Religion, Spirituality, Mind, Behavior & Health
Q's Ministry, BHITS
All People, Religions, Beliefs, Faiths, Creeds, Religious Convictions, Divine, Sacred, Devout, Holy and Spiritual
Q's Ministry, BHITS
All People, Religions, Beliefs, Faiths, Creeds, Religious Convictions, Divine, Sacred, Devout, Holy and Spiritual
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| FACTS ABOUT RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY According to Lawler-Row (2010) while religiosity (attendance, prayer, religious coping, beliefs) is positively related to health, forgiveness, acts of forgiveness, forgiveness of self and other, feeling forgiven by God, (as opposed to revenge and transgression) are shown to be the mediator between religiosity and well-being, number of medications, healthy aging, sleep quality, and depression. Religious commitment is related to reducing pain and suffering but not to health. Healthy aging is shown to be associated with frequency of attendance - prayer - "belief in a watching God" and this association is mediated by feeling forgiven by God. Those who were low on forgiveness were are also disappointed with god. And those who remain religiously committed, while yet disappointed in God, have improved mental and physical wellbeing. As opposed to being a forgiving person (trait of forgiveness), that is related to being religiously involved, the state of mind / 'acts of being forgiving' mediate between spirituality and existential well being; that is more than religious commitment's association with mental and subjective state of health that is mediated by the 'trait of forgiveness' / religious values; see Lawler-Row, K. A. (2010) Forgiveness as Mediator of the Religiosity - Health Relationship. Psych of Religion and Spirituality, 2(1), 1-16. According to Reinert and Edwards (2009) viewing God as loving may reduce verbal abuse. Viewing God as being among us may reduce physical abuse. Viewing God as not a source of control may reduce sexual abuse. This is based on research that: verbal, physical, and sexual maltreatment are related to difficulty in perceiving attachment to God, seeing god as not loving, distant, and controlling. The above relations are mediated by attachment to parents, except for those were sexually mistreated and view God as controlling; that may be related to fear of loss of control and having no control after being traumatized and having had expected God to prevent the trauma. Trauma disrupts attachment to God and others. Those who grew-up with insecure attachment to religiously active fathers perceived God as less loving and more controlling and are at risk for abandoning their family's religion. These are based on young Caucasians who participated in the studies; see Reinert, D. F. and Edwards, C. E. (2009). Attachment Theory, Childhood Mistreatment, and Religiosity. Psych of Religion and Spirituality, 1(1), 25-34. LIFE & DEATH How do different religions view life after death? If one religion sees death as the end of life without hoping for revival, what does that do to everyday anticipations and expectations throughout the life span development; i.e., when death is the end result as opposed to revival as being the end result. Q's Ministry questions the existence of life after death based on principles of science. Do persons who expect and/or believe in revival or eternal life have better wellness outcomes? Do you believe or expect that the "soul" lives for eternity after death? |
Spiritual Psychosomatics: Belief in Learning and Learning to Believe, Analytic, Behavioral, Brain, Neuroscience, Genetic,
Evolutionary & Religious Perspectives (Please see The Science Advisory Board for the original essay)
by
Kiumars Lalezarzadeh, M.A., Ph.D.
Purpose
Q’s Ministry guiding principles include the analysis of the troubling past in relation to the troubling present. Furthermore one of the goals is to help the
individual learn new coping skills and behaviors to lead a healthier and a happier life. Various techniques and methods are provided based on the individual’s
conditions. And spiritual guidance and pastoral counseling is provided to help the person who seeks our help. In this essay we want to know why the spiritual
modality is an important part of the helping. I draw from personal work experience to begin the essay.
Belief in Learning and Learning to Believe
For over 20 years I held positions as a counselor at an adolescent inpatient psychiatric hospital, co-facilitated many multi-family group therapy sessions,
separately at a private out-patient clinic and helped severe and intractable “mentally ill” adults, helped at the University counseling center, and while
conducted basic behavioral, sensation and perception experiments with fish, pigeons, rats and humans. At that time during my youth, I learned that if I
believed that the so called “intractable” clients, who effectively had been given up on by those around them, had the potential to change, they would. And
they did change for the better. They changed even more if they believed that I believed they could improve. At that time I would have been known as a so
called “strict behaviorist.” I believed that every stimulus and response are equally associable, and thus subject to “learning”, or modification. With that positive
behavioral science attitude at work, my credo was "why shouldn’t the so called "intractable" clients change. As long as the brain works, it has the potential to
change according to the equipotentiality principles. I had belief in the equipotentiality principle; and years later I formulated “equipotentiality” mathematical
formulas using vector calculus to analyze behavioral phenotypes, which were known to be genetically driven, “wired- in”, “fixed” - “modal” action patterns,
reflexive or instinctive- i.e., with underlying neuroanatomical connections subject to reconnections and transfer of function from one brain area to another.
Before that I also worked with children analytically. Later in private, I extended the basic science work and devised systems of body-self-image modification to
treat eating disorders, emotional and relationship problems. I wrote about feedback systems in the brain, which later grew into the mirror neuron work. I also
served as a professor of Psych at both the college and the University level. I integrated pastoral counseling with behavioral and analytic methods (given some
knowledge about the brain) to help individuals, couples and families experiencing spiritual crisis, mental and psychosomatic disorders. Through these applied
experiences, life and formal education, I learned that life events, problems and stimuli go thorough the brain (i.e., the mechanical driver of our bodily
responses to those problems, the temple of our soul, belief system, spiritual self, and where mind is embodied and ‘emerges’).
Psych therapy VS. Medication
Therefore, if the problems go through the brain and the spiritual self, then spiritual counseling had to be part of the helping. A skeptic might argue that this
intervention might be too “soft” or simple of an approach to severe mental health problems. Contrary to it, however, more recently Nemeroff (2005; also see
Ladd et al. 2004, Sanchez et al., 2001) showed that even some of the severest of all problems (such as early neonatal stress, child abuse, neglect and sexual
abuse)- which result in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, increased cerebrospinal fluid concentration-mRNA expression in certain brain cites,
and chronic depression later on in life- respond more effectively to psych therapy than to nefazodone antidepressant treatment.
