> Yet, social scientists who have studied the data have concluded
> that people who join religious movements tend to do so in response
> to deeply felt spiritual needs--often after a period in which they
> were dissatisfied with the quality of their spiritual life. This
> is certainly borne out by the women's stories in this thread.
It is also borne out by my own experience. When I first became a
student of Sri Chinmoy, my parents -- as many do -- thought I had
fallen into a dangerous trap, that there must have been something
"wrong" with me that compelled me to join this "group".
So, figuring I was a poor 18-year-old who had lost his way, they
sent me to a well-known psychologist who specialized in teenage
problems. He was a very nice man. I showed him some of Guru's books,
which he read. I told him what our path was about (or at least what
I understood of it after a few months) and what our spiritual
practice was.
After a few visits, he had made his analysis and met with me and my
parents. I shall never, ever forget that meeting; it is forever
etched in my consciousness! It went something like this:
Psychologist: First of all, Mr. and Mrs. X, I want to start by
saying that your son is a perfectly normal, well-adjusted boy of 18.
I give him a completely clean bill of health.
Parents: We don't doubt that, Doctor, but what we want to know is
why he felt the need to join this group?
Psychologist: Instead of answering that question, why don't we
answer this question: why did you feel the need to send him to me,
just because he decided to join a spiritual group? All of us seek
the Truth in our own way. Some people seek the Truth more
vociferously than others. [I remember so vividly he used the word
"vociferously".] Your son happens to be one of those people. I see
absolutely no harm either in his search for the Truth or in the path
he has chosen to follow.
God bless that psychologist! He really saved me. More than that, he
proved that there are good psychologists out there who really
understand human nature from a broad point of view.
The moderator wrote:
> Yet, social scientists who have studied the data have concluded
> that people who join religious movements tend to do so in response
> to deeply felt spiritual needs--often after a period in which they
> were dissatisfied with the quality of their spiritual life. This
> is certainly borne out by the women's stories in this thread.
It is also borne out by my own experience. When I first became a
student of Sri Chinmoy, my parents -- as many do -- thought I had
fallen into a dangerous trap, that there must have been something
"wrong" with me that compelled me to join this "group".
So, figuring I was a poor 18-year-old who had lost his way, they
sent me to a well-known psychologist who specialized in teenage
problems. He was a very nice man. I showed him some of Guru's books,
which he read. I told him what our path was about (or at least what
I understood of it after a few months) and what our spiritual
practice was.
After a few visits, he had made his analysis and met with me and my
parents. I shall never, ever forget that meeting; it is forever
etched in my consciousness! It went something like this:
Psychologist: First of all, Mr. and Mrs. X, I want to start by
saying that your son is a perfectly normal, well-adjusted boy of 18.
I give him a completely clean bill of health.
Parents: We don't doubt that, Doctor, but what we want to know is
why he felt the need to join this group?
Psychologist: Instead of answering that question, why don't we
answer this question: why did you feel the need to send him to me,
just because he decided to join a spiritual group? All of us seek
the Truth in our own way. Some people seek the Truth more
vociferously than others. [I remember so vividly he used the word
"vociferously".] Your son happens to be one of those people. I see
absolutely no harm either in his search for the Truth or in the path
he has chosen to follow.
God bless that psychologist! He really saved me. More than that, he
proved that there are good psychologists out there who really
understand human nature from a broad point of view.
- Aparajita