spirituality and mental health

It appears that this topic pulled the forum to a stand still... But I say, it's a good topic, especially for this site!!!

From a Chicago University: and
Just to name two.


A belief in a Higher Power (Whom I refer to mainly as "God") gives me a sense of hope that no matter what is occurring IRL, there is a chance that God will alter the outcome so it will be okay, or even good! If you can add spirituality to your bag of treatment options, or strengthen what you do have, it can be a good thing and help you heal more easily, imo.

(((Sky))))) i will witness with you i began reading philosophy early on, thinking there would be an answer from the great thinkers... despair returned again and again... i came to a desperate moment and knew i was powerless over my condition... i had relied on myself and others and kept coming back to square one... in my helpless and defeated state of mind i made a call to God as i understood God at that time... i cant say that there was an immediate difference but there was something about reaching bottom that my inner mind must have understood... it took a lot of time and a lot of faith and a lot of patience and a lot of work but slowly, ever so slowly, my outlook began to change.. i think it was knowing that all i had tried before had failed... i didnt understand how God worked then, but i trusted all i had heard and read that God can heal all wounds... i felt so empty inside and was alone in my fears but i could be with God anywhere... i received comfort and slowly, slowly, God began to whisper to me when i was able to quiet the noise in my mind.. meditation helped with this and i began to believe that God = Love ..

with work and staying tuned to Gods' will (to give love) my life has changed dramatically.. maybe its not for everyone, but it has worked for me...

(((Hunny)))))) sorry i didnt reply right away.. i wanted others to have a chance to comment first but i think you are are referring to the comparison factor and spirituality?

there is much i could say on this subject so i will only bring out a few of my first thoughts on it..

comparing is not evil... we all do it... we do it when we go shopping and we do it when we choose friends... we compare sports teams and the economies of nations... we compare present presidents to past presidents and we compare lovers and relatives... we live in a competition driven society and so comparing comes natural to us in some ways (exacerbated by media influences)

what is unhealthy about comparisons (imo) is when we devalue the unchosen... all of us and all things matter... what we have chosen as least best still has a personal value of its own.... not to be disregarded or characterized as 'bad' or 'wrong' .. we simply make personal choices and this is the thing that inspires all to become 'better'

in economics, this is good.. it encourages companies to market products the public wants ... wouldnt it be good if the public could unite and demand the marketing of all healthy products? but we are human and not perfect...

as humans we are continually evolving and in time, as a whole, we learn our lessons... i pray we will begin to choose health over some other things production companies offer us (wont go into detail here)

when we compare people we must always be careful not to demean, diminish anothers character.... we each have value and worth and no one appreciates being at the bottom of the dogpile...

when we compare religions we sometimes fall into the same cycle of 'better than/worse than' ... the result is the same only instead of separating and dividing one individual from another, we separate and divide large groups of people from one another and a competition to be the best results in malicious and violent reactions.... this is the rule of the jungle and not Gods will...

Gods' Love is for all and is not divided... i think this is the way God would like us to be towards each other, loving and good, as God is always to us

hope this is what you meant? blessings to you and may your day be spirit filled

and... there's the factor of trauma that enters into the picture. It's shown that those who experience trauma can often have a diminished sense of hope in a higher power. I've experienced this myself.

Not really the hope part, but of the "closeness" of God that I felt prior to my accident. I truly believe that the ability to have faith and hope are stored in the brain that is also negatively affected by trauma.

It appears that the very thing that causes a huge need and realization of that need for a higher power, is also the very thing that prevents a fuller realization of it!

Good mental health includes, imo, spirituality. Being a well-rounded person of mental health has that balance of inner wisdom and understanding, not to mention morals and integrity. Just my POV.

Hi all and wow what a great discussion. I think I've found a few kindered spirits here with the belief system described. I agree with you completly true1. I am currently reading a book called The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. I highly recomend reading it for anyone interested in living life mindfully. It's taken me all summer to read and i'm still not done. Mainly it's a how to book on freeing youself from habitual thoughts, emotions and energy patterns that limit your consciousness. I'm finding it very helpfull as I suffer from depression and anxiety at times and I'm learning not only how to stay focused in the present but why it's so important to let go of all the crap that's happened in my life.
The author describes how we've all built a fortress around ourselves in order to protect ouselves from being hurt. We expend so much energy trying to stop suffering, controlling our enviornment to avoid suffering or worring about suffering in the future. WOW!!! Just imagine how free we could be if we didn't worry about protecting ourseves from being hurt. I have to admit it's not easy to change a lifetime of thinking and living one way to thinking and living completly different. That's why it's taking me so long to get through this book. It's actually written very simply and beautifully, some of it even funny.
Anyway, I do believe that everything is an expression of GOD and GOD is constantly being expressed in the ongoing creation of ALL THAT IS. Once again it's nice to meet some kindered spirits.

Hugzzz,
Bluesy

I have always said that truth is relative. Everyone has his or her own truth. There are scientific laws. Physical existences. Cause and effect. Life on life's terms.

I do mostly agree with your second paragraph. Except, I believe that "That Which Is, omnipresent life, creating and recreating all the time; the ultimate miracle" is part of what God is to me. Life IS utterly astounding. Our bodies are a miraculous work of engineering, unmatched my anything manmade. I am learning to live in the moment because I don't fear the future. I do know what lies beyond this life. My spirituality is what enables me to do this. And it is my belief in a power greater than myself that is behind it all. My mental health is supported by this belief. I am comforted by this belief. My mind is open to discovering the miracles of our world because of this belief. In my darkest struggles, I was saved by this belief.

There is no room for ego in my spiritual life. I am humbled and honored by the gift of grace.