I'll Follow You Into the Dark?

If Heaven and Hell decide

That they both are satisfied

Illuminate the no’s on their vacancy signs

If there’s no one beside you

When your soul embarks

Then I’ll follow you into the dark.
- I’ll Follow You Into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie

 

I'll Follow You Into the Dark is a beautiful soft, soulful melody containing feelings of sorrow, comfort, and companionships. The singer has been burnt by his religious upbringing and considers the afterlife to be empty, non-existent. Recently I have become aware of a whole field of research being done to explore questions of the afterlife. The study of Near-Death Experiences (NDE) are expanding within a larger context of spirituality and neuroscience. These findings seem to indicate that  human consciousness is not dependent on a physical body. Essentially, studies indicate the real possibility of an afterlife. Bruce Greyson (2010) discusses these experiences and shows that people have experiences of being consciously aware even though their brain and/or heart has stopped functioning. Sometimes they are aware of their surroundings or have out of body experiences, neither of which can be explained by their ability to see, hear, or travel physically. They tend to experience clearer, faster, and more logical thinking than they had physically. They report meeting and talking to the deceased and accurately observe details and events that take place at locations other than their where their body is. Greyson records 30 cases of NDEs that reported seeing people dead whom were not previously known to be dead. In such cases neither the person having an NDE nor the surrounding community had been aware of the deceased. These cases are not new or modern and are not limited to one culture or continent.  There are many in the scientific community who question these findings. CherylFracasso and Harris Friedman (2011) cite objections and theories that posit that these sensations and experiences of NDEs can be attributed to natural opiates and endorphins in the brain, natural or administered drug called ketamine interacting with the brain, blood-oxygen levels, temporal lobe seizures, REM, tissue pressure on the ocular nerve, psychological depersonalization, personalities inclined to fantasy, expectation of an afterlife, stored memories of birth, and false data due to after-the-fact reporting.  While studies conducted are able to reproduce some aspect of the NDEs, they do not account for the varieties, complexity or verifiable observations involved. So far, no theory has yet accounted for the complexity of NDEs. And yet, there are limitations to and difficulties with the NDE research. Cheryl Fracasso (2012) points out that objective date about many aspects of NDEs cannot be measured or validated. Other challenges include the stigma that both individuals having NDEs and researches face. This affects the ability to conduct research by NDErs being reluctant to share their experiences and researchers being limited in conducting research.

 



Jesus, as identified by Colton

I find my own skepticism hard at work when evaluating these cases. My first exposure to an NDE happened when my book club decided to read Heaven is for Real, a case of a little boy, Colton, who dies, is revived, and lives to astound his parents with tales of Jesus, heaven, meetings with deceased relatives, and verifiable observations in the tangible world while clinically dead. I had many thoughts and questions while reading it - most centered on the truthfulness of his family in reporting these facts. Perhaps it is that such experiences, if true, would have astounding implications of the nature of our world, our existence, and the reality in which we live. I must admit that my hidden, deeper concerns actually arise from the challenges to my own faith and perspectives of God that such NDEs raise. 

Teri Daniel (2011) chooses to believe in a non-religious afterlife. He states, “If we come from oblivion and return to oblivion with a short time in between, then we aren’t actually coming or going anywhere on this journey. The whole journey would be pointless.” This exposes two human concerns: the desire for hope and meaning in this life. Daniel’s cry is consistent with Christian Apologetics Philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig who explores the logical meaninglessness of an atheistic and naturalistic reality. Perhaps it is this desire that creates a complex variety of physiological and physical factors that create the NDEs that we have yet to discover. But perhaps it is something more. Perhaps there is an afterlife.

I am certainly convinced myself of a distinctively Christian afterlife. However, it is important to note that NDEs do not necessarily validate Christianity specifically, but they certainly are consistent with Biblical descriptions and affirmations. Yet, I still find the need to be critically discerning when approaching these studies. This is the basis of scientific exploration and discovery. Findings should be analyzed and other theories encouraged and studied. Value can be found in guarding against idealistically hopeful subjective realities that have no basis. But subjective experiences found to have basis should not be instantly discredited simply because of their subjective nature. They can be evaluated logically with other evidences and reasoning.  After being exposed to these studies, I am excited to see what science continues to unfold. These insights invite further study, meditation and hope and raises an intriguing question: Will you, indeed, follow me into the dark….

 

                                                                                                           … or to something more?

