Spirituality & Soul

What do we mean by spirituality? For me spirituality involves the recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than myself, something more to being human than sensory experience. I am not a religious person but I have had personal experiences that have led me to feel that the whole, of which we are all part, is ‘divine’ in nature - i.e. consisting of LOVE in its purest broadest form.

Many of us also have the sense that we live in a very sick world and that we Bi-Polar Landers are sensitive souls that feel this sickness intensely and ‘act it out’ as a way of coping with it. I am well aware that this has the potential of being highly controversial but I only offer it in an attempt to reach others in a loving manner that exists outside of the medical world we live in. This medical world is very good at describing WHAT our illness is but frankly pretty useless at explaining WHY it is that which it is.

Judging by our own families, we know that genetics play an important role in ‘transmitting’ our illness from one generation to the next but we also know that science is now sufficiently advanced and sophisticated to show us that our genes can orientate but only nerves can understand. Our nervous system, of which our brain is the most important central component. plays a huge part in the way:

• Our illness manifests and progresses
• The way we cope and adapt to it.
• Whether or not we connect beyond our illness with the ‘divine’ whole of which we are all part.

Many people feel that you can either be ‘scientific’ or spiritual and yet, many of our greatest scientists have felt (and still feel) overwhelmed with the beauty and complexity of the physical universe we live in. If theoretical physics doesn’t fill your very soul with awe, then nothing will!

The truth is that there is nothing in our usual medical treatment that helps us take care of our spirit, and yet the total loss of spirit as is the case in deep depression can lead to the loss of life. HOW do we keep our spirit healthy when the whole physical part of us is going down the drain? Religious people have their belief system to fall back on but those of us that are not religious end up lost in the wilderness of our condition.

I would like to share with you all something that has helped me keep my spirit healthy and my soul alive and vibrant: I give them both a name, exactly as I have named my illness.

By ‘detaching’ them all from me, I can have internal conversations with them and I have found those conversations to be powerful and healing. (In the case of my illness, I have recorded my conversations and I will publish them in the Spring).

I always start those internal conversations strong in the knowledge that my illness (yes, even my illness), my spirit, and my soul always operate from a place of love and therefore always want what is best for me. I have no idea where the insights that are revealed come from but I trust my intuition and my nervous system to serve me well.

To be honest, I am not sure whether my soul is immortal or not - I just ‘feel’ it has an all-reaching, all-understanding overview of my life so I find its ‘comments’ both wonderfully refreshing and far-reaching.

Whatever religious system they adhere to, I would encourage every Bi-polar Lander to start making sure, in any way that works for them, that their spirit and their soul plays a vital part in their life journey in Bi-Polar Land. It can help reach a level of stability that is more sustainable in the long run.

‘Soul’ can also be defined as emotional or intellectual intensity especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance.

Bipolar disorder IS a manifestation of emotional and intellectual intensity so, like a good piece of music, why not make sure that your illness itself has ‘soul’ too by ‘talking to it’ as you would someone who has been a friend for a LONG time …