Yes, life is a big test, “Do people think that they will be left on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested?” (Q. 69:2). Yet, life is not supposed to be a miserable experience (Q. 20:2). The challenges are here to teach us something, help us grow, and lead us on our Straight Path.
It is up to us to find the beauty hidden among the wracks and debris of our lives and to learn to walk even when it seems dark and gloomy. As we keep taking steps forward, we’ll start seeing the light again. I’ve been there, I’ve learned to keep walking in the dark… I’ve learned to trust and “Just keep swimming” like little Dori in Finding Nemo… Just Keep Swimming.

Despite the challenging times we are living, we are still meant to enjoy the ride with all its bumps and troughs… we are meant to find happiness amidst the rubbles… Happiness in honouring the struggle and staying curious about the endless possibilities it is bringing… Happiness is finding excitement on every corner and joy in every lesson… Happiness in learning and growing… in serving… happiness in connecting… … Join our Positivity Challenge HERE and let’s dig deeper into our lives and our hearts to find grace, joy and happiness…

We will work on, reflect on and journal about 10 positive declarations in 10 days. Let’s add positivity to our daily experience. Let’s find grace and gratitude in our daily challenges.

​Many of the physical and pharmaceutical knowledge as we know it is built on theories, an estimated view of the world that we’ve been sold and naively embraced as “truth” while all who suggested it know for sure that these are mere theories.

• The neurotransmitters theory of mental illness -on which the whole biochemical treatment model is based- is a mere theory.
• Human Immune Virus (HIV) is the cause of AIDS is a mere theory
• Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes cervical cancer is a another theory
• Cholesterol medications lower the risk of heart attack is a theory (or maybe even a myth)
• And, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) which is currently used to test and detect COVID-19 cases is yet another theory.

 
Since we started the so-called “War on Cancer”, cancer cases are on the rise. Since we launched into the technological and industrial era, chronic illnesses are booming. Our medical model managed to add years to our lives but robbed those years off quality and dignity. What’s the use of more years if we are crippled by chronic illnesses and pains, our identity erased by dementia and Alzheimer, or our life savings depleted by polypharmacy?
 
Does conflict of interest even mean anything when the World Health Organization (WHO), the medical research and physicians’ continuous education are funded by the companies that sell the drugs?  
Does conflict of interest even mean anything when no proper funding is available to research natural alternatives to the toxic pharmaceuticals because the fact that they are natural makes them un-patentable, and thus they are not money & power generating machine.
 
As we removed God from our Cosmos, we excluded the soul from healthcare and butchered morality out of medical and psychological interventions. We stripped meaning out of our lives, out of our conversations and we replaced our words with empty “plastic words” that sound smart and sophisticated but lack substance and ground.
We are feeding our bodies with empty calories and genetically modified toxins. We are disrupting our delicate human electromagnetic field with microwaves and 5G “technology.” We are feeding our minds on propaganda of fear-mongering pseudoscience. And, we are further depleting our souls with disconnection and addictions.
Our media and propaganda machine managed to silence all voices of reason and punish any whistle blower labeling any objections and freedom of speech as “conspiracy theory.”
 
Where are we heading as a society?
 
COVID-19 managed to bring the world to a halt and for a good reason. It is a scary and real health threat. I am not among those who are claiming that it is all a fear-mongering tactic. No. The disease is real. The death and loss and grief and pain are real. But are we still chasing ghosts? Are we still looking for answers in all the wrong places? Are we repeating the AIDS disaster?
 
Professor Kary B. Mullis, the receiver of Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his invention of PCR (the technique on which today’s COVID-19 testing is based), wrote “We have not been able to discover any good reasons why most of the people on earth believe that AIDS is a disease caused by a virus called HIV. There is simply no scientific evidence demonstrating that this is true.” Mullis goes on to describe his astonishment at how doctors still base their diagnosis and prescription of treatment on this now considered “fact.” In other words, we were faced with a real life threatening illness (AIDS), we hypothesized that a virus (HIV) is the cause of that illness and we based all our subsequent decisions and actions on that hypothesis so much so that, with time, we even forgot the fact that this was a mere hypothesis, a theory that still bears many flaws and raises lots of questions. No wonder scientists have never been able to develop a vaccine nor find a real treatment for AIDS.
 
The current tragedy brings to mind the words of Peter Duesburg, the professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, talking about the AIDS epidemic, he said, “The answers to the epidemic do not lie in increased funding or efforts to make science more productive. The answers will instead be found by reinterpreting existing information. Science's most important task, much more than unearthing new data, is to make sense of the data already in hand. Without going back to check its underlying assumptions, [we] will never make sense of its mountains of raw data.”
 
