Finding Peace

 I raised the question in the essay  What is peace? as to whether or not there is such a thing as peace. I offer only antidotal evidence for the existence of 'inner' peace; i.e. the freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions.  

     First I guess I need to suggest that there are two types of peace based upon definition.  One I would consider a social condition as in 'they have a peace treaty' or 'the city is at peace as the rioting stops.'  The second, and the one to which I believe I speak in these essays, is what we might call inner peace as in 'she is at peace . . . .'  or 'he finds peace in the wilderness.' 

     My antidotal evidence for the latter is the sense of tranquility and the lack of disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions that I experience when I am in the wilderness.  When I am wandering through the desert or climb a mountain trail, where I can stand on a high promontory and see absolutely no signs of humanity, I admire the beauty around me and listen to the songs of nature. At these times I feel no emotional burdens, life feels good, there is a strong sense of calm. I am focused on the present and the life around me.  I greet the sky and clouds, plants and animals. I look closely at the smallest plant and study the creases in the massive mountain. Both are my friends.  It is interesting to notice that, at these times, I have no thought of the human world I left behind.  I do not think of the violence and destruction so prevalent in my species, nor do ignarus populi or the infamous turpus americanus enter my mind.  This is the best example and evidence for peace that I have.  

     Could the distance from and lack of evidence of human civilization be a significant part of this peace?  When I am in a town or highly populated area my senses are constantly bombarded and over-loaded by the negativity of humanity.  Look at social media or the news. It is one long, endlessly long, litany of lying and cheating miserabilis culus politicians, human against human violence, human against nature destruction, arrogant religions demanding dominance and mind-numbing, hope-killing promises that someone, usually your own government, is trying to destroy some important part of your life. 

     Yes, I'm sure that the news is probably sensationalized. At the same time they are still themes, concepts, ideas, actions and reality with which your brain must cope. Is anyone out there trying to tell me that people can actually live with this day after day and experience peace?  If that's true, why do we see so much child abuse, wife abuse, road rage, school shootings, and other forms of violence often associated with frustration and anger?    

     One thing that bothers me to no end is that it is never quiet in the over-populated, so-called civilization.  Humans can't hear the beautiful sounds of nature because they're too busy making noise.  Black Fox Hollow is big enough that I can sit on a log and feel like I'm in my beloved wilderness, except for one thing; viz. noise!  It is rare to sit in the hollow without at least one or two engines; mower, weed trimmers, chain saws, generators;  cars and trucks, screaming children, or low flying helicopters from the nearby fort. I can hear the blaring "music" from an approaching car.  It is so loud that I find it uncomfortable when it passes and I can still hear it long after the car is out of sight.  I post an audio of the birds singing in the hollow and it is received like a new symphony.  Why?  I would suspect it's because the vast majority of people can't hear the birds on their own over the din of human society. 

     Then there's the 'me-first-to-hell-with-you' attitude that seems to be endemic in cities. Pamela knows that basically everything about a city triggers me, so she does her best to help me avoid them or get in and out as quickly as possible. 

     I cannot believe that I'm the only one to have such feelings and experiences. I'm not that unique.  I cannot believe that the cause of the depression and search for peace among people isn't because they share my aversions but just can't put a name to them. The problem is that most of those thus suffering aren't retired and/or nomads like my friends and me.  We can give society the one-finger salute and drive off into the wilderness not to be seen for weeks. These other poor people can't do that. Call us escapist if you like, but it works!

     Now some may say that I am unnecessarily sensitive. You are welcome to accuse me of anything. It doesn't matter. I'm still not at peace in the so-called civilized world whether or not you are right. The issue is not to label or blame people like me, but to help us find peace.  

     What about desensitization?  Before I retired I was a nationally certified hypnotherapist, so I've made extended us of desensitization.  I used it to help people cope, not to make them accept something like certain aspects of our society and culture, which they are naturally rejecting.  I helped a patient who was afraid of riding in a vehicle be able to use public transportation.  I did not make him like riding in a vehicle.  Through desensitization I helped him discover that he had the strength necessary to cope and ride in a vehicle when it was necessary.  He still didn't like cars and buses.  I am an Ericsonian hypnotherapist. We're sometimes called "permissive" hypnotherapists because we never tell anyone "you will ..." we give them permission; e.g. "your hands may feel like they're floating, or they may feel so heavy you can't lift them."  We don't give orders or instructions because they can easily backfire.  I read of a person who went to a non-Ericsonian hypnotherapist about eating. Under hypnosis the person was told that sweets, pastries, pies, cakes, etc., would make them sick.  The person went to a wedding the next day.  What do you have at a wedding?  Wedding cake. What do you think happened?  How embarrassing.  That is the wrong use of hypnosis. 

