PTSD: Conquering The Invisible: – A Holistic Approach to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder –
Exactly six years ago, I was approached by my friend now, Maria Teresa to write a chapter and contribute to her book from the perspective of healing through the art of movements.
Privileged to have contributed my bit to this book on PTSD and how Dance can play a vital role in reducing the symptoms of the same . Available on Amazon now at http://tinyurl.com/qbcvqjs
Personal Evolution
1. Traumatic stress is not a disorder. It is gateway to higher Awareness. In reality, only setbacks in life open doors for self enquiry. I had this setback soon after retirement in December 2002. Prior to that, my life was smooth on all fronts – namely family and profession. This was traced to my resorting to Yoga, and Kriya Yoga practices had awakened a spirit in my body, we call universal mind, which caused deep turmoil. Prior to this stress, I never had any idea that there is something called mind.
1.1 First my EGO was grounded because of the stress – disgusted in life, the spirit bringing to fore some weaknesses I had in the past. No serious mistakes were committed, and therefore my life was smooth.
1.2 With EGO down, slowly intellect took over and started searching for reasons for the turmoil. In the process, a Guru popped-up to bail me out of miseries. Guru’s teachings lead me to great discovery that I am not this body, but I dwell in it as non-doer, and the finest healing power pervades my body, and I do not have to search for it, outside my body. The means to access this healing power is Yoga.
1.3 This is applicable to entire humanity, not just to me. Here is the analysis in brief.
What is mind?
2. Mind has roots in source of creation from beginningless time. At the core is Supreme Indestructible Reality we call Ultimate Truth, Brahma (ब्रह्म) in Sanskrit. It is nucleus of creation (nothingness). There is mysterious sub-atomic essence shrouding this Ultimate Truth called Eternal Nature or Ādhyātma (आध्यात्म) or simply Ātman.
2.1 For Ultimate Truth, the creation does not exist. However the Eternal Nature is source of all existence. But it is also beyond all perceptions, the man is gifted with through his senses. This essence gives every material object in universe, its attributes, but not directly. This core resides at Universal heart centre of humanity namely Anāhata, as invisible unique individual (non-doer).
2.2 We may call it as Allāh or Christ. These are the ways to realize Ultimate Truth.
2.3 Sharing power from Eternal Nature, the beginningless matter – ETHER is characterized as Universal Mind. It is a phenomenon. It manifests as Primordial (indestructible) Root Syllable AUM (ॐ), It is subsonic content in ETHER resonating at AUM and is the Heavenly Medium enveloping entire material Universe. We also call it as space or Ākāśa in Sanskrit. In Bhagavad-Gita, it also called Ultimate Personality or Universal Consciousness or Supreme Soul. It is the only subject, that gives sentience to entire Universe and is therefore Omniscient.
2.4 This phenomenon is the causal essence for all that exists in material Universe. It is also called macrocosm. The Eternal Nature (Īda) and Elastic Ether (Pingala or Prāṇa) are two inseparable vital breathes, While Eternal Nature gives expression, borrowing power from it, it is Prāṇa that becomes Prāṇa Śakti or Ātma Śakti. It gives expression to Ultimate Personality, the invisible beholder in immaterial zone at core. He cannot be perceived in isolation and is also untouched by Ātma Śakti. Ātma Śakti is therefore virgin energy, a genderless causal essence of all that exists. It is also called Mother Nature, to discriminate from Ultimate Personality, we call God. It can be experienced by man, as finest healing power or grace pervading the body.
Constitution of human body.
3. This phenomenal essence manifests as four other great elements, namely air, fire, water, and Earth in the order they were created in beginningless time (Source: Upanishads). The entire material Universe is made out of these five great elements (including Elastic Ether substratum). On Mother Earth and surroundings (land, oceans and sky), they manifest as animate and inanimate objects. Humans are part of this whole we call Universe, because of core residing at heart centre. Now on we will limit this discussion to humanity, who are at highest state of material evolution.
3.1 Humanity is also called microcosm, the source of creation of all infrastructure for the comfort of humanity, and are also protectors of Nature. There is no microcosm (body) without macrocosm (unique individual at heart centre). This is Advaita philosophy, as conceived by Ādi Śankara.
3.2 The infinitesimal potency of Supreme Soul pervades the human body as set of Nādis, and is called embodied soul or Individual Consciousness. It borrows power from Universal Consciousness, connected to it at Root Chakra (Mooladhara). This forms basic substratum of human existence. Coated on this sub-stratum is DNA, which represents evolutionary status of man.
