|
|---|
Here are some more thoughts sparked upon completing Dr. John E. Sarno’s books, The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders (2007); and The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain(1998).
In short, Dr. Sarno’s insightful thesis is that the unconscious harbors a “reservoir of rage” (and other emotions) that manifest in body pain which has no true structural basis, even though, at times, it may appear to have. The diagnosis is TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome) and pain relief comes most often through awareness and personal work without the need of drugs or other physical interventions.1
» the unconscious is the repository of the transrational2 and of all our pre-mortal experience and knowledge that has been veiled for a mortal test3 / sojourn?In summary, what if this mortal existence is just Act Two of an incredible, trying, evolutionary process that neither Darwin nor Dawkins (or for that matter, many of us), in our wildest imaginations, could ever fathom because we have chosen the blinding paradigm of Flatland7?
» consciousness is the accumulation of knowledge, experience, and increasing awareness during our mortal phase of spirit-body union?
» there is a fluctuating boundary between the conscious and unconscious (subconscious?) where unbearable memories, stresses, confusions, emotions, rage, and conflicts are stashed until they can be dealt with—a zone that moderates between the will of the flesh and the will of the spirit / divine self? (For some background, see the previous post entitled: “The Flesh”4)?
» anger, rage (and their frequent suppression / repression), plus frustration, low self-esteem, irritability, inadequacy, etc. are the common lot of most mortals as they deal with the unconscious mists of the Fall, the veil of forgetfulness; the weakness and will of the flesh, the stresses of life, and the “confusing” interventions of the spirit through symbols, dreams, TMS, and so forth?
» the nature and will of the flesh continually presents that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the NOW is all there is, and thus, it cares nothing for veiled realms, forgotten truths, transrational purposes, and limitless potentialities?
» the spirit’s animating force and purpose is to overcome5 the telestial-drive of “the flesh” and to convert gross matter (flesh) into a state such that it, in inseparable union with spirit, can take upon itself greater dimensions?
» in order to get the body to pay attention, the spirit pings the flesh, using pain to redirect priorities and purposes, in its mission to move the flesh toward increasing awareness and transformation? (Perhaps just one of various strategies employed by the spirit / divine self?) OR, in the alternative, does the flesh, through the mind, use pain to avoid dealing with things of the spirit?
» there are elements or points of rebellion6 possible in each sphere of matter, e.g., where spirit may rebel against its nature (resulting in loss); or where flesh may resist its nature (resulting in increasing freedom)?
PS: As noted in a previous post, some may think all the above is just another blinding paradigm. They could be right. In the alternative, they could be wrong. Hopefully, at some point, we shall come to know.
---------------------/
1. It is my belief that most people could benefit greatly from reading Dr. Sarno’s books. Here are some relevant quotes from The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain, Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition (Kindle Locations noted).
Loc. 259 ~ “The purpose of a defense mechanism (in this case physical symptoms) is to divert people’s attention to the body, so that they can avoid the awareness of or confrontation with certain unconscious (repressed) feelings.”
Loc. 359 ~ “No matter how we react to life’s pressures consciously, another world of reactions exists in the unconscious. Because we are not aware of those unconscious feelings and cannot, therefore, control them, and because they are so threatening and frightening, the brain will automatically induce physical symptoms to prevent the dangerous feelings from becoming overt, and thus becoming conscious. That is how mindbody symptoms come about— and they are universal in Western society. They are not a sign of mental or emotional illness. To look upon them as abnormal or aberrant leads to gross medical mismanagement.”
Loc. 532 ~ “Although awareness of the existence of rage in the unconscious is essential, to focus on it alone is not enough. We must seek to know the reasons for the rage to fully understand the process.”
Loc. 793 ~ “Mindbody symptoms exist to serve a purpose. If you thwart that purpose by taking away the symptom without dealing with its cause, the brain will simply find a substitute symptom or disorder.”
Loc. 1524 ~ “When TMS is the cause of symptoms, there is no rationale for any of the treatments, since they are predicated on a structural abnormality, or an inflammatory process that has never been identified. Complete and permanent elimination of pain depends on an accurate diagnosis.”
Loc. 1904 ~ “The disorders just described under the headings of TMS and its equivalents are without doubt responsible for a substantial proportion of the Western world’s medical ills. Their proper management would alleviate much suffering and reduce the enormous cost of medical care that now burdens modern society.”
Loc. 2174 ~ “… the purpose of the pain is to divert attention from what’s going on emotionally and to keep you focused on the body. In essence it is a contest for conscious attention.”
Loc. 2189 ~ “By changing the focus of attention from the body to the psyche we render the pain useless, take away its purpose and reveal what it was trying to hide.”
Loc. 2457 ~ “… the pain is due to mild oxygen deprivation, since the autonomic system can change the rate of blood flow in seconds if it so chooses.”
Loc. 184 ~ “Awareness, insight, knowledge and information were the magic medicines that would cure this disorder [TMS]— and nothing else could do it.”
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E._Sarno ; Norman Cousins, Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit (1989); as well as his Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration (1979)
2. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2013/11/god-is-not-rational.html
3. (to determine what degree of powers we can be trusted with?)
4. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-flesh.html .
5. ▫ New Testament | Romans 12:21 ~ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
▫ New Testament | 1 John 5:4-5 ~ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
▫ New Testament | Revelation 2:7 ~ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (See also vs. 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7)
▫ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 50:35 ~ And by giving heed and doing these things which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive—and the kingdom is given you of the Father, and power to overcome all things which are not ordained of him—
▫ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 52:18 ~ And again, he that is overcome and bringeth not forth fruits, even according to this pattern, is not of me.
▫ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 63:47 ~ He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world.
▫ Pearl of Great Price | JS-Matthew 1:30 ~ And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved.
6. This element of agency and choice—to work with or against one’s nature—could help explain divisions and choices during the “war in heaven”and the adversarial rebellion against God. See:
▫ Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:3-4 ~ Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
▫ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 29:36 ~ ... for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;
▫ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 76:25-26 ~ And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.
▫ Book of Mormon | Mosiah 15:26 ~ But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection.
7. From the book Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott (1884) ~ summary at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland . ‘Tis a spot-on view of blinding paradigms. For more thoughts on blinding paradigms see: http://www.dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/2014/11/blinding-paradigms.html . And sure, Dawkins et al. may believe in other dimensions (e.g., String Theory), except it seems, that for increasing numbers, not one of those strings can possibly lead to God.