But, today, are we able and willing to “check the underlying assumption”? Are we able and willing to shake the status quo?
 
John Maddox, the editor of Nature, the world's oldest scientific journal, wrote, “Is there a danger, in molecular biology, that the accumulation of data will get so far ahead of its assimilation into a conceptual framework that the data will eventually prove an encumbrance? Part of the trouble is that excitement of the chase leaves little room for reflection. And there are grants for producing data, but hardly any for standing back in contemplation.”
 
I hope that after this acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic passes, we would take the time “for standing back in contemplation.” I hope that as this pandemic was an invitation for all of us, on the individual level, to reorganize our life and recheck our priorities, it would also be an invitation for our scrupulous conscientious scientists, researchers, pharmacists, and physicians to reflect, contemplate, and “check the underlying assumptions.”
 
May God help and guide us all. Amen.

It took a global pandemic to force us to pause our fast-paced life, slow down the mad pursuit for ever more, and to replace our FOMO (Fear of Missing out) with a legitimate fear for our simple ability to breathe… a priceless luxury that we all took for granted.
It took a global pandemic to make us realize how lonely and empty our modern lifestyle really is…
It took a global pandemic to make us face this dark lifeless spot that lurked deep beneath the surface of our hearts and lay at the core of our being perfectly camouflaged that we failed to see it for what it really is… Depression!
 
Depression, loneliness, and emptiness became the “modern maladies of the soul.”[1] Studies show that when we are depressed, being alone exasperates the feelings of vulnerability, helplessness, and powerlessness. While, as we progress in healing our depression, we start viewing loneliness as a sign of autonomy, self-worth, and independence.[2] Yet, in this time of social/physical distancing and social isolation we are forced to face the question: are loneliness and emptiness causing our depression, or are they caused by it?
 
We might be tempted to think that we need to treat depression for those feelings to resolve. Yet, how can we treat depression without resolving such feelings of emptiness, vulnerability, and loneliness?
 
Paul Gilbert, the British clinical psychologist, identifies powerlessness and lack of belonging as two basic social constructs that pave the way for depression.[3] Powerlessness, in our context, could be defined as the loss of control and the inability to achieve significant goals, to form meaningful relationships, to escape unacceptable social situations, and/or to prove our value and worth.[4] Holly Nelson-Becker, the Professor at Department of Clinical Sciences at Brunel University London, invites us to look at powerlessness in itself as a part of the learning journey that requires deep reflection; “perhaps a part of the learning is that [we] must wait in powerlessness,” she suggests.[5] Sometimes, down periods in life are periods of spiritual transformation and opportunities for growth. Could COVID-19 pandemic present us with such opportunity?
 
Even before this pandemic, our modern lifestyle had sentenced many, or even most, of us to a meaningless lonely life. It forced us to be largely disconnected: disconnected from our family members who may be living under the same roof…  disconnected from our own self, our passions and true purposes… disconnected from the Bigger Picture, bigger life meaning… disconnected from our environment and our earth… disconnected from our community and society… disconnected from the Divine source of energy and love… We were living on an autopilot, running all day long like a lonely hamster on a wheel. In this whirlwind of loneliness, no wonder we feel excluded from active participation and engagement in a meaningful life experience. Sebastian Junger, in his book Tribe, notes how history has never witnessed such high rates of depression and mental illnesses. As opposed to the traditional tribal culture where everyone is involved in a meaningful community role and purpose, modern Western culture, makes us feel un-necessary and unimportant.[6]
 
Loneliness is radically different from solitude. Loneliness is not about being alone; it is rather about the lack of belonging and the feeling of unworthiness.[7] As human beings, we need to feel that we belong to a family and a community that respect our needs and acknowledge our contribution.[8] Yet, our self-image and self-worth determine how we perceive and interact with such family and community. Our sense of belonging thus starts within ourselves, within our own hearts, by clearly defining and acknowledging our own aspirations, expectations, drives, and vulnerabilities.
Avicenna (d. 428/1037), the famous Muslim physician, teaches that healing depression should start by healing the heart, physically, emotionally, and spiritually,[9] an opinion that reflects the teachings of Prophet Muhammad: “In the body, there is a morsel which if healthy, causes the health of the whole body; and if it sickens, it causes the sickness of the whole body; this is the heart”.[10]
 
James Fowler sees that some of us, as we advance in age, we might feel ready to move into an advanced stage of faith that takes us beyond the dualistic, reductionist mentality and causes us to start integrating meanings and signs, dialoguing with ourselves, and being at peace with our human limitations. Fowler sees trust as the central theme of this stage, which necessitates a paradigm shift whereupon we start to re-work our past and integrate all aspects of our identity. At this higher stage of faith, we are comfortable with ambiguity. We approach life with awe and reverence seeing the wisdom in every experience even the most tragic ones.[11] With this paradigm shift, we learn to relax expectations, to give greater weight on momentary joys, to experience life more deeply, and to balance healthy attachments with detachments and engagement with relinquishing.[12] Most importantly, this paradigm shift involves self-reflection inviting us to connect with our feelings on a much deeper level.
 
