Continue reading »]]> “Since we cannot get what we like, let us like what we get.”

(Spanish proverb)

Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian

May 11, 2012. What is materialism?

Or to be a bit more specific, what is moral materialism?

Here is what the dictionary says: “moral materialism” is “a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters.”

We can elaborate. Materialism is a state of mind and a lifestyle chosen by those who believe that acquiring and owning material possessions is the most important ingredient in human happiness and well being.

Matter Over Spirit

People who hold to moral materialism often depend upon the possession of worldly belongings to build a sense of security and comfort. Matter takes precedence over mind and spirit, and life revolves around material satisfactions. Often, there are expectations that possessing more will result in a happier life.

But these expectations are not always met, and this leads to frustration and, often, a cycle of neediness. Consider the American dream and think how many have sought success, wealth, and fame through hard work and thrift. But now, with the development and progress of industrialization and the rise of modern forms of capitalism, this dream has eroded. It is increasingly replaced by a “get rich quick” philosophy.

Traditionally, since ancient times, people have procured goods according to their actual needs. But after the industrial revolution and, subsequently, the development of modern technology and the spread of consumerism promoted by marketing and advertisement, that has changed. Increasingly, people’s motivations are being manipulated to modify what they believe they need for day-to-day activities and to create cravings for things that they really don’t need.

Emptiness

The rise of the psychology of marketing and the shift in consciousness that it has created have brought tremendous benefits to commercial enterprise. But, it has not equally benefited the customers of those commercial enterprises who consume the goods and services they offer. Today, large numbers of people have every possession they want, but their needs are not satisfied.

People often complain of an emptiness which no material possessions can fill. In the midst of plenty, they are spiritually hungry, unhappy, and in despair – the modern symptoms of discontent. Consider – and it is just one small example – the anorexics, fashion models, actors, and ballet dancers who feel obliged to change their weight to comply with standards which take no account of their inner struggles or their health.

The purpose here is not to denounce money or wealth, or to glorify poverty, or to deny the pleasures of life. It is not money that causes this discontent and this sense of emptiness. Rather, the cause is the human mind and its over-dependence on worldly materials and possessions. It is the denial of deeper intrinsic values – of spiritual values. Research studies show that when poverty is overcome and incomes grow, happiness does not necessarily increase proportionately. Apparently, it is true that money can’t buy happiness.

Substance Abuse

As a result of the spread of materialistic lifestyles, a culture of self-indulgence and gratification flourishes around the world. According to United Nations reports [here], there are 210 million adults worldwide who suffer from substance abuse and addiction and 140 million more who suffer from addiction to alcohol (World Health Organization, 2001). Materialism: Moral and Social Consequences is a book I wrote discussing desire, over-attachment to material things, and the cycle of neediness in consumer cultures. I note that escaping inordinate desire is a daily challenge which requires moderation and self-discipline to avoid the “hedonistic treadmill”.

Success and happiness are not easily attained, especially in a highly competitive society, and people become discontented. As a result, some resort to the consumption of mood or mind-altering drugs and/or alcohol as a shortcut to both transient happiness and freedom from fear and anxiety. The result can be a lifestyle that impacts both the perception of the nature of true happiness and physical health. Contentment becomes a commodity that can be bought at the market, cultivated in a field, or kept in a cellar (for details, see Alcohol and Drug Abuse).

Materialism and Poverty

Materialism not only affects the wealthy and worldly, but also those who are poverty-stricken and exploited by the rich. Recently I visited two countries in Western Africa – Mali and Ghana – with very different cultures, language, religions and economic situations. Mali is beset by poverty and 50% of the population live on a daily income of $2 per day. People struggle. Ghana is better off and has more industry, more technological development, more wealth, and greater prosperity.

I was invited to speak on topics chosen by each country. To my surprise, I was often asked to speak about materialism in Mali – but not in Ghana. I asked why people in Mali were interested in discussing materialism and its consequences. I was told that although most people were poor, their lives were strongly affected by the materialism of – and exploitation by – other nations. In Ghana, there was more interest in learning about how to cope with life stress due to the competitiveness accompanying economic growth and progress.

