In Search of Truth: A Course in Spiritual Psychology

By Glenville Ashby

In Search of Truth: A Course in Spiritual Psychology is a crtically acclaimed book by award-winning author and critc Dr Glenville Ashby.

Glenville answers questions that many struggle to comprehend, from death and the afterlife to the purpose of life itself. His hunger for awareness coupled with his Ph.D. skill-set, make this an intelligent, thought provoking read which is guaranteed to get the reader not just thinking but, hopefuly starting a conversation. Glenville takes on controversial subjects, such as suicide, psychosis, glossolalia and the crucifixion. If you are looking for an intellectual and stimulating read, look no further than In Searh of Truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glenville Ashby
• Release date: May 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386567899

Glenville Ashby

Dr Glenville Ashby is a spiritual wellness consultant, author, and syndicated columnist.

Book preview

Reflection

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In 1980, my mother passed away. Cancer claimed a valiant soul who devoted her life to serving God and her family. I was 16 years at the time. I was angry and confused unable to comprehend how a loving God could take away a loving mother from her children. After all, she was unbending in faith. Days after her internment, I embarked on a search for answers. Forty years later, I have compiled a collection of work that offers insight into consciousness, life's purpose, death, and the afterlife. After years of research, in-depth study and application of many belief systems, I am always asked if there exist a universal truth.

In Search of Truth will offer some interesting responses to the many inquiries that have intrigued seekers since the dawn of time.

To the late Coleman Marshall

My nephew and best friend

ETCHED IN MY BEING

O my body, make of me always a man who questions! 

In the World through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself. 

Frantz Fanon

If you must seek, seek by yourself, sitting in an armchair at your desk after office hours. For while Buddha saw the light, we do not know how many of his disciples did. If you must get guidance from a living guru, take it and move on. Gurus are no more than the teachers we had at school. You may find them when you need to learn, but you have to outgrow them in order to grow." 

Indu Muralidharan

In this quest to seek and find God in all things, there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then, this is not good.

Pope Francis

PREFACE

On April 28, 2013, the Jamaica Gleaner published ‘The Encounter’, part of my series on exorcism. A month earlier I called the editor expressing my interest in running a weekly column on religion and culture. I felt confident that my stay in Rome, studying the psychiatric and spiritual dimensions of exorcism, would stir interest. Five years later, my readership has grown and my commitment to work as a journalist and author has not waned.

Like politics, religion is a subject that ignites passion and strong opinions. Writing for the Gleaner has given me a platform to share the multitude of religions and philosophies that exist. I interviewed the leaders of traditional, non-traditional, orthodox, and unorthodox philosophies. This has shone a new light on religion as an innate, biological preoccupation of man.

Man’s search for meaning is an inner experience expressed ritualistically and liturgically. Arguably, atheism is also clothed with religious fervor. Hence, I was determined to involve atheists and agnostics in my research and writings.

After a few years of interviewing mystics, clerics, ministers and healers, I turned my attention to commentary. Hermeneutics is vital to religious and spiritual enlightenment. I strongly believe critical thinking has surrendered to faith. While faith is essential to this discourse, cross-cultural research, anthropology, quantum physics and psychoanalysis are equally important in our quest for truth and self-realization.

More than ever, religion has seen its influence challenged, and in some cases, usurped by New Age teachings. The rights of atheists have also become constitutional issues.

As you read In Search of Truth, you will realize that there is no one singular, definitive doctrine that is propagated. No religion emerged from a vacuum but is rather  the product of enculturation and acculturation. This dynamism has given way to structure, dogma and myopia. Blessed with incredulous intuitive, cognitive and psycho-emotive resources, we are ever called upon to evolve toward a more advanced state of awareness. Only then can we excise the pathology of religious extremism, hubris and delusions.

With grace and the celebration of life!

Glenville Ashby, 2018.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Glenville Ashby was born in Trinidad. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, London School of Journalism, College of Media and Publishing, Euclid University, and the International School of Applied Psychoanalysis. He studied at Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Pontificia Accademia Pro Vita and St. Gall's Seminary in Switzerland.

He received his doctoral degree in Interfaith Dialogue and Diplomacy.

Dr. Ashby has written five books, including the critically acclaimed, The Believers: The Hidden World of West Indian Spiritualism in New York, Anam Cara: Your Soul Friend and Bridge to Enlightenment and Creativity and The Mystical Qigong Handbook for Good Health.

A former teacher in Trinidad, Dr. Ashby later served as the New York Correspondent for the Guardian Media Limited and is currently a columnist at the Gleaner Company. He also contributes articles to University of the West Indies Press and Kaieteur News. He has also written for San Francisco Review of Books.