     I had a young woman who was autistic.  She was very high functioning.  She was married, had two children and a home. Like most autistic people I know, she has a hard time going into a big, noisy, crowded place like Walmart. (Boy, can I relate to that!) Having a stranger hover over her baby was always good for a meltdown. Using hypnotherapeutic techniques I made it so whenever her husband put his hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed she would immediately recall one of her most cherished  memories. This didn't change the situation or make her like going to Walmart.  It was done to help her cope in those cases where she had no choice but go into a place like Walmart.  It briefly breaks the focus on the adverse situation and/or over-stimulation thereby giving she and her husband a chance to escape and defuse a meltdown. 

     Could we use desensitization in such a way to allow us to cope and as a result find peace?  It is worth considering.  Also akin to hypnosis is visualization, which would be much easier to use and often equally as successful.  For a few years I participated with two colleagues; a physician and a chiropractor/physical therapist; in a pain clinic.  We were actually quite successful but disbanded after our chiropractor developed some serious health problems. My job was to provide therapy to help the patients deal with the pain and the causes of the pain, and to use hypnotherapeutic techniques to help deal with pain when the medications wore off. The technique I used was visualization because it was something one could easily do themselves.  I had one lady to whom I taught visualization.  She was in with our chiropractor. He told me later that he said "what we're going to do today might be uncomfortable, so you might want to use some of those pain techniques Dr. Vance has been teaching you."  He turned around and she was out - asleep, unconscious, having switched off the world, whatever. 

     Most of my patients had low IQ. Back then this was called Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability. I'm sure there is a new politically correct term. I certainly hope so. In any case, hypnosis should not be used when the patient's IQ is too low.  I figured out that, except for the non-verbal and a few others, a high percentage of my patients could visualize. One's ability to abstract begins around age eleven. The precursor and training wheels for abstract thinking is make-believe; imagination, junior role-play.  

     A good example was one of my patients who suffered from great pain. He was in long-term care even though he was only in his thirties because of extreme medical conditions and the inability to care for himself. The nursing staff told me that his strong, addictive and potentially deadly pain killers were wearing off long before he was allowed more. There is nothing more dangerous than an animal in great pain and that includes the animal species homo sapiens. I taught him visualization. The short version is that he would lie down on the floor and pretend he was on a beach where the warm sand was making the pain go away. We practiced it so much together that it got to the point that the mention of warm sand had an observable effect. He was soon doing it on his own. His attending physician didn't like shrinks, nevertheless shrinks who were also hypnotherapists. He confronted me one day in the hallway and went on about how that foolishness I had taught our patient only worked for a couple of hours. I asked him how long his drugs lasted. Bad question. It just made him more angry so I had no choice but go for the coup de grace. I pointed out that if my method only lasted two hours, he could do it again immediately. In fact, there was no limit to how often he could use it. Tell me again how many pills is he allowed each day?  

     The step from visualization to Buddhist mindfulness, especially as it is taught by Thich Nhat Hanh, the famous Vietnamese meditation master, is an easy one. The most common method of practicing mindfulness is meditation.  Meditation, or some form thereof, is another common method of achieving peace and learning to cope.  Since the average Buddhist monk is meditating in an effort to achieve enlightenment, I would assume that they would agree that peace, for them, is a byproduct of that effort.  

     Quite a number of years ago, just a year or so before his brother died, I had the great privilege of studying with the Dalai Lama. Well, there were a couple of hundred others, but the Dalai Lama made each of us feel like we were the only students in the room. He is a phenomenal human being, but I don't dare get started on Dalai Lama stories. 

     Many of you are aware of my dislike of religion, yet the Dalai Lama is the leader of one of the world's largest religions. Why would I be drawn to him?  Our class went for two weeks. He almost immediately insisted that he is just a simple monk named Lhamo.  One of the first days there he said, "the world can do without religion but it cannot do without spirituality."  I've always rather like Pope Francis. Perhaps that's because he's always been a radical social activist like Jesus and a thorn in the established church's side. Nevertheless, can you imagine him saying that the world could do without the Roman Catholic Church?  

     In any case, the Dalai Lama explained, as he has done in books, that Buddhism is 99% philosophy and psychology of life and 1% religion. His prescription for inner peace is not believing what Buddhism teaches, giving money or killing those who disagree. In fact, the Dalai Lama sees no need for temples or the complications of religion. His prescription is to take some time each day to be alone. This is your time to reflect (perhaps meditate) and let go of negative thoughts such as anger, resentment, jealousy and exhaustion.  The Dalai Lama strongly believes that a calm mind is the "source of happiness and health".  Sounds like peace to me.   

     An organization called Cultura Colectiva (www.culturacolectia.com) published what they call the Dalai Lama's ten recommedations for inner peace.  They are definitely worthy of a look. 

(1) Be compassionate

(2) Cultivate friendship

(3) Be kind and help others

(4) Don't let technology take over your lives.

