Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: If a person suffers from severe mental illness which caused them to commit wrongful acts while in a state of "mania" is there any chance for redemption? Does the ancient belief that the mentally ill are possessed by evil spirits have any credibility? What can a severely mentally ill person do, if they feel that are somehow being influenced by something they cannot control?

A: Thank you for writing to us here at Truthbook.com, a website dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book

Since your question is primarily concerning a person who suffers from mental illness, I must first advise you that the person in question (whether it is you, or someone else) should see a medical professional as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. We are not equipped to lend medical advice...

No matter what our transgressions, there is always a chance for redemption, which can be synonymous with "salvation," as in this passage about Jesus' love towards sinners; and not only redemption, but "eternal rehabilitation." This Urantia Book quote is about the cross of Jesus, and its significance to sinners.

(188:5.2) "The cross forever shows that the attitude of Jesus toward sinners was neither condemnation nor condonation, but rather eternal and loving salvation. Jesus is truly a savior in the sense that his life and death do win men over to goodness and righteous survival. Jesus loves men so much that his love awakens the response of love in the human heart. Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. Jesus' death on the cross exemplifies a love which is sufficiently strong and divine to forgive sin and swallow up all evil-doing. Jesus disclosed to this world a higher quality of righteousness than justiceâ€”mere technical right and wrong. Divine love does not merely forgive wrongs; it absorbs and actually destroys them. The forgiveness of love utterly transcends the forgiveness of mercy. Mercy sets the guilt of evil-doing to one side; but love destroys forever the sin and all weakness resulting therefrom. Jesus brought a new method of living to Urantia. He taught us not to resist evil but to find through him a goodness which effectually destroys evil. The forgiveness of Jesus is not condonation; it is salvation from condemnation. Salvation does not slight wrongs; it makes them right. True love does not compromise nor condone hate; it destroys it. The love of Jesus is never satisfied with mere forgiveness. The Master's love implies rehabilitation, eternal survival. It is altogether proper to speak of salvation as redemption if you mean this eternal rehabilitation."

God's forgiveness is also forthcoming for our sinful acts:

(146:2.4) "...The Father in heaven has forgiven you even before you have thought to ask him..."

As for the second part of your question: There was a time on our planet when this belief that evil spirits could possess the minds of men did have some credibility...even in Jesus' time, there were rebel midwayers still roaming the earth - remnants of the Lucifer rebellion who were able to influence the minds of men - but since the day of Pentecost, over 2000 years ago, when the Spirit of Truth that Jesus promised was poured out upon all flesh, no evil spirit has had the power to affect the minds of mankind.

(77:7.8) "The entire group of rebel midwayers is at present held prisoner by order of the Most Highs of Edentia. No more do they roam this world on mischief bent. Regardless of the presence of the Thought Adjusters, the pouring out of the Spirit of Truth upon all flesh forever made it impossible for disloyal spirits of any sort or description ever again to invade even the most feeble of human minds. Since the day of Pentecost there never again can be such a thing as demoniacal possession."

As for the third part of your question: All of us sometimes have the feeling that we are influenced by factors out of our control, and yet, this does not necessarily denote mental illness; however, if a person is convinced that they are "severely mentally ill" it is of great importance that they go to see a medical professional as soon as possible...

And at any time, any person who feels ill - mentally or physically - can turn to prayer as a supplemental means of feeling better:

(91:6.2) "Prayer is not a technique for curing real and organic diseases, but it has contributed enormously to the enjoyment of abundant health and to the cure of numerous mental, emotional, and nervous ailments."

Thanks again for writing to us. Please click on the links provided to open the text and best wishes.

Labels: mental health, possession, prayer, redemption, salvation, The Urantia Book

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I don't understand why, if this is our introductory life, why some people are born hereditarily disposed to mental illness...