3.3The Individual Consciousness is infused into Mother’s womb, weeks after conception with DNA (past history for ages). The birth is therefore not the beginning, nor the death is the end of material existence. It is continuous journey of soul till it gets dissolved into Eternal Nature.
3.4 The constitution of subtle body (embodied soul):
a. Manas – the Mind – the substratum itself activating five sensors of vision, taste, touch, smell, and speech (and hearing) giving worldly perceptions.
b. Buddhi – the spiritual intellect – the inner preceptor.
c. EGO – the unmanifest substratum, manifesting as all particles of body (with related attributes) and functioning as one unit with three-fold material nature.
d. The sub-conscious – solid state memory storing all life time experiences (I am not sure, but it is confined to face as I am experiencing), which can be recalled due to vibratory status of sub-stratum. It is because of this that man lives in past and present and dreams for future. The facial undulations, the man gets as he ages, is because of this.
Three fold material nature
4. Man is born with three fold material nature namely Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, depending on constitution of DNA (evolutionary state of man). Infinite humanity is born with mix of only these three states, which decide their behavioural tendencies.
4.1 Sattva means illumination and resilient. People born with nature are highly noble, do not treat others apart from them and are bestowed with empathy and compassion. They empower others with true love, to deliver their best.
4.2 Rajas means activity and passion. The people born with this nature are highly passionate to build infrastructure for benefit of others and for themselves. Some of them put their weight around and become irritant to society.
4.3 Tamas means inert and lethargy. The people born with this nature are highly deluded (critical of others), selfish, and some of them are very cruel.
4.4. Most of the humanity is born with Sattva Predominant nature, and that is the reason why the world survives, despite setbacks created by few Tamasic personalities in commerce and politics.
4.5 But the nature is transcendental. The real change comes from illumination from realized souls that we are not this body, but pure consciousness which expresses nature by default. Intellect, getting this illumination from Guru, churns it methods guided by rituals suggested by Guru, to awaken dormant power, which ultimately transcends three-fold material nature (its image) and dissolve into consciousness. It is here that the curtains are removed from witness or knower of field, the Supreme Lord himself, a non-doer. He becomes Sat Chit Ananda.
The potency in man
5. Intellect is Mother of arts of all arts, science of all sciences, trade of all trades, and knowledge of all knowledge. There is no knowledge which is superior to transcendental knowledge. The means to achieve highest transcendental state is Yoga or accessing inner grace to neutralize material nature. It goes by Universal Laws of Matter. All laws of thermodynamics are applicable.
Attitude of a person
6. We must know that the all potency (arts, sciences, trades, and knowledge) is imbibed into us because of material nature. Owning these as self guided achievements can lead to arrogance. This culminates into anger, delusion, and envy and will destroy the discipline, for example dance as mentioned by @Savvy Raj.
6.1 Best is to lose proprietorship, attribute everything to invisible source can only sustain the art. This is also means to live in harmony with entire nature.
Conclusion
7. No one can conquer invisible. All potency has to be dissolved into it, to achieve what we call Nirvana. This is achievable easily by Sattva predominant personalities.
Om Shanti Om🙏
This post was simply an acknowledgement in Gratitude for the invitation to write an article for this book.
Every person’s journey is unique as much as their constitution. And while we are led by our uniqueness, we are essentially manifesting the purpose of our creation. In doing so we are traversing and evolving as per our choices. It helps in being aware that perfection is an illusory state in creativity for change is the only constant.
