Transcending Trauma

                                                                                                             written 21 Nov 2021

                                                                                                         published 28 Nov 2021

                                                  

            Dr. Gabor Maté, a Canadian physician specializing in healing trauma, has the following message.  

            "Trauma is not what happens to you, it's what happens inside you.  Trauma can also be inflicted by what doesn't happen that should happen.  When your needs aren't met, that can wound as well.  Even though you weren't overtly hurt, you're still wounded by not having your essential human needs met." 

            "If the trauma is what happened to you, it'll never unhappen.  But if trauma is what happened inside you, the wound you sustained is the meaning you made of past events, the way you then came to believe certain things about yourself, or the world, or other people.  The trauma is the disconnection from your authentic self, and that can be restored at any moment.  We don't have to allow trauma to define our lives, how we see ourselves, how we see the world, how we relate to other people, how we relate to possibilities, how we relate to even spiritual transformation."

            A huge percentage of families (estimates range from 60 percent to 95 percent!) are considered emotionally dysfunctional, suggesting that most people have been traumatized, under Maté's description, and disconnected from their authentic self.  This helps explain the history of our species. 

            The traumatized forget we are all one, we are all unique, and we are all created from the same stuff despite all our differences.  Your authentic self is who you truly are as a person, an honest representation of yourself through your thoughts, words and actions.  Authenticity is a value that makes us an individual and, simultaneously, part of the oneness of existence, a multidimensional universe of inner connection.  Being your authentic self means you make your choices based on your inner knowledge and personal experiences. (Wikipedia)    

            In a traumatized state, a person is operating as a "conditioned self", locked into a defensive shell of old stories, unable to respond freely to the events of life.  Without awareness that the "inside" and "outside" are both parts of the same whole from which everything arises, the "outer" world becomes a screen upon which all the unresolved inner issues get projected.  For example, a person with deep unresolved anger issues tends to see reasons to be angry everywhere they look, and then wastes their energies attacking the "problem out there", with no resolution possible.

            This dynamic has endured for thousands of years, through successions of civilizations and empires, which have all failed eventually.  The last two centuries have seen the amplification of this process by increasingly powerful technologies, bringing us to the brink we're experiencing today.  Facebook, Fox News, and international corporate monopolies are examples of this.  All over the world, the conflict the "conditioned self" projects on the "other" is destroying not only societies, but the biological viability of the entire planet.  

            From a traditional point of view, this is a disaster with no good outcome.  But if we understand that the root issue is the unresolved trauma most of us carry, then we can view all this as an opportunity for global transcendence: an evolution of consciousness.

            Despite Trump being such a powerful example of the selfish individual writ large, he really only amplified issues that have been endemic in this nation since its formation: racism, misogyny, economic inequity, and plunder of the biosphere.  Trump and the GQP have no solutions for the problems we face, but they appeal to the masses of folks who are oppressed by the real inequities of our system.  It is a fair critique that the corporate dominated members of the Democratic party are just as clueless in the face of our mounting crises.  But there is growing popular support to address the monumental changes required to really have peace on Earth, and goodwill toward all life.

            We live in a time where changes to life-long patterns are demonstrably possible, ranging from 12 step programs to the Gabor Maté's work with trauma.  The same powerful technological connectivity that is currently dividing humanity is also creating powerful new channels for change.  The global nature of COVID has brought an end to much of the old ways of life, and we will never return to the previous "normal", but that reality was heading toward disaster even before the pandemic.  We are facing unprecedented challenges, demanding a new paradigm for humanity.

 

 

 

 

Contemplation On A Sunny Day

                                                                                                              written 14 Nov 2021

                                                                                                          published 21 Nov 2021

                                                

            I start writing my column every Friday, giving me two days to polish it, before submission on Sunday, when the previous article is published.  Between Sunday and Friday, I spend the days not thinking about what to write, allowing ideas to surface, or not, trusting that "something" will arise on Friday.  

            This Friday was a beautiful sunny day, and I spent time on the deck, enjoying the lovely green vista to the south, very much at peace with life, and grateful for the moment.  But I didn't have a "topic", and my mind churned.

            Of the almost eight billion people on the planet, three thousand are billionaires, while three billion live on less than three dollars a day.  How much is enough?  Why don't people share more?  Christ taught love of God, so how did a "good" Christian become defined as God fearing?  Free market capitalism is supposed to enhance competition and produce fairer prices and better service, so why are most industries controlled by 3 or 4 massive corporations?  Why is the company formally known as Facebook, currently valued at over $100 billion, so popular, yet thrives on discord, hatred, and disinformation?  With health care and climate change two of the most popular concerns in the US, why is so little changing?

