Message In A Storm - Ernie Vecchio, Licensed Counseling Psychologist (golden son ebook TXT) 📗
Book online «Message In A Storm - Ernie Vecchio, Licensed Counseling Psychologist (golden son ebook TXT) 📗». Author Ernie Vecchio, Licensed Counseling Psychologist
years had spun their victim stories with little or no personal growth. I was beginning to believe that only a few chosen people could actually grow from their adversity. I’d seen many trauma patients awaken during their recovery but only a few stay awake.
I looked at Pieta, and said humbly, “I can’t imagine a better message than one that would teach us how to suffer. It is the core of all spiritual teachings, but few seem to get it across.”
Adjusting his coffee cup and taking a bite of dinner, Pieta continued.
“I know there is little in the mainstream that hasn’t been said about this. But, Job’s story as a dream is significant because of its time in history. It is a rare examination of the inner workings of a suffering and spiritual human being — a thousand years before Christ. Today, we are seeking integrity in so many things. Taking this approach to the Book of Job could restore the integrity of our feelings!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The teacher says that in the beginning we cursed the memory of our first feeling: shame. We wished for them to be erased and in their place asked for a dark void. You know the kind, a void where no light can enter. It is considered our first experience with emptiness, resentment and grief.”
“So, we became afraid of our feelings?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Doesn’t this sound like clinical depression to you? The dream describes a gloomily somber force that seizes our emotions for days and sometimes months. The text even implies that in this experience Job pondered suicide. Imagine ... psychiatry makes a living because we believe our emotions are a curse!”
“That’s astonishing,” I said. “It sure seems that way, doesn’t it?”
“The spiritual teacher says the dream manuscript reports Job as saying: ‘Let a threat of self-harm occur and be made real by something large and formidable. Let natural light be darkened by my confusion and uncertainty. If life is to be this emotional, then it has to be seen as it really is —dark and difficult.”
“Hmmm …” I said. “It’s almost like the dreamer is questioning his or her emotional health?”
Pieta couldn’t control his energy. “There is no doubt that 1,000 years before Christ, someone was asking why humans feel? More importantly, they asked why awareness comes during suffering. Is that not profound? Because of this find, feelings could be recognized again as having merit—that they are more valid than our thoughts.”
“Are you worried about the church’s reaction to this interpretation of a biblical text?” I asked.
“Not really,” he said. “However, that is the reason the spiritual teacher wants to remain anonymous. He’s in full agreement with the messages of the dream.”
“I don’t think interpreting Job’s experience as a dream does a disservice to the author’s intent at all.” he continued. “In fact, it is turning out to reveal spiritual truths that were not available before.”
For several minutes we fiddled with our food and gazed at the window that now had become darkened as the sun was setting. Finally, Pieta looked at me and asked, “So are you interested in learning more?”
“I want to remain open,” I said. I have long known that we have little guidance when it comes to dealing with the disappointments of life. To think that someone who lived thirty-six hundred years ago was struggling with being human and it may offer a solution to our contemporary dilemma is mind-blowing.”
“Have you seen the whole thing,” I asked.
“No, all I have are my recordings of the interview.”
Again we are quiet, lost in thought for a moment.
“Well,” he says. “Now you know why I was excited to call you.”
“Yes, this is absolutely profound stuff — if it’s true,” I said.
He smiled.
“What?” I asked.
“The dream says that proof happens when the heart has been convinced.”
“What does that mean?”
“Trusting our feelings validates the heart’s intelligence. When we truly ‘stick’ with what we know is ethical to the self, we begin to become aligned with the soul’s intent.”
I hesitated for a second. Is there some validity in this new interpretation? Do we all secretly feel this injustice the dream speaks of? Will an awareness of the origin of fear and anger shed light on the human experience? Are we destined to suffer uselessly? Is this really our fate?
“I’m not sure how to feel about this,” I said. “Certainly, the way the word ‘spirituality’ is used broadly in our culture, is very eclectic, and it tends to mean whatever a person wants it to mean.”
“Yes,” he replies.
“So we’re all trying to find a context that works for us?” I asked.
The sun had dropped fully behind the mountain now, leaving a tint of red light that outlined the edge of the hills. Pieta was correct. If we could find a context for what it means to be human, not define ourselves simply by our families, culture and adversities, we could then find what it means to just simply be.
“I can tell you this,” I said. “We all disagree on how to define it. But if this ancient dream can help us understand the interior of our individual experiences, then I want to hear more.”
Walking outside to the front of the lodge, the evening air felt wonderful on my face as we moved to a picnic shelter. We had a very short time, and then it was going to be dark. I was thinking to myself that true spirituality, at least for me, was a quest for a fulfilled and authentic life. I know Pieta felt the same way.
“Spirituality is such a buzz word today,” he said. “And we know that traditional Christians have been fighting the self-help movement since the 1960s.”
“Yes, the argument is that everyone is obsessed with individual betterment but they have no clue about God,” I joked.
“The beauty of the teaching that comes from this ancient dream is that it is rooted in Scripture. It is just a symbolic way to look at the message. In this form, both the literal and metaphorical have value. Not either/or, but both/and.”
