What Happened to Our Values
We are watching with dismay the disintegration of human decency on all sides and repeatedly asking ourselves and each other — what happened to our values? Why are democratic values, such as respect for human dignity, freedom of conscience, protection of basic human rights for all, being progressively abandoned, while a growing majority is voting for authoritarian strongmen and turning a blind eye on massive human suffering? Why has truth itself become dispensable, replaced by opinions and fabricated stories? Why, in the age of universal education and information, are we watching day after day hundreds of thousands of people and many, many children being bombed, maimed, tortured, starved to death, while we feel paralyzed by the magnitude of the injustice and horror?
These cataclysmic developments in our civilization did not occur suddenly, even though it is common in educated circles to be surprised, and to point out that at the turn of the century democracy was going strong and collective democratic values were on the rise in the first decade and a half of the 21st century. While there was indeed a strong collective will to establish and meet Millennial Goals for human progress, a deeper process was under way that remained obscured for a long time by collective technological and multilateral governance gains. We are now seeing the evidences of this deep and far-reaching process.
The extraordinary scientific advances of the past two centuries created so much confidence in our ability to analyze, measure, understand, and control physical, chemical, and biological processes, that we increasingly unquestioningly embraced the concept of ourselves as material beings in a material universe, where only logical rationality can keep us from sinking to the aggressive impulses of our animal nature. Left in the dust, at the margins of human progress, was the understanding of ourselves as also spiritual beings, whose spiritual nature has to be honored and cultivated as the greatest protection from baser impulses.
Even though world religious traditions continued to exercise their influence over millions, the historical fact of endless and brutal inter-religious wars and enmities shook to the core the credibility of religion as an ennobler of human nature. While religion became increasingly compromised, material science advanced, and the majority of contemporary societies appear left with no coherent understanding of the centrality of our spiritual nature.
This tectonic shift in the past two centuries is now coming to a head. Unlike ever before in the history of civilization, we possess the knowledge that would allow us to organize a healthy and peaceful planet for humanity. Yet, the driving force behind such an endeavor has been massively weakened and undermined. Clearly, rationality alone is not enough to drive such a comprehensive overhaul of many centuries of practices of domination. If we do not know who we are, we can never fulfil our capacity.
At the level of individual lifespan development, we understand that a person evolves as they expand their self-definitions and deepen their understanding of their inner resources. It is an observable and scientifically documented fact that as people learn to understand, center, and develop their spiritual nature, they become more well-adjusted to the complexity of life, more impactful, happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. The social sciences have also documented that this growth typically occurs as a person reaches the very limits of their current self-definitions, and life turbulence and suffering propel them forward in search of more encompassing and more grounding answers.
Collectively, we are now at this point. We have attained enormous material progress; yet, global health statistics show that we are more miserable, unhealthy, and addicted, living in much more toxic environments, and operating far below our own sense of goodness and decency.
It appears that we are poised to reclaim our fundamental spiritual nature and begin to make decisions based on that central reality. Nobel science has shown the reality of nonlocal processes of consciousness. Convergent spiritual understanding from many sources speaks to the reality of the soul and its eternal aspiration to grow towards the true, the good, and the beautiful. Profound scientific discoveries show the intelligent design of the universe.
Yet, change in entrenched mindsets happens slowly and painstakingly.
We can draw on our rational understanding to see the need for this shift. We also have to accept that deeper and less tangible processes of opening up heart and soul are critical to this metamorphosis from caterpillars stuck in a cocoon to butterflies able to traverse space.
Perhaps it is time to shift our attention from further forums on the vulnerability of democratic values in our world to forums that emphasize our spiritual nature and resources, and explore practical spiritual solutions to our political, environmental and moral crisis.
An explicit spiritual orientation need not be preachy or apologetic. As we acknowledge and cultivate spiritual ground, our solutions become wholesome, and combine knowledge and insight toward practical action. Such an approach attracts hearts, overcomes fear and polarisation, and builds unitive solutions. There are many such grassroot examples which deserve to become models for a comprehensive shift in public approach.
As a psychologist who has born witness to human lives and struggles for four decades, I know beyond doubt that people are hungry for an understanding that overcomes inertia, and inspires and mobilises resources.
Dr. Elena Mustakova is author of the Nautilus award-winning book, “Global Unitive Healing: Integral Skills for Personal and Collective Transformation”, and Founder of IntegraLight Transdisciplinary Institute of Consciousness, Society, and Wellbeing (www.integralight.org )