 

Religious Doubt and the Psychological Impact

Many Christians go through a period of doubt at some point in their spiritual walk. Not many Christians will be open enough to admit this struggle but it is usually the case. One chooses to keep their issues of doubt to themselves because of the fear of condemnation from other believers or God. In this blog, we will look into the effects of religious doubt and its psychological implications. Guinness (1976) and McLaren (2003) mention that there is an extensive base of knowledge about religious doubt which has accumulated over the past thirty years (as cited in Puffer et al., 2008). Doubt, a phenomenon in human cognition, remains a controversial and unclear topic among many Christians (as cited in Puffer et al., 2008). Some of the misinterpretation about religious doubt can possibly be eliminated by taking a closer look into the identity status of doubters and their unique experiences with identity formation (Puffer et al., 2008). Unfortunately, there have not been substantial studies on the relationship between religious doubt and identity statuses (Puffer et al., 2008).

Beck (1990) opposed the negative connotation of doubt by mentioning that, "Doubt is an integral part of each person's belief system" (p. 327, as cited in Puffer et al, 2008, p. 270). Kézdya, Martosb, Bolandc and Horváth-Szabó(2011) believe that religious doubt could appear to be a part of identity and faith development. They include that such doubt is however often linked with psychological distress, although, the results in the field are not fully proven or substantial in evidence. Newbigin (1995) mentions that "any contact with reality creates contact with doubtable ideas" (as cited Puffer et al., 2008, p. 273).

Although doubt might be understandable to some Christians, others might perceive it as a significant threat serving as the enemy of the faith and leading to risky, dangerous, and destructive thinking (Puffer et al., 2008). Lucado (1989) described doubt as an unwanted and disturbing phenomenon which must be prohibited from the mind and soul of a believer and Buchanan (2000) likened doubt to be as cancer destroying and mutating ones healthy beliefs (as cited in Puffer et al., 2008). Furthermore, Darmani (2002) considered doubt as “a demonic weapon striking in the vulnerable moments of life and creating a disturbing restlessness within the human heart” (as cited in Puffer et al., 2008, p. 273).

Doubt is certainly an issue for most Christians and they might have varying views on the issue of doubt in the life of a believer. When most Christians think of doubt they probably think of “Doubting Thomas” or John who got rebuked for doubting the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The fear of rebuke or rejection could potentially cause many believers to view doubt as something straight from hell. The articles mentioned above, expose several views of doubt as well as linking the occurrence of some psychological distress in the presence of doubt. I will think that it is understandable that Christians could be anxious or depressed if they are having religious doubt and they will need to discover that it is more normal than they might think. 

Religion, Spirituality, and Self Control

There is much to be said about religion, spirituality, and their affects on a person's level of self control - I will attempt to highlight a few of those things here. Firstly, what does research have to say? A study conducted out of Queens University in Ontario found that ties to religion positively affects one's self control. The study, however, does not measure those practicing any particular religion; instead, the study involved having participants unscramble words and then answer a question or perform a task. The control group had a series of random words while the experimental group unscrambled words like Bible, divine, and holy. After unscrambling the words the participants were then asked some questions or asked to perform a task. Those that unscrambled the religious words used higher levels of self control performing their task, and characterized higher levels of self control with the answer they supplied to their question. But, how does one's religious beliefs play into self control? Here are some examples: Followers of Judaism follow a Kosher diet, Muslims are called to pray 5 times a day (as well as follow four other pillars of their faith), Buddhists meditate (and through this meditation and inner peace, attempt to reach a destination of self-control and delayed gratification), and Christians are called to love God and love people (Luke 10:27).

Since this blog post is being written from a Christian perspective the focus will now shift to one that is congruent with the Christian faith. Neil Anderson, in his book The Bondage Breaker, outlines various cases where an individual (mostly Christians) gets caught in sin and in a habitual cycle of doing things they do not wish to do or should not do. These patterns highlight instances of very low self control. In order to break free from these strongholds, these Christians needed to call out to God and shun the things that were influencing their heart and motivation. It is not enough to just say no and struggle with whether or not to do something, Christians should be replacing these instances of low self control with positive control over their actions in performing spiritual activities (prayer, Bible reading, and the like). A popular example of this change is Josh Hamilton, who is an outfielder for the Texas Rangers. Early in his career Hamilton fell into the traps of drug use. Through his faith he has been able to overcome those dark days and even went on to win the American League MVP award in 2010 after not being able to play for 3 seasons. He still has his occasional struggles, and he is quick to admit this, but his continued pursuit to maintain self control and reliance on God is founded on Hebrews 12:4-5 and John 3:30.

