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On Life, Living and Dying
Recently I have discovered the books of Dr. Brian Weiss, a traditionally trained phychologist who stumbled into using "past life" therapy with his patients. In his first book, Many Lives, Many Masters, Dr. Weiss describes his work with "Catherine," a woman with anxiety and nightmares who sought his help. Initially their work used traditional "talk" therapy but Catherine's symptoms did not respond to treatment; they then turned to hypnosis, a technique that Dr. Weiss often used with individuals seeking treatment.
He was astonished when Catherine began to describe "past-life" experiences while under hypnosis and that these memories seemed to be key to her reoccurring nightmares and anxiety. Although Dr. Weiss had used hypnotherapy before to assist people to relax and be more receptive to therapeutic suggestions, this was the first time that anyone under his care had responded with such a memory.
A graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School, Dr. Weiss M.D. is currently the Chairman Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami. He relates in his book how astounded he was when this patient began to channel messages from "the space between lives," which contained remarkable communications from his deceased son and father, and current revelations about Dr. Weiss's family.
As a emergency room nurse practitioner I see a number of individuals each week who are depressed and some who are suicidal. I am always saddened by anyone who feels that life is desperate enough to feel as though killing oneself is a solution.
I can't say that I have ever felt suicidal but I have enough life experience to understand that people with substance abuse problems are likely to feel suicidal at some point. After working as a nursing professional for 20 years I have certainly seen elders who are depressed enough about their physical limitations to consider suicide.
As a result of these experiences I have always wondered what is lacking for these individuals that helps them to remain hopeful despite the physical and emotional challenges in their lives. After all , there are many individuals with these same symptoms who aren't depressed and don't consider or attempt suicide. My observation is that people who face physical and emotional challenges and don't become depressed or suicidal have something that gives them resilience, and that "something" is often a set of spiritual beliefs. By that I don't mean that they are necerssarily "religious," but that they have a belief in a power or spirit that is greater than they are, and to whom they look for support and spiritual guidance.
Recently Dr. Helen Smith and her husband did a podcast on suicide, particularly in men. They point out that suicides outnumber homicides in the United States and that middle-aged and older men are particularly at risk for suicide. There seem to be a cluster of reasons why this is true, including the fact that men tend to have substance abuse problems in the middle years, and that older men believe that they are losing physical abilities; if depressed older men may feel that this loss disproportinately to the actual functional loss.
How do you view suicide ?
We have forgotten our true natures and it is our task to reawaken and remember. When you do understand the importance of this school we call earth and when you are truly spiritual, you do not cut classes early. - Brian Weiss
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: depression, suicide, spirituality, Dr. Helen, Brian Weiss
He was astonished when Catherine began to describe "past-life" experiences while under hypnosis and that these memories seemed to be key to her reoccurring nightmares and anxiety. Although Dr. Weiss had used hypnotherapy before to assist people to relax and be more receptive to therapeutic suggestions, this was the first time that anyone under his care had responded with such a memory.
A graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School, Dr. Weiss M.D. is currently the Chairman Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami. He relates in his book how astounded he was when this patient began to channel messages from "the space between lives," which contained remarkable communications from his deceased son and father, and current revelations about Dr. Weiss's family.
As a emergency room nurse practitioner I see a number of individuals each week who are depressed and some who are suicidal. I am always saddened by anyone who feels that life is desperate enough to feel as though killing oneself is a solution.
I can't say that I have ever felt suicidal but I have enough life experience to understand that people with substance abuse problems are likely to feel suicidal at some point. After working as a nursing professional for 20 years I have certainly seen elders who are depressed enough about their physical limitations to consider suicide.
As a result of these experiences I have always wondered what is lacking for these individuals that helps them to remain hopeful despite the physical and emotional challenges in their lives. After all , there are many individuals with these same symptoms who aren't depressed and don't consider or attempt suicide. My observation is that people who face physical and emotional challenges and don't become depressed or suicidal have something that gives them resilience, and that "something" is often a set of spiritual beliefs. By that I don't mean that they are necerssarily "religious," but that they have a belief in a power or spirit that is greater than they are, and to whom they look for support and spiritual guidance.
Recently Dr. Helen Smith and her husband did a podcast on suicide, particularly in men. They point out that suicides outnumber homicides in the United States and that middle-aged and older men are particularly at risk for suicide. There seem to be a cluster of reasons why this is true, including the fact that men tend to have substance abuse problems in the middle years, and that older men believe that they are losing physical abilities; if depressed older men may feel that this loss disproportinately to the actual functional loss.
How do you view suicide ?
We have forgotten our true natures and it is our task to reawaken and remember. When you do understand the importance of this school we call earth and when you are truly spiritual, you do not cut classes early. - Brian Weiss
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: depression, suicide, spirituality, Dr. Helen, Brian Weiss
