How do you feel directing your own & your loved ones' lives, in what many perceive to be a challenging, at times hostile, and seemingly deteriorating world? Many today feel anxious, nervous, afraid, worried for themselves, their children & grandchildren.
What if HOW we usually perceive & think is ALMOST ENTIRELY focused on DARKNESS: trying to grab, accumulate & survive at any cost AS IF we were alone, struggling in a hostile, meaningless, mechanical universe? WELL, THIS IS our culture's, and thus our own personal default way of understanding, thinking & behaving, called "left-hemisphere dominant" by noted scholar / researcher / author / psychiatrist, Iain McGilchrist MD (http://www.johnlovas.com/2025/10/hope-courage-patience-perseverance.html). This mindset is certain that we are alone in a meaningless, mechanical universe, struggling against all odds to survive. Being trapped in this narrow, robotic mindset IS the nightmare!
Sadly, those of us who have experienced major trauma, especially in early childhood, have tremendous difficulty trusting anyone, anything, including life itself. As a result, trauma survivors tend to rely exclusively on their intellect ie left hemisphere! This leaves their hearts armored, somewhat protected against re-injury, but effectively blocked from feeling, receiving & giving love.
Balanced, well-adjusted, thriving societies & individuals are "right-hemisphere dominant" by default. This right-hemisphere perspective is RADICALLY DIFFERENT because it IS aware of & IS in harmony with ALL of life's INFINITELY WIDER contexts, like Beauty, Love, Meaning, Values, Relationships, the Arts, Spirituality, etc.
Mystics past and present, are exemplars of right-hemisphere dominance, experiencing life radically differently than left-hemisphere dominant people. Mystics feel peacefully held in love; "at one" - Unitive Mystical Experience - with everyone, everything & the Divine; no separation from others & life; feel no hostility; no desperation to control anyone or anything; no fear of anyone, any "vengeful God" nor death; no neurotic compulsion to do anything, be anyone, go anywhere. They feel liberated, free to be appropriate toward everyone & everything in the present moment ie to embody Divine nurturing unconditional love. ALL of us can gradually open our minds & hearts to our own Divine nature. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLmOpCCJkuY
Instead of a steady diet of psychopathic politicians, billionaires, "influencers", and other nightmare visions, for the sake of sanity - how about reading about and listening to wise elders? My blogs are all about inspiring, mature, healthy, wise role models, like:
Jonathan Ashford: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Jonathan+Ashford
Sydney Banks: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Sydney+Banks
James Finley: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=James+Finley .
Helen Hamilton: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Helen+Hamilton .
Amoda Maa: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Amoda+Maa
Rainer Maria Rilke: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Rilke .
Robert A. Johnson: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Robert+A.+Johnson
Rami Shapiro: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Rami+Shapiro .
Richard Rohr: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Richard+Rohr .
Henry Shukman: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Henry+Shukman .
John Welwood: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=John+Welwood .
Toni Packer: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Toni+Packer .
Ram Dass: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Ram+Dass .
James Hollis: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=James+Hollis .
Roger Walsh: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Roger+Walsh .
David Whyte: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=David+Whyte .
Norman Fischer: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=Norman+Fischer .
David Steindl-Rast: http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=David+Steindl-Rast .
and MANY MORE wise elders to learn from & be inspired by.
It's OUR CHOICE - our free will - whether we immerse ourselves in wisdom - OR - darkness (https://www.jonathanashford.com/post/the-darkness). Are we "too busy", yet doomscrolling for hours each day?; Is this wisdom stuff "too deep" or "too confusing", and again, are we "just too busy" to get into it and learn? We can procrastinate and aim at best for feeling superficially OK, "ordinary unhappiness" - OR - discover what life is really about.
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