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I
have drawn, and could draw even more, from the language and the writings
of the Christian tradition to add weight to my own writing, but therein
lies a danger, the danger of alienating those who have no religion or
whose religion has a different interpretation. In other philosophies,
some may refer to entities or energies; others will dismiss
totally any suggestion of an intervening spiritual dimension. However,
it is my intention to continue without trying to draw again from any particular
faith or philosophy, but to write in terms with which I am most comfortable
such as spirits and spiritual intrusion and to hope that
my work will be read without any religious mind-set.
To return
to the secular let me draw from the experience of a clinical psychologist:
For sixteen years, Wilson van Dusen worked in this role at Mendocino State
Hospital, California. He reports that in that time in his professional
work, and also out of human interest, he examined thousands of mentally
ill persons. Out of his work came one extraordinary chapter in his book
The Presence of Other Worlds, a chapter entitled 'The Presence
of Spirits in Madness'. I obtained my copy of the book quite by chance
in most convoluted circumstances, and began to read that particular chapter
well into the night. So great was the impact upon me that I could barely
restrain myself from ringing friends, even though it was well past normal
bedtimes. The reason for my excitement was that what he wrote so mirrored
my own experiences that it was quite uncanny.
Van Dusen is a student of the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg - a man
who claims to have had close association with spiritual beings. He writes
"By an extraordinary series of circumstances I seem to have found
a confirmation for one of Emanuel Swedenborg's more unusual findings:
that man's life involves an interaction with a hierarchy of spirits. This
interaction is normally not conscious, but perhaps in some cases of mental
illness it has become conscious".
Some time later, I found the same chapter referred to in a fascinating
book by psychiatrist Shakuntala Modi M.D. Dr. Modi is also a hypnotherapist,
and found that under hypnosis some of her patients were able to reveal
attachment, or 'possession' by spirits of differing degrees of malignancy.
Using methods that she describes, Dr. Modi was able to obtain their release
or detachment, to the obvious benefit, and often permanent relief, of
people suffering from a wide variety of conditions, ranging from schizophrenia
to obsessions, compulsions, eating and self-harm disorders. I am sure
that there are those who, if they should read Dr Modi's book, would dismiss
it out of hand. All I can say is that she is a reputable psychiatrist,
and that case studies can always be checked independently. Additionally,
she does not say "this or that is true", but rather "this
is what I was told by this person when under hypnosis, this is the action
that I took in response, and this is the apparent result, make of it what
you will".
Would that such a frank approach was adopted by others when writing in
their chosen field, particularly when they are writing in an area of uncertainty,
and even more so when the greatest uncertainty in question is 'what is
the truth?'. It can be guaranteed that in whatever field of uncertainty
one cares to choose, there will be found zealots who will proclaim 'the
truth' with a degree of certainty, almost in direct proportion
to the lack of acknowledged truth and fact available. I have just returned
to my keyboard from a mid-morning coffee break during which, much against
my better judgment, I switched on my local radio station to listen to
an interview with the author of a new book about King Arthur. Now, like
many people, I have views about the existence or non-existence of King
Arthur, and indeed make a personal analysis in which my knowledge of the
Welsh language plays a part. I don't normally listen or read anymore,
because I often experience a near apoplexy at some of the views expressed
and 'truths' derived - thus, and for instance, when the author proclaims
with great certainty that Excalibur is a Welsh word, when it isn't. But
I stuck with it, and found that there were elements of what he was saying
with which I agreed, but more than that, I enjoyed his enthusiasm, to
the extent that I am trying to find his phone number in Kelso so that
I can discuss and share some of my own ideas. But whatever we share, neither
of us, nor anyone else in the field, will ever know the truth.
This is the unfortunate reality in many, many fields of human belief and
endeavour. By post the other day came the catalogue of a publisher of
Christian books - there are forty-three A4 pages filled with lists of
books, videos and CDs, all deriving from a basic truth, but having such
a variety of different approaches to this truth that could lead the aspirant
to a feeling of being overwhelmed - even to the abandonment of a personal
'search'. But this is a Roman Catholic publisher, and undoubtedly there
will be equivalent lists for Anglicans, Non-conformists, Church of Scotland
- and that is just in Britain - all with as many adherents and variants
of their own truth as there are individuals to proclaim them. I have no
wide knowledge of Buddhism nor of Islam, but much the same seems to apply;
the range of divisions and sub-divisions seems to be as large as in Christianity,
and publications and personal proclamations of the 'truth' are no doubt
legion - and so on, through all the major and minor religions.
Also by the same post came a catalogue of books, CDs, videos and equipment
for the searchers and aspirants in 'alternative' ways - ways of healing,
whether of one's self, others or the 'planet', - ways of opening the mind;
of protecting it from 'psychic intrusion' - indeed, almost every field
of human endeavour is covered. How about 'Awakening the Third Eye'; 'Colon
Cleansing'; 'God's Secret Formula'; 'The Sirius Mystery' or 'Sacred Smoke',
for starters. One can buy beautiful singing-bowls, crystals, and shamans'
drums. One can enrol to be enlightened and empowered to heal within the
comparatively new field of Reiki - three weekends and nearly £400
will see one emerge as a Master capable of teaching others. But what's
this - 'The Lost Steps of Reiki' allegedly 'channelled' teaching from
Wei Chi who lived 5,000 years ago! Back to the drawing board!
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