Q: I don't understand why, if this is our introductory life, why some people are born hereditarily disposed to neurosis, psychosis, schizophrenia, bi-polarism, retardation, etc...... How does a personality work through that? What a horrible start. How unfair. How can an individual "do the will of God" in this context? Surviving in this rat race is hard enough. Certainly the individual didn't deserve this since this is only the very first experience of what life is. Sometimes life can get so unbearable for these people, suicide is the only relieving option. What's the wisdom in seeing yourself crumble in dignity because one cannot participate "adequately" in society. Yet, we are expected to "Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Then there are those born with a golden spoon and those with charm , beauty and ultra-charisma; the highly gifted intellectual; the musically gifted genius; the leaders, the heroes etc.....What a cake walk for them. Yes, life is wonderful for them. What a great introduction to life. Surely their decision to want to survive and continue on this adventure of life is easily made. It is fueled by such positive experiences and so much to look forward to.

As for the former, I think they'd think twice whether to participate again in a universe where you have no choice of what card is dealt to you and at the risk of "annihilation"

A: You raise age-old questions - and the bottom line is - Life is not fair. It has always been this way, and probably always will be this way. Why? Because we are trapped in a time-space situation where there is always the chance of sorrow, where our fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, where uncertainty is the only constant. Everything changes in this life except the presence of God. This does seem unfair, especially if you feel you have gotten that "short stick..."

Just because a person is born into this life with hereditary tendencies to mental illness does not automatically mean they are less able to do God's will in their life. These kinds of problems can seem overwhelming, and they occcur through no fault of the person - likewise those with physical disabilities may seem terribly disadvantaged when you view them through the eyes of the material. But Jesus said:

"In the matter of sickness and health, you should know that these bodily states are the result of material causes; health is not the smile of heaven, neither is affliction the frown of God.

"The Father's human children have equal capacity for the reception of material blessings; therefore does he bestow things physical upon the children of men without discrimination. When it comes to the bestowal of spiritual gifts, the Father is limited by man's capacity for receiving these divine endowments. Although the Father is no respecter of persons, in the bestowal of spiritual gifts he is limited by man's faith and by his willingness always to abide by the Father's will." (166:4.10)

So, even if one has not received a goodly inheritance in a material sense, still each person receives "spiritual gifts," and it is how those are used that determines spiritual growth and progress. When God advises us to "be ye perfect," I think this only means that we do the best we can with what we have, and become the best person we can be within the confines of the life that we have. No one - not even the most well-endowed person on Earth, can ever come close to actually being perfect as God is in this one, short life, but we CAN be the most perfect person possible given the limitations that have been placed upon us - whether physically or mentally - by using our spiritual gifts (the Thought Adjuster, the Spirit of Truth, etc) to become like God. This becoming like God is not a material striving, but a spiritual one. Paraphrasing something that Jesus said once - if wealth is the smile of Heaven, why are not more wealthy people drawn to the Gospel? Why is it so often the meek, the afflicted, the humble, the downtrodden, who turn to God?

Sometimes, the most beautiful, the richest, and the most gifted people are those who feel no need of God. They are satisfied - and why shouldn't they be? Life seems easy; however, don't be fooled by outward shows of happiness by the seemingly "beautiful people." All of us are dealing with some kind of struggle in our lives, no matter our station in life. But it is those who struggle, those who have to tread the paths of rugged faith, who may be the luckiest in the long run. Remember this passage?

Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (48:7.14)

Having to work through difficulties means lots of decisions, lots of opportunities to choose hope over despair - faith over fear. And by always choosing the good, one can improve one's life immeasurably, even if outward circumstances may not change.

Look at famous people who have overcome great adversity - people like Steven Hawking, or Temple Grandin (who suffers from severe autism, and who has become a noted national voice in the humane treatment of animals). I have a sister who suffers from schizophrenia - although her life has been hard, she is very much a shining star in many respects because of her reliance on Jesus - she is still afflicted, but she helps herself through her difficulties with God's help. I shudder to think how bad things could be for her if not for those choices she has made in the spiritual sense.

In fact, this page of the inevitabilities is a good one to read again - especially when we are feeling that our lives are harder than they need to be.

As for those who might opt out of life because of having to deal with unfortunate experiences here on Earth: no matter what we have to experience here, it is the EXPERIENCE of living that is important; we can get that no other way than by living this life through. Having an attitude of bitterness about life indicates a need for more faith and trust in the goodness of God. Bitter resignation may be an easy way out, but is it the best way? This is an illustration of our inability to make eternal decisions here. I don't believe anyone who is beset with material problems can rightly make a decision not to go on to eternal life simply because they can't see a better future. Sometimes, the best we can do is just hang on and keep our little light of faith burning ...and that is enough to get us through. And there are rewards for just hanging on - maybe not material rewards, but rewards that are just as real and even more valuable in the long run.