Through this brief study, and my own thoughts on self control, I have come to the determination that not doing bad (evil) is not good enough. Within the profession of Counseling there are various ethics codes written by various organizations that counselors look to as staples of the profession. Many of these codes cite non-malficence (doing the client no harm) as an important principle. But, if counselors were to stop there they would still have a problem. It is often said that idle hands are the devils playground; practicing non-malficence on it's own opens up the counselor to idle activity which could lead to negative behavior and a lack of control. Is not doing harm really a positive attribute of counseling on it's own? No, counseling is about instilling positive change. Ethics codes also include beneficence (doing good for the client). These two characteristics together help to ensure that counselors can maintain control while helping the clients to the best of their ability and causing the client no harm. In Jeremiah 29:11, God makes it clear that He has a plan for us. A plan that is good and that will not lead to disaster. It is a plan from Him that is dependent upon our reliance on Him. Christianity can be turned to as a baseline for positive action and self control. Instead of asking yourself, "Is this action a sin?" ask "Is this action good and pleasing to God?"

Stress, Suffering and Religion; Healing the heart of America

Most people remember where they were at the day the twin towers fell.  It is forever etched in their mind. There are many that still bear the internal scars of a loved one that was lost that day.  There are countless other stories of the collective pain and anguish of a nation. While no one expects the devastation and massive loss of life to come upon him or her like the United States experienced on September 11^th, stress and suffering is part of life.  Whether it is a terrorist attack, cancer, murder, a traffic accident or simply a caffeine headache, our lives are filled with suffering and stress.  The question is then how does one handle stress and heal the suffering? 

               There is growing evidence of the therapeutic benefit of prayer, faith and giving of one’s self in dealing with stress and suffering.  Research conducted on volunteerism associated with the September 11^th attacks demonstrates the benefit of selfless giving and its long term therapeutic benefit.  Additionally, research reported in the Holistic Nursing Practice Journal shows the benefit of faith and one’s spiritual walk to mitigating stress and suffering. Given the research, which direction should someone take when dealing with stress and suffering? There is the medical model for the body.  There is psychology and professional counseling for the heart and mind.  In all the models described above there is a relationship.  People seeking support from other people.  Yet if that is all there is, how well can a finite human being contribute to a person's overall healing? What about faith? According to the Bible healing comes in the form of  body, soul and spirit. So which one works and why does it work for some people and not others? 

                In the midst of suffering, people want to be able to act, to put distance between them and their suffering.  Maybe that is the reason for the benefit of volunteerism because it puts people into action.  They can grieve, yet their action gives them purpose and helps in the healing process.   From the Biblical method, Jesus is the one that invites us to Him during our troubled times. He says in Matthew 11: 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest".  In the study on the benefit of faith and religion to suffering,  the importance of the spiritual and belief in One who is greater than all things, brings hope.  If people, either professional, layperson, neighbor, friend or family helps point a suffering person in this direction then we all contribute to the person's healing and so fulfill God's desire to "carry each other's burdens..." (Galatians 6:2).  

                The best answer to such a complicated question of dealing with stress and suffering is in the individual person’s worldview.  If a person perceives the world should be a place devoid of suffering, then life is lived in an attempt to mitigate any type of stress or suffering. Yet if the person’s worldview accepts that suffering is universal, it creates another question.  If everyone suffers, who stands a better chance of healing and making it through those stressful times?  A person might try a doctor who attempts to alleviate their symptoms, such as prescribing a medicine for a headache.  Yet is the headache the problem or is it a symptom of the problem?  What about the psychologist that attempts to help a person with anxiety or depression?  If their view is that life should be lived free from suffering and this is their view of health, then he or she will address their client’s problem accordingly.   But what about faith?  The Bible lets people know upfront that suffering is part of life, because of our choices and because of original sin.  According to the Bible, our suffering is important and plays a role in moving us towards greater healing and fullness of life in one’s relationship with God and others. In Psalm 119: 71, the author explains, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees”.  Again in James 1: 2-4, the author states, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”.   What the Bible has said for thousands of years, science is finally starting to empirically validate. 

God Attachment

...and the Peace He brings.

            Many researchers direct attention to understanding the grief experience through attachment theory, but often overlooked is how attachment to God affects the grief experience and how such experiences may draw from religion for coping and a sense of meaning in life. Similar to Bowlby’s attachment theory, which suggests we are inclined to seek security, closeness, and comfort from attachment figures, Kirkpatrick proposes that a personal relationship with God is central to one’s religious experience and beliefs. As an infant would seek close proximity to his mother, Christians tend to seek closeness to the Lord. An infant learns to trust and rely on the availability of his mother; similarly, we seek to understand God’s omnipresence in our lives. In one study, researchers Kelley and Chan[1] found that secure attachment to God and meaning were central to predicting lower grief and depression in people who had experienced a recent significant loss. It is likely that those who are securely attached to God see Him as compassionate, available, and responsive—this God acts as the secure base and likely provides meaning or purpose to situations. Therefore, looking to Him can be associated with lower depression and grief in experiencing a recent and significant death.