            For my own peace of mind, I sit meditation twice a day.  This practice pulls me out of my endless mind chatter, giving me a break, and allowing inspiration to softly speak to me from time to time.  From that perspective, I can then re-engage with the larger world, with perhaps some insight as to what to do and where to do it.

            One of the messages is to "allow", trusting that there is a larger pattern in play, beyond what I currently understand.  As a chronic "doer", this is a difficult practice for me.  But I have come to understand that there is really only one person I can have much effect upon, and that is me.  I can change my own awareness and practices.  I know that is true, as I have had some success over time, and I am not driven by all the same patterns and obsessions that once were dominant.  It is a simple truth, but not easy to accomplish.

            But that means being at peace with "what is", for the most part.  That is not to say that there is nothing relevant to do, but I have to accept what is before I can even consider what to do.  Sometimes that requires a hard look at what is, without glossing over embarrassing or difficult parts.  I think that helps explain the right-wing reaction to so called "critical race theory".  We are God's chosen people, so we can't have made such a mess of things getting here.  It must all be a treasonous lie!

            But America has always been more of an ideal than the accomplished reality.  Try reading Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States".  Our ideals are noble and worthy of admiration and effort, but they are radical compared to most of the history of humanity.  We have to admit that we are a long way for equal treatment under our laws, without regard for wealth, race, or gender.  If we can't honestly see where we are, we have little hope of getting any better.

            One of our biggest stumbling blocks is the idea that we are a land of rugged individualists.  While honoring the individual is important, it is a fallacy to think that we are nothing more than individuals.  I have stated many times in this column that our core delusion is the belief in separation within a fundamental unity reality.  We are both self and society, self and planet.  But we have prioritized self to the extent that we are killing each other and the entire planet.

            This issue has been around for thousands of years, and leaders have pointed out the problem for all that time.  However, we are slow learners.  While it is hard to kill a good planet, we are too numerous, and too powerful, to be this ignorant much longer.  

            So, I sit on the deck, and appreciate the lovely sunny day.  We wake up, or we don't.  If we do, we have a lot of work to do.

 

Global Impacts

                                                                                                                written 7 Nov 2021

                                                                                                          published 14 Nov 2021

                                                

             A 6 mile diameter asteroid hit the northern edge of the Mexican Yucatan peninsula 65 million years ago.  The Chicxulub impact released 100 million megatons of energy, throwing glowing debris into the atmosphere, raising surface temperatures to killing levels and starting fires all over.  Dust blocked the sun for months.  About 3/4 of the species living at the time died, including the dinosaurs.

            The theory of an asteroid impact ending the dinosaurs had been around for some time, but the first impact evidence was published in the late 70's, with the report of a thin layer of soil enriched with iridium, an element rare on Earth but common in asteroids.  This layer, found around the world, also contained grains of quartz that had been deformed by a high pressure shockwave, and had soot from massive forest fires.  In 1990, the crater was located, despite being buried under deep sediments, using gravity field measurements and seismic profiling.

            Humanity has produced several global impacts of our own, although over longer time periods and with a lot less energy involved. 

            From 1951 until 1962, humans detonated 528 nuclear devices in the atmosphere, releasing over 400 megatons of energy, the equivalent of 29,000 Hiroshima sized blasts.  The winds distributed this radioactive material around the world.  Kodak noticed that the film it produced was fogged at certain times, and discovered it was associated with tests in Nevada.  The company had enough economic clout to demand the government let them know when a test was scheduled, so they could halt production, even though none of the people living downwind were notified. 

            To this day, all the steel smelted since atmospheric testing began has traces of radionuclides.  Very sensitive radiological instruments have to be made from steel smelted before 1940.  One of the largest sources are the 52 German war ships sunk at the British Navy base of Scapa Flow in 1919, after the first World War.  

            Another global human impact is the wide spread pollution by plastic.  Since 1950, over 9 billion tons of plastic have been manufactured, 380 million tons in the last year alone.  Plastic trash has been found everywhere, from the peak of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench.  While undigestible, the molecular structure of plastic breaks down into small pieces, creating microplastic, which is now in the air, rain and snow.  Plastic bio accumulates and is in everything we eat. 

            Microplastics entering the human body through ingestion or inhalation can lead to an array of health impacts, including inflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, and exposes us to chemicals found in plastics that are known to be harmful.  These chemicals, called endocrine disruptors, mimic hormones and have been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, organ problems, developmental delays in children, and reproductive issues.

