The Western Creed vs. A Creed of FaithQuick Links: OverviewIncreasingly cutting edge scientific research demonstrates the strong positive links between spirituality and health. None-the-less, the man-as-machine, materialistic model of existence continues to have great power over our bodies, minds, and spirits. This section invites you to take The Western Creed, an exercise developed by psi researcher Charles T. Tart, PhD, that gets you to feel the impact that the materialist model of existence is having on your being. Then you are invited to make a heartfelt recitation of a statement of faith from your own spiritual tradition. The two exercises provide a visceral demonstration of the negative or positive health impacts that beliefs have on individuals, communities and society as a whole. What is the Western Creed?The Western Creed exercise was developed by Charles T. Tart, PhD, a Core Faculty Member at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (Palo Alto, California) and a Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (Sausalito, California), as well as Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Tart is an American psychologist and parapsychologist known for his psychological work on the nature of consciousness (particularly altered states of consciousness), as one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology. Dr. Tart uses the exercise, which he calls a belief experiment, in his workshops where he has participants to stand with their hands over their hearts, and recite the Western Creed as if it where a pledge of allegiance. He then asks to participants to think and write about how doing that makes them feel. According to Dr. Tart, he created the Western Creed to reflect the perspective that is found in almost any science book. He states: "By and large, it depresses the hell out of people, especially when they realize that they believe a lot of it, and that these beliefs are culturally reinforced.” Dr. Tart, a working scientist, believes that much of science has degenerated into scientism, a belief that established scientific authority, especially scientistic materialism, has been proved beyond a shadow of doubt. Therefore, spirituality and other non-material areas of research become taboo and unfundable. Dr. Tart quotes Abraham Maslow, who said, “science can be a marvelous opening-to-growth system if you use it right; or it can be one of the best neurotic defense mechanisms.” He believes that scientism is one of those neurotic defense mechanisms. The Western Creed vs. A Creed of Faith ExerciseThe Institute for Spirituality and Health believes that it is vitally important for communities of faith to bring the message of Spirituality and Health not only to their congregations, but to our entire human society. This vital Health and Spirituality message and the use of techniques and practices that reinforce this message can help bring healing and health to bodies, minds and spirits of individuals, congregations, communities and the world. The following exercise is designed EMPOWER you as spiritual beings and INSPIRE you to pursue the mission of spreading the Spirituality and Health message. The exercise will help you reinforce the importance of the Spirituality and Health message within yourself. In Step One and Two, you are asked to take the Western Creed with its materialist, man and all creation is nothing but a machine message and reflect on how you feel when you do this—and on the effect this creed is having on society. In Step Three and Four, you are asked to take a prayer, creed or statement of faith that reflects your community of faith and repeat the process—this time reflecting on how you feel and how this spiritual message can impact society. The Exercise:The Western Creed (see text below) STEP ONE: Stand with your hand over your heart like you are taking a pledge of allegiance. The group leader will say a section of the Western Creed. Repeat that section as you feel the sensations in your body. Do this for each section. STEP TWO: Sit silently and take time to reflect on your feelings. What are these feelings? Were you surprised to find that you may actually believe a lot of these culturally reinforced beliefs? How do you think these beliefs and feelings are impacting society? A STATEMENT OF YOUR FAITH (see sample text below) STEP THREE: Choose a prayer, creed or statement of faith that reflects your community of faith. Repeat the process in Step One using your selection. STEP FOUR: Sit silently and take time to reflect on your feelings. What are these feelings this time? What are these feelings as compared to the feelings you had reciting The Western Creed? How do you think these beliefs and feelings can impact society? The Western Creed I believe in the material universe as the only and ultimate reality, a universe controlled by fixed physical laws and blind chance. I affirm that the universe has no creator, no objective purpose, and no objective meaning or destiny. I maintain that all ideas about God or gods, supernatural beings, prophets and saviors, or other nonphysical beings or forces are superstitions and delusions. Life and consciousness are totally identical to physical processes, and arose from chance interactions of blind physical forces. Like the rest of life, my life and consciousness have no objective purpose, meaning, or destiny. I believe that all judgments, values, and moralities, whether my own or others', are subjective, arising solely from biological determinants, personal history, and chance. Free will is an illusion. Therefore, the most rational values I can personally live by must be based on the knowledge that for me what pleases me is Good, what pains me is Bad. Those who please me or help me avoid pain are my friends; those who pain me or keep me from my pleasures are my enemies. Rationality requires that friends and enemies be used in ways that maximize my pleasure and minimize my pain. I affirm that churches have no real use other than social support; that there are no objective sins to commit or be forgiven for; that there is no retribution for sin or reward for virtue other than that which I can arrange, directly or through others. Virtue for me is getting what I want without being caught and punished by others. I maintain that the death of the body is the death of the mind. There is no afterlife, and all hope for such is nonsense. A STATEMENT OF YOUR FAITH (Samples) The 23rd Psalm The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) The Book: The End of Materialism The End of Materialism: Howe Evidence of the Paranormal is Bringing Science & the Spirit Together By Charles T. Tart, Ph.D. (New Harbinger Publications, 2009) In this book, co-published with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), transpersonal psychologist Charles Tart presents over fifty years of scientific research conducted at the nation's leading universities that proves humans do have natural spiritual impulses and abilities. The End of Materialism presents an elegant argument for the union of science and spirituality in light of this new evidence, and explains why a truly rational viewpoint must address the reality of a spiritual world. Tart's work marks the beginning of an evidence-based spiritual awakening that will profoundly influence your understanding of the deeper forces at work in our lives.
ResourcesThe End of Materialism: How Evidence of the Paranormal is Bringing Science and Spirit Together by Chares T. Tart PhD, (Oakland CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2009) Charles T. Tart Official Website and Consciousness Library: Dr. Tart says, “If you're interested in areas like consciousness, altered states of consciousness, dreams, Gurdjieff, hypnosis, meditation, mindfulness, personal growth, parapsychology, transpersonal psychology, or how to be both a scientific person and a spiritual seeker, there's good quality material here for you.” Link: www.paradigm-sys.com The Archives of Scientists Transcendent Experiences (TASTE): TASTE is an online journal devoted to transcendent experiences that scientists have reported. It lets scientists express these experiences in a psychologically (and professionally) safe space. Link: www.issc-taste.org/index.shtml |