This is such a short (The Urantia Book calls it "intriguing...")life - compared to the eternity of adventure and progress that awaits us...

The Urantia Book illuminates so much of this for us - I wish everyone could learn of God's goodness through its teachings.

Labels: decision, disability, God, inevitabilities, mental health, spiritual gifts, suffering, The Urantia Book

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Monday, April 07, 2008

Healthy way to reach God

6 Apr 2008,
Deah Curry

...long ago our ancestors knew a fundamental truth that we are only recently rediscovering: good mental health is inextricably intertwined with deep spiritual development. Transpersonal psychologists in the past several decades have produced good science that shows that people who have strong spiritual beliefs and practices are generally more resilient in the face of life crises, and tend to have an easier time recovering from some physical illnesses.

This should not be surprising. After all, the psyche â€” a Greek word for soul â€” which has come to be used for the mind or one's consciousness in modern times, is inescapably spiritual in its core nature. And so are we. This does not mean that we must return to church or temple, or become ultra religious to fulfil the promise of deep spirituality as a safeguard for mental and physical health. Let's not confuse religious belief and observance with spiritual development, which is about cultivating awareness, empathy and wisdom, being of service, and having tolerance and integrity â€” all virtues that can and should apply no matter what religious framework one believes in. Healing emotions often involves developing one's spirituality.

These healing and development efforts in education and therapy are about raising consciousness in order to support transformation in the learner or client. Transformation is more than just change. It occurs at such a deep level that we are truly different beings when we undergo transformation. Transformative change is essential for all of us in order to become better people, able to make a beneficial difference in the world and in our own lives. No matter where you are in your personal spiritual journey, or mental health status, it is useful to ponder these five transformative questions.

In the way you are living your life, how are you being the medicine? In teaching naturopathic medical students, the relevance of that question is obvious. But if we think about medicine as energetic spiritual power, as the First Peoples of America did and do, I think this question applies to all of us on the path of transformational consciousness. Being the medicine is about how you are living your life in such a way as to be respectfully and appropriately using the spiritual power that is innate within you. What can you further develop in order to be the medicine more fully?

What do you trust? Notice I didn't ask who. This question is asking: in what do you place your belief that all is and will be as it should be? It's always interesting to try to take this question down as deep as one can with as much honesty as one can stand. In your everyday life, are you acting in congruence with what you say you trust? If not, what needs to be surrendered, reframed, or healed in order to be in alignment with what you say you trust? What cause will you give your life?

The answer to this question is often very telling as to how congruent we are with our espoused and lived values. What we prioritise in thoughts, words, and deeds on a daily basis is what we are giving our life energy to. Many of us say we value our families, but then we work 16 hours a day, rarely eat a meal together, and put business success above interpersonal family relationships. Doing this is giving life energy to work, to stress, to something other than the family that is supposedly valued. What we're actually doing is not congruent with what we're saying we give our life to. Philosophers might say that happiness comes from not waiting until circumstances force you to choose between the cause for which you would give your life, and the life you live everyday. Are you really living a life of purpose and meaning now, and if not, what needs to change?

What you put your attention on grows. Are you growing what you want to be growing? If not, how does your attention need to shift? It really means something spiritually profound and psychologically healthy to be able to say you walk your talk. Can you say that with full integrity? If not, look at how you need to re-prioritise your choices.

At the end of your life, what will you have dared so that you can pass on with no regrets?

Daring to take risks is one of the most essential transformative energies that I know of for both spiritual development and mental health. In fact many mental health and relationship problems start from a fear of risking being fully seen as our authentic selves, fear of asserting our whole truth, fear of risking rejection and abandonment by those we love, fear of risking pride or security, and other large and small risks. Daring is a catalyst for becoming everything we are meant to be.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Healthy_way_to_reach_God/articleshow/2929454.cms

Labels: Deah Curry, medicine, mental health, religion, spirituality, transformation, trust

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