By clarifying and enriching the threefold model of spiritual disease I intend to provide sufficient tools for us to transform our lives on every level: Physical, Mental and Spiritual.
The normal model of who we are is a two-fold model. Twenty five hundred years ago Aristotle defined man as a rational animal. At our best our minds run our bodies. Four hundred years ago Descartes updated this dualism for modernity when he said “I Think, Therefore I am.” Today the most highly esteemed form of therapy is known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: ‘Cognitive’ means rational, ‘behavioral’ means animal. When we have dealt with the rational component and the behavioral component our model tells us we are complete. Things should be working—but they are not! We think there is something wrong with us because we believe our model. We are constrained by a deficient model of who we are and how we work.
Fully seen, the model of spiritual disease releases us from these constraints. It opens up new dimensions by honoring the threefold nature of our being. We are rational beings . We do have an animal nature. But we are fundamentally spiritual and we are still very confused by all that is opened up with this enriched model. Nonetheless, as the Big Book of AA says, our disease is fundamentally spiritual. ‘When the spiritual malady is overcome then we straighten out physical and mentally.’
Over the coming posts I will be laying down a foundational conversation that will ground our inquiry by taking familiar notions from the Big Book like ‘will’, ‘self’ and ‘resentment’ and anchoring them in the works of philosophers like William James, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche and relating them to the tradition known as The Perennial Philosophy. I am committed that it will not take long to generate a sufficient experience of excitement to convince you that we are onto a major development in the evolution of the human spirit.
Ultimately my vision is that what we do here will make a visible contribution to your peace of mind, your ability to give and receive love and to live your life as the daring adventure it is meant to be.
Keep coming back.