind-altering." If the mind is altered, then the expression of the mind (i.e., thoughts & feelings) will change. Drug and alcohol users are often discontent with where they're at, and seek to go down (depressants) or up (cocaine, amphetamines). The key to success in this situation is learning to realize that "right here, right now" is the best place to be, and "up" or "down" is not. It's about learning the grass in your own yard is green enough, being content with what you have, who you are, who you're with, what you do, and appreciating its relativity. When you dance, it should not matter whether anyone is watching. When you throw away bath water, hang on to the baby. When your world turns to dust, get a dustbuster. Most of all, remind yourself you are only visiting this planet for a mysteriously indeterminate amount of time, and there is already probably not enough time to do the things you want to do, once you figure out what is is you want to do with this gift we call life.
From a clinical perspective, I see many patients who are prescribed anti-anxiety agents (e.g., xanax) and other psychotropic medications (e.g., prozac, paxil, zoloft) to cope with PHT maintenance. I do prescribe these medications, but I am cautious with long-term usage. Patients often tell me they were prescribed the medication because there was no explanation for their illness. In other words, they were told that the problem was in their head.
So I am presented with the following question every time a patient comes to see me in this situation: Is the mind causing the illness (i.e., psychosomatic), or is the illness affecting PHT in one's mind? If a patient is told there is no reason or explanation for their state of unwellness, they will then seek various methods to cope with it. Almost always, I find that it is an illness in the body which is affecting the state of PHT. So, again, if you go after the root-cause, the patient will often not require medication.
Psychosomatic illness is actually a presentation of a buried emotional conflict ("baggage" or "shadow") which is re-surfacing in another form, ultimately re-haunting one's balance and stability (PHT). These "ghosts" are created by a conscious lack of understanding of the conflicts, placed deep in the unconscious mind so that it will carry little or no weight during our daily life activities (i.e., coping mechanism), until they re-surface. Associating a conflict to the psychosomatic symptom is often difficult due to a not-so-obvious connection between the two. The unconscious mind will often present a conflict in the form of dreams, which will often reveal the connection. Openness and honesty are other methods for the conscious mind to define and resolve the conflict. Sleep disorders are often a clue to serious conflicts: Difficulty falling asleep may be due to the conscious mind's inability to resolve a conflict, and frequent awakening during the night may be caused by unsettling dreams. The accumulation of conflicts will inevitably lead to serious illness.
My medical practice includes both urgent and chronic care patients. I enjoy urgent care medicine because it's pure "quick-fix" medicine, a very positive form of instant gratification and success. My chronic care or difficult-to-diagnose patients are often challenging, mind-boggling, time-consuming, frustrating and arduous. The reward in the end, however, is pure PHT, when the diagnosis is made, and wellness is restored, and a Christmas card reminder of the past success arrives in the mail. Perhaps the combination of these 2 types of medicine is metaphorically equivalent to the college student setting a long-term goal of a PhD, and escaping from the difficult task to partake in some instant gratification on a Friday night.
A true healer has to thoroughly explore Mind/Body/Soul when navigating someone back to "wellness," or PHT.
Ralph Waldo Emerson summed up the spiritual meaning of success quite clearly:
To laugh often and much
To win the respect of intelligent people,
and the affections of children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends
To appreciate beauty
To leave the world better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
This is to have succeeded.”
-RWE
Mother Theresa released the poem below in her book "A Simple Path." A patient of mine gave me a book called "Jesus Did it Anyway, The Paradoxical Commandments for Christians," which, according to author Keith Kent, wrote the "commandments" to motivate himself during his studies. The poem reportedly made its way around the world, and onto one of the walls in Mother Theresa's orphanage in Thailand. There's a similar story behind Emerson's poem above, as well.
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see in the final analysis. it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
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