Spiritual Intelligence (SQ): The Symbiotic Relationship Between Spirit and the Brain
Insights Into the Postmodern Journey of Spirituality and Holistic Health
by
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Ideologies, philosophies, religious doctrines, world-models, value systems, and the like will stand or fall depending on the kinds of answers that brain research eventually reveals. It all comes together in the brain.
---Roger Sperry, “Changing Priorities,” Annual Review
Of Neuroscience (1981)
After close to two centuries of passionate struggles neither science nor faith has succeeded in discrediting its adversary. On the contrary, it becomes obvious that neither can develop normally without the other. And the reason is simple: the same life animates both. Neither in its impetus nor in its achievements can science go to its limits without becoming tinged with mysticism and charged with faith.
---Pierre Tielhard De Chardin, The Phenomenon
Of Man (Harper Trade, 1976)
This book was in the making long before the September 11th terrorist attack on the
The central thesis of this book can be stated simply as this: Just as we do not know how to make use of our rational intelligence, or intelligence quotient (IQ), and emotional intelligence, or emotional quotient (EQ), without having a working, thinking, and feeling brain, so also we do not know how to make use of our spiritual intelligence, also called the spiritual quotient (SQ), without having a fully functioning brain. Although the spirit or soul part of us transcends whether we are mentally sound, there is still nothing like an awareness of spirituality and the ability to exercise spiritual intelligence without having a fully functioning brain.
Where does the question of spirituality and spiritual intelligence fit in the current maze of revelations from brain study and research? Does the study of left brain and right brain cast any new light on how we have been conceptualizing and reconceptualizing spirituality in the East and West? Taking cues from brain research and its findings, is it possible for us to reconceptualize postmodern spirituality? Some of these questions are dealt within this study from an intercultural perspective. I am part Asian Indian and part American in my thinking. My thoughts and insights are borne out of that experience.
The process of writing this book has been a journey—the most dangerous journey that I have undertaken as a minister of the Gospel. I have been aware of the pitfalls on this journey. However, I am convinced that sooner or later spirituality must come to terms with what the new frontier of science is unraveling about our mental machine. Equally, brain science may be in for a surprise to find that our desire to seek the spiritual connection is built-in to the neural pathways of our brain by the Creator.
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About the Book
Imagine, you're like a little fish in the ocean that swims to the bigger fish and asks, "Excuse me sir, where is the ocean, and tell me how deep is the ocean?" The big fish replies, "Are you kidding! You're in it; keep swimming! The little fish is not satisfied with the answer and keeps swimming to the next, and to the next, asking the same old question.
What is spirituality? Spirituality is vast, deep, holistic, intensely personal and elusive to our human categories of thinking. Like fish that swim in the ocean, we can only share our experience of swimming in the ocean of spirituality, but we do not possess the ocean. The fish did not discover water. We do not know who discovered water, but we're certain it wasn't a fish.
Imagine having the spirit as we all do and wanting to swim in the ocean of spirituality and your brain is not functioning right or you can only swim in the shallow waters because you have not developed the courage and confidence to swim in deep waters.
In his groundbreaking book, Spiritual Intelligence (SQ): The Symbiotic Relationship Between Spirit and the Brain, Charles W. Mark takes high risk of opening the "Pandora Box" into the world of history, religion, culture and spirituality. Without discounting the intangible part of us-spirit or the soul that transcends our brain apparatus, the author seeks to demonstrate that there is nothing like an awareness of spirituality and the ability to use spiritual intelligence without having a thinking, feeling and working brain.
While walking a thin line, Charles seeks to demonstrate that the lopsidedness in the world or religion, culture and spirituality might very well come down to the way human species have been using our brain-predominantly left-brain or right-brain. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Charles seeks to develop a new hermeneutics (interpretation) of spirituality for post-modern culture. The author seeks to demonstrate that science is not he enemy of God but a new way of looking at God. Brain is the new location for seeking this mystery. Written in a simple style, Charles brings both Eastern and Western perspectives into the debate as he seeks to bring them together in the holistic paradigm of spirituality.
In this you will:
--Discover the spiritual maps that have changed during the generation of Baby Boomers;
--Gain insights into how Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) is related to Rational Intelligence (IQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EQ);
--Learn how gaining a new perspective on the study of left-brain and right-brain might help us understand differences and similarities between Eastern and Western paradigms and practices of spirituality;
--Learn how to re-conceptualize your version and vision of spirituality in light of brain study and findings - a dynamic reconciling of the "Alphabetic Mind" with the "Spiritual Mind;"
--Gain a new perspective on making spirituality into a verb, an activity - left-brain, right-brain and whole brain experience.
About the Author
Charles Mark was born in