Psychology Is Not Spirituality

[Guest guest]

I love this guy. To me he like a burst of fresh

air sweeping away the cobwebs.

 

from Awareness by Anthony deMello

 

"....I suddenly discovered that people have to suffer enough

in a relationship so that they get disillusioned with all

relationships. Isn't that a terrible thing to think? They've

got to suffer enough in a relationship before they wake

up and say, "I'm sick of it! There must be a better way

of living than depending on another human being." And

what was I doing as a psychotherapist? People were

coming to me with their relationship problems, with

their communication problems, etc., and sometimes

what I did was a help. But sometimes, I'm sorry to say,

it wasn't, because it kept people asleep. Maybe they

should have suffered a little more. Maybe they ought

to touch rock bottom and say, "I'm sick of it all."

It's only when you're sick of your sickness that you'll

get out of it. Most people go to a psychiatrist to get

relief. I repeat: to get relief. Not to get out of it."

 

"The poor psychologists, they're doing a good job.

They really are. There are times when psychotherapy is

a tremendous help, because when you're on the verge

of going insane, raving mad, you're about to become

either a psychotic or a mystic."

 

"Do you know one sign that you've woken up? It's

when you are asking yourself, "Am I crazy, or are

of them crazy?" It really is. Because we are crazy.

The whole world is crazy. Certifiable lunatics!"

 

"Every new idea, every great idea, when it first

began was in a minority of one. That man called

Jesus Christ-minority of one. Everybody was saying

something different from what he was saying. The

Buddha-minority of one. Everybody was saying

something different from what he was saying."

 

"Because people are crazy, they're lunatics, and the

sooner you see this, the better for your mental

and spiritual health. Don't trust them. Don't trust

your best friends. Get disillusioned with your best

friends. They're very clever. As you are in your

dealings with everybody else, though you probably

don't know it. Ah, you're so wily, and subtle, and

clever. You're putting on a great act."

 

"But I repeat: You want to wake up. You're putting

on a great act. And you don't even know it. You

think you're being so loving. Ha! Whom are you loving?

Even your self-sacrifice gives you a good feeling, doesn't

it? "I'm sacrificing myself! I'm living up to my ideal."

You are getting something out of everything you do,

until you wake up."

 

Marcia

[Guest guest]

Marcia:

>"The poor psychologists, they're doing a good job.

>They really are. There are times when psychotherapy is

>a tremendous help, because when you're on the verge

>of going insane, raving mad, you're about to become

>either a psychotic or a mystic."

>"Do you know one sign that you've woken up? It's

>when you are asking yourself, "Am I crazy, or are

<of them crazy?" It really is. Because we are crazy.

>The whole world is crazy. Certifiable lunatics!"

>"Because people are crazy, they're lunatics, and the

>sooner you see this, the better for your mental

>and spiritual health. Don't trust them. Don't trust

>your best friends. Get disillusioned with your best

>friends. They're very clever. As you are in your

>dealings with everybody else, though you probably

>don't know it. Ah, you're so wily, and subtle, and

>clever. You're putting on a great act."

>"But I repeat: You want to wake up. You're putting

>on a great act. And you don't even know it. You

>think you're being so loving. Ha! Whom are you loving?

>Even your self-sacrifice gives you a good feeling, doesn't

>it? "I'm sacrificing myself! I'm living up to my ideal."

<You are getting something out of everything you do,

>until you wake up."

 

I once heard a teacher say "yoga teaches that there are only two states of

mind insanity or enlightenment" . It made sense to me then and it makes

sense to me now I like to think I'm less insane now but who really knows

maybe I'm just more at peace with my insanity.

 

Linda

 

Marcia

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi Marcia,

 

Thanks for posting DeMello. An excellent reminder of some

important truths.

 

Love,

Judy

[Guest guest]

One of the huge privileges of being a psychotherapist for 30 years is

seeing how God/Consciousness flows in and out of growth EVERY STEP OF

THE WAY. This is why I threw out labels. I could not, as hard as I

looked, find the place where the "psychological" turned into the

"spiritual." With every blossoming of consciousness there is increased

generosity, expansiveness and ability to love. This is as true for the

person who is just beginning to turn inward as it is for someone who is

having significant and life-changing transcendent experiences. And the

paths to truth are as varied as there are people. The existence of

pain gets us to search in the first place but with each epiphany, the

sense of possibility grows till that, in itself, becomes the motivator.

It is an exquisitely gorgeous system. Holly

[Guest guest]

Hi Marcia,

 

Yes, this mistake of identifying psychology and spirituality is often

made. Some people seem to think that whatever is not material is ipso

facto spiritual. To me, psychology has to do with what we think and

feel, spirituality with what we ARE.

 

This reminds me of my favorite deMello' quote;

A priest asked a parishioner: 'When you die, your body goes to the

grave?'. "Yes". 'And your soul goes to heaven?'. "Yes". 'But pray

tell, where do YOU go?'

 

You quoted:

'..when you are on the verge of going insane, raving mad, you're about

to become either a psychotic or a mystic'.

 

This reminded me of Socrates': 'By all means get married. If you marry

the right one you'll be happy all your life. If you marry the wrong one,

you'll become a philosopher like me!'

 

Jelke.

[Guest guest]

Holly N. Barrett, Ph.D. wrote:

> The existence of

> pain gets us to search in the first place but with each epiphany, the

> sense of possibility grows till that, in itself, becomes the motivator.

> It is an exquisitely gorgeous system. Holly

 

Marcia:

 

At some point the system stops being gorgeous and it is at

exactly this point that ____________. (You fill in the blanks.)

The point where there is no motivator and no "reason" to

continue.

[Guest guest]

At 10:35 AM 4/14/99 -0700, you wrote:

>Marcia Paul <jacpa

>

>Marcia:

>

>At some point the system stops being gorgeous and it is at

>exactly this point that ____________. (You fill in the blanks.)

>The point where there is no motivator and no "reason" to

>continue.

 

"literal death... occurs"

 

sam

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly,

People who are brought to you are very blessed since you have the

awareness which can really bring folks along in their search. The truth is

there is no right or wrong way, it is the way that is manifesting and

therefore perfect. When grace is doing the job really it is pretty easy

flow, when it is still the individual controlling it is another ball game,

yet still perfect. That is one of the biggest things to get people to

recognize, then all of that negative energy is pulled away and the pool is

clean. From there it is working in the moment and learning how to surrender.

Gloria

----------

>hbarrett (Holly N. Barrett, Ph.D.)

>

> Re: Psychology Is Not Spirituality

>Wed, Apr 14, 1999, 5:42 AM

>

>hbarrett (Holly N. Barrett, Ph.D.)

>

>One of the huge privileges of being a psychotherapist for 30 years is

>seeing how God/Consciousness flows in and out of growth EVERY STEP OF

>THE WAY. This is why I threw out labels. I could not, as hard as I

>looked, find the place where the "psychological" turned into the

>"spiritual." With every blossoming of consciousness there is increased

>generosity, expansiveness and ability to love. This is as true for the

>person who is just beginning to turn inward as it is for someone who is

>having significant and life-changing transcendent experiences. And the

>paths to truth are as varied as there are people. The existence of

>pain gets us to search in the first place but with each epiphany, the

>sense of possibility grows till that, in itself, becomes the motivator.

>It is an exquisitely gorgeous system. Holly

>

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