Henri Nouwen teaches that when we reach deeper into our hearts, we sit in deep reflection with our powerlessness and listen to “that place within us where our deepest desires align with God’s desire.”[13] And, following Avicenna’s advice, deep reflection eases our depression and loneliness by initiating a venture towards a sound heart, qalb salīm  (Qur’an, 26:89). A sound heart is one that is sincerely filled with the truth of Divine Oneness and free from doubts, desires, vice, ignorance, and arrogance; an empowered heart that has surrendered entirely to the Divine and that wishes for others all good that it wishes for itself.[14]
 
During this challenging time of physical distancing and self-isolation, as the human race is forced to face its powerlessness and helplessness, as we are forced to face the dark maladies of our souls, I pray that we make use of this compulsory pause to initiate our self-reflective healing journey and delve deeper into our souls searching for the meanings of true connections: connection with our true selves, with our family, with our community, with our earth, with our God and with all God’s creatures and creations. May God bless and guide us all. Amen.

-----------------------------------
[1] Nelson-Becker, H. (2016). Spirituality, religion and aging: Illuminations for therapeutic practice. London: Sage.
[2] Pierce, L. L., Wilkinson, L. K., & Anderson, J. (2003). Analysis of the Concept of Aloneness as Applied to Older Women Being Treated For Depression. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29 (7), 20-25.
[3] Gilbert, P. (2009). Depression and Powerlessness. New York: Routledge.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Nelson-Becker, 2016.
[6] Junger, S. (2016). Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. New York: Harpercollins.
[7] Vanier, J. (2010). Becoming Human. Toronto: House of Anansi Press.
[8] Ramadan, T. (2012). The Quest For Meaning: Developing a Philosophy of Pluralism. London: Penguin Books
[9] Yousofpour, M., Kamalinejad, M., Esfahani, M. M., Shams, J., Tehrani, H. H., & Bahrami, M. (2015). Role of Heart and Its Diseases in the Etiology of Depression According to Avicenna's Point of View and Its Comparison With Views of Classic Medicine. International Journal of Preventative Medicine 6 (49).
[10] Related by Bukhārī and Muslim
[11] Fowler, J. (1995). Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development And the Quest for meaning. New York: HarperOne.
[12] Nelson-Becker, 2016.
[13] Nouwen, H. (2013). Discernment: Reading The Signs of Daily Life. New York: HarperOne.
[14] Nasr, S. H. (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. New York: HarperOne.

​His student asked his permission to treat his cataract. “You taught us,” he pleaded hoping that the great 10th  century physician would accept. But Rhazes denied, “I’ve seen enough of this world,“ he replied. Weeks later, Rhazes (Abu Bakr al-Razi) , the greatest physician of his time, passed away in his bed… Blind… and broke.
 
Could blindness be a choice? Blindness to the cruelty the world and suffering of the soul…
Blindness is not a mere loss of eyesight. Many of us unconsciously live blind... looking yet not seeing… And, others choose to deliberately live blind. Their world is too harsh to endure otherwise. Our heroine is one of them. For years, she chose to live blind. She turned off the light, put down the blinds, and closed her eyes. She lived in her tiny cocoon isolated from the world. She felt safer this way… warmer in a cold-hearted world… richer in a poor-spirited community… peaceful in a violent surrounding… But, soon the darkness seeped into her soul… eroded her body and sucked the life out of her… She was dead inside. Every morning, she drew the most beautiful smile on her face and went on with her daily duties…
 
Joseph Campbell, in his Hero’s Journey, would call this phase the Innermost Cave… Christian mystics call it the dark night of the soul… and the Sufis call it contraction… Yet, in all those traditions, this phase is not the end of the journey. It is just the beginning. It is “God’s silence and our own – working as an entryway into an unmediated experience of the Divine.” It is this “wondrous night that beckons us all into a fuller, more intimate experience of the Divine. So much that sustains our lives and souls can only happen in the dark of night.”[1]
Campbell’s hero’s transformation only take place after the hero acknowledges his vulnerability taking all the time he needs in his Innermost Cave. Like herbs releasing their medicine only after percolating for weeks into the dark cold menstruum, our soul finds its elixir into the darkest contraction of our hearts.

