Spiritual Guidance in the Context of Thumotics

For many, spiritual guidance is the act of talking with another person in order to help them deal with a religious, spiritual, existential, philosophical, ethical, or axiological concern.

In such instances, spiritual guidance  would be about helping them resolve their concern and feel better emotionally. It would include establishing rapport, being therapeutically present, active listening, suspending judgment, asking questions, verbal validation of thoughts, feelings and actions, verbal normalizing, asking questions, perhaps quoting or alluding to sacred or other writings, and perhaps praying with the person. It might also include making recommendations to take certain actions.

In the context of Thumotics, spiritual or spirt-related guidance is altogether different. In the context of Thumotics, spirit-related guidance is the act of leading someone from one condition of spirit to another that is better for her or his current situation. 

In order to help lead the person's spirit to a different condition, the thumotherapist attends to the person's spirit with the intention of assessing its condition in the person's current circumstances, determining in collaboration with the person what a more effective condition of spirit would be, and helping to guide the person to that improved condition of spirit.

For example, if the other person was overly spirited, hyperthumotic, for their current situation, the act of leading her to a calmer condition of spirit is spiritual guidance. It is guidance of her spirit to a calmer condition that is more appropriate for her current situation.

Guiding someone who is hyperthumotic to a calmer condition of spirit might involve physical interventions. For example, the thumotherapist might use a form of energy therapy, like Reiki or Healing Touch, that might help the person relax physically. Guiding the person in a type of breath work that slows the metabolism could be helpful. Essential oils and music could also be used to help guide the person's spirit to a calmer condition.

In addition to physical interventions, the thumotherapist might also use verbal/ cognitive interventions. For example, guided imagery might help guide the person's spirit to a calmer condition. Helping the person to see and interpret his or her current situation from a different perspective might also be helpful.

However, helping the hyperthumotic person calm down in a session is not enough. The person needs to learn how to self-calm. So, the thumotherapist would also spend some time teaching the person how to calm his or her own spirit and give them specific practices to work on for the next session.

Spirit Essentials, Part 5: How to Provide Spiritual Guidance

If you came to this post expecting clear directions on how to provide spiritual guidance you might be disappointed. This post doesn't give a "how to" on spiritual guidance. 

This post teaches you what you need to do to develop your own ability to provide spiritual guidance.

Bottom line: experiment and learn from the results.

Be a true and dedicated thumonaut. Explore spirit. Learn about spirit. Figure out what affects spirit.

As in previous explorations, start with yourself.

Learn what calms your spirit. Learn what excites your spirit.

What expands your spirit and what contracts it?

What warms your spirit and what cools it?

What weakens your spirit and what strengtens it?

When your spirit is wounded or broken, what heals it?

As you experiment, keep a "no failures, only feedback" attitude. Keep a beginner's mind, open, full of wonder, and eager to learn.

Share what you learn. Share it with me. I'm eager to know what you're discovering in your explorations as a thumonaut. Let's share our stories and compare our notes.

Spirit Essentials, Part 4: Spiritual Guidance

Up to this point you have formed your working definition, description, and image of spirit. You have experienced your own spirit and that of others directly for yourself. You have named different conditions of your own spirit and that of others. Now it is time for the next step. 

The next step is far more challenging than the first three combined. It is far more challenging because it involves more than attending to spirits. It involves interacting with and influencing your own spirit and that of others. More specifically, it involves developing your ability to guide either your own or another's spirit from one condition to another. In other words, the next step is about developing you skill of spiritual guidance.

For many, spiritual guidance is the act of talking with another person in order to help them deal with a religious, spiritual, existential, philosophical, ethical, or axiological concern.

For example, someone might be concerned about what to believe, wanting to deepen their intimacy with their Higher Power, expand their consciousness, strengthen their faith, or develop their spirituality. They might be concerned about a doubt, going through a transition, or making sense of their own or a loved one's suffering. 

In such instances, spiritual guidance is often about helping them resolve their concern and feel better emotionally. It includes establishing rapport, being therapeutically present, active listening, suspending judgment, asking open-ended questions, verbal validation of thoughts, feelings and actions, verbal normalizing, perhaps quoting or alluding to sacred or other writings, and perhaps praying with the person or engaging in some other kind of ritual. It might also include making recommendations to take certain actions.

However, in the context of what we're doing, spiritual or spirt-related guidance is altogether different. In this context, spirit-related guidance is the act of leading someone to a condition of spirit that is better in her or his current situation. 

In order to help lead the person's spirit to a different condition, the spiritual guide co-attends to the person's spirit with the intention of-

1. Assessing its condition in the person's current circumstances

2. Determining, in collaboration with the person, what a better or more effective 

            condition of spirit would be

3. Helping to guide the person to that improved condition of spirit.

For example, if the other person is overly spirited for her current situation, spiritual guidance would involve the act of leading her to a calmer condition of spirit that is more appropriate in her current situation. 

If the person was under-spirited for his current circumstances, spiritual guidance would involve the act of leading him to a more spirited condition of spirit that is more appropriate in his current  situation.

When you are able to guide your own spirit and that of others from one condition to another more appropriate one, you are well on your way toward mastering how to care for your own spirit and that of others. You're on your way to mastering spiritual guidance.