He is a certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Qigong Therapist. He is one of the two certified Pangu Shengong teachers in New York State. The certification was awarded by the Pangu Shengong International Research Institute in China.

Dr. Ashby teaches Qigong at Harlem Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and has owned and managed a wellness business in New York for more than two decades. He has conducted workshops in the US and the Caribbean. In 2012 he was awarded a citation from the New York State Assembly for his cultural contribution to the Caribbean Diaspora and later received an award from the UK-based Plessey Academic for his contribution to Philosophy.

He is member of Oxford University Philosophy Society, South Asian Journalists Association of Journalists and the Canadian Bioethics Society.

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Foreword

In Search of Truth – A Course in Spiritual Psychology is a masterful study which reinforces the argument that religion is the result of years of enculturation and acculturation. The early chapters on astral travel, reincarnation and karma, prepare the reader for a literary voyage into the realms of the known and unknown. Glenville’s insight into self-healing explores an alternative therapy that allows someone to align themselves with wholeness and balance. This search for completeness is the book’s cornerstone. Indeed, each of these valuable pieces can be seen as dosages of medicine for someone seeking spiritual, emotional and psychological relief.

The author must be commended for juxtaposing past ideas with the current philosophy of New Age Thought. Well-structured arguments, coupled with facts, provide compelling reading.  An illustration is a discussion on the nature of evil, in which findings of neuroscientists and psychopathologists are used with Biblical quotes.  Undoubtedly, Glenville’s analytical prowess and profound insight will offend some but he must be credited for his unfettered thinking. This is particularly true when he writes about psychic powers and the evil eye.

In Search of Truth is written in a lively style which will be appreciated by those persons who question religion and science, and for those who cannot decide if their fate is determined by chance. The letters from readers at the end of the book is an indicator of Glenville’s transformative impact on the discourse and mindset.

Undoubtedly, the beauty of the book is its ability to transcend age barriers and ideological beliefs. Thus, it will be an interesting read to the atheist, agnostic and the religious.  Furthermore, a few of the reflections can be used to free the minds of those persons entrapped by hectic lifestyles and slaves to vices. This book is particularly significant in an era of globalization where the constant traffic of negative traffic has distorted the purpose of our lives and meaning of existence.

Jerome Teelucksingh,

Department of History,

University of the West Indies,

Trinidad and Tobago.        

OTHER BOOKS BY GLENVILLE ASHBY

Bootcamp: The Ultimate Fitness Book

The Believers: The Hidden World of West Indian Spiritualism in New York

Anam Cara: Your Soul Friend and Bridge to Enlightenment and Creativity

The Mystical Qigong Handbook for Good Health

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Astral Travel

A Personal Journey toward self-healing

The real, real possibility of reincarnation

Karma: The Force that determines our lives

The Immortal Spirit behind Native American Traditions

Dreams: A Pathway to Enlightenment

Chanting: The Power of Prayer Amplified

Fasting: Its Spiritual Benefits

The Light in every Darkness

Exploring Truths of Life with Hans Wilhelm

Prosperity Theology: A Perversion of the Word

Faith Healing: A Clear and Present Danger

Can Good come out of Evil? – The Case of Father Marcial Maciel

The Religious Repression of Sex

Celibacy: The Church’s Dance with Destruction

Do the Religious have a Death Wish?

The Old and New Testaments...Strange Bedfellows

Suicide!- Is it ever justified?

Jonestown: A Survivor Remembers

Speaking in Tongues: An Unconvincing Act

Betrayal: Why Gurus from the East continue to Deceive Westerners

A Defense Mechanism? - Religious Persons Projecting What They are Lacking, or Needing on To a God Image

Christianity vs. Buddhism – Is it necessary to choose?

Sufism: A Unifying Force with Islamic Roots

The Fall of Religion – Traditional Concepts of God Being Redefined

Meditation: The Pros and Cons

Qigong – Experiencing the Holy Spirit through an Ancient Chinese Practice

Yin & Yang Applying a Key Chinese Teaching for Good Health and Happiness

The Art of Self-Healing

The Animal Kingdom – Gaining Wisdom from Nature’s Creatures

Pranayama – The Breath of Life

Genius and Madness: Is there a Connection?

Mental Poisoning – Negative Thoughts Hurt the Body

Can the Dead Offer Comfort?

The Hour of Death – Unlocking the Mysteries of Dying

The Dead Zone – Home of Seducing Spirits

Palo Mayombe – The Secretive Sect

The Making of an Exorcist (Part 1)

The Making of an Exorcist (Part 2)

The Ouija Board: More than just a Game

Religions and Cults: Is there a difference?

The Political Gospel of Jesus Christ

‘Jesus’ – Is there Power in that name?