​The ancient Yin and Yang symbol holds a light dot in its dark swirl – reminding us of the ever presence of hope in the midst of suffering. It also depicts a dark dot in its light swirl – reminding us to remain humble in times of brightness and growth… “In order that you do not despair over what has eluded you and not over-exult in pride over what God has given you” (Q. 57: 23). ​

​Our suffering requires courage to keep going. It requires patience, flexibility, and trust. Our darkest moments help us slow down, reflect at, and absorb life lessons, challenges, and trials.  It helps us find the perfect rhythm that sets in coherence our inner-self with our outer reality… that synchronizes our heart with the delicate flow of life, with all its ups and downs, joys and sorrows. Yet, to reach this heart coherence, we need to mollify our brain endless chatter… We need the silence of our Innermost Cave in order for us to hear the whispers of our soul… we need to be willing to open our heart to receive the subtle grace that the Divine offers us every step along your way.
 
Yes, blindness is a choice… but our heroine does not have to choose it… We do not have to choose it… We can choose, instead, to shut our eyes and retreat in our Innermost Cave for as long as we need to… We’re not turning blind eyes… We’re closed for restoration!
_______________________
[1] Robert H. Hopcke, “Spiritual direction and mystical experience,” in Sharing Sacred Stories.

It is estimated that nearly one quarter of Canadians suffer from hypertension, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. But, it is interesting to know that most cases of hypertension are classified as primary or essential hypertension, which means that the exact reason for blood pressure rise is not known.
 
Although conventional medicine attribute the cause of hypertension to dietary choices, sedentary lifestyle and stress, traditional medicines have always added a deeper mystical understanding. In traditional medicine, blood is our lifeline. The smooth flow of blood in our blood vessels represent a smooth, harmonious, and joyful life flow. When the flow of life is constricted/restricted, so would be the blood inside its vessels.
 
According to ancient Indian medicine, at least one of the first four main chakras are associated with hypertension problems: the root chakra, the sacral chakra, the solar plexus, and the heart chakra.

• The first chakra is your root, your foundation. It holds your primary sense of belonging – belonging to a family in its larger sense including the feeling of safety, home, peace, and harmony. The first chakra regulates musculoskeletal health along with the adrenal function, which determines our tolerance/response to stress – the adrenaline secretion that, when activated, prepare the body to fight or flee (raising heart rate, increasing blood pressure and slowing down digestion). Furthermore, chronic stress sustain the release of cortisol, a hormone that raises blood pressure, blood sugar level, causes muscle tension, and suppresses immune function.

 

• The second chakra It is the centre of creativity, joy, passion, physical and emotional intimacy, and life flow. It mainly controls sexual organs and to a large extent body fluids, a main player in the blood pressure regulation.  Our kidneys regulate water and electrolyte balances – managing blood pressure.

 

• The third chakra is the seat of your emotions. Those deep feelings of love and hate, courage and fear, acceptance and anger,... all are lodged here in your solar plexus, stored in your liver, gall bladder, and stomach. Many -or maybe most- of the malfunctions at this centre arise from repressed, unregulated or uncontrolled emotions and unmanaged life stresses. Poor digestion and nervous stomach are common disorders associated with the third chakra malfunctions. Worry, anxiety, and unmanaged daily life stresses are early signs of “gut feeling” that need to be addressed. And, stress is the main culprit in cardiovascular problems including hypertension.

 

• The fourth is the heart chakra, the centre of love with all its meanings - romantic and spiritual, physical and metaphysical. Your heart is the link between your physical realm and your spiritual one, that’s why balancing your heart energy is essential in achieving holistic balance. And, balance means taking care of whole of you: body, mind, heart & soul. The heart chakra regulates heart function and blood circulation in addition to lungs and breathing.

 
As you can see, more than one chakra is always involved in any health challenge—especially in chronic physical disorders like hypertension. Restoring your health entails managing all aspects of your life (physical, mental , emotional , and spiritual).[1]

 
Energy Restoration:
 
If you find it hard to control your blood pressure, it is time to listen closely to your own body… What is your body trying to tell you? What message is it trying to deliver? Which of the four Chakras is/are out of balance?
 
