Articles

Finding Wholeness In A Fragmented World
By Ada Porat

The modern world is marked by breathtaking rates of fragmentation and change. According to the National Geographic Magazine, fragmentation in nature (the breaking up of large habitats into smaller, isolated chunks) is one of the main forms of habitat destruction, and the primary reason biodiversity on the planet is in decline.

Humans on the planet are affected by this and other forms of fragmentation at all levels of life and society. Life is no longer governed by rites of passage. Fragmentation has filtered into every sphere of existence and affects every level of being. And yet, amid the emptiness of a splintered society, the drive toward wholeness beats within the human heart, contradicting all external demands of fragmentation to dissect, separate and isolate.

The dream of the human heart is that life may complete itself in some meaningful pattern before death. When isolated from the concept of a Higher Power that lends context, this search for meaning may leave one deeply disillusioned. In the face of trauma and suffering worldwide, each of us needs to develop a sense of self that integrates and strengthens us.

This search for authenticity and meaning has become more complex than ever because the goal posts keep shifting. Today, there is no consensus on what used to be defined as ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Instead, secular humanism has replaced traditional faith on college campuses, in schools and in the media. Within the span of a single generation, relativism replaced belief in an Absolute, Higher authority to become the secular religion of the age. In the view of relativism, perception is reality and each individual has the right to not only perceive, but to act out their particular version of reality. Free speech without the acceptance of a Higher Power degenerates into a cacophony of discordant voices without meaning. As a result, the person who goes on a killing spree to ‘express’ their anger and frustration, now receives protection from the law on the premise that their actions expressed their freedom of speech.

Through iteration, the oft-repeated half-truths or slogans of the times reprogram society and damage the individual psyche’s ability to tell truth from falsehood. After all, we know that when a non-truth is repeated often enough, it becomes accepted as truth. The search for truth has become ever more challenging because in the modern global village, there are numerous voices promising instant relief, answers and success. Who do we listen to and how do we know what is true?

The fragmentation of social structure corrodes the individual’s ability to discern and align with truth. This process can be likened to what happens in the body when it is attacked by malignant cells. The malignant cells travel through the blood stream from where they deposit in the cells and organs to silently multiply, robbing the healthy cells of sustenance until they reach critical mass and destroy the very organism that has nurtured them. To the outside observer, the body under attack may appear healthy until deeper investigation reveals the presence of the insidious culprits. There may be plenty of diseased cells in a healthy-looking body. Society reflects the same dynamic – in our fragmented world, there is plenty of falsehood in the best of society, and there is plenty of truth even in the worst areas of society. It is up to the individual to discern truth from falsehood.

To some, it may appear as if the only way to survive in a fragmented world is through resistance, and so fundamentalism is born. Fundamentalism creates a faith in exclusivity and absolutism, even if it is accomplished through rigidity and control. It fragments the self further to the point that the capacity for empathy, tolerance and wholeness is lost. A psychic numbing develops which impairs discernment and compassion, and further fuels the cycle of fragmentation.

What are we to do about the fragmentation that seeps like a cancer through each element of modern life? Does our drive to survive in this fragmented world really have to threaten our health, our relationships and our families, leaving us with an eerie emptiness of spirit? Do we have to become distant, detached, and distracted from other human beings in order to survive? I believe not.

As with every experience in life, we are offered choices. We can allow life to chip away at the wholeness of our being, or we can choose to reconnect to our souls – that infinite, unlimited part of ourselves that transcends all the vagaries of life in a fragmented world. The Sufi poet Rumi invites us there when he writes:

“Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing
and right-doing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”

When we start looking for ways to re-integrate our lives, we can start healing the separation of our fragmented society. We can reclaim the delight of heart-felt love, work and play. We can learn to be at the center of swirling activity without getting fragmented.

The single most important antidote to fragmentation agreed on by all teachers of consciousness through all time, is the practice of spirituality. What is spirituality? The common view of spirituality is that it is all about God, rules and punishment. However, when we start looking deeper, it becomes clear that true spirituality is not concerned with a rigid set of rules at all; it is about clearing away layers of misperception so that truth can emerge.

There are numerous examples of individuals who found the key to unlock spirituality in their lives throughout history. It is comforting to know that the individuals we have come to know as saints were not born that way; they became saints through personal choice. It was their dedication to higher principles that transformed average people into extraordinary human beings.

In the book, 50 Spiritual Classics, author Tom Butler-Bowdon reviews the lives of individuals who found the way out of fragmentation and into wholeness. Malcolm X, for example, was a petty criminal whose religious conversion turned him into a voice for black empowerment; St Augustine lived for cheap entertainments and sex until he moved through a period of great soul-searching and eventually became a father of the Catholic church; Richard Alpert gave up his Harvard career as psychology professor to become Ram Dass, master meditator and Eastern spiritual guru; Francis of Assisi was the son of a well-off businessman who threw away his inheritance in order to commune with nature and reinvigorate the church.

