Globalisation and the New Spirituality. Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come Victor Hugo

1. Globalisation and the New Spirituality. �Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come� (Victor Hugo) International Conference on Spirituality, Sept. 2007, Prague Dr. Anke Bisschops Tilburg University The Netherlands

2. Globalisation and the New Spirituality.(Content of the lecture) Western dissatisfaction in an area of globalisation. Reactions of Christianity. The reaction of contemporary new spiritual leaders. An example of the New Spirituality: Eckhart Tolle. The problem of changing old habits. Past Reality Integration (PRI): how to stop the survival mechanisms of our childhood hurting us in adulthood. The importance of the new spirituality and PRI in our times

3. 1. Western dissatisfaction in an era of globalisation. Development towards a global culture Development towards a world community The collapse of major geopolitical divisions Immense political, economical, cultural, social, environmental and technological changes.�. The values of Western culture are spreading over the globe.

4. The subtle emptiness of modern secular Western life:Many people feel confused and question what it means to be human in our times. * The traditional churches in the West, seem unable to answer to these needs. * An abundance of new forms of spirituality are emerging everywhere.

5. 2. Reactions of Christianity received doctrine and compliance to rules ---versus individual freedom of choice preparation for the afterlife --------versus fulfillment now emphasis on morality -------- instead of on inner spirituality (Augustine: God inside me)

6. 3. Reactions of contemporary Western spiritual leaders Some popular spiritual authors: Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) Byron Katie (The Work and its Four Questions) Marianne Williamson (A Course in Miracles) Neal Donald Walsh (Conversations with God) Almaas (numerous books; spiritual schools in Europe and the US).

7. The new spiritual leaders basically teach the same ideas and practices: The goal of spiritual work is to become our true self Our thoughts, our mind, our resistance to what is, are the origin of all pain and confusion. In accepting what is, yielding to the flow of life, instead of resisting and fighting what is, the body is central.

8. 4. A closer look at an example of the new spirituality: Eckhart Tolle.  The fearful and suffering self is nothing more then a figment of our mind Spiritual values like beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace, originate from someplace that is beyond the mind Pain comes from non-acceptance Witness the incessant thinking in our head and realize that the witnessing part is who we really are We need deep body awareness The main obstruction to being in the Now is the pain body: the accumulated pain from the past By being present with the pain and staying with it, we can become free of the pain body

9. 5. Tackling the pain body: the problem of changing old habits (The road to hell is paved with good intentions) Advancements in neuroscience show how these changes can be brought about. Past Reality Integration therapy (PRI): a promising new psychotherapeutic method that integrates the findings of neuroscience. PRI has the same three characteristics as the new spirituality : the existence of a true self the illusions created by our mind the importance of body awareness.

10. Modern brain research: two different brains: the rational brain (the neo-cortex) and the emotional brain (the limbic system) all life-threatening experiences are stored in the amygdala. amygdala constantly scans for signs of danger amygdala sounds alarm when discovering resemblances with dangerous past experience emotional brain may overrule the rational brain amygdala is a bit stupid: what was dangerous for a child is not dangerous for an adult

11. How to break the habits that originate in this indiscriminate alarm system of the amygdala? Or: How to reprogram the amygdala? The answer of PRI

12. 6. Past Reality Integration: how to stop the survival mechanisms of our childhood hurting us in adulthood. Wall of defenses = psychological immune system against devastating experiences The five defenses: Fear (if only such and such does not happen) Primary Defense: (I am no good, I am bad, guilty, inferior) False Hope (if I try hard and do my best, things may be fine) False Power (the other person is no good, bad, guilty, inferior, etc.) Denial of Needs (I do not need anything; addictions)

13. How does PRI therapy work? A threefold way to free ourselves from these illusions that stem from our past: cognition, as well as behavior and emotion are addressed. We need to �overrule� our survival mechanisms: Awareness whether we are reacting from a defense: the cognitive component. Reversing the specific defense reaction: the behavioral component. Not giving in to the urge of reacting from defenses makes possible the contact with the old pain that the defense reaction was (unnecessarily) trying to protect us from. The amygdala can be reprogrammed by feeling the old pain, while at the same time realizing who we are here and now: �disidentified feeling�.

14. The value of PRI for (the new) spirituality PRI presents a conceptual framework that fits amazingly well with the new spirituality. It offers a lucid, simple, easy to understand way to get rid of the main obstacle for actually living this spirituality: the old issues and trauma�s from the past that cause us to attack ourselves and others.

15. 7. The importance of the new spirituality and PRI in our time The new spirituality fits educated Westerners, who value individual freedom, personal growth and autonomy. It is likely to foster peaceful and compassionate behavior, certainly if combined with PRI, with its integration of recent insights of neuroscience. It is not contradictory to the beliefs of Christianity. If traditional religions integrate some of these insights and ideas, the great treasures and potential of traditional religious systems may have a better chance of meeting the challenges of our time.