 
First Chakra

• Strengthen your support. Family support is an essential element in your foundation’s health. Think about the house you live in. How could your feel more “at home”?
• Connect with Nature.
• Be aware of your movements, especially your daily routine activities. Movement is a powerful energizer of our first chakra.
• Prepare Food for Your Family.
• Clear the Clutter. Living in a clean, orderly, and uncluttered environment is a first chakra energizer.
• Get a Foot Massage.
• Support your adrenals – Your adrenals need coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, B vitamins, and omega 3 oils.

 
Second chakra

• Water has a powerful cleansing effect on all of the energy system. You can restore your second chakra balance through bubble baths or warm showers. You can energize it by standing under the rain, going to the beach or practicing water sports like swimming and water skiing.
• Live with passion. The second chakra is the centre of creativity and life enjoyment. To energize it, you need to find pleasures, meanings and values in everyday experience. You need to step out of your comfort zone and try new stuff that makes you happy and bring you material, spiritual, mental, and emotional satisfaction.
• Adopt a New Hobby. Learning a new skill or adopting a new hobby is about adding gratification to your life and also about boosting your creative powers, the two main sides of your second chakra.
• Engage Your Senses. Let your sensual indulgence flow naturally and spontaneously throughout your daily experiences by cultivating awareness of your five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). Although your life should be structured, planned, and organized (functions of the first chakra), it should be far from rigid. Flexibility, harmony, and flow are essential for a healthy second chakra.
• Simplify and beautify your Surrounding.

 
 
Third Chakra

• The sun is a major third chakra booster. UV rays of sunlight help lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, increasing heart efficiency, boosting metabolism, increasing sex hormones levels, and sustaining the health of the eye retina.
• Finding your path, your true vocation and life calling is essential for establishing health, vitality and happiness. The journey starts here at your solar plexus by re-evaluating your resources, your strengths, your talents and potentials; by boosting your self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem; and by committing to your true values and vocations.
• Love who you are, acknowledge your human limitations and be less critical and judgmental of yourself. Surround yourself with a loving, caring, and compassionate community. Connect with your family and friends and receive and give support. A healthy support system is essential in a stressful world.
• Breathing Exercises adjust, synchronize, and harmonize the diaphragm movement thus restoring balance not only at the third chakra level but also at whole body levels.

 
Fourth Chakra

• Awareness. The first step in restoring heart balance is actually recognizing that we are tumbling out of balance. Awareness is the key in every aspect of your life. Ironically, the more we struggle to stay in control, the less balanced we become.
• Perform a Random Acts of Kindness. Serving others feed your heart.
• Keep smiling. Studies in the field of positive psychology show that pessimism is very strongly associated with poor health and heart problems. Research has proven over and over again that the feeling of optimism, having a life meaning, mastery of your conditions and experiences, and having positive attitudes and emotions towards life are major indicators of your susceptibility to heart and cardiovascular diseases. These findings were more indicative of predicted death from heart attacks and cardiovascular problems than more conventionally stated risk factors like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diet and lifestyle habits, obesity, smoking, and personality types.
• Learn your love language. Love, the essential food for the heart, is a very important asset in relationship building. Dr. Gary Chapman, the author of The Five Love Languages, sees that each person understands and communicates love in his/her own language – be it gifts, acts of service, words of appreciation, physical touch… To restore your heart energy, you need to understand, receive, and deliver the right messages of love. 

 
Now, it is your turn to reflect. Which aspect(s) of those chakra energy is missing from your life?
What do you need to change/ add/ eliminate?
Listen to your body… What does it need in order to heal?
Write your own healing prescription…

________________________________
[1] It is very important to note here that if the malfunction reaches a stage where it is manifested physically, an experienced physician should be consulted. The advice given here can in no way compensate for a proper medical intervention or treatment, when such is required. 

I knew Samira for years before her breast cancer diagnosis. When she was first diagnosed, Samira was a single mother of three school-aged children. She was a hard-working janitor with no other source of income and no relatives or close friends to rely on. All she had was the tiny wage she was earning cleaning schools all week. With no medical insurance, Samira could not afford conventional medical treatment. “Either I pay for my chemotherapy or feed and educate my kids. This is not a hard choice to make, is it?” She told me with the usual serene smile on her face.   Samira quickly set her priorities straight. Her primary role, she decided, is to take care of her children and provide them with a good education so that they won’t face the same difficult life she was leading; and that she would do so until her last breath. As a religious person, Samira felt she had a mission to live for and placed her total trust in God. She believed that “God does not burden any soul with more than it can handle” (Q. 2:286). She drew on her sincere faith to gain an incredible determination and strength that enabled her to carry on with her mission with a deep meaning and purpose. Although she couldn’t afford medication, Samira assumed responsibility for her health by getting the best nutritional and alternative help she could afford. She lived in the moment and carried on with her life in total satisfaction and surrender to the Divine. Today, ten years later, Samira is a grandmother, her daughter is happily married; her elder son is a successful accountant working to support her and his younger college-student brother. No sign left of her cancer.
Life or health challenges can open the door for spiritual growth and life transformation. For many people, those physical challenges can change the way they approach and appreciate life, draw them closer to God and to their community, give them feeling of safety and peace, and boost their sense of self-esteem, strength, and worthiness. For others, facing such crisis may precipitate emotional trauma, lead them to question their faith, fall into helplessness and self-blame, or succumb to anger and resentment.[1] It is your choice! I am not saying it is an easy one, though. Nevertheless, it is a conscious intentional path that we need to embark on. Our first step is that conscious choice!


