It might be prompted by marveling at a photograph of earth from space, or reading theories of modern physics or even coming to understand the wisdom of ancient traditions, but more and more people are recognizing the innate interconnectedness of all things.
An Ecological Psychology Needed to Address our Ecological Challenges
Essential Wholeness presents a psychology that reflects the interdependent nature of life. Do you wonder if humanity will survive the suicidal-like destruction of ecosystems, or the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and terrorism? Western civilization has proven its cleverness to maximize materialistic prosperity in the short-term. However, faced with mass extinctions, erosion and degradation of the soil that feeds us, and a society which is increasingly violent, depressed and addicted, this way of life would appear not to be sustainable, let alone fulfilling.
If we are to create a healthier ecological, sustainable and fulfilling future, it’s imperative we discover how to change the ways of thinking that perpetuate problems.
We are rapidly moving from the Technological/Information Age to the Biological Age. We are learning that to survive and thrive we must honor and harness nature’s wisdom and ability to evolve in the face of challenging and diverse circumstances. Should we fail in learning to live harmoniously with nature, we may very well follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs.
Harmony with Nature and our True Nature
To live in harmony with nature, we must live in harmony with our own true natures. If we are to live in peace with one another, we must be at peace within ourselves. It is the role of psychotherapy to help people find this harmony and peace so we can transform our relationships with oneself, one another and nature.
” You are perfect as you are and you will never be perfect.” Being at peace with now and always becoming more into our full potential. Reality is as it is now and it can never be any different than it is now, but coincidently, everything is always evolving and changing. This paradox is one of the cornerstones of psychotherapy and spiritual development. Some approaches emphasize the ability to change and others emphasize the acceptance of what is, but they are inextricably linked to one another. The more you accept yourself exactly as you are the more you recognize the ever-changing nature of life. The more you recognize and accept the impermanent nature of existence, the more you become aware of the changeless awareness of being within that which everything is experienced.
Address Underlying Issues not just the Symptoms
With the recent emphasis on evidence-based psychotherapy, discussions on the role of spirituality within mainstream psychotherapy have been relatively quiet compared to the human potential movement of the sixties and seventies. This is changing with the blossoming of mindfulness-based therapies and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT),[i] which draw heavily on Buddhist teachings. Psychology has strived—in treating people’s suffering more effectively—to treat people’s symptomology. While this is very important, in the process of doing so it has identified with an allopathic medicine paradigm. Because of this, therapists are implored to do whatever is necessary to help a person return to functioning in their life as quickly as possible. A more Wholistic approach would help people question the basic assumptions and lifestyles that perpetuate psychological suffering and then explore an approach to life that is more in harmony with one’s true nature.
Our true nature may not be suited for the type of life we have been attempting to fit. And our suffering is a wakeup call on a heroic journey to a more meaningful life. And the life that is trying to emerge will somehow contribute to a better life for others.
[i] Hayes, Steven C., Kirk D. Strosahl & Kelly G. Wilson (2003). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change. New York: The Guilford Press.
This is an excerpt from: Essential Wholeness, Integral Psychotherapy, Spiritual Awakening and the Enneagram
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