Science and Spirituality: Simultaneous Aspects of Successful Living

Science and Spirituality:

Life Can Be Lived as a Dynamic Whole

Below: I do not want you to "lose your faith." | The Last Lecture | The Invention of Air

This page will have links to writings about how life can be enjoyed more if it is understood as a combination of physical attributes and also unseen energies.

I spent a year with a diverse group of individuals who met each month for a long weekend as part of Bastyr University's Spirituality, Health & Medicine professional certificate program. Listening to many different people present stories of their experiences gave me a rich storehouse of memories. We heard from clergy, shamans, scientists, physicians, nurses, artists and many others about their life and its relationship to what I see as the duality of life. I started this essay as much more than a fond recall of that one program. There are several beneficial stories and presentations I would like the reader to know about; some are my own and others are from the lives of other people. [My thesis for the course was titled: "God is not (That) Far Away".]

There is a lot that we can do to support a world that respects a diversity of ways to understand Life. That will allow students, researchers, philosophers, and the general public the chance to make connections and discoveries that can enrich us all.

Resources (some open new window to another internet site):

"Speaking of Faith": A resource for understanding our pluralistic world

Speaking of Faith: Interfaith interviews; Religion, Meaning, Ethics & Ideas on American Public Radio

Einstein's God

Hinduism & Science

Future of Islam

The Buddha in the World

Evangelical Politics

Being Autistic, Being Human | Religion in America | Revenge & Forgiveness | Truth & Reconciliation

Complete Archive: These can be listened to online or downloaded as MP3

Interview w/ Peter Berger: insights on living in a pluralistic world. Hope for scientists & members of religious communities. [full transcript]

BeliefNet.com: Multiple views of faith and religion. Home of Belief-O-Matic quiz

"Does the Universe Have a Purpose?": Guest essays invited by the John Templeton Foundation

InterFaith Radio: Interviews of members of various faiths. Example: A Woman escapes Fundamentalist Polygamous Sect: a stunning glimpse of women in patriarchal religions.

The Gospel of Inclusion: Bishop Carlton Pearson

Family Constellation Work

Science, Quantum Physics, Fractal Graphics

The Future of Einstein's Faith [link to website]

The Expanded Paradigm

Shamanic Death/Life Experience

Brain Health Resources

Hybrid or "Half-breed"?: Science and Human Family Dynamics: Announcement for OIUCM presentation 2007; notes for presentation [click here]

Special Information for [my plan was to have a special section for each religion/philosophy]:

Atheist Agnostic Humanist Scientist Clergy Physician Student

Christian Jewish Islamic Buddhist Baha'i Huna Hindu

Native

American

Indigenous

Spirituality

American Association of Pastoral Counselors: I joined the AAPC to honor the intimate association of body, mind and spirit and the need to serve each patient with respect for their preference for religion or philosophy.

Spiritual Directors International: "Tending the holy around the world and across traditions." I recently was introduced to this community and it seems to offer helpful resources for integrating many of the services that I offer with your own pathway of self-discovery through my counseling services. The buttons below lead to more information. [My services for Spiritual Directors and Seekers]

I Don't Want You to Lose Your Faith

From notes for a recent public talk about Integrative Medicine and "Health Puzzles":

...Your Faith is a key to your healing. Whether it is a mainstream religion, Optimistic Atheism, Agnosticism or other philosophy, I want to support your sovereign control of your life. None of my work is intended to change anyone's mind about their faith and religious commitment.

...One of my principles is that Life is Relationship: -- To yourself, your family and community, the world around you and the Creation/Creator around it all and through it all.

Regarding Spirituality there are several factors I consider -- I appreciate them all:

I will list a few –

>> The Singularity of the Christ event / The crucial Moslim message of the oneness and sovereignty of God / The grounding reminder from the Hebrews of the essential nature of community and the need to respect nature and God's Law.

>> All of that was presaged by other world-views such as I encountered when I lived with First Nation/American Indian healers and Mountain Taoists whose "Medicine" was basically learning to know and follow Nature's laws.

>> The Optimistic Atheists I've known are impressed with the complexity of Life.

>> An observation from my Buddhist friend is that if you don't know about yourself and how Life works then there are natural laws dealing with repeating cycles of ignorance until you learn the lesson.

>> I will finish these introductory observations with some wisdom from a Sumarian text that is quoted in The Science of Homeopathy written by George Vithoulkas: He introduces it first --

…The human spirit is intimately connected with the physical organism in a single integrated totality… Despite modern trends to the contrary, this holistic perspective has been understood very clearly throughout history, as illustrated by the following quotation from a very ancient Sumari text:

“Honor your body, which is your representative in this universe. Its magnificence is no accident. It is the framework through which your works must come; through which the spirit and the spirit within the spirit speaks. The flesh and the spirit are two phases of your actuality in space and time. Who ignores one, falls apart in shambles. So it is written . . .”

-- The Sacred Script of the Covenant

The Last Lecture:

A moving testament to human creativity and resilience, this story of Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch is rich with meaning. He lived by what he believed. You can visit the website that honors his memory: The Last Lecture. Below is the video of his gift of wisdom to his children, his wife, and to all of us who are left to continue exploring and enjoying this gift of life. His passion for life is a model that I hope encourages more students to discover truths that will help explain and remove the threat of cancers [see Cancer Information]. His passion reminds me of my own career exploring healthcare [more]. Whatever your stance -- religious, spiritual, atheist, you will find a lot to contemplate in his book and this video:

The Last Lecture

The Invention of Air: An inspiring book

How American ingenuity and the freedom of inquiry led to the realization that we are surrounded by air. The author describes the proverbial goldfish in a bowl who do not know that they are surrounded by water. Humans are making amazing progress in understanding life and health; my practice is proof of that.

This encourages me about the new science that is developing around the discovery that we are also surrounded by energies; I describe this in the Human Energy Anatomy page.

Science Friday interview: [click here]

NPR "Talk of the Nation" interview: [click here]

Buy the book on Amazon.com: [click here]

Greening the Desert: Honest science gives Hope