Healing Times: August 2009

Healing Times eNewsletter

August 2009

Greetings!

With summer in full swing, most of us busy with summer vacations, weddings and all the craziness that seems to accompany good weather.

For me, this is a special summer, because it is when my book, Our Culture On The Couch - Seven Steps to Global Healing, has at last come off the presses. It represents the sum and substance of my life's work, offering the fundamental systemic healing tools I have studied and developed, and their application to individual healing and peak performance as well as how to heal family, community, national, and planetary systems. And the timing of its release seems perfect. After so many decades of trying to awaken the world to the fact that there are some fundamental systemic changes that must be made if the world as we know it is to survive, at last people are beginning to realize that this is true.

As a subscriber to Healing Times eNewsletter, you may receive a free copy of Our Culture On The Couch -Seven Steps to Global Healing eBook (pdf) or purchase a soft cover copy here. Drink your fill while you chill!

So, enjoy your midsummer nights' dream, drink plenty of fluids, use sunscreen, and remember to maintain your inner balance as outward circumstances undergo their endless change. Remember the only thing that remains constant in this world is change, and that in this highly connected world, you are no longer merely an observer, you are a participant - just as you are a participant in the health of your inner world of body, mind, and emotion.

The following products can prove valuable guides to enable you to be successful in creating inner peace and healing:

Letting Go of Stress, Abolish Anxiety, and The 10-Minute Stress Manager

And as companions for Our Culture On The Couch, consider Awakening the Leader Within and Healing Our Planet.

Peace,

Who Writes the Narrative
That Guides Your Life?
How Real is Real
by Emmett Miller MD

In our culture (and this is not universally true in all cultures) whether or not something is true is determined by whether our scientific instruments and logic tell us it is true. We take as true that a statement cannot be true and false at the same moment (the law of the excluded middle). We accept as true that two objects cannot occupy the same place at the same time. Agnostics and atheists may doubt the words of the prophet in the sacred texts, but they do not doubt that water flows downhill. We all believe in Science! Indeed, Science has made possible everything from the cell phone and the internet to antibiotics and space flight.

Those most equipped to use Science and apply its techniques are scientists, and they use it to discover and organize knowledge about the world. Their usual approach is to study phenomena that are revealed through experiments performed according to "The Scientific Method." The scientiﬁc method reflects three fundamental characteristics:

- reductionism,

- repeatability,

- and refutation.

In other words, the scientist reduces phenomena to their simplest elements, selects those outcomes that are repeatable, and then challenges the conclusion, trying to refute or disprove it through additional experiments and strict logic. In a sense, then the scientist approaches life and the world as if the objects and events in the world constitute a kind of puzzle, and it is his or her job to find the pieces and assemble them.

There's no question that using the scientific method can be of great value. The findings of such science create technology, and technology is the major force shaping the surface of the planet earth - all the way from oil wells, chlorinated fluorocarbons, diesel fumes and computer chips.

The scientist lives in a very idealized world, however. He imagines himself to be an "objective" observer, and to a great extent, what a scientist does is objective. He believes that he is unemotionally seeking the truth, that he observes and acts honestly, seeing the world as it "really is." What is often not obvious, however, is that the particular phenomena that the scientist chooses to pursue will determine which particular kind of knowledge will be discovered and organized, and what kind of technology will follow. After all, in our world, only those fields of study that someone is willing to fund are pursued. The result is that while science itself may be objective, the choice of what knowledge is pursued is not objective.

Science in the Service of Money
Because financial interests have come to rule the world, making a profit has become the primary focus of science and technology. The emphasis is on forging ahead in those areas that make money with little concern for the good they do for human beings. Thus we are discovering more and more ways to destroy, to kill people, to pack more and more explosive power into smaller and smaller packages, while allowing our streets to become filled with the homeless and the hungry. We make scientific breakthroughs in diseases where there is money to be made, not necessarily where there is the most need or suffering.
Capitalism clearly clouds the objectivity of science.

The Scientist Within
In a way, we all try to be like the objective scientist - to evaluate which potential new car gives the best gas mileage, which new coat will be the warmest, or which investment will give the best and safest returns. But, as in the case of the scientist whose work is owned by a financially oriented drug company, the objectivity with which we consider our views and values is also being influenced. Anxiety, rather than money, is usually the culprit in these cases. In fact, it is our inner anxiety that is very often a prime mover in what we do, including our creativity and our labor. We think we see the objective truth, but in fact our experience is very distorted by our emotions and our past.

Many people do an excellent job and very hard work basically because they're afraid that if they leave that job or go and do what they would prefer to do they will be fired and unable to support themselves. People work three jobs and are on the cell phone all the time not because they're being guided by higher motives than having to run as fast as they can just to stay in place economically, socially, etc. Even going to the gym, putting up with veggies instead of well-marbled steak and showing up at the doctor for uncomfortable tests tend to be driven by anxiety - basically, by fear. This fear directs how we interpret things and how we respond or react to people and things around us.

What this adds up to is that each of us believes a certain story about ourselves, and we live our lives, make our choices, interpret the world, and act in it as if this story were an objective truth. As a result we tend to speak and act in ways that definitely produce more harm and imbalance in our lives. We take the quick symptom relief instead of looking to the true source of our problems. At the individual level, we give in to lust, greed, fear, anger, and other addictions. At the collective level we treat other groups with disdain, disrespect, and contempt - and sometimes even declare war on them for very distorted and dishonest reasons.