Spiritualization and Defensiveness
All along, the psych defense systems were of interest to me. Having become adept both in academe and applied settings, I knew that the defense system of
spiritualization was not a mere heuristic panacea or a “detachment” or avoidance from the real life events. Even though we know that the obsessional form of
religiosity can detach the person from the day to day fabric of living vicissitudes. And from the evolutionary stand point, the role that the forebrain (the
embodiment of “teleo” or spirituality) plays in avoidance learning has been investigated in gold fish. And one could have argued that spiritualization is a form
of avoidance. However, we have more evidence now that the medial part of the forebrain telencephalon plays a role in avoidance, not the lateral pallium,
which has a role in spatial learning (Portavella and Vargas, 2005). Apparently this has been true for 400 million years. That leaves one to contemplate that
the role of the forebrain’s and spiritualization is not entirely for avoidance. That is not to state that strict religious upbringing can not by itself result in trauma.
But we are not talking about that. Before, psych of religion had become a research area, one of my history and systems professors suggested that religion and
spirituality played a part only after trauma and conflict comes about.
War Between Science and Religion
Just about 19 years ago, I was also studying the relationship among religion, science and technology, particularly the war between science and religion. I
reviewed the national data about religious and scientific organizations, with the historic and the philosophical perspectives on the conflicts between religion
and science-technology. In the back of my mind, I thought that there was a discrepancy in this war. On the one hand, evolutionary theorists believed that
Creation was too grand of an idea and yet believed in an organizing principle, such as the Darwinian selection process. I believed that the evolutionary
process of change was based on a general organizing principle that was created. To me one role of science was about discovering orderly principles. Thus, if
there was organization there was creation. That was simple modus pones logic. It was either random chaos or creation. The evolutionary process was not
chaotic, thus it had to be created. That god created an organized process of change to adapt to the changes (Lalezarzadeh, 1988). And my spiritual life was
integrated in to discovering those general learning processes and principles common to all beings. That was behind the work for nearly a quarter of a century.
Now, a similar view about belief in an “intelligent orderer” (“God”) is grounded in the “emergence of DNA” (see Schweiker, 2005). Orr (2005) presents a neo-
Darwinian emergent called “Devolution” or “no intelligent design” that is the opposite of the above conception. Dawkins (2005), on the other hand, uses an
angle of the creationist logic: that if no fossils are found showing gradual evolution, then evolutionary jumps must exist and thus God’s creation has
intervened. He pleads to not attribute to God what we have not discovered yet, however. The above arguments seemed to me to be to narrow; that is at the
level of specific speciation of, for example, millions of insect species, which god could not had created one by one. And yet they offer no laws or general
principle about the process of change that happened for all species. The conception offered here is: that the process of evolutionary change, or the
adaptation common to all, by itself is orderly, intelligent, and created by god’s design. [Just recently Ito, 2005 stated that "during evolution nature has
employed a common design but divergent components to facilitate folding of polypeptides as they emerge from the ribosomal exit"]. One can also argue that
God created the variation to increase the potential for survival. In religion too, a similar dichotomy is found between the general revelations and the specific
revelations.
Belief Systems, Meaning and Health
Today, much research has supported the hypothesis that religious beliefs play a part in physical health; and this now is an emerging research field (see Hill
and Pargament, 2003 and related articles in the same issue; also see Lee and Newberg, 2005). Mindfulness, ‘mentalization’, belief systems or spiritualization
are emergent functioning of the brain in line of defense against illness and other variables (Ray, 2004); and that there are multiple ways to achieve resilient
and recover in face of loss and trauma (Bonanno, 2004), one of which being spiritualization that is understated. Silberman (2005) states that “religious
meaning systems” of individuals are composed of “specific beliefs”, which affect physical and mental health. Here the content of the specific belief
(i.e., one that gives rise to meaning) and how different individuals relate to those meaning systems are contemplated in relation to coping, trauma, terrorism
and wars. And that the co-relationship between religion and health co-vary as a function of the kind of religion, the way health is measured, the situational or
contextual factors, and the extent to which the individual becomes religiously involved- mild, moderate or severe. One of the fundamental relations between
spirituality and health is depicted in the work by Ai et. al. (2009). The authors find that spiritual struggle during an existential crisis (for those having cardiac
surgery) can result in increased inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6), decline health and negative motions prior to surgery. The relation between spiritual
crisis and health is shown in this work.
Inter-generational Effects of Parenting & Religious Belief
Having also concentrated on evolutionary psych and with deeper understanding for the problem of nature and nurture, I could not escape the fact that so
many generations of religion has changed us biologically, mentally, and culturally- both positively and negatively. We are now understanding more and more
that experience does affect the genes of the future off springs. And religious or spiritual experience may also pass on to the next generations. Before, such
idea would had been attributed to Lamark or Wallace. Now, research supports the idea that certain positive experiences (such as good parenting or early
secure social attachment, for example) can “buffer” against inherited diseases, for example alcoholism; and those interacting between genes and the
environment, for example aggression (Suomi, 2005).
A secure maternal bond is tantamount to one’s spiritual experience; and if both spirituality and secure maternal bond are associated in time and space, which
they are in normal life, then religion and spirituality would serve as an intervening variable in-between generations. Consider the positive and negative
implications of the intervention. Consider a mother with one religious meaning system, who uses physical abuse to discipline a child, and another mother
(with a different religious meaning system) who uses love as a guiding principle. These disciplinary religious or spiritual meaning systems can have different
ameliorating effects on the mental and physical health outcome of the next generation then.