So yes, poverty generates stress, but it is overshadowed by the exigencies of survival. And life is simpler and more family-oriented in impoverished countries like Mali. In progressive and industrialized countries, stress is perceived as the price one pays for growth.

A survey by the Chicago Tribune found that people who earned a salary of less than $30,000 per year said that they needed over $50,000 in order to fulfill their dreams. Those with an income of over $50,000 a year stated they would need to earn a yearly income of $250,000 to be satisfied. This and other research studies confirm that when goals for income are met, expectations of what is needed to achieve satisfaction move upward.

Contentment is a sense of inner satisfaction, and variations in contentment depend on expectations. Higher expectations of an unreasonable nature are likely to lead to increased dissatisfaction when expectations are not met. According to Kasser (2004), “the culture of consumption… not only degrades psychological health, but spreads seeds that may lead to its own destruction”.

What the Bahá’i Writings Say

The Bahá’i Writings encourage moderation and detachment from worldly excesses. They give a deeper understanding of the true purpose of life.

Bahá’u’lláh states:

“Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.”

Bahá’u’lláh asks us to view the material world as transient and temporary, where we are to prepare for the spiritual world of eternity. He encourages balance and discourages greed and excessive attachment to the vanities of this world.

Or, as Socrates said:

“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.”

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Abdu'l-Missagh Ghadirian

In recent years debate about the interrelationship between medical science and spirituality has been flourishing.  Modern medicine, despite its unprecedented discoveries and progress in identifying the cause and treatment of disease, has been viewed as overly “scientific”, and consequently “the healing bond between patient and physician” has been weakened (David Rosen, “Modern Medicine and the Healing Process”, Humane Medicine, 1989).

The world-renowned Canadian physician William Osler, over a century ago wrote,

“Nothing in life is more wonderful than faith – the one great moving force which we can neither weigh in the balance nor test in the crucible…Faith has always been an essential factor in the practice of medicine.”  (Osler W, The Faith that Heals, BMJ, 1910)

Medicine and spirituality/religion are complementary and not mutually exclusive or contradictory.  Human consciousness, the expression of which is mediated through neurophysiological processes, is basically a spiritual phenomenon.

Through medical science patients are treated and some are successfully cured.  But are a successful treatment and effective healing the same?  If this is the case, then why do some patients, after being cured feel that they have not been healed or are not whole?  The sense of “wholeness” may not depend on a cure.  For example, a woman who has lost her breast as a result of a cancer may acknowledge that her tumor was successfully removed but she may not feel “healed”.  This reflects her inability to perceive herself as a “whole” person as a result of the loss of part of her femininity.  To feel “whole” and healed requires a sense of inner contentment which often comes from a spiritual perspective of self, faith and a sense of higher fulfillment.

Patients seeking treatment for their medical problems may also have spiritual needs such as the need to understand the meaning of suffering and death, the role of prayer in healing, whether illness is a punishment by God, and the issue of guilt.  In some medical centers, spiritual care is provided to help these patients.  It is believed that, as one researcher puts it,

… the essence of spiritual care is founded on the assumption that all people are spiritual beings.  It recognizes the relationship between illness and the spiritual domain and acknowledges the possibility of a search for meaning in the big questions of life and death.  It responds to religious and humanistic needs … (Wright, MC, Palliative Medicine, 2002)  

Are our hospitals becoming increasingly dehumanized institutions and are physicians being turned into technocrats who interact with machines more than with persons?  Why do so many people feel empty and unhappy in spite of having everything and having access to the most advanced treatments?  In a materialistic society this feeling of emptiness is rampant and medicine should be aware of this.  (For more on this topic, see A. M. Ghadirian, Materialism: Moral and Social Consequences, 2010.)

