The MetaView – In search of enlightened ideas

2010 Annual PAGL Conference

Beginning this week, one of the Listening Place shows will be highlighted. This week take a “listen” to TJ Hellman, a young man inspired by the poverty of Haiti many years ago, to devote his life to service.

Carol Adrienne, author of “The Purpose Of Your Life,” asked me to be part of her January “New Year” opportunity for readers of her web/blog site: Carol Adrienne

You are welcome to take advantage of the January Special, as copied below.

WHO: NANCY ROSANOFF is the author of The Intuition Workout. From 2001-2008 she hosted and produced the television talk show: The Listening Place, where she interviewed over 250 individuals about their spiritual life and philosophy. WHAT: During January, Nancy is offering a 45-minute consultation, in which she applies the insights of meta-psychiatry (developed by reknowned Dr. Thomas Hora) to your current life question–for only $50. WHAT: Nancy’s approach to your situation helps reveal the “meta view” of whatever difficulty, decision, or issue you are facing. The “meta view” involves discerning the difference between what seems to be happening and what really is. WHY: Nancy shows you how to see if you are stuck in the six “futile questions” (such as, “Why is this happening?”) She helps you begin to clear away obstacles by shifting attention to purpose, meaning and the intuitive next step. HOW:
Visit her web/blog site to find out more about her and her work: www.themetaview.com and email her
Nancy@rosanoff.com

Recently I found myself reacting defensively to someone being critical of me. It brought to mind the old riddle regarding “what comes first? The chicken or the egg?” In this case, what comes first, criticism or defensiveness?

Once I woke up to my defensive reaction there was an immediate thought to apologize, and to talk the matter over with the other person involved. Perhaps I could discover their motivation. After all, if they are being critical of me, perhaps I can change their view, or learn something about my bad behavior.

But this would just continue the ancient dance of “what comes first?” As with the chicken/egg analogy, neither comes first, they come together, as glued together as two sides of a coin.

Krishnamirti brought to our attention the idea: The thinker and the thought are one. The perception that “criticism is occurring” comes with the flip-side thought “it’s important not to be criticized.” As long as there is an identity of a person who could be damaged by criticism, there will be defensiveness and self-protection about “critical” ideas.

The MetaView recognizes that everything has a meaning. In this case, the experience of being criticized is expressing a defensive stance. The disturbing nature of the experience reflects that what is being perceived conflicts with the view of myself. The “view of myself” is a mental construction that has nothing to do with what is true. The “thinker” has given rise to the “thought”: I’m being criticized.

The only way out of this house of mirrors is to realize that we are not what we think.

But, we can become aware of the thoughts that are dominating our view of reality.

Thank God there is Divine Love. Love is not something we “think,” and it is not something we “create.” The qualities of Love are the context from which life flourishes. It is the underlying substance of life. Divine Love is interested in understanding, listening, and responding to real issues.

Recognizing that critical thinking has taken over the moment, makes it possible to let Love. Instead of defending or criticizing, one listens for the underlying issue and seeks to respond. This is loving.

It’s easy to be critical of health care professionals. The pedestal of “life saver” that their position represents makes them vulnerable to public criticism, as well as to personal boasting.

Although I’ve avoided going to hospitals and doctors until absolutely necessary, I have often been surprised by the attentive, loving individuals who have come to my aid in times of extreme need. It makes me realize that the vast majority of health care professionals in this country are inspired by a caring interest in serving the needs of others. They appreciate the opportunity to respond to real needs of individuals who come to them in vulnerable circumstances.

It also seems apparent that most individuals facing debilitating symptoms are open for guidance and help to relieve their distress. We may not like it when something is “wrong,” and we may resent that we need to ask for help, but when we finally recognize that something is needed, we have the option to look for good advice and care.

While every health care technique, method and medicine has helped someone somewhere, it is also true that every health care technique, method and medicine has hurt someone. They may be useful in the relief of symptoms and perhaps they support healing to occur, but techniques, methods and medicine are not the underlying healing force.

What is the Universal Healing Solvent common to all healing?

Love & Intelligence. Love is the quality of being where the primary orientation is toward understanding and intelligence is the open-minded attention that listens, observes, and recognizes the right idea when it appears. The orientation toward these qualities of consciousness in both the caregiver and the receiver allows healing to occur.

It seems self-evident that when the primary orientation of individuals is toward understanding the presenting issue, and seeking intelligent solutions to problems, the better the solutions, the better the system, the better the living. It also seems evident that most individuals go in and out of this orientation.

What Interferes with Good Health Care?

Caregivers have been trained with the idea that they need to “fix” whatever complaint is presented to them. This approach is also at the basis of how health care is rewarded. They get paid to “fix.” Therefore, the faster they fix something, and the more “fixes” accomplished, the more rewards received. This is an unhealthy system as it does not encourage or reward in a practical way the use of Love-Intelligence.

There is a tendency to look for a system that does not need individual consciousness – a mechanism that “anyone” can apply: a “pill” or “procedure” for instance. Yet, loving consciousness is the source of and solution to our problems and there is no way around that. Tools and techniques, when seen as an extension of intelligence and love can be immensely useful and valuable.

Patients are afflicted with the idea that someone needs to do something to make them better and take away their pain. This idea robs the patient of their capacity to discern between potential treatments for themselves and often blinds them from learning and growing from whatever disease they are experiencing.

A Solution?

As we accept the idea that health and healing require a context of love, intelligence and attention, our health systems will reorganize in healthier ways. While this may be a long arc for the whole health care system, individuals can see the wisdom of this idea immediately. Love-Intelligence does not need a prescription. It helps to know that it is available to any receptive consciousness no matter how challenging the circumstances.

The road to creating good National Health Care may well begin with first answering this question.

 There has been much confusion, conflict, money, airtime and fear surrounding the debate on national health care reform and this has a meaning.

Clearly this means that we are confused about the fundamental nature of the problem we are attempting to solve. 

The basic questions of health care reform depend upon a valid understanding of health: what is it, how does it happen, how is it lost.  If we have a clear idea about what health is, then we will know how to support it.

The first challenge in answering this question is that the answer may not be instantaneous.

I can hear someone saying: “Yes, this is a great question, but I don’t have time to answer it now, as I’m in too much pain and I just want relief.”

This is the attitude that is often reflected in the current approach to health care reform.

It reminds me of a recent conversation with someone in a whirlwind of “to do” tasks saying: “Once I’m done with these tasks I’ll be able to relax.”  She even laughed upon hearing herself say this, as she recognized the fallacy of ever being done with “what needs to get done.”

So, engaging with the question: “What is Health?” means first of all, to consider this question as we face the health care crisis as consumer, leader, provider or decision-maker. This does not require us to stop the activity of reforming health care, but if we include this question in our inquiries, new useful ideas and directions may emerge to help us find the right answers.