[1] Ellen G. Levine et. al. Ethnicity and Spirituality in Breast Cancer Survivors. Journal of cancer survivorship. Volume  1: 3   2007/ Pages 212-225.

It is estimated that psychosis affects around 2% of all population across all ages.[1] From evolutionary perspective, those traits must have survived because they are required to play a role in human development: leadership, working under extreme pressure, thinking out of the box, wild creativity, invention, art and poetry… are among many characteristics found in people suffering from different forms of psychosis like schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

It is interesting to see that no traditional culture looked at those traits as disease or impairment. People affected were regarded as different, yes, but they were still considered “normal.” Their atypical behavior was part of the grand scheme of the societal structure. And, who has the right to define “normal”? Nowadays, evidence-based healthcare relies heavily on statistical analysis of a collected data. Lennard Davis argues that the use of statistics, which began in the 1800s by eugenicists, aimed, and in most cases is still aiming, at establishing the “normal distribution” of human beings in an attempt to reduce deviation from the norm.[2] This idea of the norm in itself is a tyranny that ignores many aspects of the human experience trying to fit the entire population into well-defined boxes.

Even the neurotransmitter theory, it is just that, a theory.[3] We know that dopamine is elevated in people with schizophrenia and that serotonin is low in people suffering from depression. But, we don’t know whether it is a cause or an effect: Is the elevated dopamine level causing the schizophrenia, the bipolar or the psychosis, or is it caused by them? And, is the reduced serotonin level causing the depression or is it caused by it? No one really knows.

The human brain is way more complicated than our neurotransmitter or neurobiological model of reality. People experiencing those symptoms have always been assimilated into society. They were “different,” but still “normal.” They were atypical, but still functional. They performed specific roles that no “normal” person can do. Like shamans in native cultures, Joan of Arc in France, and Al-Hallaj in Sufi history, if any of them were to be presented to our modern conventional medical model, they would have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yet, at their time and in their culture, they were very special, even gifted individuals and highly esteemed at times.

Joseph Polimeni, a British psychiatrist and author of the book Shamans Among Us, believes that “people with schizophrenia are the modern manifestation of prehistoric tribal shamans.” Nevertheless, he affirms that he still treats his patients within the conventional biopharmacological model, because, we simply have no other alternatives. For those people to be assimilated into society and for them to lead a functional life, our whole social structure needs to be changed. Dr. Gabor Maté, the renowned Canadian psychiatrist, sees that a person with schizophrenia in a tribal culture holds a better chance of survival and well-being than one following the Western medical model.[4] Our view on mental illness cannot be removed from the person’s context and culture. Our Western materialistic and individualistic society focuses on achievements and possessions cutting off emotional, social, and spiritual needs, which, according to Maté, separates us from ourselves and paves the road for pathology.[5] Unfortunately, those ancient cultural and tribal modes of life do not exist anymore. They have been crushed under the weight of industrialism and individualism. The nuclear family is not enough nor is the extended family -that still occasionally exists in some communities- to assimilate those individuals’ needs. The whole societal model does not accept or tolerate anyone who is “different.” Sebastian Junger, in his book Tribe, notes how history has never witnessed such high rates of mental illness. As opposed to the traditional tribal culture where everyone is involved in a meaningful community role and purpose, modern Western culture, he adds, and I totally agree, made us feel un-necessary and unimportant, which is one of the main reasons behind modern-day mental disorders.[6]
 
I totally acknowledge that in many cases, those individuals could pose substantial risk on society. They could be violent and even dangerous. But, how do we know that this violence is not triggered by violent media, movies, and video games that we, as a society, are bombarded with on a daily basis? How do we know that this violence is not caused by nutrients deficiency from our genetically manipulated and heavily sprayed food, or by chemical pollution from our toxin-loaded environment, or by viral vulnerability from our highly compromised immune defence?

