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Are we alone in the universe? How did we get here? Is there a God? Is there life after death? Is this all there is to life? Questions like these have motivated man's search for meaning for millennia. This search itself is an important component of a healthy and happy life and an essential component of the way I practice medicine.
If you believe that we are the result of a random event in the universe, that we have consciousness only because it is a result of the physical size of our brains, that there is no such thing as Spirit and that everything in this world can be explained by science, then this page is not for you!
Psychoneurosis must be understood...... as the suffering of a soul which has not discovered its meaning. But all creativeness in the realm of the spirit as well as every psychic advance of man arises from the suffering of the soul and the cause of suffering is spiritual stagnation or spiritual sterility. - C.G. Jung
What I mean by a spirit must be distinguished from religion. Religion is the social, economic and political structure which supports a methodology to experience the Divine. This structure is rich in tradition, rituals, rules and regulations. This structure can give great comfort when dealing with life's hardships. Each religion has its own methodology and each guides us to what I believe is the same truth. Oftentimes, however, religion seems to be mostly structure, mostly form without meaningful content. The layers upon layers of structure seem to bury the truth discovered by each religion's central figure. And yet, if we dig deep enough each religion will reveal a mystical side and it is there that an exploratory pathway to the Divine may be found.
I believe health involves going beyond a particular religious world view to actual practice. These practices are physically restorative, psychologically growth promoting and spiritually uplifting. Whether it be prayer, contemplation or meditation - some practice done every day is helpful. Some find this path within the religion of their birth, others are drawn to other traditions. For instance, Centering Prayer in Christianity is a modern re-presentation of a traditional monastic practice. Websites such as Integral Spiritual Center and Belief Net are useful starting places for your search. I see my work as a physician to include helping my patients any way that I can with the skills that I have during their process of self-exploration and healing. The methodologies I use in my practice support this exploratory process.
