What I Believe: The Thumotics Manifesto, Part 5

The opposite of attending to spirit is ignoring it. Attending to spirit leads to knowledge and understanding of spirit. Ignoring spirit leads to ignorance and neglect. Knowing spirit makes many benefits possible. Ignoring makes possible much harm.

Since I believe in knowing spirit, I believe in establishing the science of spirit. Many sciences  attend to aspects of the physical world and the bodies of living beings.  Much of this knowledge informs our practice of medicine. We also have a science of the human mind, psychology.  Much of this knowledge informs our practice of psychotherapy. I believe it is time for the science of not just the human spirit, but the spirit of all living beings. I call this new science thumology.

I call on those with scientific expertise and interest in spirit to join with me in establishing and developing the new science of spirit, thumology. There is much exciting work to do and room for many in this wonderful adventure. 

Introduction

I recently became aware that in Western civilization we have over three thousand years of scientific investigation into physical reality in general and human physiology in particular. We also have centuries of scientific investigation into the human psyche.

Similarly we have modern scientific medicine for our physical bodies and modern scientific psychiatry and psychotherapy for our minds. But what about spirit? Where is the modern Western scientific investigation into spirit in general and the human spirit in particular? Where is the modern scientific therapy for the human spirit?

It seems strange to me that we have little if any modern Western scientific investigation into spirit. Spirit is a common word in our everyday speech. We say things like, "My dog has the sweetest spirit." "That's the spirit!" "I can't be with you in person but I'll be with you in spirit." "The place had such a peaceful spirit about it." "She is a mean spirited woman." We call alcohol spirits and refer to horses as being spirited.

What the phases above and many others like them tell me is that our talk about spirit is not restricted to religious speech. We use the word in common, everyday speech on a regular basis. Neither is it only a metaphor. We experience and know spirit directly in our everyday lives.

So why is there so little modern scientific investigation of spirit? Why is there so little development of a modern therapy for the human spirit?

This blog was born from my heightened awareness of this lack in Western civilization and to need to do something to address it.

Here is where I ask questions about spirit. Here is where I share my experiences of and thoughts about spirit. Here is where I invite others to join me in being mindful of spirit.