Each of these individuals came to the realization that only a complete commitment to a higher Power could shift them from psychological fragmentation to spiritual wholeness. Their stories are inspirational because they demonstrate the potential of complete transformation that is present even in people that society would normally give up on. They demonstrate the spiritual potential of you and me.

While we can have grand dreams of becoming enlightened in this lifetime, the more common reality of spiritual life really has to do with consistent daily effort to be compassionate and to stay attuned to right principles. These truths are taught by all great teachers of spirituality. In his autobiography, Gandhi accredited his daily habits of dietary restriction, celibacy and simple living for decades with transforming him from a self-absorbed young man into a symbol of selflessness and human freedom.

Another practical outcome of developing spirituality is the ability to live in the moment. The Buddhist practice of mindfulness aims toward this goal by endowing even the smallest acts of daily life with significance; every moment is considered precious.

Belief in something greater than oneself forms the essence of traditional religion; that is why it is powerful. True spirituality takes the notion of a Higher Power one step further to become a personal knowing. That is what Carl Jung meant when he was asked whether he believed in God and he replied, "I don't believe - I know."

And yet the pathway of true spirituality is not for the faint-hearted. In the books of Carlos Castaneda, Don Juan teaches that a human being only really becomes a whole person when they stop being a mere reflection of their culture and master their own mind. That means cutting through the conditioning of society to reclaim our forgotten fragments.

Along this journey from fragmentation to wholeness, we may find ourselves asking the age-old question, “Why am I here?” Spiritual teachings throughout history grappled with this and voice the same conclusion across all faiths and timelines. Over nine hundred years ago, the Muslim scholar Al-Ghazzali taught that men and women were created to achieve greater knowledge of God, and that happiness was dependent on increasing this knowledge. The Jewish system of Kabbalah teaches that God created mankind in order to be made complete - the unfolding of the universe literally depends on the fulfillment of each person's unique potential.

The discovery of one’s life purpose, then, becomes the defining event in anyone's life, regardless of how long the discovery takes. Mother Teresa's calling to help the poor of Calcutta came comparatively late in her life, but the clarity of her mission saw her go from being a modest school principal to becoming a global spiritual entrepreneur within fifteen years.

In the hands of a person who has clarity about their life purpose, worldly power can become an extraordinary tool driven by spiritual conviction. In fact, that sense of spiritual purpose fuels the process of spiritual evolution and is a prerequisite for evolution at every other level. Ken Wilber, one of the prominent spiritual voices of our time, has said that evolution of the human species will only occur when we give as much recognition to personal development as we have done to the manipulation of matter.

Humans are essentially spiritual beings inhabiting human bodies. The evolutionary journey of the soul, therefore, goes hand in hand with emotional healing. Each fragmented part of the soul is connected with an emotional pattern like anger, resentment or fear that relates to the fragmenting experience. As we heal painful emotions and bring more conscious awareness into our choices, we transcend limiting beliefs and open to new possibilities. This process of re-integration through emotional healing enables more of the soul to be present in the body, which raises consciousness and flows increasing amounts of love, compassion and joy into our lives.

Another critical ingredient in the process of reclaiming wholeness, is the ability to tell truth from falsehood. Kinesiology muscle testing provides a reliable method for discerning truth from falsehood and is one of the most valuable ingredients in any spiritual seeker’s toolbox.

We can reclaim the innate wholeness of our souls through many other practices such as yoga, prayer or meditation. When we engage in such practices, we experience being pulled through life, not pushed; going with the flow instead of fighting the current; being responsive rather than reactive.

Re-integration also requires that we reclaim our relationship with our bodies; the physical vehicles that carry us through life. Each of us experiences life through this unique latticework of energies that is innately designed to facilitate self-healing. The body’s fields are attuned to earth’s electromagnetic, gravitational, and nuclear fields, emitting electromagnetic energy and light.

In the world of high technology, we swim in a sea of energy that is almost totally man-made. These external, manmade electromagnetic fields can wreak havoc with biological systems that are not designed to adapt so rapidly.

We need to maintain the structural and functional integrity of our biological systems by taking conscious action to strengthen the body’s innate energy pathways. One of the easiest solutions is to invest in regular energy work to help maintain the body’s functions. We can also minimize exposure to harmful electro-magnetic fields; learn how to clear, strengthen and balance the body’s energy systems; and maintain the physical body with proper food, rest and exercise.

In a world fragmented at every level, the call is sounding for global healing through re-integration. The outcome of life on the planet is not written yet – it depends on the choices of every individual everywhere. What will your response be?

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
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