I believe we are messing with a highly precious gift that God has bestowed upon us, our brain. This highly sophisticated neural system was supposed to be a tool that helps us read “the signs on the horizons and within our souls” (Q. 41: 53), the signs that show us the way to the Truth, to our Creator. It was supposed to be a tool that helps us align our innate heart and soul knowledge of Him (our Fitrah) with our logical, analytical understanding of ourselves, our world, and our life meaning and purpose. This highly precious gift has been corrupted and damaged. It has been confused and disconnected from its source.
 
I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but I honestly can’t envision hope in the near future. This is not because the answer is difficult or untenable, but rather because we are looking for answers in all the wrong places. If we are to effectively find answers to the rising rates of psychosis, mental illness and all chronic diseases for that matter, we need a paradigm shift. In the modern Western biomedical model, the scientific research is still based on and undergirded by the Cartesian-Newtonian dualistic, linear, and reductionist approach to life. This view “not only presents an inaccurate vision of human existence but also contributes to the disease of modern society.”[7] All research concerning our health must conform to the evidence-based, statistical “scientific” model that highly overlooks the multifactorial nature of causation (instead they focus on linear causation); the interconnectedness of mind, body, and soul (instead they see life through the dualistic Cartesian lens of separation); and the interrelated holistic nature of life (versus the isolation, compartmentalization, and individualization view of modern thinking).[8]

In the 1970s, William Dembski introduced his idea of Intelligent Design in an attempt to intersect science and theology. The Intelligent Design theory relies on scientific research while acknowledging the Divine action and order. He advocated broadening our understanding of scientific evidence to include metaphysical first principles and include thoughts, feelings, relationships, and holistic view of life. His theory demonstrates that reinstating the bridge between science and theology can reinvigorate the ethical stream and promote the flourishing of human life.[9] I believe we can make a difference if we start with even the tiniest step towards re-connecting:

• Re-connecting with our pure uncorrupted, unadulterated soul
• Re-connecting with our Creator
• Re-connecting with our life meaning and purpose
• Re-connecting with our family, community, and society
• Re-connecting with our roots and tradition
• Re-connecting with our earth and all God’s creation

 
Sufis teach that if our life journey “appears to move through time and distance, that is not that we can eventually reach God, since ‘He is with you wherever you are’ but rather ‘so that He can cause [us] to see His signs’ that are always there, ‘on the horizons and within [our] souls,’” those signs that lead us to Him.[10] We need to stop ignoring the signs and stop messing with the precious tool God gave us in order for us to heed those signs.
 

___________________________________________________
[1] Daniel Nettle. Strong Imagination: Madness, Creativity, and Human Nature (Oxford University Press, 2002)
[2] Davis, L. J.  (2013). The Disability Studies Reader. (4th ed.). New York: Routledge.
[3] Kelly Brogan, A Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives (Harper Wave, 2016) and Craighead, W. Edward. Miklowitz, David J., and Craighead Linda W. Psychopathology: History, Diagnosis, and Empirical Foundations (3rd ed.). Hoboken: Wiley, 2017.
[4] Gabor Maté, The Myth of Normal (2016). From YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_j5mmBa4mw (accessed October 30, 2017).
[5] Gabor Maté, The Myth of Normal.
[6] Sebastian Junger, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (New York: Harpercollins Publishers, 2016).
[7] Epperly, B. G. (2000). Prayer, Process, and the Future of Medicine. Journal of Religion and Health, 39 (1), 23-37.
[8] Ibid
[9] Dembski, W. (1999). Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science and Theology. Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
[10] ʿArabī, The Meccan Revelations.

“God defends those who believe, God does not love the unfaithful, ungrateful” (Quran, 22: 38)
 
After a tough event I was going through in my life, my sheikh, a wise man of few words, advised me to recite this verse everyday. As I started my daily recitation, all what I was thinking about was that I’m the good one, I’m among “those who believe” so God will defend me and my oppressors fall under “the unfaithful, ungrateful” and thus God does not love them. Yet, as the days went by and as I kept repeating the verse over and over again, I found myself delving deeper into the meaning… I realized that the verse wasn’t about the oppressors and the oppressive event… it wasn’t about them… it was all about me… It is about the choice I have to make, do I choose to be among “those who believe” or among “the unfaithful ungrateful”? Do I choose to be among those who God defends or among those who lose His love? The recitation my sheikh instructed me to perform was a daily heart-cleansing exercise, a compass that re-orients my intentions, my thoughts and actions towards Him alone, exalted be He.
​It is that change in perspective that makes all the difference. It’s all about me and my relationship to God, exalted be He. It’s all about the choices I make, the worldview I choose to adopt and the lens through which I choose to see my world. It’s all about me… about my heart and how hard I work at purifying and cleansing it, how diligent I am in the pursuit of ihsān, spiritual excellence, in all my acts and thoughts… It is about how I choose to worship God as if I see Him, although I do not see Him, but He sees me… how I choose to walk the Path of Love and Service with the intention of only seeking God’s love and being His servant. It is not about whoever wronged me. I can’t judge them… I don’t know their motives, their intentions, their hearts… I simply don’t know… What I know, though, is that they were sent my way for a reason… they were here to teach me a lesson that, if I choose, will draw me closer to my Lord, exalted be He.

