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

[Recursion]

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!

 

[HealingMe]

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.

 

[feduccini]

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...

 

[Baseball65]

Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now"

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.

 

[Diana-M]

I am wondering if you think it is effective to use spirituality in short- and/or long-term TMS recovery?

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.

 

[Recursion]

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?))

 

[Sita]

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.

 

[Recursion]

Beautiful, @Sita !

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

 

[HealingMe]

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?

I will need to check this one out!

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.

!!! Yes agree with all of this!

 

[HealingMe]

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.

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.

 

[Diana-M]

I've developed a natural friendship with the unexplained.

I like this!

 

[Bonnard]

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 too! A lot.
There's so much we can't control, and we can't account for. If we're fighting that, we're headed towards frustration/stress/anxiety... Embracing that opens up a friendly relationship with what's coming in life (esp. when we do not know at all what that might be).

And, yes to believing in what works for you and naming that in a way that's empowering/nurturing for you.

 

[feduccini]

My belief of God is that He is energy. Meaning we are God since we are made of energy. I was raised catholic but this belief opens space for other forms of interpretations.

One thing that caught my attention years ago though was about "The Black Hole Wars" (no, it's not a movie ). It was a debate that mobilized the science community between Stephen Hawking and Leonard Susskind, about what happens to energy after being captured by a black hole. Hawking maintened everything would be sucked by the hole, but Susskind had reasons to believe something would not be lost, what he just called "information" (like if a couch was sucked by a black hole, the energy of the couch would be lost, but there would still be left an information about the couch itself). This debate lasted years and years, and eventually Hawking admited he was wrong.

So I updated my belief to God is energy and information.

Something just ocurred to me by reading these posts though. I also believe TMS is energy travelling through the body, based on false information created by the small and big traumas (and its coping mechanisms). So a natural interpretation within my belief is that God is TMS, among other infinite things. I don't know why I never made this connection. I just have a lot to meditate and pray about this now.

 

[Recursion]

@feduccini, this is great. I totally agree.

I got my PhD in physics in quantum field theory in 1999, and this makes sense to me. I got to know Susskind some at a two-week conference workshop where he was one of the luminaries. I discussed with him the possibility that spacetime itself is quantized (discrete) at very small distances and times. He thinks it is possible. He is brilliant.

 

[Sita]

I believe there is only one. God...I mean. But there are many names for him/her/it etc. And there are many paths for finding him/her/it etc. If Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and others like them would now have a meeting ... they will all agree with this idea. The idea of a single universal loving God.

Just my understanding.

 

[louaci]

I am not religious and intrigued by spirituality for healing and finding inner peace.

My former colleague told me about her recovery from a small cancer by praying and talking to God (she is Muslim) and taking care of her self by eating well, walking and meditating without too aggressive therapies. She said she felt God was actually talking to her directly when she was totally focused and she just allowed God to guide her. I read similar stories else where.

I am very curious about this and sometimes find it hard to grasp the spiritual concepts. I think there may be some higher beings like mother nature or some energy form that overlook human beings on earth. I'd rather believe that we are being looked at by a warm, smiling and loving gaze, even when we mess up, even when we don't behave right. On the other hand, I also find it hard to comprehend why the higher beings allow so much suffering to occur especially humans hurting other humans in violent ways.

 

[Sita]

It's better for some questions to remain without an answer. You have to talk to God and ask him/her/it etc.

In my opinion, it's not God who permits evil things to happen, it's the law of karma, what you sow - you must reap. People do it to themselves.
I believe in reincarnation and I know that if I commit an evil act - I have to suffer back in the same way sometime in the future. Maybe in another incarnation. But it will happen. It's the boomerang effect...

Talking to God in the language of your heart. Yes. This is called 'the heart's prayer' or it has other names in different religions. It doesn't really matter the religion to be honest. The Muslim woman who talks to God has made a connection there. She has actually a very close relationship with God. A nurturing relationship, a sweet and trusting one. Beautiful. It always starts with some form of suffering, despair or tormented pain. It can be physical, mental or spiritual pain. You have to be shaken hard so you want to wake up from this nightmare. You surrender to the will of God and start to change for the better. And, you need help from this higher power.

The body is a temple where the soul lives. One needs to take care of it with care so the soul can advance to his noble higher potential.

Louaci, your description of God/energy is very accurate. Very sweet. You intuitively know, it's just that you forgot. The veil of delusion is like that, it blinds each one of us. We need to wake up.

This is an interesting topic. Most people don't believe. It's OK, God is a patient God. He's waiting for his children...to wake up and to come back home.

 

[feduccini]

@feduccini, this is great. I totally agree.

I got my PhD in physics in quantum field theory in 1999, and this makes sense to me. I got to know Susskind some at a two-week conference workshop where he was one of the luminaries. I discussed with him the possibility that spacetime itself is quantized (discrete) at very small distances and times. He thinks it is possible. He is brilliant.

Wow, that's incredible!!