            Chemical contamination is also widespread, particularly the family called PFASs (perfluoroalkyl substances), known as "forever chemicals".  First introduced in 1946 by Dupont as Teflon for non-stick cookware, they are now in a staggering array of consumer and commercial products.  PFASs are used in fire retardants, and oil and water stain repellents in clothing, carpets, and furniture.  They are used extensively to coat paper and cardboard wrappers for fast food take-out food containers and bakery goods.  One of the most widely used class of chemicals, PFASs now contaminate water, and soil, where they never break down and bio accumulate in our bodies.  

            As early as 1956, research began showing health problems.  Very small quantities are linked to cancer, reproductive and immune systems harm, as well as other diseases.  Researchers looking to document this contamination found everyone has detectable levels in their blood, including new born babies.  The only samples found to be free from PFASs were blood the Army had taken before the Korean war, and stored for research.

            The world is connected, and we ignore that fact at our peril.  Business never considers the larger impact of their actions, if they can hide the consequences.  That is the nature of "externalized costs".  They make the profit and someone else pays the cost.  Our technology is so potent that we now see global consequences, including declining birth rates, wide spread chronic diseases, degraded biological systems, and of course, accelerating climate change.  To survive, an evolution of consciousness is required, including whole systems thinking at every level.

 

What Is A Person To Do?

                                                                                                              written 31 Oct 2021

                                                                                                           published 7 Nov 2021

                                                      

            As I have written before, the consensus of climate scientists is that we must make a 50 percent reduction in atmospheric carbon emissions within the next 8 years (less than 100 months!) in order to have any chance of avoiding a runaway climate emergency leading to complete economic collapse and possible near term human extinction.  Conditions are changing so rapidly that some feel we need a 75 percent reduction within 3 years!  Climate disasters in the US continue making headlines across the country, with economic impact beginning to approach $1 trillion per year.

            It is estimated the complete decarbonization of the planet will cost about $20 trillion, which means the US would have to invest $400 billion per year (only half the Pentagon budget) for the next 8 years, to hit the 50 percent mark.  

            Despite all that, with atmospheric CO2 concentrations still increasing every year, "business as usual" is fighting to avoid admitting there is even a problem.  The CEOs of the major oil companies recently testified before Congress that they never denied climate science, despite decades of funding the deniers.  Supposedly "moderate" Democrats are working against funding even $50 billion per year to address the climate emergency.  

            I still believe that enough Americans across the political spectrum are beginning to realize we really are all in this climate crisis together, and will vote the obstructionists out of office in order to support a concerted effort to preserve a habitable planet for our grandchildren.  But I have overestimated the political sanity of our country many times before.  So, what is a person to do?

            At one level, it is important to sit with the idea that we may already be too late.  I hit that mark several years ago reading the extensive scientific literature about abrupt climate change, such as McPherson's book "Extinction Dialogs".  It took me months to come to terms with the idea of near-term human extinction.  I noticed how much of my conversation and thinking presupposed an ongoing future.  It made me more aware of my daily activities, and sharpened my appreciation for the beauty of life.

            Our cultural pathology, which has difficulty addressing even individual death, has no place for contemplating death of our species.  As I have aged, I have made some peace with my own death, and appreciate that I have had a good life.  But much of my acceptance of personal death is balanced by the assumption that someone will still carry on.  That civilization will endure, even as I exit as an individual.  Letting go of that was another level of grief.

            Joanna Macy, in her "Work That Connects", is clear that our primary work is grief work.  Feeling it, embracing it, honoring it, and transforming it into a deep experience of healing, love, and gratitude for this beautiful planet and all the life forms that share it with us.  This deeper appreciation can renew us in the task of doing what can be done in the time remaining, for we are not extinct yet.  

            Corporate capitalism, rooted as it is in the illusion of separation and the fallacy of exclusive gain, can't rescue itself from its own extractive excesses.  There is no more time to waste pretending the fiction of the "free market" will save us, or that "business as usual" must be preserved.  The Titanic is sinking, and society must begin preparing the lifeboats.

            Even the larger business community is beginning to recognize this fact, as the looming tidal wave of the climate disruption builds each year.  Shareholders are beginning to demand climate assessments in corporate business considerations.  Insurance companies are starting to ban some of the worst climate polluters from further coverage.  Hedge funds are asserting their awareness that a dead planet is bad for business.  Some states are stepping up to the task of climate leadership.  This trend will only grow as the reality of the climate impact accelerates.

            There is no certainty of success.  Humanity may indeed already be dead and just too distracted to know it yet.  But it is worth trying to transform our economy and society.  For such a global issue, a viable solution must be massively inclusive, transcending all the illusions of separation humanity has used to define ourselves so far.  

            What an interesting time to be alive!