(5) Find happiness

(6) Negotiate instead of arguing

(7) Find inner peace

(8) Be kind to the earth

(9) Learn from your mistakes

(10) Don't hurt others 

Compassion and kindness (1&3) are not really a part of our modern culture. Such things are viewed as weakness.  The Dalai Lama shared with us his life long fascination for taking things apart to find out how they work. By the time he was a teenager he had done this with a clock and a car left in Tibet by an Englishman, and he has always loved watches. He is routinely hosting conferences with scientists and philosophers on such subjects as quantum physics and spirituality. So he is not against technology. He just warns us that the constant use of technology (4) tends to deter human relationships and limit people from being compassionate. Under 'find happiness' (5) the CC points out that the media bombards us with propaganda about material possessions but never gives a value to patience, forgiveness and tolerance. When people adopt these attitudes they are more able to find happiness. #7, 'find inner peace', is what I mentioned above about taking time alone.  I like #8, 'be kind to the earth', because I'm a conservationist but it follows that if you are kind to the earth you will be kind to yourself and others. That's definitely a prescription for peace. 'Don't hurt others' (10) is the foundation for the Buddhist first rule of life to which I subscribe. The full version is, as I learned and attempt to practice it, "do good to all sentient beings, and if you cannot do good, do no harm."  

     Could meditation or something similar be the key?  Could it actually be that simple? 

     For starters, meditation is not easy or simple.  It takes determination and consistency.  There are probably thousands of books on how to meditate. What I've found is that you read a few and then figure out what works for you. That's the really hard part. How do you know if it works?  I wish I could remember the Lama's name, but I remember him telling about being a young Buddhist monk and having to take a commuter train into the city each day. Long story short, he was told by his meditation master that when he could meditate standing up on that commuter train, then he knew how to meditate.  He did it and is now, himself, a lama teaching others.  I've had that image in my mind for a good twenty plus years.  It isn't a matter of whether you put your left leg over your right when in Lotus position or whether you can't cross your legs at all.  Since, when I was in practice, my work day went from around 6:30 am to 11:00 pm,  formal sitting meditation was almost an impossibility. That's when I turned to walking meditation. 

     Various Buddhist schools have very specific meditation techniques and practices but they will all tell you that it is a part of training your mind. Who is the one person in the world whom you can never get to shut up?  Yourself. You are talking to yourself constantly. It's one of the down-sides of the more complex brain. When you have control of your brain then you have control of your behavior. When you can break out of a long litany of self-degradation or a no-win game of "if I had only said" it seems reasonable to believe that you can experience freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions. Peace. 

     Yes, I confess, Black Fox Hollow is an escape for me. It was a very conscious undertaking with the purpose of returning the hollow to its natural pre-invasion state as well as escaping and providing a place to escape from the undesirable world around me. By taking on the project of returning the hollow to its pre-invasion state and cataloging all of the plants, I keep my focus on the positive, allowing me to forget I'm in the middle of humanity. The 1/8th mile long trail winds its way through the hollow where I can do walking meditation and focus upon the marvels of nature around me.  I've cataloged over 90 species of trees and plants. Sometimes I walk slowly calling each plant by name. That not only helps me remember the names but enables me to focus on a positive present and not the failing world around me. Sometimes I walk slowly and greet each by name. That is more personal.  Or I might walk slowly doing breath mindfulness or singing the mantra Om mani peme hung to all I pass. There is reason that I'm called a tree-huger.  

     Might we not conclude that visualization is a lot like meditation?  Both break our focus on the negative and direct it where we want/need it.  Both control our thoughts and give us a chance to escape the grip of the disquieting and oppressive thoughts and emotions. That escape then allows us to refocus on positive thoughts or calm.  It does seem that meditation and/or visualization  can help us find inner peace. The thing which I notice, as I think about this, is that this is not often lasting inner peace. I don't remember ever mentioning that the peace we seek must last a particular amount of time. I think that we often assume that those who find inner peace always have it.  That may be true in some cases. I can't help but think of the Buddhist monk.  Many exude a tranquility when they walk into a room.  The Dalai Lama can calm an arena just by walking in and bowing to his audience.  At the class I mentioned above, I frequently sat with the monk who was the caretaker for the Dalai Lama's brother, who was seriously ill even then. He too exuded calm and compassion.  The University of Minnesota studied the changes in the brain of a group of Buddhist monks who were meditation masters.  I can't find the results of that study, but I do remember that they found a great difference.  Could the extended practice of meditation and visualization actually bring about an almost permanent peace?  

     This is obviously beyond the purview of this essay. This essay was intended to answer the question of whether or not there is peace and, assuming that there is, where do we find it.  Although my evidence was only antidotal I think it was rather compelling and sufficient to say that peace does exist.  Finding that peace appears to be achievable through visualization and meditation.  The experience of Buddhist monks seems to indicate that long-term use of meditation has positive and permanent benefits.  It seems that the next step is to investigate the validity of this observation.  However, in the mean time, I'm heading back to Black Fox Hollow with Om Mani on my lips, looking for peace.  May peace be yours.