Distorting the Story We Write
A great deal of the world we see is actually the projection of our beliefs on that world, beliefs that may be at odds with the truth, and very dangerously misleading. We are always telling ourselves a story, a narrative, about the world and what is going on in it. We have made a great step forward when we realize that the world we see and how we interpret and respond to it are highly dependent upon that story, or narrative, that we keep telling ourselves. The trick is to realize that we must tell ourselves a story in order to function in the world, while simultaneously being aware that this narrative is not an objective reading of the world. Fundamentalists represent people who have chosen the opposite way of approaching the world, they construct their "reality" according to a different set of beliefs. Therefore they can serve as excellent examples.

Consider the Islamist who believes the legitimate source of actual truths in the world ultimately extends from the Koran, and can be understood only by someone who understands Arabic enough to be able to read the original words of the Prophet Mohammed. Consider the southern Baptist who is equally as convinced that the only way to salvation is through accepting Jesus Christ, and that women are basically unequal to men[1]. We can go through the beliefs of fundamentalists in hundreds of other religious sects and see how each feels his viewpoint is the "right" one. Obviously, if any of them is "right," all the others must be wrong. (Either that or else they are all wrong.) Yet none are willing to accept that he may be one of those in error.

Although most of us may not be as extreme in our beliefs as these fundamentalists, nevertheless, a huge amount of what we believe to be true is actually merely what we are projecting on the events in our lives. And until we find the courage to dare to take a true look, we continue to make dysfunctional decisions. The enormity of the challenges that face us in our world seem to be telling us that we must begin to let go of our prejudices, anxieties, resentments, and such, and examine the nature of the world we are in. When we do so we discover that the world is not a puzzle we are trying to put together, but that we are inventing the puzzle and its solution in the present moment.

If we examine ourselves carefully, we discover numerous prejudices, prejudgment, pre-beliefs that have been drummed into us by parents, society, the incessant advertising, individual traumatic experiences, addictions, and so forth. Obviously, if there is such a thing as reality, seeing it is possible only if we are legitimately willing to consider and reconsider each of our assumptions as honestly as possible. We must then skillfully and diligently prune those beliefs that are prejudices that are producing a distorted view of reality. This is true for the individual as well as for the collective.

Reality, What a Concept
To sum it up, then, we can't really see the world as it is - we are eternally doomed to looking at the shadows (as rich and complex as they may be) on the wall of Plato's Cave. Perhaps we would be blinded by the light if we looked directly at reality. (I'm reminded of the actors in Monty Python's Holy Grail averting their eyes from the deity.)

We are narrating the story as if it is revealing itself to us, while in actuality we are writing that story through how we are framing it and portraying it to ourselves. We are narrating it through the moment-to-moment decisions we make about what to say and how to act. The question is, how consciously and intentionally are we participating in the writing of that story. Are our choices balanced, wise and integrous? If not, it is being constructed in our unconscious based on archaic images and beliefs about the world - images and beliefs haunted by the ghosts of our prejudices, expectations, and fears - unsuccessful and unrealistic though they may be.

The World of Today
We are, each of us, capable of writing our collective story, and in that story we may see ourselves as important members of a team that is forming. This team is engaged in what is perhaps the greatest challenge ever faced by mankind, and how you and I live our lives is crucial to the success we all desire. We are awakening to the fact that no one is going to do it for us. Mr. Bush did not, and Mr. Obama will not.

Of course you can elect to believe that you are a powerless pawn in this hurricane of pollution, global warming, rising terror, and economic pestilence. This way you are guaranteed to be "right," because if we do not change our direction, we are certain to end up where we're headed.

The rather remarkable process by which we engage in the creation of our own moment to moment reality is addressed by the following excerpt from page 251 of Our Culture On The Couch - Seven Steps to Global Healing:

The "Law of Attraction"

I have often been asked about the "Law of Attraction," as this is a term that has become popular recently. When these principles of visioning are utilized, and especially when our motivation is to allow better expression of our true selves, our spirit, so to speak, then what happens often appears to be quite magical. It sometimes feels as if, rather than ourselves being drawn towards the achievement of this vision, we actually have the experience of the vision being drawn towards us! The vision seems to be attracted to us - as if holding the vision in mind, especially during the state of deep relaxation, somehow "magnetizes" the cells of our bodies, thereby drawing us and the desired outcome closer together.

Many people believe that holding a vision in mind actually has a physical effect on the world; many do not accept this. There is no definitive proof either way - but what is clear is that it feels as if it is happening, and as this perception tends to strengthen faith, courage, and commitment, it is often quite helpful simply to assume the Law of Attraction exists - and works.

"Until one commits, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back - always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative, and of creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
- William Hutchinson Murray, mountaineer

First Thursday of every month 11am-12pm PST
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Emmett Miller, MD is a physician, author, poet, musician, and master storyteller, whose multicultural heritage has given him a unique social, medical, and spiritual perspective. One of the pioneers of Mind/Body Medicine, HEALING TIMES with Dr. Emmett Miller explores Mind/Body Health and how to reclaim our inherent personal wisdom integrating scientific knowledge and techniques of modern medicine. Author of Deep Healing and Our Culture on the Couch, Seven Steps to Global Healing, Dr. Miller's mission is to help us heal ourselves so that we can in turn, heal our planet.

Check out the NEW Healing Times Radio Archives!

September 24th, 2009 at 12:00 (PST)
KVMR.ORG

The Good News Show on KVMR 89.5FM and KVMR.org, hosted by Mikhail Graham, Dr. Miller will be on the show to talk about the release of his new book Our Culture on the Couch - Seven Steps to Global Healing.

May 14th - 16th, 2010
Esalen Institute
Big Sur, CA

Dr. Miller will be giving a two-day workshop at Esalen in Big Sir, CA. The topic will be Deep Healing - Our Culture on the Couch.

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