Self control can be learned through meditation

As mentioned in my last blog, self control is Gun control; for that matter it is the answer to many of our problems. Some ways to learn self control, can be recognized when people of faith use prayers, mantras, visualizations and meditations to imagine positive situations. Even persons who do not belong to a faith or abhor religion, can meditate. Anyone can use imaging or a choice of positive words to create a harmonious environment whether they are Atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim or any other faith. People of faith will more likely see the positive outcome of those words and images. They will more likely feel that very peace for which they are striving. We attract what we focus on; that is something important to remember. Engaging in regular meditation also is a discipline, which will foster self-control.

Meditation for some reason is seen as an “Eastern Faith thing.” It has been used only sparingly among Christians. Yet, it is meditation, which can guide individuals to a more peaceful life and self-control. Churches have a great opportunity to teach self-control as well as to guide people through meditation. By doing so, the church helps prevent the violent tendencies in our society. We do not have to stand by wringing our hands, saying: “The world is falling apart, what should we do?” Meditation develops compassion and empathy. For that matter, a person can meditate on the meaning of compassion, forgiveness, love.

Dr. Newberg, a renowned neuro scientist, found in his research that there are significant brain changes when a person shows empathy. “An fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) study conducted in 2010 by researchers at Northwestern University showed that empathy for in-group members is neurally distinct from empathy for humankind in general.”¹ Even though, “they showed more empathy for their own group members, the study showed that a person could have empathy for others outside their group as well. It gives us a new neuro-scientific basis for understanding a moral precept that is crucial to many religious traditions, namely, that you should love your enemies as well as your friends.”² That is significant! It is significant in the way we live together as people in our cultures and in inter-mixed societies: a pluralistic world. “Scientific research is helping us understand how certain beliefs and practices lead to positive changes in the brain while others lead to negative changes. Based on that research, perhaps we can find ways to create more positive experiences – which arguably are beneficial not only for the individual, but also for society as a whole.”³

Those who think Church is obsolete, need to take a second look. Prayer, as well as meditation is essential to the repositioning of society, as well as help the current fear factor to diminish. With these self control practices in place our society will again become more livable. However, the Church itself will have to go through a change. Churches need to embrace meditation not take a sideways glance and declare it an outlandish thing. There are significant Christian meditations and faith meditations which can be used for those who have a difficult time imagining anything but a Biblical meditation.

One problem that needs to be addressed is fear-based religion. Some of these belong within the confines of fundamentalism. For some reason those churches are inhabited by individuals with extreme anger, hostility, intolerance, separatism, and prejudicial fear. I am not under the illusion that these individuals will turn around immediately. I would like to point out that their attitude is detrimental to a peaceful society as well as world- peace. Some anti-religious writers will use those groups to devalue religion all together. They do so by claiming religion to be a threat to the world.⁴ Yet, new neuro-scientific research finds no basis for their claims, and rather to the contrary, sees evidence that religion is beneficial and essential to a peaceful society. “The problem isn't religion. The problem is authoritarianism, coupled with the desire to angrily impose one's idealistic beliefs on others.”⁵ That tendency does not only occur in religion, it also occurs in politics and a variety of other scenarios.

My suggestion for individuals is to practice letting go of fear, forgive, and learn to meditate and do it regularly. My suggestion to churches is to engage in meditation, teach meditation, learn about the different types of meditation, encourage meditation in your congregation as well as teach forgiveness! Besides promoting peace and harmony, you will also help people who may deal with memory issues. “Research with memory patients suggests that meditation can help maintain a healthy structural balance that will slow the aging process.”⁶ Simply, meditate!

Example Meditation:

Part 1

Breathe deeply. From the top of your head breathe in Christ Light and let it flow through your body and out your feet into the earth. Follow your breath with your mind. Again, do the same thing as often as you want in order to feel a sense of peace.

Part 2:

Imagine Christ standing before you. Dwell in his presence.

Part 3:

Then imagine a person, or a group of people you do not understand or hate and place them between you and Christ. Tell Christ what is on your mind. Observe what is happening. If you don't understand ask God what you are being shown about that person or that group.

When you are done, give thanks to God and breathe deeply a few times before you return to your environment.

1Dr. Andrew Neuberg, The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience, (Course), 135.

2Dr. Andrew Neuberg, The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience, (Course), 136.

3Dr. Andrew Newberg, The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience, (Course), 145.

