Scientific Materialism
From the early 17th century onwards, traditional faith-based religious explanations of the world gave way to empirical explanations based on newly discovered laws of physics. This enormous shift in collective consciousness established scientific materialism as the dominant paradigm of western civilisation [1]. According to this reductionist philosophy, which still prevails as the orthodox scientific view today, human beings are nothing more than a bunch of atoms in a complex chemical formula.
Postmodern Despair
This dispiriting philosophy about the ultimate nature of human existence has caused enormous confusion and bewilderment. The official endorsement of the materialist worldview by the scientific establishment has installed in collective consciousness a dark vision of existence based on a sense of ultimate meaninglessness and futility. Much pain, aberration, and despair has resulted. The enormous toll in human suffering is evident from the art and literature of the last century, which documents a pervasive existential malaise that persists to this day.
The symptoms are described as alienation (Marx), abandonment (Heidegger), anxiety (Kafka), neurosis (Freud), nausea (Sartre), aimlessness (Becket), hollowness (Eliot), and the feeling of being a stranger in one’s own land (Camus). The meaninglessness and despair of the materialist worldview is a theme in a recent popular movie about contemporary postmodern culture [2]. A character in the movie describes the universe as a “cruel, dog-eat-dog, pointless, black, chaos.”
Spiritual intelligence is emerging as the next stage in the evolution of collective consciousness.
Good News
Nevertheless, despite the destructive influence of the materialist worldview, there’s good news. The reign of philosophical and scientific materialism is rapidly coming to a close. Although the dogma of materialism has dominated collective consciousness for last few hundred years, it is no more permanent than the paradigm it replaced. Just as boldly as the materialist paradigm took over in the 17th century, it is being superseded in the 21st. The spiritual intelligence paradigm, based on post-materialist science [3], is emerging as the next stage in the evolution of collective consciousness [4].
Science of the Soul
The spiritual intelligence paradigm represents the science of the soul [5]. The soul is simply dismissed as non-existent by materialist science, in direct opposition to religious beliefs. However, according to religious beliefs, the soul is situated in a remote supernatural location, accessible to faith alone. But the SQ paradigm identifies the soul at a psychological location that is directly accessible to everyone in their own experience, without relying on religious faith [6]. Being the soul corresponds to being consciousness itself, which is located at the subject-pole of attention [7]. This is the ever-present alternative to being the ego, which corresponds to being the body and mind, located at the object-pole of attention [8].
Human Operating System
The Spiritual Dimension of Intelligence
Shifting from the object-pole to the subject-pole of attention creates a corresponding shift from ego to soul, which activates the spiritual dimension of intelligence. Spiritual intelligence has the qualities traditionally ascribed to the soul, by virtue of the native qualities of consciousness itself, which are experienced at the subject-pole of attention in moments of presence, in the form of wisdom, compassion, integrity, joy, love, creativity, and peace [9]. This video describes a simple three step method that activates spiritual intelligence.
Scientific Method
The SQ paradigm extends the application of the scientific method [10] beyond the narrow limits set arbitrarily by scientific materialism. By including consciousness itself (or the soul) as the subject of experience, the SQ paradigm goes beyond the hitherto exclusive scientific focus on objects of experience [11], as required by the philosophical materialism of orthodox science. The materialist axioms of orthodox science demand that science restricts investigation exclusively to material objects, on the unsupported premise that only material objects exist. Thus the subject-pole of attention (or consciousness itself) is not included within the purview of science, according to the doctrine of materialism.
“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.”
~ Nikola Tesla
Unscientific Exclusion
However, the exclusion of the subject-pole of attention from scientific recognition is contrary to the scientific method. The key principle of the scientific method is that phenomena can be investigated scientifically when the relevant facts are observable, verifiable, and repeatable. Accordingly, the subject-pole of attention is a scientific reality, because consciousness itself meets all three criteria for scientific recognition: firstly, consciousness can be experienced [12]; secondly, consciousness is verifiable both inter-subjectively and neurologically [13]; and thirdly, consciousness can be experienced repeatedly [14]. Consequently, the subject-pole of attention (or consciousness itself) qualifies as a valid subject of scientific investigation. Therefore, withholding scientific recognition from the subject-pole of attention, by limiting the scope of scientific enquiry to objects of attention, applies the scientific method too narrowly. In the process, human beings are defined too narrowly also.
