1. 1. SCRIBBLE PAD Soulful Healing? At what level of human existence does healing begin?
2. 2. Optimum healing? In May of 1997, when I spoke on behalf of the American Academy of Family Medicine in Paris and Lourdes, France; concerning prayer and the practice of medicine, I was adamant that any and all healing which does not encompass the soul is at best transitory healing. My work and experience as a hospital chaplain and healer has completely convinced me that this a bottom line truth.
3. 3. Healing: curing vs wholeness Many believe healing is synonymous with curing and it certainly can be, yet its possible to be cured and not to have healed. Returning to wholeness is one definition of healing, and I like that one best. I interpret it as a return to our core essence.
4. 4. Baseline path to wholeness 1st... restore the soul 2nd... calm the mind 3rd... heal the body
5. 5. What does the word soul mean? No one can give a definition of the soul. But we know what it feels like. The soul is the sense of something higher than ourselves, something that stirs in us thoughts, hopes, and aspirations which go out to the world of goodness, truth and beauty. The soul is a burning desire to breathe in this world of light and never to lose itto remain children of light. Albert Schweitzer, medical missionary & Nobel peace prize laureate
6. 6. Why put soul first? illnesses of the soul (are) of more concern than illnesses of the body the soul carries our fundamental Self, that mysterious, enduring part of us that is able to survive death and achieve union with God Sanford, Healing Body and Soul, 120
7. 7. Soul growth: as above so below The soul is full of possibilities--it is not unchangeable. Physical realities and possibilities are but a reflection of Spiritual realities and possibilities. Just as the brain and body may be trained, the soul may also be trained. .. just as the mind and the body must grow, mature, fail and succeed, so must the soul achieve insight and skill. The body and mind can lapse into darkness, sickness, and confusion; and so too the soul. Repetitive and countless learning opportunities are needed for mental and physical development and also for soul development and soul maturity. Miller, 13-14
8. 8. Insights from those who know! Stay alert. It is your soul which matters. If your soul is harmed something irreparable happens, the extent of which you wont realize until it will be too late. As soon as you notice the slightest sign of indifference, the moment you become aware of the loss of a certain seriousness, of longing, of enthusiasm and zest, take it as a warning. You should realize that your soul suffers if you live superficially. People need times in which to concentrate, when they can reach their inmost selves. Albert Schweitzer, medical missionary & Nobel peace prize laureate
9. 9. Insights from those who know! The emotional complaints of our time, complaints we therapists hear every day in our practice, include emptiness meaninglessness vague depression disillusionment about marriage, family, and relationship a loss of values yearning for personal fulfillment a hunger for spirituality All of these symptoms reflect a loss of soul and let us know what the soul craves. Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul
10. 10. Soul neglect is a serious issue When the soul is neglected, it doesnt go away, it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence and loss of meaning. Harry Moody, The Five Stages of the Soul
11. 11. Are there stages of soul growth? The structure of the great religions of the worldChristianity, Judaism, Taoism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism--are all rooted in ideas of progressive developmental passages The notions of stages of the soul, in short, is a universal one Stages of soul growth can be charted Harry Moody, The Five Stages of the Soul
12. 12. Points of consideration From a spiritual perspective, the purpose of life is to achieve soul realization Spirituality completes us Spirituality unfolds in a series of steps and stages Spiritual awakening requires struggle and effort Each persons experience of the Stages of the Soul is similar, yet uniquely different The Stages of the Soul are spiritual stages
13. 13. The five stages of the soul are Each one of these stages leads naturally to the next, and is an extension of the one that comes before it 1. The Call 2. The Search 3. The Struggle 4. The Breakthrough 5. The Return A contemporary media example of explanation is the book and movie Jonathan Livingstone Seagull Harry Moody, The Five Stages of the Soul
14. 14. Care of the soul is not a project of self-improvement is not a way of being released from the troubles and pains of human existence care of the soul touches another dimension soul is its own purpose and end we are well on the way toward soul when we live as much from the heart as from the head Ultimately, care of the soul results in an individual I, an I you never would have planned for or maybe even wanted. Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul
15. 15. For more information contact David Grinstead, MA, CHt 336-380-0203 coachg@livealife.biz www.livealife.biz