Genetic Expression of Parents in the Brain: Pastoral Counseling to the Rescue
The role that a father plays in the religion-environment-gene interaction is different than the role of the mother. For example, father’s genes are known to be
expressed in the hypothalamus- where we know it to be the seat of homeostasis, and the mother’s genes in the neocortex (see Brown, 2003)- where we know it
to be the seat of thinking, self-control and spirituality. If there may be parental conflict, then, a hypothesis is drawn here that the two brain areas
(hypothalamus - neocortex) would be in conflict. Family or couple spiritual counseling should then reduce the expression of such conflict in the so called
“genetic imprinting” in the brain of the child. The neocortex and the prefrontal cortex can inhibit or regulate pain, anger, hunger, and thirst. The interaction
between the cortex and spinal cord is found to be coherent, with a short reaction time when the brain (‘mind’) and the spinal cord (‘body’) interact (see
Schoffelen et al., 2005; click here for our page on Axial/Rostral Dynamics, NIHARD the Institute). The activity of one neuron, furthermore, affects a distant
neuron “spontaneously”. This can happen through Quantum or light wave physics is also a phenomenon studied more recently. It is almost like an integrated
miracle happening in the whole person. I believe it; since I have derived at a mathematical formula about disparate behavioral systems interacting and I
found infinity! An event in one area of the person is simultaneously found in another distant part without any apparent linking. Without diverging any further,
the above mentioned conflict in beliefs, intentions and actions of the mother and the father need not take place through genetic imprinting alone.
Spiritual Meaning in Brain, Empathy and Pain Control
In the life time of the child, just by observing a parent, therapist or a role model “mirror neurons” can fire in the observer as though he or she was behaving it
(Fogassi, et. al, 2005); and similarly, inter-mind-brain empathy has been studied (Calarge et. al., 2003), whereby mental states of self and other are
represented in brain regions responsible for control, monitoring, processing and performance. The same intention area of the brain of an observer becomes
active in anticipating the intention of an actor. In light of the recent research on neural regulation of social pain (“rejection” or social exclusion), conflict,
anxiety and other alarming physical pain, Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortext (dACC) and Amygdala were shown to be differentially activated; and that by using
“labeling” (i.e., manipulating meaning) the Right Ventral Prefrontal Cortex (RVPFC) was experimentally activated to modulate both mentioned areas of the
brain, directly and indirectly (Eisenberger and Lieberman, 2004). More recently, the role of Fos protein expression in forebrain, through pathways regulates
food intake in anorexia-cachexia syndrome (caused by cancerous tumor) has been studied (Konsman and Blomqvist, 2005). Perhaps in this case the function
of forebrain or otherwise spirituality does not serve an immediate function. But later, as other research has shown, starvation makes the body consume the
tumor as food. This is a kind of self-healing of the body that seems to be teleologically designed through the brain and the body, a mind-body phenomenon of
a grand purpose for a deadly autoimmune disease- namely cancer. Here we can see that even the protein synthesis in the brain can have a teleological
function according to an organizing principle of molecular genetics, the rudiment of the evolutionary theory. Is not then God’s design ahead of time for the
brain to tell the body to limit calorie intake to fight cancer? Of course an appropriate nutritional advise is needed, but the point is being made as to the
spirituality and purposefulness of the brain.
Spirituality, belief, meaning system, imagination, certain cognitive behavioral “restructuring” can inhibit both physical and emotional pain (even food intake)
via cortical inhibitions- i.e., involving the above localizations of the functions of the brain pathways. But one should consider that other locations of the mind-
brain and body could have been activated and integrated as well. And the scope of the research does not address that and more research integration is
needed.
There is some evidence that some level of spirituality, “calmness, unity and transcendence” (one that can be derived from a meditation state) increases the
blood flow to the frontal brain lobes and decreases activity in the parietal lobe (see Newberg, 1998). One should keep a research perspective, however. Since
the reduction of the activation (i.e., as a result of confounding noises and other sensations arising from the body) by itself could had produced the observed
blood flow effect during meditation. And furthermore, someone with a total frontal lobe ablation may be capable of a transcendental experience; since there
is transfer of function from one brain area to another. Moreover, Wade (2005) warns against the fostering of the above kind of ‘new phrenology’, and further
recommends for a critical and intelligent thinking about the brain localization work when teaching about them.
Conflict and Psychosomatics
The individuals report various degrees of relief both qualitatively and quantitatively when conflict is resolved. Experimental research reports I had made about
the basic research done involving conflicts in emotions and motivations, the data shows that failure to perform is not due to biological constraints; but those
failures are due to motivational and emotional conflicts. These conflicts can affect higher learning functions of the forebrain translating into spirituality.
Understanding the translation from the structural to the functional is similar to the problem of mind and body (or brain to behavior) dichotomy. So that the
spiritual work itself needs to be appropriately organized to not pose structural and functional conflicts. One must always have the physicians involved to rule
out the biological causes of the problems presented. And once that is done the work of a spiritual therapist begins.
That may include understanding the inter-generational beliefs and potential for adaptability in the spirit-mind-body relationship. Here the relationship
between past environmental experiences and current physical problems need analysis. When necessary I help the individual become aware and isolate the
environmental factors of the past; those which went unconscious as a result of ineffective defense mechanisms such as repression, suppression, displacement
or erroneous beliefs or erroneous ‘spiritualization’- among other ineffective coping mechanisms.
For example, let us consider weakness and fatigue, about which hypothyroidism and depression were or were not ruled out by the physician as being
responsible. Even with hormonal and psychopharmacological interventions (and all other medical interventions available to the person) the individual
continues to complain of weakness and fatigue. When understanding the psycho-socio-cultural past, the learning history, one understand that the comparison
of self to others, which is religiously or culturally looked down upon had been at work. That would be part of that specific belief structure. The past consisted of
either a comfortable life or one of trauma. Now, faced with new challenges, one that elicits states of mind associated to old challenges, the individual
compares the difference between the past, the present and to others who are seen as different than him/herself. The religious belief then conflicts with
comparing the self, the past and the present. Here, another conflict ensues; that is a struggle to not be aware of the painful conflict (i.e., denial and
avoidance). The conflict about the conflict together results in mental fatigue and weakness. What I do with that is to help the individual gain insight into the
conflict of the conflict. Sometimes that awareness by itself cures the person. Here the past learning history affects the present physical and mental health.
