I left NY City in 2001, 2 years after completing my doctorate. I had gone into psychology after a successful career as a pianist/composer because I felt the times had changed enough by 1990 that it might be possible to somehow being contributing to the integration of psychology and spirituality. When I left, Columbia had already begun its wonderful spirituality program, and I’m delighted to see Dr. Miller is still working at this.
As far as Dr. Feldman’s “definition” of spirituality as “intense emotion,” this reminds me of Dr. Jonathan Smith and Dr. Herbert Benson, who for decades insisted there was nothing in meditation other than the relaxation response. Fortunately, there are now over 6000 research studies showing this is not true (I think Dr. Smith accepted this; Dr. Benson, as far as I know, does not).
Since you (and apparently Dr. Miller) accept the results from parapsychological studies, that is just one of at least a dozen different research areas (lucid dream research, near death experiences, past life studies, psychedelic research are some of these) that have strong, well replicated empirical evidence that our essential Consciousness (which is a core aspect of the deepest spirituality) is not limited by material things, and thus is far more than merely intense emotions.
Now speaking more personally, I would say, out of close to 5000 people I’ve interacted with as a clinical psychologist, there is not one in which I didn’t bring in something fundamentally spiritual - but in at least 75% of the instances, someone sitting it would not know (because, at a minimum, I rarely used conventional “religious” language - though I often spoke of Jesus with Baptists, I was happy to use “brain” language with atheists as well)
My supervisors were often amazed at how well my patients did. I attribute this to connecting **inwardly** with that spiritual core, even when I did not use any conventional “therapeutic” modalities.
By the way, there’s some evidence that a materialistic worldview can contribute significantly to depression and other forms of human suffering. Whereas all the contemplative traditions say that excessive self-focus (and taking ourselves to be a limited, separate, brain body being) is the root of all suffering, “scientific” mental health interventions even subtly rooted in materialistic belief systems may be exacerbating, rather than helping to resolve human suffering.
I found it most interesting that a psychiatrist once said to Huston Smith (who at the time was a professor of world religions at MIT), that from a strict psychiatric point of view, the belief in materialism should be diagnosed as a delusional disorder, one of a host of psychotic illnesses!
Fascinating stuff! The work of our lives is to prepare for transition to the next life. It is to gather insight, understanding, and most of all compassion and connectivity. I loved this part: "that which the MRI was picking up showed one consciousness pattern in two different brains. The healer and the patient separated at a distance." AMEN world without end. So often I have felt attuned to certain people and yet they were physically not reachable. Entanglement theory explains it--things in different places entangled with one another. Same with souls and people. My goal is to be prepared, to seek enlightenment. BTW, what was your adoption story?
Hi Rabbi Adam:
First of all, this is a wonderful interview.
I left NY City in 2001, 2 years after completing my doctorate. I had gone into psychology after a successful career as a pianist/composer because I felt the times had changed enough by 1990 that it might be possible to somehow being contributing to the integration of psychology and spirituality. When I left, Columbia had already begun its wonderful spirituality program, and I’m delighted to see Dr. Miller is still working at this.
As far as Dr. Feldman’s “definition” of spirituality as “intense emotion,” this reminds me of Dr. Jonathan Smith and Dr. Herbert Benson, who for decades insisted there was nothing in meditation other than the relaxation response. Fortunately, there are now over 6000 research studies showing this is not true (I think Dr. Smith accepted this; Dr. Benson, as far as I know, does not).
Since you (and apparently Dr. Miller) accept the results from parapsychological studies, that is just one of at least a dozen different research areas (lucid dream research, near death experiences, past life studies, psychedelic research are some of these) that have strong, well replicated empirical evidence that our essential Consciousness (which is a core aspect of the deepest spirituality) is not limited by material things, and thus is far more than merely intense emotions.
Now speaking more personally, I would say, out of close to 5000 people I’ve interacted with as a clinical psychologist, there is not one in which I didn’t bring in something fundamentally spiritual - but in at least 75% of the instances, someone sitting it would not know (because, at a minimum, I rarely used conventional “religious” language - though I often spoke of Jesus with Baptists, I was happy to use “brain” language with atheists as well)
My supervisors were often amazed at how well my patients did. I attribute this to connecting **inwardly** with that spiritual core, even when I did not use any conventional “therapeutic” modalities.
By the way, there’s some evidence that a materialistic worldview can contribute significantly to depression and other forms of human suffering. Whereas all the contemplative traditions say that excessive self-focus (and taking ourselves to be a limited, separate, brain body being) is the root of all suffering, “scientific” mental health interventions even subtly rooted in materialistic belief systems may be exacerbating, rather than helping to resolve human suffering.
I found it most interesting that a psychiatrist once said to Huston Smith (who at the time was a professor of world religions at MIT), that from a strict psychiatric point of view, the belief in materialism should be diagnosed as a delusional disorder, one of a host of psychotic illnesses!
Fascinating stuff! The work of our lives is to prepare for transition to the next life. It is to gather insight, understanding, and most of all compassion and connectivity. I loved this part: "that which the MRI was picking up showed one consciousness pattern in two different brains. The healer and the patient separated at a distance." AMEN world without end. So often I have felt attuned to certain people and yet they were physically not reachable. Entanglement theory explains it--things in different places entangled with one another. Same with souls and people. My goal is to be prepared, to seek enlightenment. BTW, what was your adoption story?