Page 319 - WLMIG_6132004.indd

The need to act correctly, in good conscience, is called for in all aspects of life. In therapy, it is seen when the patient faces and overcomes fears. For the agoraphobic, it is seen in learning to leave the house; for the alcoholic, in the cessation of drinking; for the shy, in learning to be more assertive. For people with neuroses, mood, or thought disorders it is important to keep good company. Cognitive and behavioral talk therapies and proper medications can be helpful. For all of us, overcoming laziness and developing the will to serve society to our utmost capacity is beneficial for our mental health and spiritual growth.
Be Centered in God
A mind that is agitated and always shiing about, a mind that projects unhappiness onto the outer world and then blames others is poorly equipped to understand and deal with inner conflicts. Instead of having the courage to search for the truth and find a cure within, it tries to hide in addictions to worldly objects or in mental defenses such as repression or denial.
Swami tells us that our relationship with him is the only power strong enough to bring our minds to lasting peace. However, talking directly about God in therapy, just as we talk about any relationship, might seem uncomfortable for some therapists.1 Even so, it is vitally important to find a way of bringing God into saichotherapy because there is immense power in our relationship with God.
God Can Appear at any Time
I once treated a very emotionally unstable 25-year-old man with manic depressive illness. Bouts of depression turned into episodes of mania and paranoid thinking. Jim knew about Sai Baba and had a picture of him in his bedroom. One day he developed paranoid auditory hallucinations and heard tormenting voices from the TV set. In a fit of rage, he grabbed
319