The Reconciliation of Science and Spirit
Most people go to therapists for what are basically spiritual problems. They are seeking psychiatric answers to spiritual/existential questions. That concept, taught to me by Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man changed my consciousness as a practicing clinician and a human being seeking meaning, purpose, and identity. Who am I? Is there a unique me separate from my conditioning? How do I measure my value? Is it comparative or self-determined? What is the purpose of my life? Is life worth living? Is my suffering essential or neurotic? Am I doing it all wrong? Is there a “right” way to do it? Is there a resolution to the inner war between the one I think I’m supposed to be and the one I want to be? Which is the real me? What is love and why can’t I find it? If only I were (fill in the blank) would I find the fix?
We have pathologized the human condition, man’s search for meaning. Our medical/clinical/psychiatric lobby diagnoses measures and prescribes simplistic, formulaic and pharmaceutical anodynes to our search for self, soul, and spirit. Substances and behavioral compulsions also short-circuit the search, fill the void and anesthetize the hopelessness.
The blessing of being an addict is the discovery that you suffer from a spiritual malady, demanding a spiritual solution.
Dr. Abraham Twerski, psychiatrist and Chasidic rabbi, used the metaphor of scurvy to explain the necessity of spirituality in the treatment of addiction. Just as only Vitamin C can heal scurvy, only spirituality can insure recovery from addiction.
Science and Spirit separated a long time ago, claiming irreconcilable differences over Galileo, both claiming to know the truth. Science insists on evidence-based data, measurable objectives, and scalability. Soul and Spirit don’t fit in boxes.
Our deeply divided selves and nations reflect this war. Our messages are binary: either/or, not both/and. We live partisan lives: I’m right, you’re wrong about everything. “I’m good, you’re bad” is our view of our inner divided selves and of the world.
We cannot heal ourselves or our world until we reconnect and integrate Science and Spirit; our assigned roles and our eternal souls.
The recovery movement has paved the way to reconciliation. I worry that medication-assisted treatment and the growing criticisms of AA, a non-evidence-based movement is feeding the divide and threatening integrative approaches to healing.
We need to open a conversation between clergy and clinician to understand each other’s language and to find their similarities. They need to learn from and teach one another an integrated path to wholeness and inner peace. Shalom/Shalem.
The current message clergy are taught is to refer out… “If someone seeks your counsel three times, they are beyond your scope of care; refer them to a psychiatrist.” Clinicians are taught to steer clear of God talk and examine family dynamics.