In a sense then I provide analysis of the past and modify the stimulus-belief-thought-emotion-attitude-response chain. Spiritual, cognitive, and behavioral
interventions are sometimes provided systematically. The work I do is a kind of spiritual psychosomatics or pastoral counseling for emotional conflicts
contributing to psychosomatic problems. When I do, we present on the radio other spiritually guided Psychosomatic case histories, with brief historical analysis
and sometimes, when ethically necessary, behavioral instructions are presented for public outreach and education. You can tune-in to this world-wide
program every Sunday for a full 20 minutes program. We can answer questions on the call line if needed. The radio is not for therapy and meets the Religious,
pastoral, educational and scientific purpose of Q’s Ministry, BHITS.
C/O Kiumars Lalezarzadeh, M.A., Ph.D.
Q’s Ministry, BHITS
P.O. Box 241661
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Qministry@yahoo.com
Kma-lazarphd@excite.com
(310) 395 1250
Radio Information: Q’s Ministry
Spiritual Psychosomatics & Comparative Brain, Behavior, Mind, Body & Soul
Sundays, 2:00-2:30 PM (PST)
www.KLASFM.com (89.7 FM, Los Angeles & Radio phone 323-461-6676)
Call to Talk Live on Radio: (323) 962-1937 or (323) 962-1938
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www.KCLAFM.com (99.3 FM, Time Werner Cable & Radio phone 323-461-6675).
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References
Ai, A. L., Seymour, E. M., Tice, T. N., Kronfol, Z., Bolling, S. F. (2009). Spiritual struggle related to plasma interleukin-6 prior to cardiac surgery. Psych of
Religion and Spirituality, 1(2), 112-128. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/rel/1/2/112/
Bonanno, G. A. (2004, January). Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience: Have We Underestimated the Human Capacity to Thrive After Extremely Aversive
Events? American Psych, 59(1), 20-28.
Brown, W. M. (2003). Intragenomic Conflicts and ‘Adapted Mind’. The Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psych Newsletter: American Psych
Association Division 3. 18(1), 5-6.
Calarge, C., Andreasen, N. C. and O’Leary, D. S. (2003). Visualizing How One Brain Understands Another: A PET Study of Theory of Mind. American Journal
of Psychiatry, 160, 1954-1964.
Dawkins, R. (2005, May). ‘Creationism: God’s gift to the ignorant.’ www.humanism.org.uk . The Times. London: www.timesonlime.co.uk/article/0,,592-
1619264,00.html.
Eisenberger, N. I. & Lieberman, M. D. (2004, July). Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(7), 294-300.
Fogassi, L., Ferrari, P. F., Gesierich, B., Rozzi, S., Chersi, F. and Rizzolatti, G. (2005, April 29). Parietal Lobe: From Action Organization to Intention
Understanding. Science, 308, 662-667.
Hill, P. C. & Pargament, K. I. (2003, January). Advances in Conceptualization and Measurement of Religion and Spirituality: Implications for Physical and
Mental Health Research. American Psych, 58(1), 64-74.
Ito, K. (2005, June). Ribosome-based protein folding systems are structurally divergent but functionally universal across biological kingdoms. Molecular
Microbiology 57 (2), 313-317.
Konsman, J. P. & Blomqvist, A. (2005, May). Forebrain patterns of c-Fos and FosB induction during cancer-associated anorexia-cachexia in rat. European
Journal of Neuroscience 21 (10), 2752-2766.
Lalezarzadeh, K. (1988, June). Science, Religion and Magic: Subtle Dichotomies and Resolutions. Pacific Division of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science Publication (Corvallis, Oregon, convention proceedings, No. 37).
Lee, B. Y. & Newberg, A. B. (2005, June). Religion and Health: A Review and Critical Analysis. Zygon, 40 (2), 443.
Nemeroff, C. B. (2005, February 12; Korn Convocation Hall, UCLA). Neurobiological effects of childhood abuse: Implications for the Pathophysiology of
depression and anxiety. Abstract in conference program titled Four Dimensions of Childhood: Brain, Mind, Culture and Time. Sponsored by The Foundation
for Psychocultural Research, UCLA Graduate Division, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, and National Institute of Health; p. 29. [also cited Ladd, C.O., Hout, R. L., Thrivikraman, K. V., Nemeroff, C. B. & Plotsky, P. M. (2004). Long-
term adaptations in glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA and negative feedback on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis following
neonatal maternal separation. Biological Psychiatry, 55, 367-375., Sanchez, M. M., Ladd, C. O. & Plotsky, P. M. (2001). Early adverse experience as a
developmental risk factor for later psychopathology: Evidence from rodent and primate model. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 419-449.]
Newberg, A. M. (1998, February 10). A Neuropsych Analysis of Religion: Discovering Why God Won’t Go Away. The AAAS Program of Dialogue Between
Science and Religion: Neuroscience and Religion. www.neurosciences.ch/pdf/The_Neurosciences_and_Religion.pdf
Orr, H. A. (2005, May). Devolution: Why intelligent design isn’t. Annals of Science, Fact, The New Yorker. Cond Nast Publications, N.Y.
Portavella, M. & Vargas, J. P. (2005, May). Emotional and spatial learning in goldfish is dependant on different telencephalic pallial systems. European
Journal of Neuroscience, 21(10) 2800-2806.
Ray, O. (2004, January). How the Mind Hurts and Heals the Body. American Psych, 59(1), 29-40.