‘We’ve definitely made a shift.” he said. “Modern-day spirituality is similar to the 19th-century
American transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Wasn’t it these guys who said: ‘I should not talk so much about myself, if there were anybody else whom I knew as well?’
“Exactly,” I replied. “That kind of reading shaped my earlier pursuits of this path. It brings back a lot of memories for me. We’ve been at this a long time haven’t we?”
“Longer than both of us would probably like to admit,” he smiled. “This teaching is essentially a lesson from the Old Testament. But, the message is much different than religious scholars teach. This will be a problem for a lot of people.”
I walked to the overlook where we could see the falls. The lodge had lined the edge of the adjoining creek with green lights. You could see the mist rising from the crashing water. It had been a long time since I had this rich of a conversation with someone. Pieta had a knack of taking me to a reflective place.
“What is about nature that is so calming?” Pieta asked from behind me.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I asked my own question.
“Do you think this will be met with resistance?” I asked.
In the dark, Pieta’s white teeth shined as he smiled. “What do you care?” he said. “You’re going to go home and forget about this, right?”
I laughed. “Well, that’s not the total truth. You’ve got my curiosity going now. I want to learn more about it. I hope you fill me in as it unfolds.”
We said good-bye but I knew that this night was just the beginning. I needed to get some gas and buy some travel items. I waved as we drove off.
When I got home it was late. Though I was tired, I walked onto my deck and considered how good my hot tub would feel. The evening was loud with dogs barking, and in the distance I could hear a leaf blower. The moon was peeking through the trees at the top of my property. It felt good to be back in my sanctuary.
The evening had been incredible. It had been a long time since something felt this intuitive but real. I wanted to be hopeful that something would come into view about this subject of suffering. We certainly have had martyrdom and sacrifice burned into our psyches. What if we have distorted the intent of the great spiritual teachers? What if it’s never been about fear or ego? As I readied for bed I thought, “Now, that’s a refreshing possibility.”
The next morning I woke up with a vigor that hadn’t been there the day before.
“Huh,” I thought. “Maybe the world and I are ready for a change after all.”
I looked at Pieta, and said humbly, “I can’t imagine a better message than one that would teach us how to suffer. It is the core of all spiritual teachings, but few seem to get it across.”
Adjusting his coffee cup and taking a bite of dinner, Pieta continued.
“I know there is little in the mainstream that hasn’t been said about this. But, Job’s story as a dream is significant because of its time in history. It is a rare examination of the inner workings of a suffering and spiritual human being — a thousand years before Christ. Today, we are seeking integrity in so many things. Taking this approach to the Book of Job could restore the integrity of our feelings!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The teacher says that in the beginning we cursed the memory of our first feeling: shame. We wished for them to be erased and in their place asked for a dark void. You know the kind, a void where no light can enter. It is considered our first experience with emptiness, resentment and grief.”
“So, we became afraid of our feelings?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Doesn’t this sound like clinical depression to you? The dream describes a gloomily somber force that seizes our emotions for days and sometimes months. The text even implies that in this experience Job pondered suicide. Imagine ... psychiatry makes a living because we believe our emotions are a curse!”
“That’s astonishing,” I said. “It sure seems that way, doesn’t it?”
“The spiritual teacher says the dream manuscript reports Job as saying: ‘Let a threat of self-harm occur and be made real by something large and formidable. Let natural light be darkened by my confusion and uncertainty. If life is to be this emotional, then it has to be seen as it really is —dark and difficult.”
“Hmmm …” I said. “It’s almost like the dreamer is questioning his or her emotional health?”
Pieta couldn’t control his energy. “There is no doubt that 1,000 years before Christ, someone was asking why humans feel? More importantly, they asked why awareness comes during suffering. Is that not profound? Because of this find, feelings could be recognized again as having merit—that they are more valid than our thoughts.”
“Are you worried about the church’s reaction to this interpretation of a biblical text?” I asked.
“Not really,” he said. “However, that is the reason the spiritual teacher wants to remain anonymous. He’s in full agreement with the messages of the dream.”
“I don’t think interpreting Job’s experience as a dream does a disservice to the author’s intent at all.” he continued. “In fact, it is turning out to reveal spiritual truths that were not available before.”
For several minutes we fiddled with our food and gazed at the window that now had become darkened as the sun was setting. Finally, Pieta looked at me and asked, “So are you interested in learning more?”
“I want to remain open,” I said. I have long known that we have little guidance when it comes to dealing with the disappointments of life. To think that someone who lived thirty-six hundred years ago was struggling with being human and it may offer a solution to our contemporary dilemma is mind-blowing.”
“Have you seen the whole thing,” I asked.
“No, all I have are my recordings of the interview.”
Again we are quiet, lost in thought for a moment.
“Well,” he says. “Now you know why I was excited to call you.”
“Yes, this is absolutely profound stuff — if it’s true,” I said.
He smiled.
“What?” I asked.
“The dream says that proof happens when the heart has been convinced.”
“What does that mean?”
“Trusting our feelings validates the heart’s intelligence. When we truly ‘stick’ with what we know is ethical to the self, we begin to become aligned with the soul’s intent.”
