Can spirituality have a role in short- and/or long-term TMS recovery?

I have a history of investigating a few variants of spirituality, and I am wondering if you think it is effective to use spirituality in short- and/or long-term TMS recovery? By short-term, I mostly mean mitigation of acute pain. By long-term, I mean improving the ability to deal with the stresses of life and one's own psychological make-up (perfectionism, goodism, etc.).

To be specific, the spiritual variants in which I have historically been interested in are listed below, but they are by no means the only variants to which my question applies:

1. Advaita Vedanta formulation of Hinduism
2. Eckhart Tolle's approach as described in "The Power of Now" (which I consider to be primarily drawn from Zen Buddhism)
3. Sydney Banks' "Three Principles"

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

Many people on this forum use spirituality in conjunction with their recoveries so I think it's perfectly acceptable.

P.S. I'm currently reading Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" and it definitely speaks to me. When I am present, in the moment, my body is at ease, content. I can focus on the task at hand, instead of worrying about the next thing or the past, which is something I struggle with from time to time.

Use the tools that speak or call to you on your road to recovery.

 

I think the idea of acceptance (a powerful tool in TMS healing) derives mostly from Zen. Also Buddha's metaphor of the two arrows is basically what is taught as primary and secondary emotional responses in the TMS circle.
So yes, I think so for the long term.

As for the short time, so many things play a role. It's hard to pinpoint what the uncounscious is playing with...

 

That book was really helpful for me. So was 'A New Earth' which is essentially the same lessons in a different format...but there really is only one lesson, right?

All of our pain comes from the 'Forms' and Roles.

I particularly like his warning to not identify as a 'sufferer of this or that' as it tends to embed roles instead of freeing ourselves from them. That has caused me a little personal issue with the 12 step groups, but it is also really liberating.

I am not a Good father, a member of a political party or an Alcoholic. I am not a drug addict, a pain sufferer or a Construction worker. I am just a being, not a doing.

Those are all forms. When I can remember that, I am in a good place. I learned that from those books, though I had glimpses of it all my life...just couldn't glue the pieces.

 

I think spirituality is a huge part of living a peaceful life and very instrumental in healing. Yes! I think you will find quite a bit of discussion of all things spiritual on this forum.

 

Thank you so much for weighing in, @HealingMe, @feduccini, @Baseball65, and @Diana-M! You have all given me the confidence to incorporate spirituality into the approach that I am constructing.

(See my other related post https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/should-experienced-tmser-follow-established-program-or-create-own-from-multiple-sources.29572/ (Should experienced TMSer follow established program or create own from multiple sources?))

 

I read all the comments here. I agree with all. For me it was decisive. Spirituality I mean. Basically going back to God or as I like to call her, Divine Mother.

I'm into daily meditation, I've been doing it since 1993. But to be correct, I've been much more consistent in my practice since 2014. Now, I just came back from a temple in Phoenix, I went there with my husband to meditate in silence with others. A large group of people, all into yoga and meditation. I'm a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda (avatar, Swami monk, he passed away in 1952).

Tolle's books, "The Power of Now" and "Stillness Speaks" helped me very much as well. I gave "The Power of Now" as a present to a friend many years ago. I studied more "Stillness Speaks" and I did all the exercises from that book. It's a wonderful book, I truly recommend it. I still practice them in nature, in stillness. Stillness does speak indeed.

In my humble opinion it's hard to cope with a dramatic situation (like tragedies, violence, chronic pain, the stressors of life etc) without having a strong belief in God. From my point of view it's impossible to be happy without keeping close (like a desperate thirsty soul) to God. Maybe you call it Mother Nature, maybe the Universe, maybe the Light or Energy. It doesn't matter the name. One needs some set of moral values and rules in life and to be natural and honest in accepting that one is not in the center of this world. I am not the ego, I am the soul... Like Baseball65 said, he is a being, not a doing. I know exactly what he means.

Maybe it sounds rather abstract but that's the way it is. Just my opinion here.

 

Agreed! I will have to take a closer look at "Stillness Speaks". I have it, but it has been a long time.

 

I will need to check this one out!

!!! Yes agree with all of this!

 

Hmm yes I agree with you. I don't think we all need to believe in the same God, it can be Mother Nature, or what I like to refer to is the Universe. I've developed a natural friendship with the unexplained.

 

I like this!