Shoffelen, J.-M., Oostenveld, R. & Fries, P. (2005, April 1). Neuronal Coherance as a Mechanism of Effective Corticospinal Interaction. Science, 308, 111-
113.
Schweiker, W. (2005, June). The varieties and Revisions of Atheism. Zygon, 40 (2), 267.
Silberman, I. (2005, Spring). Religion as Meaning-system: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being. Psych of Religion Newsletter: American Psych
Association Division 36. 30(2), 1-9.
Suomi, S. J. (2005, February 12; Korn Convocation Hall, UCLA). Gene-environment interaction and the socialization of aggression in primates. Abstract in
conference program titled Four Dimensions of Childhood: Brain, Mind, Culture and Time. Sponsored by The Foundation for Psychocultural Research, UCLA
Graduate Division, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and National Institute of
Health; p. 27.
Wade, C. (2005, May 26). PET Scans and Pet Theories: Neuroscience’s Challenge for Psych. APS-STP Teaching Institute Distinguished Lecture. American
Psych Society 17th Annual convention (Los Angeles, CA, convention proceedings, p. 38).
Other Comments by Minister Kiumars
Religion for Health or Religion for Religion
On God Is Love, and Love and Truth are Inseparable
More on Evolution
Links
Evolution of Religion
Evolutionary & Religious Perspectives (Please see The Science Advisory Board for the original essay)
by
Kiumars Lalezarzadeh, M.A., Ph.D.
Purpose
Q’s Ministry guiding principles include the analysis of the troubling past in relation to the troubling present. Furthermore one of the goals is to help the
individual learn new coping skills and behaviors to lead a healthier and a happier life. Various techniques and methods are provided based on the individual’s
conditions. And spiritual guidance and pastoral counseling is provided to help the person who seeks our help. In this essay we want to know why the spiritual
modality is an important part of the helping. I draw from personal work experience to begin the essay.
Belief in Learning and Learning to Believe
For over 20 years I held positions as a counselor at an adolescent inpatient psychiatric hospital, co-facilitated many multi-family group therapy sessions,
separately at a private out-patient clinic and helped severe and intractable “mentally ill” adults, helped at the University counseling center, and while
conducted basic behavioral, sensation and perception experiments with fish, pigeons, rats and humans. At that time during my youth, I learned that if I
believed that the so called “intractable” clients, who effectively had been given up on by those around them, had the potential to change, they would. And
they did change for the better. They changed even more if they believed that I believed they could improve. At that time I would have been known as a so
called “strict behaviorist.” I believed that every stimulus and response are equally associable, and thus subject to “learning”, or modification. With that positive
behavioral science attitude at work, my credo was "why shouldn’t the so called "intractable" clients change. As long as the brain works, it has the potential to
change according to the equipotentiality principles. I had belief in the equipotentiality principle; and years later I formulated “equipotentiality” mathematical
formulas using vector calculus to analyze behavioral phenotypes, which were known to be genetically driven, “wired- in”, “fixed” - “modal” action patterns,
reflexive or instinctive- i.e., with underlying neuroanatomical connections subject to reconnections and transfer of function from one brain area to another.
Before that I also worked with children analytically. Later in private, I extended the basic science work and devised systems of body-self-image modification to
treat eating disorders, emotional and relationship problems. I wrote about feedback systems in the brain, which later grew into the mirror neuron work. I also
served as a professor of Psych at both the college and the University level. I integrated pastoral counseling with behavioral and analytic methods (given some
knowledge about the brain) to help individuals, couples and families experiencing spiritual crisis, mental and psychosomatic disorders. Through these applied
experiences, life and formal education, I learned that life events, problems and stimuli go thorough the brain (i.e., the mechanical driver of our bodily
responses to those problems, the temple of our soul, belief system, spiritual self, and where mind is embodied and ‘emerges’).
Psych therapy VS. Medication
Therefore, if the problems go through the brain and the spiritual self, then spiritual counseling had to be part of the helping. A skeptic might argue that this
intervention might be too “soft” or simple of an approach to severe mental health problems. Contrary to it, however, more recently Nemeroff (2005; also see
Ladd et al. 2004, Sanchez et al., 2001) showed that even some of the severest of all problems (such as early neonatal stress, child abuse, neglect and sexual
abuse)- which result in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, increased cerebrospinal fluid concentration-mRNA expression in certain brain cites,
and chronic depression later on in life- respond more effectively to psych therapy than to nefazodone antidepressant treatment.
Spiritualization and Defensiveness
All along, the psych defense systems were of interest to me. Having become adept both in academe and applied settings, I knew that the defense system of
spiritualization was not a mere heuristic panacea or a “detachment” or avoidance from the real life events. Even though we know that the obsessional form of
religiosity can detach the person from the day to day fabric of living vicissitudes. And from the evolutionary stand point, the role that the forebrain (the
embodiment of “teleo” or spirituality) plays in avoidance learning has been investigated in gold fish. And one could have argued that spiritualization is a form
of avoidance. However, we have more evidence now that the medial part of the forebrain telencephalon plays a role in avoidance, not the lateral pallium,
which has a role in spatial learning (Portavella and Vargas, 2005). Apparently this has been true for 400 million years. That leaves one to contemplate that
the role of the forebrain’s and spiritualization is not entirely for avoidance. That is not to state that strict religious upbringing can not by itself result in trauma.
But we are not talking about that. Before, psych of religion had become a research area, one of my history and systems professors suggested that religion and
spirituality played a part only after trauma and conflict comes about.