I hesitated for a second. Is there some validity in this new interpretation? Do we all secretly feel this injustice the dream speaks of? Will an awareness of the origin of fear and anger shed light on the human experience? Are we destined to suffer uselessly? Is this really our fate?
“I’m not sure how to feel about this,” I said. “Certainly, the way the word ‘spirituality’ is used broadly in our culture, is very eclectic, and it tends to mean whatever a person wants it to mean.”
“Yes,” he replies.
“So we’re all trying to find a context that works for us?” I asked.
The sun had dropped fully behind the mountain now, leaving a tint of red light that outlined the edge of the hills. Pieta was correct. If we could find a context for what it means to be human, not define ourselves simply by our families, culture and adversities, we could then find what it means to just simply be.
“I can tell you this,” I said. “We all disagree on how to define it. But if this ancient dream can help us understand the interior of our individual experiences, then I want to hear more.”
Walking outside to the front of the lodge, the evening air felt wonderful on my face as we moved to a picnic shelter. We had a very short time, and then it was going to be dark. I was thinking to myself that true spirituality, at least for me, was a quest for a fulfilled and authentic life. I know Pieta felt the same way.
“Spirituality is such a buzz word today,” he said. “And we know that traditional Christians have been fighting the self-help movement since the 1960s.”
“Yes, the argument is that everyone is obsessed with individual betterment but they have no clue about God,” I joked.
“The beauty of the teaching that comes from this ancient dream is that it is rooted in Scripture. It is just a symbolic way to look at the message. In this form, both the literal and metaphorical have value. Not either/or, but both/and.”
‘We’ve definitely made a shift.” he said. “Modern-day spirituality is similar to the 19th-century
American transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Wasn’t it these guys who said: ‘I should not talk so much about myself, if there were anybody else whom I knew as well?’
“Exactly,” I replied. “That kind of reading shaped my earlier pursuits of this path. It brings back a lot of memories for me. We’ve been at this a long time haven’t we?”
“Longer than both of us would probably like to admit,” he smiled. “This teaching is essentially a lesson from the Old Testament. But, the message is much different than religious scholars teach. This will be a problem for a lot of people.”
I walked to the overlook where we could see the falls. The lodge had lined the edge of the adjoining creek with green lights. You could see the mist rising from the crashing water. It had been a long time since I had this rich of a conversation with someone. Pieta had a knack of taking me to a reflective place.
“What is about nature that is so calming?” Pieta asked from behind me.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I asked my own question.
“Do you think this will be met with resistance?” I asked.
In the dark, Pieta’s white teeth shined as he smiled. “What do you care?” he said. “You’re going to go home and forget about this, right?”
I laughed. “Well, that’s not the total truth. You’ve got my curiosity going now. I want to learn more about it. I hope you fill me in as it unfolds.”
We said good-bye but I knew that this night was just the beginning. I needed to get some gas and buy some travel items. I waved as we drove off.
When I got home it was late. Though I was tired, I walked onto my deck and considered how good my hot tub would feel. The evening was loud with dogs barking, and in the distance I could hear a leaf blower. The moon was peeking through the trees at the top of my property. It felt good to be back in my sanctuary.
The evening had been incredible. It had been a long time since something felt this intuitive but real. I wanted to be hopeful that something would come into view about this subject of suffering. We certainly have had martyrdom and sacrifice burned into our psyches. What if we have distorted the intent of the great spiritual teachers? What if it’s never been about fear or ego? As I readied for bed I thought, “Now, that’s a refreshing possibility.”
The next morning I woke up with a vigor that hadn’t been there the day before.
“Huh,” I thought. “Maybe the world and I are ready for a change after all.”
Spiritual Truths
Chapter One
1. When the heart is convinced of truth we should not doubt it.
2. There is an ethical way to suffer.
3. Fear prevents the awareness that we are guided by our hearts.
4. Our story is driven by the human spirit — that which is around and through all that is.
5. We are angry at our predicament and don’t know why.
6. We have lost the capacity to distinguish between real and imagined fear.
7. Because our spirit is broken early we find it difficult to trust our feelings.
8. The injustice: we are destined to live in the fear and judgment of ego.
9. Feelings are more valid than thoughts.
10. Trusting our feelings validate the heart’s intelligence.
Ernie Vecchio is an author, psychologist, and spiritual teacher who has a private practice in Charleston, West Virginia. Prior to this he was the lead rehabilitation psychologist at a local hospital for 25+ years. He taught Counseling and Psychology at the graduate level for Marshall University twelve years, and currently hosts his own radio show The Soul's Intent.
Left to find his way in the world by age six, Ernie overcame great adversity to get where he is today. Multiple foster homes and a variety of abuses preceded his nine year stay in a local orphanage. He often says about his life: "If you haven't got a story, nothing happened!"
Today, Ernie has helped countless individuals find balance between their outside reality and inner personal truths. While working with severe trauma patients, he developed a psychospiritual understanding of that which divides us all: self-judgment. Those willing to explore and heal this division internally discover a broader and more compassionate view of the self. The result is forgiveness and a personal freedom to simply BE.
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