4Dr. Andrew Newberg, How God changes your Brain, (New York: Ballantine Books, 2010), 13.

5Dr. Andrew Newberg, How God changes your Brain, (New York: Ballantine Books, 2010), 10.

6Dr. Andrew Newberg, How God changes your Brain, (New York: Ballantine Books, 2010), 15.

© 2013 Angelika Mitchell

Self-control is Gun control

We are deep in discussions about gun violence; whether guns should be restricted or not. Small groups, large groups, national meetings all have this subject on the agenda. First, I would like to call to mind an interview between Pierce Morgan and Alex, (the man who called for Pierce's deportation because he promoted getting rid of guns). The interview was very enlightening. Pierce tried to ask a simple question but was never able to finish his question. Alex immediately began spouting his own rage at even the thought of taking away his/our guns. His confrontative behavior lasted throughout the interview. The body language Alex exhibited was even more revealing. There was anger, also terror, in this man's behavior. The subject of government oppression seemed to be the source he attached his anger. Which government was he talking about, and was he oppressed or abused somehow in his childhood in some form or another? It certainly would be interesting to research. Because it showed a person out of control dominated by fear and anger who wants his guns; should someone like that really have guns? Obviously hidden behind this debate is fear and anger. Anger at the way things are going economically, in how much people have to struggle and a dozen other things. People are obviously in need of hope!

St. Augustine's quote: “Anger and courage are hope's two beautiful daughters,”¹ inspired me to research anger further. People everywhere get angry at some time or another. “Anger usually involves a conscious judgment that an injustice, an insult, or idiocy has been committed, and a choice of reaction.”² The author, Carol Tavris writes, “anger and violent action do not necessarily co-exist. You may feel angry and express it in hundreds of ways, many of which will be neutral or even beneficial. (from scrubbing the house, playing the piano forte, organizing a political protest movement”.³ As the author describes the expression of anger in various cultures, it seems, most veer on the side of self control. Some cultures will ostracize a person for being temporarily insane if they express uncontrolled rage. Psychotherapy in the Western world has for decades encouraged the venting of anger, claiming that bottled up anger is harmful. The author describes therapists who admonish their clients to stop being nice. When they let their anger right out, they will not overeat, or over drink or end up sick, that is the claim. Another therapist tells his clients “to put themselves first...for the sake of owning up to who they really are.”⁴ The problem with that is, what if the person in therapy is a wife beater? Tavris makes the point that “People get angry in the service of their culture's rules. Whenever we are angry, we somehow believe that we can influence the object of our anger.”⁵ Violence is a choice used when we try to get it our way!

Violence is a taught choice in the world. “We don't have to take all the garbage,” that is a learned attitude. Even though we should not have to, there are times we might have to take some of the garbage. For that, we need self-control. Not only is this form of therapy namely expressing anger through punching, yelling and throwing things not teaching self control, but our whole society is thriving on lack of control. Instant gratification is a big business. “Psychotherapy, of course, takes place within a culture and is deeply embedded in cultural rules.”⁶

Since there are obviously a wide variety of ways to express our anger, getting angry and expressing it with a gun is not an optimal and acceptable choice and causes in not only the perpetrators but also the victims lives regrettable changes. At the same time as we are encouraging lack of self control, we also depress the arts in schools and in our culture at large. A combination of all this, including a tumbling economy, not enough jobs and great frustration with the way things are going, brings emotions to a boiling point. There has been proof that people who can express themselves artistically will be able to not only funnel their anger creatively⁷, we just might see through those paintings, drawings and writings the stored up anger coming to a head and we might be able with the help of the arts to prevent occurrences like Columbine, Co; or Sandy Hook, Con. Amongst other things, we need to teach self-control in schools. We finally are coming up with a non-bullying curriculum, at least in some schools. However, that needs to go further. We cannot tell kids they cannot do something, we need to teach them how to control their impulses. Self-control does not come automatically. I see a great hope in the arts and a new curriculum.

For example, Gregg Furth who has investigated drawing as a viable aid to counseling writes: “A picture or drawing always communicates a feeling.”⁸ He examines pictures and their possible interpretations and hidden messages. Those messages are often unconscious. Furth was looking at a drawing by Lowry, at age eighty-nine. Lowry was a renowned British artist, yet even he managed to imbed a message in his “professional” drawing. His picture shows a man with the coat turning inward in the heart area (which goes against gravity). It turns out the author died of heart failure a few months later.