War Between Science and Religion
Just about 19 years ago, I was also studying the relationship among religion, science and technology, particularly the war between science and religion. I
reviewed the national data about religious and scientific organizations, with the historic and the philosophical perspectives on the conflicts between religion
and science-technology. In the back of my mind, I thought that there was a discrepancy in this war. On the one hand, evolutionary theorists believed that
Creation was too grand of an idea and yet believed in an organizing principle, such as the Darwinian selection process. I believed that the evolutionary
process of change was based on a general organizing principle that was created. To me one role of science was about discovering orderly principles. Thus, if
there was organization there was creation. That was simple modus pones logic. It was either random chaos or creation. The evolutionary process was not
chaotic, thus it had to be created. That god created an organized process of change to adapt to the changes (Lalezarzadeh, 1988). And my spiritual life was
integrated in to discovering those general learning processes and principles common to all beings. That was behind the work for nearly a quarter of a century.
Now, a similar view about belief in an “intelligent orderer” (“God”) is grounded in the “emergence of DNA” (see Schweiker, 2005). Orr (2005) presents a neo-
Darwinian emergent called “Devolution” or “no intelligent design” that is the opposite of the above conception. Dawkins (2005), on the other hand, uses an
angle of the creationist logic: that if no fossils are found showing gradual evolution, then evolutionary jumps must exist and thus God’s creation has
intervened. He pleads to not attribute to God what we have not discovered yet, however. The above arguments seemed to me to be to narrow; that is at the
level of specific speciation of, for example, millions of insect species, which god could not had created one by one. And yet they offer no laws or general
principle about the process of change that happened for all species. The conception offered here is: that the process of evolutionary change, or the
adaptation common to all, by itself is orderly, intelligent, and created by god’s design. [Just recently Ito, 2005 stated that "during evolution nature has
employed a common design but divergent components to facilitate folding of polypeptides as they emerge from the ribosomal exit"]. One can also argue that
God created the variation to increase the potential for survival. In religion too, a similar dichotomy is found between the general revelations and the specific
revelations.
Belief Systems, Meaning and Health
Today, much research has supported the hypothesis that religious beliefs play a part in physical health; and this now is an emerging research field (see Hill
and Pargament, 2003 and related articles in the same issue; also see Lee and Newberg, 2005). Mindfulness, ‘mentalization’, belief systems or spiritualization
are emergent functioning of the brain in line of defense against illness and other variables (Ray, 2004); and that there are multiple ways to achieve resilient
and recover in face of loss and trauma (Bonanno, 2004), one of which being spiritualization that is understated. Silberman (2005) states that “religious
meaning systems” of individuals are composed of “specific beliefs”, which affect physical and mental health. Here the content of the specific belief
(i.e., one that gives rise to meaning) and how different individuals relate to those meaning systems are contemplated in relation to coping, trauma, terrorism
and wars. And that the co-relationship between religion and health co-vary as a function of the kind of religion, the way health is measured, the situational or
contextual factors, and the extent to which the individual becomes religiously involved- mild, moderate or severe. One of the fundamental relations between
spirituality and health is depicted in the work by Ai et. al. (2009). The authors find that spiritual struggle during an existential crisis (for those having cardiac
surgery) can result in increased inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6), decline health and negative motions prior to surgery. The relation between spiritual
crisis and health is shown in this work.
Inter-generational Effects of Parenting & Religious Belief
Having also concentrated on evolutionary psych and with deeper understanding for the problem of nature and nurture, I could not escape the fact that so
many generations of religion has changed us biologically, mentally, and culturally- both positively and negatively. We are now understanding more and more
that experience does affect the genes of the future off springs. And religious or spiritual experience may also pass on to the next generations. Before, such
idea would had been attributed to Lamark or Wallace. Now, research supports the idea that certain positive experiences (such as good parenting or early
secure social attachment, for example) can “buffer” against inherited diseases, for example alcoholism; and those interacting between genes and the
environment, for example aggression (Suomi, 2005).
A secure maternal bond is tantamount to one’s spiritual experience; and if both spirituality and secure maternal bond are associated in time and space, which
they are in normal life, then religion and spirituality would serve as an intervening variable in-between generations. Consider the positive and negative
implications of the intervention. Consider a mother with one religious meaning system, who uses physical abuse to discipline a child, and another mother
(with a different religious meaning system) who uses love as a guiding principle. These disciplinary religious or spiritual meaning systems can have different
ameliorating effects on the mental and physical health outcome of the next generation then.
Genetic Expression of Parents in the Brain: Pastoral Counseling to the Rescue
The role that a father plays in the religion-environment-gene interaction is different than the role of the mother. For example, father’s genes are known to be
expressed in the hypothalamus- where we know it to be the seat of homeostasis, and the mother’s genes in the neocortex (see Brown, 2003)- where we know it
to be the seat of thinking, self-control and spirituality. If there may be parental conflict, then, a hypothesis is drawn here that the two brain areas
(hypothalamus - neocortex) would be in conflict. Family or couple spiritual counseling should then reduce the expression of such conflict in the so called
“genetic imprinting” in the brain of the child. The neocortex and the prefrontal cortex can inhibit or regulate pain, anger, hunger, and thirst. The interaction
between the cortex and spinal cord is found to be coherent, with a short reaction time when the brain (‘mind’) and the spinal cord (‘body’) interact (see
Schoffelen et al., 2005; click here for our page on Axial/Rostral Dynamics, NIHARD the Institute). The activity of one neuron, furthermore, affects a distant
neuron “spontaneously”. This can happen through Quantum or light wave physics is also a phenomenon studied more recently. It is almost like an integrated
miracle happening in the whole person. I believe it; since I have derived at a mathematical formula about disparate behavioral systems interacting and I
found infinity! An event in one area of the person is simultaneously found in another distant part without any apparent linking. Without diverging any further,
the above mentioned conflict in beliefs, intentions and actions of the mother and the father need not take place through genetic imprinting alone.
