The God Within and the God Without

Abstract

Spirituality enables the direct experience of connection between the individual and God, and can exist with or without an intermediary such as a religious institution. Via meditation or spiritual practice one can find God within oneself. Seeing oneself as a little Christ or Buddha affirms that one is sacred, and worthy of self-love and self-respect. This self-image is incongruent with violence to the self, such as substance misuse. Through spirituality we learn to see ourselves as parts of a whole, and worthy of the love and respect of others. This love is sustainable, and can fulfill what was unconsciously or consciously sought through the misuse of substances. From the point of view of the therapist, this is the beginning of healing.

Keywords :

• healing
• spirituality
• the god-within
• inner truth
• real self
• empathy
• inner-child