I love reasoning and philosophy, I feel I have a natural predisposition to think rationally and seek logic in arguments. And yet, I am fully aware there is much more to myself than a series of thoughts, a more or less well articulated story of who I am and what I do.
I sometimes find myself thinking of the meaning of life and I am currently settled on this very basic statement: my life’s goal is purely to minimise pain and maximise wellbeing. In order to bring good vibes to others, I need to start with myself and through resonance, I might be able to inspire people around me. Aware of the potentially dangerous forces of hedonism and nihilism, I seek meaning in a project or two with as much awareness as I can.
This means I strive to go through the natural ups and downs in life as harmoniously as possible, enjoying the highs and minimising the negative feelings associated with the lows. Everything that manifests under that is important of course, but not as important as I once thought, not as fundamental, as it is mostly out of my control anyway.
My life goal implies being aware of thoughts and emotions, immaterial “things” and yet powerfully linked to physiological reactions in the body. Psychology seems to belong to the realm of the mind and yet everything is ultimately connected. I hurt my body, I suffer negative emotions. I suffer prolonged negative emotions, my body gets hurt.
Minimising stress and worries means ending up with lower levels of cortisol and improving sleep and digestion for instance. A good night sleep brings wellbeing and creates a good base for awareness, presence and ultimately more positive emotions linked to a rested mind, a well functioning body and plenty of energy and vitality, the good sign of a healthy Soul.
It is theoretically obvious to most people, that body and mind are ultimately part of the same. Is this scientifically proven? Yes. Is the emotional and psychological aspect of pain, ailments and disease a primary concern of doctors or healthcare policy makers? Not in this current version of society.
Who do you go to if you have low mood and a craving for existential answers? It used to be a friend, teacher or priest. A psychologist or other therapist, YouTube or a self-help book might be the modern answer.
Philosophy, the love of wisdom, pertains to the mind and is a fundamental discipline for growth. I studied Western philosophy at school for years but I was too young to fully appreciate the beauty of it. More recently I have been exposed to Eastern philosophy, chiefly Vedanta and Tantra, linked to the Yoga system. I’d like to share here my favourite philosophy inspired YouTube channel Academy of Ideas.
Psychological theories linked to Jung like “the shadow” or “archetypes” definitely appeared in some of the workshops I attended, lectures I watched. I read some Freud, Adler, Frankl and Maslow. Family Constellation springs to mind as an awesome method to blend existential phenomenology and psychology with mystical aspects.
Spirituality and mysticism, practices linked to transcendence, higher states of consciousness and connection with the spirit, Soul element or higher self, pertain to a non-scientific realm and are possibly the best and purest parts of religious systems. Creativity and art could be seen as a form of spirituality too.
The development of the connection with the spirit, in many thinkers’ perspective, is fundamental for personal development and actualisation. Do you feel the presence of the Soul? What mystical practices do you resonate with?
I do Transcendental Meditation everyday, I experienced higher states of consciousness during Tantra Yoga, Rebirthing Breathwork, Kundalini Yoga Kriyas and Falun Gong, to mention a few. I personally never experienced psychedelics or plant medicine but I read about those and many friends see them positively.
I am a modern person and obviously science is very much the cornerstone methodology of discovery I was brought up with. There was a time when I thought everything I knew derived from science. I now think that “scientism”, or the belief that everything can only be explained through the application of Western science, is very limiting in nature.
A dogmatic view, this can lead science to become a new religion, where principles of doubt, skepticism, and ignorance which are the basis of scientific knowledge, get turned into blind faith for a theory or another, and even more dangerously, blind faith in scientific experts, a new priest like class with potentially enormous political power.
The politics and economics of science, and particularly medical science, where doctors and scientists need to operate in the constant shadow of the big pharma companies deserve mentioning. Am I a heretic for even bringing up a taboo subject?
As an “alternative & complementary medicine” therapist in Koh Phangan, the healing island, I embrace the notion that philosophy, spirituality and science can be unified through an integrative model. This is evidenced by the offerings of wellness centres and practitioners here.
What’s your view on MIND-BODY-SPIRIT? How do you interpret this concept, what are your experiences with transcendence, how do you perceive science and how do you consciously incorporate elements of philosophy in your life?
I wrote about the Soul here and here, the philosophy of relativism and the art of living with uncertainty, medical and nutritional science, integrative medicine, holism vs reductionism and the balance between living in the now and planning for the future. Why do I bother? Putting this down on (electronic) paper helps me. Writing this blog is an exercise in creativity, there’s an intellectual element and a spiritual element too, it is good for my Soul.
As Osho once said: “My meditation is simple. It does not require any complex practices. It is simple. It is singing. It is dancing. It is sitting silently.” It is writing this blog.