Spiritual Meaning in Brain, Empathy and Pain Control
In the life time of the child, just by observing a parent, therapist or a role model “mirror neurons” can fire in the observer as though he or she was behaving it
(Fogassi, et. al, 2005); and similarly, inter-mind-brain empathy has been studied (Calarge et. al., 2003), whereby mental states of self and other are
represented in brain regions responsible for control, monitoring, processing and performance. The same intention area of the brain of an observer becomes
active in anticipating the intention of an actor. In light of the recent research on neural regulation of social pain (“rejection” or social exclusion), conflict,
anxiety and other alarming physical pain, Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortext (dACC) and Amygdala were shown to be differentially activated; and that by using
“labeling” (i.e., manipulating meaning) the Right Ventral Prefrontal Cortex (RVPFC) was experimentally activated to modulate both mentioned areas of the
brain, directly and indirectly (Eisenberger and Lieberman, 2004). More recently, the role of Fos protein expression in forebrain, through pathways regulates
food intake in anorexia-cachexia syndrome (caused by cancerous tumor) has been studied (Konsman and Blomqvist, 2005). Perhaps in this case the function
of forebrain or otherwise spirituality does not serve an immediate function. But later, as other research has shown, starvation makes the body consume the
tumor as food. This is a kind of self-healing of the body that seems to be teleologically designed through the brain and the body, a mind-body phenomenon of
a grand purpose for a deadly autoimmune disease- namely cancer. Here we can see that even the protein synthesis in the brain can have a teleological
function according to an organizing principle of molecular genetics, the rudiment of the evolutionary theory. Is not then God’s design ahead of time for the
brain to tell the body to limit calorie intake to fight cancer? Of course an appropriate nutritional advise is needed, but the point is being made as to the
spirituality and purposefulness of the brain.
Spirituality, belief, meaning system, imagination, certain cognitive behavioral “restructuring” can inhibit both physical and emotional pain (even food intake)
via cortical inhibitions- i.e., involving the above localizations of the functions of the brain pathways. But one should consider that other locations of the mind-
brain and body could have been activated and integrated as well. And the scope of the research does not address that and more research integration is
needed.
There is some evidence that some level of spirituality, “calmness, unity and transcendence” (one that can be derived from a meditation state) increases the
blood flow to the frontal brain lobes and decreases activity in the parietal lobe (see Newberg, 1998). One should keep a research perspective, however. Since
the reduction of the activation (i.e., as a result of confounding noises and other sensations arising from the body) by itself could had produced the observed
blood flow effect during meditation. And furthermore, someone with a total frontal lobe ablation may be capable of a transcendental experience; since there
is transfer of function from one brain area to another. Moreover, Wade (2005) warns against the fostering of the above kind of ‘new phrenology’, and further
recommends for a critical and intelligent thinking about the brain localization work when teaching about them.
Conflict and Psychosomatics
The individuals report various degrees of relief both qualitatively and quantitatively when conflict is resolved. Experimental research reports I had made about
the basic research done involving conflicts in emotions and motivations, the data shows that failure to perform is not due to biological constraints; but those
failures are due to motivational and emotional conflicts. These conflicts can affect higher learning functions of the forebrain translating into spirituality.
Understanding the translation from the structural to the functional is similar to the problem of mind and body (or brain to behavior) dichotomy. So that the
spiritual work itself needs to be appropriately organized to not pose structural and functional conflicts. One must always have the physicians involved to rule
out the biological causes of the problems presented. And once that is done the work of a spiritual therapist begins.
That may include understanding the inter-generational beliefs and potential for adaptability in the spirit-mind-body relationship. Here the relationship
between past environmental experiences and current physical problems need analysis. When necessary I help the individual become aware and isolate the
environmental factors of the past; those which went unconscious as a result of ineffective defense mechanisms such as repression, suppression, displacement
or erroneous beliefs or erroneous ‘spiritualization’- among other ineffective coping mechanisms.
For example, let us consider weakness and fatigue, about which hypothyroidism and depression were or were not ruled out by the physician as being
responsible. Even with hormonal and psychopharmacological interventions (and all other medical interventions available to the person) the individual
continues to complain of weakness and fatigue. When understanding the psycho-socio-cultural past, the learning history, one understand that the comparison
of self to others, which is religiously or culturally looked down upon had been at work. That would be part of that specific belief structure. The past consisted of
either a comfortable life or one of trauma. Now, faced with new challenges, one that elicits states of mind associated to old challenges, the individual
compares the difference between the past, the present and to others who are seen as different than him/herself. The religious belief then conflicts with
comparing the self, the past and the present. Here, another conflict ensues; that is a struggle to not be aware of the painful conflict (i.e., denial and
avoidance). The conflict about the conflict together results in mental fatigue and weakness. What I do with that is to help the individual gain insight into the
conflict of the conflict. Sometimes that awareness by itself cures the person. Here the past learning history affects the present physical and mental health.
In a sense then I provide analysis of the past and modify the stimulus-belief-thought-emotion-attitude-response chain. Spiritual, cognitive, and behavioral
interventions are sometimes provided systematically. The work I do is a kind of spiritual psychosomatics or pastoral counseling for emotional conflicts
contributing to psychosomatic problems. When I do, we present on the radio other spiritually guided Psychosomatic case histories, with brief historical analysis
and sometimes, when ethically necessary, behavioral instructions are presented for public outreach and education. You can tune-in to this world-wide
program every Sunday for a full 20 minutes program. We can answer questions on the call line if needed. The radio is not for therapy and meets the Religious,
pastoral, educational and scientific purpose of Q’s Ministry, BHITS.
C/O Kiumars Lalezarzadeh, M.A., Ph.D.
Q’s Ministry, BHITS
P.O. Box 241661
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Qministry@yahoo.com
Kma-lazarphd@excite.com
(310) 395 1250
Radio Information: Q’s Ministry
Spiritual Psychosomatics & Comparative Brain, Behavior, Mind, Body & Soul
Sundays, 2:00-2:30 PM (PST)
www.KLASFM.com (89.7 FM, Los Angeles & Radio phone 323-461-6676)
Call to Talk Live on Radio: (323) 962-1937 or (323) 962-1938
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Mondays 2:00-2:30 AM (PST)
www.KCLAFM.com (99.3 FM, Time Werner Cable & Radio phone 323-461-6675).