            For Christians, it may be easy to identify the comfort we receive from the Lord during difficult times. In times of loss, we may be more likely to seek the Lord or we may even push Him away. Clinton and Straub suggest that our relational beliefs will affect the way we view and relate to God and others. The premise of their research and the research summary mentioned above is based upon the idea that stress often leads us to seek closeness to those with whom we feel safe. Remembering that the goal is connection, in terms of our relationship with the Lord, we have to be vulnerable and seek comfort from Him—this only occurs through building trust in that relationship. Dr. Todd Hall notes that many college students specifically at Christian colleges often are securely attached to the Lord but possibly lack practicing spirituality in terms of neglecting intentionality and continual transformation through the renewing of the mind. Dr. Hall seems to be implying that unpracticed spirituality—neglecting spiritual disciplines—can leave us struggling to feel God’s presence and to benefit from the closeness He offers.

            I would say most Christians have probably heard of the poem entitled “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson. The poem is about God walking with us in life and even carrying us along the way at times. I’ve included the main takeaway from the poem:

“You promised me Lord, 
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”



The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

We may feel abandoned in times of grief and stress, and research suggests this thought could be heavily influenced by our attachment style, but the Lord does not leave us. I am not suggesting that we should not grieve. We will all experience grief at points in our lives. We will grieve, but we do not have to grieve as though we have no hope. We can experience the peace of God like a river because He knows we will pass through waters and rivers and the fire, but He exhorts us not to fear for He is with us. That is the comfort—that is the peace—we can receive as believers. According to Beth Moore, to have such a peace is to find “security and tranquility of heart and mind while meeting many bumps and unexpected turns on life’s journey through change.” I believe that type of peace can only come from walking closely with Jesus—the Prince of Peace, for He himself is our peace.

May the peace of Christ rule in your heart today.

Recommended reading: 
Isaiah 43:1-7, 48:17-18


Blessings and peace to you,

Joelle Forbes 

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[1] Kelley, M. M., & Chan, K. T. (2012). Assessing the role of attachment to God, meaning,

and religious coping as mediators in the grief experience. Death Studies, 36(3), 199-227.

[2] http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/12/our-take-your-relationship-style-determines-how-you-feel-toward-god/?iref=allsearch

[3] http://drtoddhall.com/index.php/students-are-secure-but-unpracticed-spiritually/

Securely Attached

Securely Attached

  As Christians, many times in our lives, situations and circumstances can seemingly get the best of us, but if we are securely attached to God, then we can better handle what we go through.  Research suggests that religious involvement is associated with desirable mental health outcomes. Additionally, as believers, we see God as being responsible and able to  protect and comfort us in times of stress and discomfort Ellison, Bradshaw, Kuye, Marcum (2012). Therefore,  we must constantly be aware of God and what He has in store for us.  In the book, God Attachment, by Tim Clinton, he explores why we feel, act, and believe the way we do about God, and how important it is that we understand as Christians, how essential it is for us to recognize and know that God loves us no matter what our past. John Bowlby, believed that there are four distinguishing characteristics of attachment; proximity maintenance, which is a desire to be near the people we are attached to, safe haven means that we return to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in that of fear or threat, secure base, is the security we feel which allows us to explore our surroundings, and separation distress is when we are no longer attached.psychology. 

        

  However, when thinking about being attached and having a secure attachment, my mind goes to the point of having God as the center of who we are and understanding that in Him do we live, move, and  have our being Acts 17:28 (KJV).  Bowbly makes a good point when establishing his characteristics of attachment.  However, I would like to add that as a Christian, our attachment to God should be secure, in that, when we become Christians we want to be as near to God as we possibly can, understanding that whenever we need Him, He is always with us.  Proverbs 18:10 paraphrased says, the name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous runs in and are safe.  So, I believe that God gives us everything we need when we come to Him in faith.  God will protect us, even when we do wrong things.  I think it is important for Christians to be securely attached to God because along this journey we will meet someone who needs to hear that God is really a safe haven and He can keep us from harm and danger.  Another point I believe is worth mentioning, is that no matter how far away we seem from God, He is always waiting with open arms to embrace us.

Remember: No matter what we have done or how we have failed God, He is always waiting to embrace us.

In the article, it is interesting to note that research suggests attachment to God can bring positive changes to psychological distresses. Additionally, the book God Attachment, was most interesting.  I was especially interested in chapter five which explained attachment style and how to relate to individuals from a secure standpoint.  I included this picture because so many times I need to feel God arms wrapped around me and I thought that if I could see along with all those who read this blog, we could not only know, but we could also visually see what it would look like to be wrapped in God's arms.  Lastly, I would also like to share a song that encourages me every time I hear it no matter where I am in God.

Running Back to You by Commissioned

Blessings,

Bridget Kelly