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HUMAN PSYCHE…SOUL
OR MIND?
BY
Dr. Khalid Sohail
There was a time in history when human psyche was
believed to be a soul. Religious people believed that soul was independent
and existed prior to the existence of the body. It entered human fetus at a
certain stage of development, stayed in the body throughout life and left
at the time of death to go back to the world of souls, so that it could be
judged on the Day of Judgment and enter hell or heaven depending on its
good and bad deeds. Such a concept of soul was predominantly popular in
Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities.
Alongside
this Juda-o-Christian-o-Islamic belief in soul,
there were many Hindus who followed the tradition of reincarnation and
believed that human soul returned to earth again and again to purify itself
and acquire a higher or lower level of existence depending upon the good
and bad deeds, the karma of the previous incarnation. This cycle of
existence and suffering continued until the soul acquired enlightenment and
found nirvana and then transcended the cycle of suffering by joining
the Ultimate Soul, God. After acquiring nirvana the soul found
eternal life and did not have to return to earth for any more suffering.
In
these models, religious as well as spiritual, there was a desire, a wish, a
hope, and a dream for humans to have eternal life and live forever. Since
human body was mortal human beings believed in immortal soul and connected
that belief with the belief of immortal and eternal God.
In the
last few centuries there have been a third model
that is becoming more popular in the world. It is the secular model.
Followers of such model call psyche, mind, not soul. In this model the mind
is intimately connected with the body and does not exist independent of
body. It is an extension of the body, related to the functioning of the
brain and is connected with human personality that makes choices of human
lifestyle.
Secular
model, in which human psyche is called human mind has been developed on the
secular advances of
…biologists like Charles Darwin
…psychologists like Sigmund Freud
…sociologists like Karl Marx
and
…existentialist philosophers like Jean Paul Sartre
Since secular people do not believe in life after death,
they try their best to make their lives more meaningful and create a
paradise on earth.
Based on these secular models contemporary mental health
disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, nursing and social work have adopted
a model that we call a bio-psycho-social model. According to this model
mental illness and emotional problems can be diagnosed and treated based on
biological, psychological and social understanding of the problems.
People
suffering from schizophrenia and manic depressive illness might have a
strong biological component as they might have inherited mental illness
from their parents that have transmitted the illness through genes and
these patients might have biochemical abnormalities at birth that were
later on vulnerable to the psychological and social stresses. Similarly
people with neurotic and personality disorders might have experience
emotional abuse or trauma as children growing up in dysfunctional and unhealthy
families. Similarly immigrants might have emotional and social problems
because of their difficulties adjusting to a new culture and not being able
to resolve social and cultural conflicts. Secular mental health
professionals try to find different factors that contribute to the
emotional conditions and then suggest a combination of
Medication for biochemical disorders
Psychotherapy for psychological problems
and
Family and group therapy for social conflicts.
Such bio-psycho-social model has been very effective in
helping people suffering from mental illnesses and emotional problems.
In the last few decades there has been an ongoing
dialogue between professionals and lay people, mental health workers and
patients about the similarities and differences in their belief systems.
Different professionals have adopted different attitudes. I know some
psychiatrists and nurses who refuse to discuss their religious, spiritual
and secular beliefs with patients as they feel it is not important for
their treatment plan. In my clinical practice if my patients ask my views
directly I share with them that I am a secular humanist that respects
people from all religious, spiritual and secular traditions and support
people in searching their own truth. I believe that there are as many
truths as human beings and as many realities as pairs of eyes. Most of my
patients are believers but we have mutually respectful relationship with
each other. I share with them that my role in their life is not to get in
any academic discussion about their ideology or philosophy. I am there to
help them in reducing their emotional suffering whether depression, or
anxiety, paranoia or marital problems, and increasing their quality of
life.
While
there are some atheist psychiatrists who discourage their patients to
attend church gatherings, I never object to it as I believe that their
attending church services offer them emotional and moral support as long as
their religious relatives and friends do not object to the psychiatric
treatment they are receiving.
I remember the time when my aunt in Pakistan
suffered from schizophrenia. She was seen by a psychiatrist and was
prescribed Modecate injection and supportive
therapy. My uncle, who was a religious man, asked my opinion about taking
her to see a spiritual healer because she had a lot of faith in him. I told
my uncle that I did not object her going to see the spiritual healer if
that is what they wished, as long as she took her Modecate
injection and followed her psychiatric care plan regularly. It was
interesting that a time came when Modecate
injections were not available in Pakistan.
My aunt started to regress and started having her psychotic symptoms and
inappropriate behaviour although she was still
going to see her spiritual healer. My aunt’s illness became a great concern
for the whole family. On my uncle’s request I sent them
Modecate injections from Canada
and when my aunt started taking the injections regularly she started to
improve. After that experience my aunt and uncle agreed with me that the
psychiatric treatment was the cake and the spiritual practices the icing.
If we
see the contemporary world we see all the religious, spiritual and secular
practices existing side by side.
Some people believe in a soul and the Day of Judgment
Some people believe in a soul and re-incarnation
And
Some believe in a mind that exists as an extension of
body and brain that dies when the person dies. They do not believe in life
after death and Day of Judgment.
Being a secular humanist and psychotherapist I belong to
the third group but I have no hesitation in serving people from the first
two groups. That is my way of serving humanity and people from all walks of
life because as a physician I want to help people reduce their suffering
and discover a healthy, happy and peaceful lifestyle. I am a
psychotherapist, not a priest, and more concerned about caring for their
minds than saving their souls.
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