When I asked my sheikh about forgiveness, he told me that I’m not obliged to forgive; he told me that it was my choice. Forgiveness is a praised value in our Islamic teachings, he explained, but still, it’s optional not obligatory… I could choose not to forgive, that’s my right… My wise sheikh paused for a moment, and then added, “Yet, at a certain point on our spiritual journey, we can go no further if we do not forgive.” It is then that I realized, that again, it is not about “them,” it’s not about whoever wronged me… it’s all about me and my relationship with God, exalted be He. Choosing to forgive clears the heart so it’s exclusively His, exalted be He… Choosing to forgive frees me from the chains of worldly gains… I’m seeking Him, and only Him, exalted be He… choosing to forgive shows me that I learned my lesson, I’ve grasped the wisdom embedded in my exhausting tribulation… choosing to forgive is choosing to believe that, as our Prophet teaches, “if all people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except with that which God has fore-ordained for you; and, if all of them gather to harm you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which God has pre-destined against you… The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up.”
 
It’s the fine work of surrendering to the Divine decree and striving to change your life and your heart for the better… It is the heart that balances every thing; “God does not change the condition of a people until -and unless- they change what is in their soul,” (Q. 13: 11)… until we change what is in our souls… what is in our hearts… See, we’re back to “it’s all about me” it’s all about my heart… it’s not about them… it’s not about retribution… it’s not about waiting for Divine punishment to befall the oppressors… they are simply out of the picture… I need to zoom in… on me… on my heart… on its connection to the Divine, exalted be He… How is this connection? How sincere am I? How free am I?
 
It’s a life-long struggle… a struggle for a wholesome sound heart, qalb salīm  (Qur’an, 26:89). Returning to God at the end of our life with this sound heart is our ultimate aim... A sound heart is one, like Prophet Abraham’s, that is sincerely filled with the truth of Divine Oneness and free from worldly attachments, free from judgements, free from doubts, free from fears, worries, and vain; an empowered heart that has surrendered entirely to its Creator, exalted be He; and that wishes for others all good that it wishes for itself.  ​

The Thunder, Chapter 13 of the Quran, describes how the thunder with its scary roar, in its essence, it glorifies and praises God. Could this be a parallel for our pains and sufferings? The roaring pain that brings within its folds a blessing and a gift from the Divine?
In its essence, suffering, like the roaring thunder, praises and glorifies God. Initially, our pain brings with it fear that might throw us into a chaotic narrative… the chaos of a life-threatening diagnosis or a life-altering illness, the chaos of cancer, depression, autoimmunity, fibromyalgia, or chronic pain… a chaos that forces us to press a pause or even a stop button on our lives…

But, what if we pause and listen? What if we try to decipher the message our body is sending us? If we listen carefully, we will hear our suffering opening the door for spiritual insight, a door that will take us closer to God. We will hear our suffering praising our Lord.

The Thunder chapter (Surat Ar-Ra’d) challenges our belief about the dichotomy of good and evil. To discern the wisdom in our trials, we need to challenge this modern cognitive frame. We need to stop judging evil solely on the basis of it not serving an immediate interest or pleasure. Likewise, healing should not be reduced to curing the illness. Healing means becoming whole again, becoming at peace with oneself, the world, and the Divine. 

Healing entails finding meaning and purpose that is bigger than ourselves and bigger than our suffering. It entails bringing all who we are, body, mind, heart, and soul into a relationship with the Divine. As physical suffering is drawing us towards a bigger life meaning and purpose, to a vocation and a calling, in reality, it is drawing us towards God. To find our calling, we need to know ourselves; and to know ourselves, we need to know God. Such knowledge allows us to understand the interconnectedness of all things around us and within us and the relationship to and ultimate dependence of this amazing web on its One and Only Creator.

Listen to the inspiring story of Ali Banat: Gifted with Cancer, May God bless his soul.