Honoured by your deep interest in this post and your personal shares of your life’s journey. 🙏
Savvy Raj 
November 25, 2021 at 8:54 pm
Happy ThanksGiving From America
In Very Sunny Still Colorful Florida
Dear Savvy Although You Don’t
Celebrate This Day There
The Sentiment
of Thanks
Giving
For me
Like The Sentiment
of Christmas Remains
As My Tree Lights Stay Up
Coloring More Through
E V E R G R E E N A LiVE
Dance And Song always
New Now Waking Dreams in Fruition
of Regulating Emotions And Integrating
Senses So Colorful And Real Anew In Inhaling
Peace Exhaling Love Ever Colorful More Again mY FRiEnD
Such a Valuable
Lesson The
Healing Power
of Dance to Regulate
Emotions Integrate Senses
As Once Folks Called This Therapy
Woo In the Halls of Material Reductionist
Science That Will Be So Ignorant of Big Picture
Intuition and Healing my FRiEnD For The Body
Heals the Mind
In Balance
Of Movement
FRiEnDS with Gravity
Same Way the Body
Heals the Body my FRiEnD
And Now Science Even Agrees
Yet Of Course Over A Same Longstanding
Illusion of Western Ways of Civilization Then
In Ignorance of Body Separate From Mind
Yes Religions, Yes Philosophies, Yes Politics
And The Big C of Changing CuLTuRES Yes All
The Way From DarKNeSS to AWaKeNinG NoW iN
Light of Nature Freer Within to Rise Once More
In Balance of Loving Grace So Much Peace
Inhaling
Exhaling
Love For All
A Dance And
Song oF LiGHT That
Changes Our World to
‘Loving Living Refreshingly’ So
DeaR FRiEnD So Healing Verily
Always Thanks Giving For Giving More With SMiLes..:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 3, 2021 at 1:29 pm
Personal Evolution
1. Traumatic stress is not a disorder. It is gateway to higher Awareness. In reality, only setbacks in life open doors for self enquiry. I had this setback soon after retirement in December 2002. Prior to that, my life was smooth on all fronts – namely family and profession. This was traced to my resorting to Yoga, and Kriya Yoga practices had awakened a spirit in my body, we call universal mind, which caused deep turmoil. Prior to this stress, I never had any idea that there is something called mind.
1.1 First my EGO was grounded because of the stress – disgusted in life, the spirit bringing to fore some weaknesses I had in the past. No serious mistakes were committed, and therefore my life was smooth.
1.2 With EGO down, slowly intellect took over and started searching for reasons for the turmoil. In the process, a Guru popped-up to bail me out of miseries. Guru’s teachings lead me to great discovery that I am not this body, but I dwell in it as non-doer, and the finest healing power pervades my body, and I do not have to search for it, outside my body. The means to access this healing power is Yoga.
1.3 This is applicable to entire humanity, not just to me. Here is the analysis in brief.
What is mind?
2. Mind has roots in source of creation from beginningless time. At the core is Supreme Indestructible Reality we call Ultimate Truth, Brahma (ब्रह्म) in Sanskrit. It is nucleus of creation (nothingness). There is mysterious sub-atomic essence shrouding this Ultimate Truth called Eternal Nature or Ādhyātma (आध्यात्म) or simply Ātman.
2.1 For Ultimate Truth, the creation does not exist. However the Eternal Nature is source of all existence. But it is also beyond all perceptions, the man is gifted with through his senses. This essence gives every material object in universe, its attributes, but not directly. This core resides at Universal heart centre of humanity namely Anāhata, as invisible unique individual (non-doer).
2.2 We may call it as Allāh or Christ. These are the ways to realize Ultimate Truth.
2.3 Sharing power from Eternal Nature, the beginningless matter – ETHER is characterized as Universal Mind. It is a phenomenon. It manifests as Primordial (indestructible) Root Syllable AUM (ॐ), It is subsonic content in ETHER resonating at AUM and is the Heavenly Medium enveloping entire material Universe. We also call it as space or Ākāśa in Sanskrit. In Bhagavad-Gita, it also called Ultimate Personality or Universal Consciousness or Supreme Soul. It is the only subject, that gives sentience to entire Universe and is therefore Omniscient.
2.4 This phenomenon is the causal essence for all that exists in material Universe. It is also called macrocosm. The Eternal Nature (Īda) and Elastic Ether (Pingala or Prāṇa) are two inseparable vital breathes, While Eternal Nature gives expression, borrowing power from it, it is Prāṇa that becomes Prāṇa Śakti or Ātma Śakti. It gives expression to Ultimate Personality, the invisible beholder in immaterial zone at core. He cannot be perceived in isolation and is also untouched by Ātma Śakti. Ātma Śakti is therefore virgin energy, a genderless causal essence of all that exists. It is also called Mother Nature, to discriminate from Ultimate Personality, we call God. It can be experienced by man, as finest healing power or grace pervading the body.
Constitution of human body.
3. This phenomenal essence manifests as four other great elements, namely air, fire, water, and Earth in the order they were created in beginningless time (Source: Upanishads). The entire material Universe is made out of these five great elements (including Elastic Ether substratum). On Mother Earth and surroundings (land, oceans and sky), they manifest as animate and inanimate objects. Humans are part of this whole we call Universe, because of core residing at heart centre. Now on we will limit this discussion to humanity, who are at highest state of material evolution.