Materialist Reductionism
Scientific materialism defines human beings exclusively in object-pole terms, composed of atoms, chemicals, and biological structures. The phenomena of consciousness, such as perceptions, thoughts, and emotions, are defined as electrical discharges in the brain. However, this reduction to the object-pole leaves out the essential element, which is consciousness itself. Without consciousness itself at the subject-pole of attention, there would be nothing whatsoever at the object-pole of attention, regardless of how many electrical discharges in the brain occurred. There would be no perceptions, thoughts, or emotions, and no observations of atoms or molecules, and no other experiences of body, or mind, or world. By reducing human beings to phenomena at the object-pole of attention, scientific materialism leaves out the most essential element. Consequently, as a science of human nature, and as a basis for self-understanding, the materialist perspective of orthodox science is fundamentally deficient.
Vital Correction
Nevertheless, scientific materialism performed an essential function in its time. In early 17th century new discoveries in physics and astronomy established the pre-eminence of the scientific method in explaining events, and thus brought an end to uncritical acceptance of theological explanations of the world. This was an important advance. Religious doctrine had stifled discovery for millennia, by privileging tradition and belief over observation and experience. Establishing the scientific method as the gatekeeper of knowledge was a vital correction.
Over-Correction
However, it turned out to be an over-correction because the scientific method was applied selectively, in accordance with the narrow premises of philosophical materialism. This philosophy denies the existence of what is not material and therefore by definition excludes the subject-pole of attention (or consciousness itself) from scientific recognition. Consequently, when applied with the narrow focus of philosophical materialism, the scientific method provides an incomplete and utterly misleading understanding of human nature, and of the nature of reality itself.
New Correction
The emergence of secular spirituality, based on post-materialist science [15], marks a new correction, bringing to an end the dark age of scientific materialism. Secular spirituality in all its forms is based on our innate capability for spiritual intelligence, whose existence as an advanced dimension of intelligence is confirmed by scientific research [16]. Findings in the psychology of spiritual realisation establish that spiritual intelligence includes both poles of attention [17]. Therefore, by combining the subject-pole with the object-pole of attention, the experience of spiritual intelligence unites body, mind, and soul.
The experience of spiritual intelligence unites
body, mind, and soul.
New Paradigm
As the intelligence of the soul, spiritual intelligence displays the hallmarks of human maturity in the form of wisdom and compassion and integrity. When spiritual intelligence sets the standard of personal conduct and collective governance across the whole of society, including corporate and government sectors, on a national and international scale, transformation follows worldwide in the form of co-operation, tolerance, social justice, eco-sustainability, shared prosperity, and peace.
Spiritual Intelligence
In an age of unprecedented global crises of our own creation, coupled with immense potential for improving the quality of life for all, SQ represents a higher dimension of intelligence whose time has come [18].
3Q Training
As a powerful combination of three principal dimensions of intelligence, 3Q represents IQ and EQ in association with SQ. Studies in neuroscience reveal that the experience of spiritual intelligence is correlated with hemispheric synchronisation and whole brain activation [19]. The resulting whole-brain coherence optimises brain function and replaces the ego (the false self) with the soul (consciousness itself, the true self) by shifting from the object-pole of attention to the subject-pole of attention [20], which results in greater fulfilment, increased creativity, sharpened intuition, more empathy and compassion, and improved performance on a wide range of work skills and life skills. If you want to learn more, there is a Course on 3Q Training here.
Sources
The SQ paradigm is based on a synthesis combining the wisdom of ancient spiritual traditions with the findings of modern science, as summarised in this article here.
How to Experience Spiritual Intelligence [Video]
Spiritual intelligence is easy to experience. We all experience SQ spontaneously at times. But spontaneous moments of SQ are rare and unpredictable. Therefore it’s important to know how to experience SQ intentionally. When you can engage your spiritual intelligence voluntarily, at any time of your own choosing, SQ becomes your most powerful personal resource. This video provides step-by-step instructions on how to activate SQ intentionally. Watch the video here.