The following case may help to make a point about the role of spirituality in health.  A 65-year-old man is brought to a palliative care unit with a diagnosis of advanced cancer.  The metastasis of his cancer is too extensive to allow for surgical intervention and it is too late for chemotherapy.  He is anxious, worried and has been unable to sleep since this diagnosis was made a week before.  In the hospital he finds himself in a ward where most of the patients are in their final stage of life.  His oncologist walks into the room and the first question the patient asks is “Doctor, how long am I going to live?”  For him this is the most critical question of his life!  The answer he gets is more painful than his question – that his stay will be very short.  His next question is: “What happens to me after I die, will I have any memory of my wife, children, and other loved ones?  Will there be another world or does death come like a dark and gloomy black hole and that will be the end?  What is the meaning of my life and suffering?”

Science has no answer for these questions.  Recording of heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and brain waves ceases, and death indeed occurs.  Is this the final word?

Taking this phenomenon in a broader context and with spiritual perspective on the meaning of death, it is not just an end but a new beginning.  Death is a gateway to a new world, a spiritual world.  This is what Elizabeth Kübler-Ross calls “the final stage of growth” and states that death is “an integral part of human existence”. (Kübler-Ross, E:  Death – The Final Stage of Growth, 1975)  In a palliative care unit, although almost all patients are in their final phase of life, not all are frightened and disturbed in anticipation of death. Surprisingly, some of the patients in a near-the-end of life condition appear serene and surrender their will to the will of God, accepting death with faith as a new reality.  They believe that in death, as in birth, there is a transformation of self to embrace in the realm of eternity.

In this article the words spirituality and religion are used interchangeably. Although the concept of spirituality is generally acknowledged, its definition remains far from clear.  Here, I view spirituality as a process which implies development and progress of the human soul or spirit.

Religion and science are intertwined with each other and cannot be separated.  These are two wings with which humanity must fly.  (`Abdu’l-Baha, `Abdu’l-Baha in London, 1982)  

Both science and religion search for truth – science through observation, verification, and methodological analysis; religion through knowledge of divine revelation and sacred writings.  The World Health Organization (WHO) in its definition of palliative medicine emphasizes the biopsychosocial as well as the spiritual aspects of patient care.

In the ancient world religion and medicine were intimately connected.  The temple was a venue for treatment and healing as well as for prayer and worship.  People were treated for their physical wounds and spiritual anguish.  In the West, during the middle ages, a separation between the Church and medical science developed which lasted for centuries due to contention and mistrust.  In the East, however, this division was avoided because of a positive relationship and solidarity between scientists, physicians, and spiritual leaders.  Religion provides a moral compass for society with reference to ethical values and rules for the betterment of people.  Moral values are not in the purview of scientific endeavours, just as the study of genetics and molecular biology are not the domain of religion.

Neuropsychological research shows the body translates positive behavioural attitudes, faith, and spiritual contentment and peaceful attitude, into positive biological responses: a decrease in the release of stress hormones like norepinephrine and corticosteroids.  The result of this is a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and an increase in theta brain waves reflecting serenity.  (Benson H, Timeless Healing, 2007)

Integrating science and religion will allow us to extend our knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and the life beyond.  (“Is spirituality relevant to the practice of medicine?” A. M. Ghadirian, Medicine and Law Journal, 2008, also see www.medicineandspirituality.com.) The spiritual dimension of medicine can contribute to the improvement of a patient’s quality of life.  In our time, medicine needs to go beyond technological procedures, important as those are, and reach out to the sick and suffering with compassion, empathy, and spiritual care.

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This is the first of several posts on Science, Medicine, and Spirituality by Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian, a physician and professor at McGill University in Montreal, an author and researcher with numerous scientific articles and several books in the fields of psychiatry and social sciences.  In recent years he has been exploring creative aspects of suffering and the role of faith and resilience.  He also studies the impact of materialism and substance abuse on society.  Currently, he teaches the interrelationship between medical science and spirituality in the healing process.