Science And Spirituality: Embrace Both When Dealing With Chronic Illness

Albert Einstein is my kind of guy. Although undeniably one of the greatest scientists who ever lived, he did not see the world simply through the narrow focus of physics. Although his views on religion and the existence of God are far from clear - due in no small part to his (I suspect deliberately) ambiguous comments on these subjects - he appears to have had a spiritual side.

Despite his great knowledge and contribution to our understanding of the workings of the universe (time and space), through his theories of 'General Relativity' and 'Special Relativity' - he maintained childlike wonderment at that which we call - 'reality'.

Einstein famously said: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind".

Ed: I think even Albert would now swap out "religion" - for "spirituality" - in the 21st Century. But the point is the same.

I could not agree more after 35 years of Invisible Illness, a keen interest and qualifications in science myself - and 20 years of meditation practise.

Although open to interpretation, my take on what he was saying in the quote above is - that without the ability to see scientific findings in the context of a greater whole, including consciousness and spirituality - those findings serve little purpose and do nothing to furthering our understanding of reality and of the human experience.

Equally, to follow religious teachings word for word and ignore science is to reject knowledge that has the power to benefit humanity in numerous ways, including the relief of suffering and treatment of chronic illness (including environmental and invisible illness).

Which brings me nicely onto why I chose to talk a little about our friend, Albert. After 20 years of suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), gut dysbiosis / irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), allergies, adrenal fatigue, depression/anxiety, and a number of years confined to a couple of rooms in my home as a result of severe multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) - I have experienced a lot of suffering in my life. Starting from the young age of 11 years old (I am now 46, which society now considers "young"). As a result, I believe I have learnt a lot about the human experience.

Before developing invisible illnesses, starting with ME/CFS - I was a faithful follower of the "church of science" (not to be confused with Scientology!) - and in fact I still believed medicine and science would have the answers for almost the first 10 years of chronic illness. But things began to change inside me. As someone with a keen analytical brain and interest in science, I knew that there must be a way for science to save me and restore me to health, but the medical profession was giving me nothing.

I therefore devoted myself to researching my condition myself, trawling through medical papers and countless medical textbooks - from both conventional and alternative medicine. In some cases I came up with treatments and lifestyle changes that helped me, eventually to my degree and professional qualifications in Nutritional Therapy and Hypnotherapy.

I had been sustaining myself purely on my strong stubborn streak. That character trait ('Type A Personality') has often been cited as a cause for ME/CFS, ironically. The simple desire to succeed and accept nothing but absolute success. While this part of my personality was an asset through a number of years where I was severely clinically depressed after years of ME/CFS - there was something missing. Hope and belief. Something that a sense of spirituality can bring - as I was about to discover.

After what must have been going on 5-6 years of nudging from my mother and others with a more open-minded take on the workings of the universe, I finally gave in - and my life quickly began to change. It was if my mind was opened to possibilities I would previously have dismissed as utter nonsense. I had a genuine paradigm shift in my worldview.

I don't wish to write an autobiography here but a few key moments in my spiritual transformation include being taken by my parents to a 'spiritual healer', an old man who must have been 80, and my introduction to a form of mantra meditation, derived from Buddhism (Soka Gakkai International (SGI)). My analytical brain resisted all of this but I gave in out mainly because I ran out of energy to resist. As it turns out that was a huge blessing.

The encounter with the spiritual healer was a special moment. He was very sought after and lived in a large old manor house - although I genuinely do not believe he actively sought worldly wealth. His story was that during WWII he had experienced a spiritual epiphany during a near death experience (NDE) and a being he perceived as the Christian God had blessed him with the ability to heal, which he had since taken to be his life's purpose.

To cut a long story short, he had me sit in the middle of a large room on a single wooden chair while he sat behind a large desk a good 12 ft away. He did not speak a word nor make any physical gestures yet gradually but quite rapidly I felt something building inside me, something I had never felt before, a feeling of pure peace and joy. It could be described as bliss. This feeling remained with me for days although gradually diminished in intensity - but it opened my eyes - perhaps there was more to reality and my existence than what science could show me after all.

My introduction to mantra meditation was an equally powerful experience. Again, I resisted as I still felt my analytical brain would solve all my problems. It was six months from my first meeting with a Buddhist meditator to the time I sat down with one of his colleagues to undertake the meditation. To my surprise not only did the meditation come to me very easily but it felt like it was meant to be, as if I had discovered something that was meant to be part of life all along! Even more profound is the fact that through this meditation I was, on occasion at least, able to achieve the same feeling I had experienced in my encounter with the Christian spiritual healer a number of years previously.

These events have shaped my life since in a huge way. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in the importance of science - I completed my bachelor of science degree (BSc (Hons)) in Nutrition and Health in 2010 - but I am now also in touch with another side of my being. A side that makes life with chronic illness that much easier to bear - and even allows for the experience of joy in the face of suffering. A side that provides me with a solid foundation of confidence and belief in myself, the people around me, and the human family as a whole. The world of science still included - but now no longer alone!

Chronic illness is difficult to deal with, no doubt about it, particularly environmental illnesses - as we sufferers receive very little medical or financial support. It can take us to breaking point. My journey thus far has taught me that by embracing both science and spiritually we can improve not only our quality of life and chances for recovery from invisible illness - but also open ourselves up to a world of opportunity that we did not even know existed. Things just improve in all areas, synchronistically.

Despite practising Buddist meditation to this day, I don't not subscribe to any particular religion in any other way. So, I will sign off simply by wishing you the best of health and hoping that you can look inside yourselves and find the truth that will allow your spirits to soar - just as mine has!