References
3Q Practitioner Training Course
Do you want to accelerate your own personal and spiritual growth, and teach others to do the same? The 3Q Practitioner Training Course trains and certifies Spiritual Intelligence Practitioners.
Spiritual Intelligence is a higher dimension of intelligence beyond the ego that has access to the advanced capabilities of the true self. This Course is based on secular spirituality not on religious beliefs. Consequently, the methodology used to activate spiritual intelligence is not founded on articles of faith but on experience and knowledge, backed by evidence from related fields of scientific research. Certified Practitioners are provided with the training materials to coach their clients in spiritual intelligence, and conduct workshops in spiritual intelligence for leaders and organisations, and for the general public.
As the intelligence of the true self beyond the ego, spiritual intelligence (SQ) has many benefits that exceed the scope of intellectual intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ). Spiritual intelligence relieves anxiety and depression and the extreme pain of meaninglessness and despair that is often associated with ego states of awareness. Freedom from ego, as experienced with SQ, grants wisdom and clarity of vision, combined with more empathy and compassion, which increases creativity and intuition, and results in greater personal fulfilment and better performance on important life skills and work skills. Spiritual intelligence therefore represents the most powerful resource for personal and professional growth and fulfilment.
Widespread adoption of spiritual intelligence as a personal code of conduct raises the standard of accountability in collective governance, in response to public demand. When standards in governments and corporations are based on spiritual intelligence, the energy of love will turn into a social and political force, as never before in history. Public training in spiritual intelligence therefore heralds a new era of human rights and social justice, which form the foundation for global cooperative community, shared prosperity, and world peace.
As a 3Q Practitioner you will be equipped to introduce spiritual intelligence in the context of contemporary secular culture, and contribute to the next stage in the evolution of collective consciousness. When a tipping point is reached, the emerging next stage of collective consciousness will result in global transformation, founded not on beliefs of any sort, or on government control, or on mass media narratives enforced by censorship of contrary views, but founded instead on the inherent qualities of consciousness itself, such as love, wisdom, and peace, which everyone can experience by activating their spiritual intelligence.
For more information about the 3Q Practitioner Training Course, click here.
© 2011 – 2024, Richard Griffiths.
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Gardner includes 8 types of intelligence, but spiritual intelligence is not included in his list of the dimensions of intelligence.
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I began this project on my own many years ago. At the outset my purpose was to combine discoveries in psychology and spirituality to understand the process of human development and in particular the shift from the sense of separate self to the transpersonal self of spiritual awakening. My aim was to create a synthesis of psychology and spirituality that was corroborated by the findings of scientific research and consistent with the discoveries of spiritual traditions.
Psychology and spirituality were originally separate disciplines, due to their radically different approaches to self-understanding. However, as a psychologist and spiritual practitioner, and with extensive experience in both fields, I felt well-positioned to integrate both disciplines. Along the way I had help from numerous people and organisations, including my teachers in psychology and many spiritual teachers from different traditions.
Eventually the SQ paradigm emerged from my research as a synthesis of the combined fields of psychology and spirituality. At that point I established the 3Q Institute to share my findings, in order to meet the heart-need of seekers of truth, and to contribute to the evolution of the next stage of collective consciousness. Subsequently, this project grew from a solo effort to a group endeavour with the founding of the 3Q Academy of Spiritual Intelligence Practitioners, and the appointment of Bastianela Bente as Deputy Director of the 3Q Institute.
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What does it all mean? Any ideas?
What does it all mean? It means that reality is not reducible to the merely material level of existence. It also means that reality, truth and happiness aren’t somewhere else, in some supernatural dimension removed form our everyday existence, as we have been told to believe by religious traditions. On the contrary, we can experience the heart-satisfying truth of reality right here and now, not by believing anything, but by using our spiritual intelligence.
This article explains why science and spirituality are not opposed to each other, as traditionally assumed. Orthodox science is based on the philosophy of materialism, and therefore rejects spirituality. But contemporary post-materialist science is based on integral principles, and therefore supports spirituality. Consequently, the spiritual intelligence paradigm, which is the topic of this article, represents the science of spirituality. Thats all I’m saying here. However, it takes many paragraphs to explain the historical progression that has got us to this point, at the beginning of a new collective paradigm.
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