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References
Ai, A. L., Seymour, E. M., Tice, T. N., Kronfol, Z., Bolling, S. F. (2009). Spiritual struggle related to plasma interleukin-6 prior to cardiac surgery. Psych of
Religion and Spirituality, 1(2), 112-128. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/rel/1/2/112/
Bonanno, G. A. (2004, January). Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience: Have We Underestimated the Human Capacity to Thrive After Extremely Aversive
Events? American Psych, 59(1), 20-28.
Brown, W. M. (2003). Intragenomic Conflicts and ‘Adapted Mind’. The Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psych Newsletter: American Psych
Association Division 3. 18(1), 5-6.
Calarge, C., Andreasen, N. C. and O’Leary, D. S. (2003). Visualizing How One Brain Understands Another: A PET Study of Theory of Mind. American Journal
of Psychiatry, 160, 1954-1964.
Dawkins, R. (2005, May). ‘Creationism: God’s gift to the ignorant.’ www.humanism.org.uk . The Times. London: www.timesonlime.co.uk/article/0,,592-
1619264,00.html.
Eisenberger, N. I. & Lieberman, M. D. (2004, July). Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(7), 294-300.
Fogassi, L., Ferrari, P. F., Gesierich, B., Rozzi, S., Chersi, F. and Rizzolatti, G. (2005, April 29). Parietal Lobe: From Action Organization to Intention
Understanding. Science, 308, 662-667.
Hill, P. C. & Pargament, K. I. (2003, January). Advances in Conceptualization and Measurement of Religion and Spirituality: Implications for Physical and
Mental Health Research. American Psych, 58(1), 64-74.
Ito, K. (2005, June). Ribosome-based protein folding systems are structurally divergent but functionally universal across biological kingdoms. Molecular
Microbiology 57 (2), 313-317.
Konsman, J. P. & Blomqvist, A. (2005, May). Forebrain patterns of c-Fos and FosB induction during cancer-associated anorexia-cachexia in rat. European
Journal of Neuroscience 21 (10), 2752-2766.
Lalezarzadeh, K. (1988, June). Science, Religion and Magic: Subtle Dichotomies and Resolutions. Pacific Division of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science Publication (Corvallis, Oregon, convention proceedings, No. 37).
Lee, B. Y. & Newberg, A. B. (2005, June). Religion and Health: A Review and Critical Analysis. Zygon, 40 (2), 443.
Nemeroff, C. B. (2005, February 12; Korn Convocation Hall, UCLA). Neurobiological effects of childhood abuse: Implications for the Pathophysiology of
depression and anxiety. Abstract in conference program titled Four Dimensions of Childhood: Brain, Mind, Culture and Time. Sponsored by The Foundation
for Psychocultural Research, UCLA Graduate Division, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, and National Institute of Health; p. 29. [also cited Ladd, C.O., Hout, R. L., Thrivikraman, K. V., Nemeroff, C. B. & Plotsky, P. M. (2004). Long-
term adaptations in glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA and negative feedback on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis following
neonatal maternal separation. Biological Psychiatry, 55, 367-375., Sanchez, M. M., Ladd, C. O. & Plotsky, P. M. (2001). Early adverse experience as a
developmental risk factor for later psychopathology: Evidence from rodent and primate model. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 419-449.]
Newberg, A. M. (1998, February 10). A Neuropsych Analysis of Religion: Discovering Why God Won’t Go Away. The AAAS Program of Dialogue Between
Science and Religion: Neuroscience and Religion. www.neurosciences.ch/pdf/The_Neurosciences_and_Religion.pdf
Orr, H. A. (2005, May). Devolution: Why intelligent design isn’t. Annals of Science, Fact, The New Yorker. Cond Nast Publications, N.Y.
Portavella, M. & Vargas, J. P. (2005, May). Emotional and spatial learning in goldfish is dependant on different telencephalic pallial systems. European
Journal of Neuroscience, 21(10) 2800-2806.
Ray, O. (2004, January). How the Mind Hurts and Heals the Body. American Psych, 59(1), 29-40.
Shoffelen, J.-M., Oostenveld, R. & Fries, P. (2005, April 1). Neuronal Coherance as a Mechanism of Effective Corticospinal Interaction. Science, 308, 111-
113.
Schweiker, W. (2005, June). The varieties and Revisions of Atheism. Zygon, 40 (2), 267.
Silberman, I. (2005, Spring). Religion as Meaning-system: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being. Psych of Religion Newsletter: American Psych
Association Division 36. 30(2), 1-9.
Suomi, S. J. (2005, February 12; Korn Convocation Hall, UCLA). Gene-environment interaction and the socialization of aggression in primates. Abstract in
conference program titled Four Dimensions of Childhood: Brain, Mind, Culture and Time. Sponsored by The Foundation for Psychocultural Research, UCLA
Graduate Division, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and National Institute of
Health; p. 27.
Wade, C. (2005, May 26). PET Scans and Pet Theories: Neuroscience’s Challenge for Psych. APS-STP Teaching Institute Distinguished Lecture. American
Psych Society 17th Annual convention (Los Angeles, CA, convention proceedings, p. 38).
Other Comments by Minister Kiumars
Religion for Health or Religion for Religion
On God Is Love, and Love and Truth are Inseparable
More on Evolution
Links
Evolution of Religion
Evidence of normal giants on earth who could
had perfected the earth!
http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/pember7.htm
had perfected the earth!
http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/pember7.htm
The Nephilim Giants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9l684wxDM0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9l684wxDM0
Government's View
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYnjypxc4ro&feature=r
elated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYnjypxc4ro&feature=r
elated
Talk on genetics and other evidence that humans are
new on earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=p
e6DN1OoxjE&NR=1
new on earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=p
e6DN1OoxjE&NR=1
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