3.1 Humanity is also called microcosm, the source of creation of all infrastructure for the comfort of humanity, and are also protectors of Nature. There is no microcosm (body) without macrocosm (unique individual at heart centre). This is Advaita philosophy, as conceived by Ādi Śankara.
3.2 The infinitesimal potency of Supreme Soul pervades the human body as set of Nādis, and is called embodied soul or Individual Consciousness. It borrows power from Universal Consciousness, connected to it at Root Chakra (Mooladhara). This forms basic substratum of human existence. Coated on this sub-stratum is DNA, which represents evolutionary status of man.
3.3The Individual Consciousness is infused into Mother’s womb, weeks after conception with DNA (past history for ages). The birth is therefore not the beginning, nor the death is the end of material existence. It is continuous journey of soul till it gets dissolved into Eternal Nature.
3.4 The constitution of subtle body (embodied soul):
a. Manas – the Mind – the substratum itself activating five sensors of vision, taste, touch, smell, and speech (and hearing) giving worldly perceptions.
b. Buddhi – the spiritual intellect – the inner preceptor.
c. EGO – the unmanifest substratum, manifesting as all particles of body (with related attributes) and functioning as one unit with three-fold material nature.
d. The sub-conscious – solid state memory storing all life time experiences (I am not sure, but it is confined to face as I am experiencing), which can be recalled due to vibratory status of sub-stratum. It is because of this that man lives in past and present and dreams for future. The facial undulations, the man gets as he ages, is because of this.
Three fold material nature
4. Man is born with three fold material nature namely Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, depending on constitution of DNA (evolutionary state of man). Infinite humanity is born with mix of only these three states, which decide their behavioural tendencies.
4.1 Sattva means illumination and resilient. People born with nature are highly noble, do not treat others apart from them and are bestowed with empathy and compassion. They empower others with true love, to deliver their best.
4.2 Rajas means activity and passion. The people born with this nature are highly passionate to build infrastructure for benefit of others and for themselves. Some of them put their weight around and become irritant to society.
4.3 Tamas means inert and lethargy. The people born with this nature are highly deluded (critical of others), selfish, and some of them are very cruel.
4.4. Most of the humanity is born with Sattva Predominant nature, and that is the reason why the world survives, despite setbacks created by few Tamasic personalities in commerce and politics.
4.5 But the nature is transcendental. The real change comes from illumination from realized souls that we are not this body, but pure consciousness which expresses nature by default. Intellect, getting this illumination from Guru, churns it methods guided by rituals suggested by Guru, to awaken dormant power, which ultimately transcends three-fold material nature (its image) and dissolve into consciousness. It is here that the curtains are removed from witness or knower of field, the Supreme Lord himself, a non-doer. He becomes Sat Chit Ananda.
The potency in man
5. Intellect is Mother of arts of all arts, science of all sciences, trade of all trades, and knowledge of all knowledge. There is no knowledge which is superior to transcendental knowledge. The means to achieve highest transcendental state is Yoga or accessing inner grace to neutralize material nature. It goes by Universal Laws of Matter. All laws of thermodynamics are applicable.
Attitude of a person
6. We must know that the all potency (arts, sciences, trades, and knowledge) is imbibed into us because of material nature. Owning these as self guided achievements can lead to arrogance. This culminates into anger, delusion, and envy and will destroy the discipline, for example dance as mentioned by @Savvy Raj.
6.1 Best is to lose proprietorship, attribute everything to invisible source can only sustain the art. This is also means to live in harmony with entire nature.
Conclusion
7. No one can conquer invisible. All potency has to be dissolved into it, to achieve what we call Nirvana. This is achievable easily by Sattva predominant personalities.
Om Shanti Om🙏
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December 5, 2021 at 12:55 pm
This post was simply an acknowledgement in Gratitude for the invitation to write an article for this book.
Every person’s journey is unique as much as their constitution. And while we are led by our uniqueness, we are essentially manifesting the purpose of our creation. In doing so we are traversing and evolving as per our choices. It helps in being aware that perfection is an illusory state in creativity for change is the only constant.
Honoured by your deep interest in this post and your personal shares of your life’s journey. 🙏
LikeLike