The SHN #71: Walking the Spiritual Path

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

September 19th, 2024. Greetings from Bali! Today I've written about the realities of walking the spiritual path - the obstacles that lie in your way, the benefits you receive as a result of the work, and the experiences of unity consciousness you may have during the process.

For a while now, I've stressed to others the importance of identifying obstacles on this path. These can come in many forms (talked about today and in many past newsletters). Our approach to these obstacles can vary: some we need to remove to move past, while others we can actually turn into allies that help us progress. With the right tools and understanding, all of these obstacles can be navigated successfully.

On the other end awaits a "new you" that is freer of repetitive unwelcome thoughts, self-limiting beliefs, feelings of anxiety, depression, unworthiness, resentment, and all the rest. This new you is freer of constant dwelling about past mistakes or worrying about future events. You'll feel lighter, more grounded, more alive, more chill, and better able to handle the events of the day and your life.

I've not only read about this shift in others but have concretely felt it in my own lived experience. I know the stark difference between a life lived at the mercy of the contents of the mind and one lived with liberation from these contents. It's dramatic.

To each their own, of course, but working to reach a state of inner calm will only improve the quality of your life. It will benefit your health status by lowering stress levels and regulating your nervous system while also enhancing your ability to be in right relation with the world and the people living in it.

If I can offer any assistance to anybody who feels called to explore the inner world more in depth but struggles to know the right road to take, please reach out and I can try to assist in any way I can.

👣 The Spiritual Growth Journey

Removing The Obstacles

When we decide to pursue spiritual growth and self-discovery, we inevitably encounter roadblocks that hinder forward progress. These obstacles can manifest in various forms - trapped emotions, protective psychological parts, limiting beliefs, legacy burdens, stuck energies, and more. My experience has shown that addressing these barriers is the most impactful "work" you can do for yourself, leading to genuine personal transformation.

The Internal Family Systems (IFS) model provides a valuable framework for understanding this process. IFS posits that we all have a core Self embodying positive qualities like curiosity, compassion, courage, calmness, clarity, connectedness, and confidence. However, this Self can become obscured by various constraints or protective mechanisms we've developed over time.

I’ve written about IFS before, and remain a huge fan of the system.

What's particularly compelling about this approach is its focus on removing constraints rather than building up new resources. The emphasis is on uncovering what's already there, rather than trying to add something from outside.

This concept of removing obstacles to reveal our true nature isn't new. In fact, it has roots in many spiritual traditions. The concept of kenosis, found in various religions, refers to the process of emptying oneself or removing obstacles on the path to holiness or divine connection.

In my own journey, I've found tremendous value in practices like releasing trapped emotions via The Emotion Code, engaging in IFS meditations and sessions, working with biofield tuning, somatic experiencing, and exploring various energy healing modalities. These approaches have helped me identify and dissolve the energetic and emotional blocks present in my system.

As we clear away these obstacles, we often experience improvements in both mental and physical health. We may find ourselves less stressed and reactive, with greater clarity of thought and a deeper sense of connection to ourselves and others.

Inner work isn't about reaching perfection or becoming someone different but about peeling away the layers to uncover a more authentic version of yourself. By skillfully addressing our inner obstacles, we create space for a less-burdened version of ourselves to participate in the game of life.

Whether you're just starting on this path or have been on it for years, I encourage you to explore practices that help you identify and release your inner constraints. While the process of removing obstacles is ongoing and may take years, the rewards - greater peace, clarity, and self-understanding - are well worth the effort.

The Benefits of Spiritual Growth

Now, I realize that it's easy to dismiss anything that might be considered "woo-woo" or that contains religious or spiritual jargon. That's why I want to introduce the scientific perspective on engaging in spiritual pursuits — and how they may just be the missing link in your quest for better overall health and well-being.

A comprehensive study by Harold G. Koenig, published in ISRN Psychiatry, provides compelling evidence for the positive impact of religion and spirituality on health outcomes. The benefits discussed in this comprehensive review of research are wide-ranging and significant:

Mental Health Benefits

• Lower rates of depression and faster recovery from depressive episodes

• Lower levels of anxiety

• Greater well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction

• More hope and optimism

• A stronger sense of purpose and meaning in life

Physical Health Improvements

• Lower blood pressure and better cardiovascular health

• Improved immune function

• Better health behaviors, including less smoking and alcohol use, better diet, and more physical activity

• Lower mortality rates - religious involvement was associated with a 37% increase in survival in one meta-analysis

Illness and Stress

• Better ability to cope with general medical illness

• Deal more effectively with chronic pain

• Improved adaptation to various physical conditions, from diabetes to cancer

So, how does spirituality lead to these impressive health benefits? The study suggests several pathways:

• Psychological: Spirituality can enhance coping skills, provide comfort, and imbue negative events with meaning and purpose.

• Social: Religious and spiritual communities often provide strong social support networks, which are known to positively impact health.

• Behavioral: Many spiritual traditions encourage healthy behaviors and discourage harmful ones.

Given this evidence, engaging in some kind of spiritual practice or holding a religious/spiritual worldview opens us up to a powerful tool for enhancing our health and well-being. It is my belief that these benefits can be attained both by addressing the obstacles to progress, as mentioned earlier, as well as by maintaining some sort of regular spiritual practice — whether that's through association with a specific branch of spirituality or religion, practicing secular mindfulness, or any of the countless other ways.

Spiritual Presence Experiences: A Catalyst for Transformation

Having explored the importance of removing spiritual obstacles and the scientific benefits of spirituality, let's now look at one catalyst for receiving these benefits: spiritual presence experiences. These moments of connection can be transformative, making it “real” for you instead of just theoretical.

