Spirituality and Human Development

It was refreshing for once to hear Pope Francis strike a more moderate tone when speaking about gay relationships in his impromptu press conference, on board his plane returning from South America. He said that he wasn’t in a position to judge on homosexuals who try to live a good life seeking God. However on reflection this seemed a somewhat grudging admission that does not really address the key issue. Would he have used the same language for example in speaking of heterosexuals? Of course not! So his attitude, though admittedly coming across as perhaps more conciliatory that his predecessor, conceals a big problem. Francis, indeed was keen to maintain the traditional line that the Catholic Church does not condemn homosexuality in itself but rather the expression of sexual acts by homosexuals. However this begs the huge issue that for persons born gay, in effect he is telling them that they cannot hope to give direct expression to their sexual ide...

Though raised as a Christian, I have often wondered at the lack of precise historical details regarding the life of Christ. For instance remarkably little information is given regarding Christ's formative years. We know from the Gospels that after the birth his parents fled with him to Egypt. The long held reason for this is that Herod (the Great) was coming to the end of his reign. Then hearing of the imminent birth of the Messiah, which had been prophesied, out of jealously had ordered the slaughter of all new born babies. Now though Herod was a particularly unsavoury character with the death of - even - several family members on his hands, it seems that this story is unlikely. However we do know that when Joseph and Mary returned from Egypt with the baby Jesus that they settled in a small village of Galilee i.e. Nazareth. What is now fascinating is that extensive archaeological work has revealed that 4 miles or so from Nazareth was the capital town of Galilee commonly ref...

As I look back I can see that my views on perfection in earlier years were unduly idealistic. I would have believed at that time that human perfection in the pursuit of spiritual union was indeed possible and that many shining examples can be found in the various mystical traditions of special individuals who already realised such union to a profound degree. Though in a certain sense believing that the pursuit of a high degree of union is still indeed attainable for certain individuals I would no longer associate such attainment with human perfection (which does not in fact exist). So it would now be my view that even the greatest of mystical exponents would have suffered from many human faults and imperfections (and indeed in some cases glaring imperfections). Indeed without a keen existential realisation in the personality of the existence of severe limitations the very attainment of union would not be possible. Not surprisingly I have been drawn over the years to the spirit...

I have always been a big fan of Roy Orbison. Perhaps more than any other male singer he gives convincing expression to deep emotions of anguished longing. Though his songs are generally framed in a romantic context, I have found them equally valuable from a spiritual perspective where the desire for affective signs of meaning can sometimes remain long frustrated. His cover of the well-known song "My Prayer" especially communicates well with me in this context. Roy is rightly acclaimed for the dramatic way he concludes many songs with his trademark high-pitched crescendo and on "My Prayer" he truly excels himself in a dramatic finale where his voice seemingly pierces the darkness to touch Heaven itself. In my early years from the age of 8 - 14 for each Summer I would spend a couple of weeks in the seaside resort of Portstewart in Northern Ireland. During that time I developed a deep attachment to the town which I always considered had a beautiful location. Howev...

Einstein's equation E = MC2 has rightly become perhaps the most famous formula in physics. However what is greatly overlooked is that - when appropriately interpreted in an integral scientific fashion - it has equal relevance from a psychospiritual perspective. So from one perspective, all psychological "mass" in the accumulation of varied perceptions and concepts can be transformed into spiritual energy in the attainment of pure contemplative awareness. Equally however all such spiritual energy can be subsequently reduced in the experience of phenomena of form. It struck me forcibly at the weekend that spirit and matter are therefore of equal importance in experience. However in practice this is rarely recognised. On the one hand we have those who give primacy to matter leading - literally - to the materialistic perspective on life and advocacy of secular values (devoid of religious influence). On the other hand we have those who give primacy to spi...

I have given considerable emphasis in my writings over the years to the manner in which Conventional Science is directly based on a strongly reductionist type of understanding. In the most general sense this implies that emptiness (as the ineffable essence of spiritual reality) is reduced to (phenomenal) form. However it struck me forcibly in the past few days that another fundamental form of reductionism is equally possible in the opposite direction whereby form is ultimately reduced to (spiritual) emptiness. Though both types are inevitable and indeed necessary for development, a crucial imbalance often characterises the relationship between them. So one extreme tends to foster its opposite. So in contrast to the traditional scientific worldview we have the opposite contemplative perspective where the pure attainment of spiritual awareness is held to be paramount. However in practice this is often associated with an unduly transcendent orientation where phenomenal form is understood ...

I have been fortunate to receive an especially clear intuition recently into the fundamental nature of creation. Such moments in my experience which are so precious generally occur unexpectedly in the most unlikely places and are received in a very passive manner as pure unexpected gifts. While they are being received they have the great quality of certitude in that one simply knows that one is experiencing what is most meaningful and intellectually fulfilling. However once the moment has passed - though the initial intuition is generally renewed for a while through a series of lesser insights - they leave little or no trace in memory. Though one may later recall the fact that one had a special vision of reality at a certain time and recall well the accidental events surrounding the moment, one cannot directly relive the experience itself (especially when it is of a pure spiritual nature). Also though one can indirectly attempt to translate such an experience into appropriate langua...