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Graffiti Interviews An Interview with Ron Scolastico,
Ph.D. Dr. Scolastico is a distinguished Transpersonal Psychologist, author, artist, and Spiritual Counselor who has studied human consciousness for more than 30 years. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, received MA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Iowa, and studied at the University of Bordeaux, France. He has a unique ability to enter a deep state of consciousness and draw upon a vast source of wisdom that lies outside of ordinary awareness. Dr. Scolastico is the author of four books and hundreds of audio tapes that explore the relationship between human existence and spiritual realities. His book "Reflections" is now available as a free download on his web site www.ronscolastico.com SG = Soul Graffiti SG: YOU HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO AS A “SPIRITUAL
PSYCHOLOGIST.” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? RS: As a spiritual psychologist, I focus on helping
my clients understand how their psychological patterns interact with their
spiritual aspects. My work is directed toward helping them discover ways
to work with their thoughts and feelings to bring their life experience
into harmony with their soul, and with the non-physical, spiritual aspects
of their existence. This includes understanding and healing various fears,
as well as negative thought and emotional patterns. My work grows out of the school of psychology called,
Transpersonal Psychology, meaning that issues are addressed that include
the person, as well as the transcendent, or spiritual aspects of the person.
I take that further when I do my spiritual counseling work and I actually
enter a “transcendent” state of consciousness from which I give
my clients knowledge about themselves from a perspective that goes beyond
my normal conscious state of awareness. SG: AS AN EXPERT ON HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS, WHAT INSIGHT
CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT RAISING OUR CONSCIOUSNESS TOWARDS KINDNESS? RS: It is natural that, most of the time, we tend to
be caught up in our own subjective experience of thinking, feeling, desiring,
and acting in the world. We need to give a lot of attention to our own
inner life in order to fulfill ourselves. So, our “normal” state
of consciousness has a lot to do with self-involvement, and most of our
attention is focused on the complexity of our own daily life in the physical
world, which is a narrow perspective. When we direct our attention outward toward other people,
and we put aside our prejudices and criticisms of them, we can broaden
our experience of our limited personal self into an experience of unity
with other human beings. We can begin to feel that our personal self is
part of the whole of life that includes all of humanity. This kind of
expanded awareness of others can actually trigger a larger awareness of
life itself. It takes us out of the more limited self-involved experience
in which we can feel isolated from others, and in which our perceptions
of life are filtered through our own self-involvement. We enter into a
more universal state of awareness in which we can feel that we are, in
some way, part of the life of the whole of humanity. If we then extend
our thoughts and feelings to the spiritual realities that sustain the
human world, we can even begin to sense the universal harmony of all of
life, in the physical world, and in the spiritual realms. I have seen
in my practice that all of this is possible when we are willing to consistently
focus on kindness to others. But, in the simplest and most important way of thinking
about kindness, I would say that if we could treat each human with the
same sweetness and tenderness with which we would treat a baby, a puppy,
or a kitten, this world would be a much better place. SG: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE KIND? RS: It means that we create a feeling of caring enough
about the welfare of another person that we naturally want to do something
good for them. Then, we need to act on that impulse to actually do the
thing that will serve the person in some way. Kindness involves an ability to look beyond the outer
appearances and behaviors of other persons and respond to the inner core
of worthiness that lives within everyone. Kindness can often require sacrificing
our own immediate needs to serve the needs of another. It is expressed
in the words we speak and the deeds that we perform. SG: WHEN WE PERFORM KIND ACTS, WHAT DOES THIS DO
TO OUR LIVES? RS: The act of kindness has many benefits. It softens
us emotionally so we can feel more joy. It breaks a feeling of isolation
from others and helps us feel that we belong with the people around us.
It reduces any feelings of animosity or anger that we might have, which
has many benefits psychologically, and also facilitates better physical
health. It invites people to be more kind and generous to us in return
so that we can feel we live in a friendly and safe world. People who never express kindness to others can feel
that they live in a cold, hostile world where there is no warm connection
to other people. They can feel lonely and isolated. They can feel that
they must always be on guard against negative experiences. They can lapse
into selfishness, or even hostility. If their fears are exaggerated, they
can even express in violent ways toward other people. The greatest benefit of kindness is that it can open
the way for us to experience more love in our lives. The more love we
feel, the more fulfilling our lives become. SG: WHAT LARGER ROLE DOES KINDNESS PLAY IN A GLOBAL
SENSE? RS: It is the key to everything. If you imagine that
we could throw a magic switch right now, and instantly every human on
the face of the earth suddenly released their fears and became kind and
compassionate to everyone around them, then you would see everything change.
Selfishness would vanish and we would all share the abundance of life.
Prejudice toward other races and religions would vanish. Competition between
groups and nations would vanish. War would vanish. Unfortunately, we do
not have such a switch, so it is up to each individual to make a commitment
to kindness if we are to have such wonderful changes in human life. I believe that a great starting point would be to teach
kindness in our schools, beginning with the youngest children. It would
solve many of the world’s problems if our children were taught from
the earliest age to be kind, compassionate, and loving toward others. SG: IN ADDITION TO YOUR WORK IN PSYCHOLOGY, YOU ARE
ALSO AN ACCOMPLISHED ARTIST. DOES ART AFFECT OUR CONSCIOUSNESS? RS: I believe it has a very strong impact. Most of our
daily experiences are overshadowed by our need to accomplish something
tangible in the physical world. For most, it is going to a job every day
to earn a living. Then, there are the endless details of maintaining our
homes and possessions, traveling from one place to another, paying our
bills, interacting with other people—on and on the tasks go that
we need to pay attention to each day. This kind of life roots us in the smaller world of practical
physical reality. It often involves pressure, stress and strain, which
“squeezes” us in our inner experience. You could say that our
consciousness is very narrow when we only focus on practical affairs in
the physical world. Artistic expression can lift us out of the practical
world. It can help us transcend the pressures of daily life so that we
can elevate our experience into a realm that is not so limited by physical
reality. When practiced in a calm way, it can even have the same beneficial
effect as meditation or a spiritual practice. We can soar above the physical
to experience inner creative realities that have no limits. For me, the
experience that I have when I am transported by the act of painting is
similar to a meditation experience. So, artistic expression can certainly
expand our consciousness. A visit to a museum can have a similar benefit as a
walk in nature. Viewing the work of accomplished artists throughout the
ages can trigger a feeling of the continuity of life, and of the magnificence
of the soul. The beauty of art, as of nature, elevates our consciousness
to the realms of the ultimate Creator of life, thus reminding us of our
true eternal nature. That in itself can cause us to feel softer, kinder,
and more compassionate. SG: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKET O SHARE
WITH OUR SOUL GRAFFITI FAMILY? RS: As a final thought, it is my opinion that having the “right” thoughts, the “right” feelings, holding the “right” vision is only a beginning toward creating a world of kindness, compassion, and love. It is the daily acts of kindness, large and small, toward another individual that will ultimately create the global changes that we all desire. |
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