Spiritual presence experiences are those moments when we feel deeply connected to something greater than ourselves. They might involve:

• A sense of unity with the universe

• Feelings of transcendence or awe

• Profound peace and connectedness

• A perception of timelessness

• Ineffable joy or bliss

• A sense of encountering the divine or a higher power

• Dissolution of the ego or sense of self

These experiences can occur spontaneously or be induced through various practices. They're often described as ineffable - beyond words - yet deeply meaningful to those who experience them.

A sample blueprint toward having a spiritual presence experience:

• Removing Obstacles: As discussed earlier, addressing and clearing away inner blockages is crucial. This might involve working through trapped emotions, limiting beliefs, or past traumas.

• Self-Emptying (Kenosis): This concept, found in many spiritual traditions, involves creating space within ourselves by letting go of preconceptions, judgments, and attachments.

• Opening to Experience: With obstacles removed and space created, we become more receptive to spiritual presence experiences.

• The Experience Itself: This is the moment of profound connection or insight, which can vary greatly from person to person.

• Integration and Benefits: The insights and energy from these experiences, when properly integrated, can lead to positive changes in mental, emotional, and physical health.

While these experiences often occur spontaneously, there are ways to increase your chances of having them:

• Meditation and Mindfulness: Regular practice can open the door to spiritual experiences. Try different techniques to see what works best for you.

• Nature Immersion: Spending time in nature often triggers feelings of awe and transcendence.

• Prayer or Contemplative Practices: These traditional spiritual practices can induce changes in your state of consciousness.

• Breathwork: Certain breathing techniques can alter consciousness and lead to spiritual experiences. Holotropic breathwork, for example, is designed specifically for this purpose.

• Movement Practices: Activities like yoga, qigong, or ecstatic dance can sometimes induce spiritual states.

• Sacred Music and Chanting: Many traditions use music and chanting to induce altered states of consciousness.

• Psychedelics: Use of psychedelics in appropriate settings has been shown to induce profound mystical-type experiences. Recent research, particularly with substances like psilocybin, has demonstrated their potential for facilitating spiritual experiences and personal growth.

The Impact of Spiritual Presence Experiences

The effects of these experiences can be profound and far-reaching:

• Shifts in Perspective: They often lead to a broader, more inclusive worldview.

• Increased Empathy and Compassion: Many report feeling more connected to others and all of life.

• Reduced Fear of Death: These experiences can change how we view mortality.

• Enhanced Creativity: Many individuals report increased creative inspiration following these experiences.

• Improved Emotional Regulation: They can provide new tools for managing stress and difficult emotions.

• Physical Health Benefits: As discussed earlier, these experiences can contribute to better overall health outcomes.

It's important to note that while spiritual presence experiences can be overwhelmingly positive, not all of them are — some can be challenging or even frightening. Having a plan to integrate these experiences is highly beneficial, whether that's talking with someone or journaling about them.

Embracing the Spiritual Journey

In conclusion, by removing inner obstacles, creating space within ourselves, and remaining open to spiritual presence experiences, we open the door to a new avenue for personal development and health optimization. The journey often involves the three aspects discussed today:

1. Actively working to remove internal obstacles and constraints

2. Engaging in practices that foster spiritual growth and well-being

3. Cultivating and integrating spiritual presence experiences (not necessary but usually affirmative of the path taken)

I continue to be more and more convinced of the necessity of working with this "inner world" to become the healthiest and most vibrant version of ourselves. Failing to do so keeps sources of stress and limitation as part of your everyday human experience— which can lead to illness and inner turmoil.

I suggest considering dedicated inner work as part of embracing a holistic approach to personal growth. The rewards — in terms of health, happiness, and a deeper sense of connection — are truly transformative.

𝕏 Thread of the Week

✈️ Travel Slows Down Aging: Researchers from Edith Cowan University suggest travel could slow aging by applying entropy theory to tourism. Positive experiences may keep the body in a low-entropy state, boosting metabolism and stress response. Travel activities can enhance physical and mental health, potentially improving immune function and self-defense capabilities. This research presents a novel perspective on tourism's benefits beyond recreation, framing travel as a health intervention that might help maintain wellness as we age

🤧 Can You Catch A Cold?: In his book of the same name, Daniel Roytas examined 200 papers that attempted to demonstrate if healthy people can become sick when exposed to sick people or their bodily fluids. The modal (most frequently occurring) result was 0 contagion. It’s time to admit that there is more to blame for people getting sick that the invisibly boogeyman pathogen.

🕵🏻 Science Fiction: Eliezer Masliah, a prominent neuroscientist and former top NIH official, is at the center of a research integrity controversy. A Science magazine investigation uncovered numerous instances of falsified or manipulated images in Masliah's papers, spanning decades of influential work on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The NIH has confirmed findings of research misconduct in two of Masliah's publications, but the problem may be more extensive.

This revelation has significant implications for brain disease research and drug development efforts. It raises questions about the vetting process for key research positions and the potential impact on public trust in science. Many neuroscientists have expressed shock at the extent of the apparent image manipulation, calling for thorough investigations by involved institutions and journals.

🔗 One Hitters

💨 If I had the money and a permanent home this is the air filter I would buy (Jaspr Pro)

💡 14 ideas to fix the chronic disease crisis (Article)

🦵🏼 Master hip mobility: the complete guide (Article/Videos)

† A Brief Guide to Christ Consciousness (Article)

📚 Read my e-book, “Self-Development for Authentic Living” for free.

📅 My Scheduling Page: Go here to book a 15-minute free call to get a free Emotion Code session.

🔗 If you know anyone who loves learning about these types of topics, send them this link!

📰 To read all past newsletters, go here.