I wonder if trained therapists might very well have been able to prevent the horrific acts of Columbine and Sandy Hook ahead of time. The problem is we would need trained therapists, trained in deciphering the arts and employ them in the service of schools and society. Art-therapy in general seems to be a side kick of the therapies and not very well understood. The arts can empower people enormously; they give people a voice where they feel they have none. If we take that voice away, they have to find it somehow else. In addition, it looks like the other voice is the gun barrel in the face. The arts could certainly serve as a preventative tool and be an important aide in self control.

Only if we teach self-control and give people ways to express their anger creatively can we in good conscience allow guns in people's hands, otherwise such freedom is too dangerous, because currently this society seems to believe in freedom without responsibility. The appropriate response to anger can truly bring hope. If we create a new and necessary thing to prevent injustice, our response can be fruitful and hope giving not only to us but also to many others. Any misguided person can express violence. It takes courage to express anger productively.

1Http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/107417-hope-has-two-beautiful-daughters-their-names-are-anger-and-courage (accessed 1/17/13)

2Carol Tavris, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, (New York, 1989), 37.

3Carol Tavris, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, (New York, 1989), 37.

4Carol Tavris, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, (New York, 1989), 42.

5Carol Tavris, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, (New York, 1989), 49.

6Carol Tavris, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, (New York, 1989), 67

7Http://stress.lovetokow.com/Expressive_Therapy_for_Anger_Management (accessed. 1/19/13)

8Gregg M. Furth, The Secret World of Drawings; Healing Through Art, (Bosotn: Sigo Press, 1988), 37.


© 2013 Angelika Mitchell

A wounded world - God's Grace

A wounded world - Christmas 2012

Christmas came and Christmas went

its precious fleece of love

pierced by violent arrows and threats.

Holy choirs of angels bandaged

the wounds of hurting souls -

yet, some were terribly ravaged.

Many packages were opened,

but gifts could not fill the emptiness.

Could not mend - 

 the bleeding hearts and reeling minds.

Hopelessness was crowding Hope.

The usually bright and delighted spirit

was dimmed to cover unspeakable wounds.

Prayers ascended. Candles were lit.

Voices were crying, overschadowing carols.

“Give me understanding, even just a bit!”

Only God's Emerald angels – and -

the unleashing of the rivers of life

can bring healing to this world in plight.

By Rev. Angelika Mitchell (12/23/12)

  

God's Grace

From the rim of God's eternal fountain

spills a golden mist into our gray, drab world.

It touches all - few but notice.

Many are hung up amongst

the thorns of hatred and despair -

their antlers locked in fierce battle.

Would we only sigh ONCE God's name

from the very depth of our heart -

we might glimpse the golden flow:

the merciful river of God's grace,

that hope-filled mist of liquid love,

caressing, embracing, enveloping,

creation cradled in God's gentle arms.

By Rev. Angelika Mitchell (12/23/12)

© 2012 Angelika Mitchell

Changing Mission

Much has changed since my last blog entry. From the very beginning I have been given the ministry to create this blog. Often I have questioned whether or not I really should be writing this blog only to receive back the message: “Keep on writing.” Even though I knew the theme to write on, I can't say I did it always justice. This first year it seems I was traversing through my own questions and frustrations hoping in spite of that to relay that which I knew God put on my heart. Now God has changed the voice in which I am to write.

Changing Mission

Last year's writings –

Out of the depth of my caverns

Bold  raven I released

Pecking at randomly wasted

Pieces of bread in puddles of mud.

Bread, the joy of nurture-

We let it fall into the dust.

Desperately gathering its crumbs

I flailed about – stepping on that

Which I hoped to rescue.

There are still a few raven

Which want to escape;

But now my garden also

Holds glowing doves, who

Hum with glorious music.

I cannot promise that

When I get ready to release a dove

A raven won't escape -

Bold raven and gentle doves

Both are God's creatures.

I hear God's comforting voice

Like the murmur of a brook,

The whispering songs of the wind

In the bowing, praying trees.

I feel God's eternal peace.

Listening beyond the worldly clatter

My mind reaches to catch whisps

Of spirit matter, subtle thin strands

Floating like the breath of God

Caught by beautiful thought.

Written by Angelika. Luise Mitchell (12/23/2012)

© 2012 Angelika Mitchell