The Crucifixion Controversy

The Ten Commandment Myth?

Silence:  The Spiritual Practice of the Ages

Are the Scriptures the Word of God?

Humanism, not Religion, is the Path to Salvation

How can you be black and Christian? – The Psychology of Identity

How can you be black and Christian? (Part 2) -  Frantz Fanon and The Psychology of Identity

Love is the Only True Religion

The Principle of Sufficient Reason

God-Approved Discrimination? - Societies Struggle with the Caste System

Astral Travel: A Journey towards Intuition and Creativity

Published: August 27, 2017.

Astral Travel, also called astral projection, is a term used in esotericism to describe a willful out-of-body experience. But for the most part, it is an involuntary experience.

It is based on the premise that attached to the physical body, is the spiritual self, a subtle body that can be loosened and released during intense fasting, deep meditation and death.

The spiritual body can also be released during the 'hypnagogic' state that occurs between wakefulness and sleep, where visions and incredulous insights occur.

It can be disconcerting and frightening as we struggle to shake ourselves back to full consciousness. During hypnagogia, our auditory and visual sensitivity is heightened.

If we allow the process to run its course and we are not cowed, we are served with glimpses of the spiritual worlds. In particular, the astral world, where the reservoir of creativity and inspiration lies.

Some of the most brilliant artists have vouched for the munificence of this strange experience. Salvador Dali called it the slumber with a key. It was instrumental to his imaginative work.

The author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, said, I saw with eyes shut, but an acute mental vision.

And dream researcher, Michelle Carr, describes the mind as fluid and hyper-associative during the hypnagogic state.[1]

Interestingly, all of the great religions have acknowledged that consciousness can soar above the trappings of the physical body. In fact, there are multiple references to the separation of the spiritual and physical bodies, as well as the experiences of spiritual worlds.

Of the spiritual planes, Jesus said in John 14:12: My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

In 2 Corinthians 12:2, we read: I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, 14 years ago, was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know. God knows. And I know that this man, whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, but God knows was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

Interestingly, the Prophet Muhammad, like Paul, left the earthly plane, his spiritual body experiencing the ecstasy of the heavens.

In the Quran, Surah 17, it is written: Glory to (God) Who did take His Servant [Muhammad] for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose precincts we did bless, in order that we might show him some of our signs: for He is the one who heareth and seeth (all things).

The astral plane is said to contain the Book of Life or the Akashic Records, a kind of archive where every deed of man is recorded. Renowned psychic, Edgar Cayce, traveled to this plane where he received information on individuals and world events­—past, present and future.

The astral plane holds incredulous information that can be tapped for creativity, ingenuity and prescience.

Sometimes, we visit this plane in the dream state. When our dreams are lucid, vivid and richly colorful, we may have been experiencing the wonders of the astral plane. Here, communication is done through telepathy and one has the uncanny ability to absorb information in a manner that could only be imagined in the physical world.

The great philosophers, inventors, theologians and scientists, voluntarily or involuntarily, visited the astral plane.

Still, many misguided Christian and Muslim clerics inveigh against astral travel, conflating the experience with witchcraft and the occult.

Voluntarily performed, astral travel requires deep relaxation induced by special breathing techniques. Visualization is also essential. After relaxing every limb, visualizing the spiritual body leaving the physical body is the linchpin for success.

This requires patience, perseverance and steadfastness. Of note is that the risk of remaining in the astral world without ever returning to the body is zero. Only death will completely sever the silver cord that attaches the physical and spiritual bodies.

The allure of the astral world is well documented. But often, we have been warned to transcend this sphere and seek the higher 'rooms.'

Admittedly, attempting astral travel without the power of discernment or experience in the esoteric arts can be jeopardous. For all the good it has offered man, the astral world is neither the third nor seventh heaven. Those who voluntarily visit could well fall prey to some of its unscrupulous denizens. Novices, beware.

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A Personal Journey toward Self-Healing

Published: July 12, 2015.

Sigmund Freud may have single-handedly shaped Western psychology. Over time though, his thesis on the subconscious has been discredited in some quarters, giving way to more innovative and comprehensive theories on human behavior.

That we carry deeply embedded scars in the subconscious, is widely accepted. For sure, we have locked them away, unwilling to deal with the pain of past experiences. Talk therapy can be a long, expensive option, and may not free us from our psycho-emotional troubles.

What if there was a system that promises to make us whole, free from hate, distrust, depression and aggression? I thought long and hard of that possibility. My search ended at the doorstep of Oliver Williams, a certified facilitator in Grof Breathwork, an alternative therapy that is reshaping the way we look at the mind.

Williams studied under Dr. Stanislav Grof, a renowned psychiatrist who coined the term 'holotropic' (moving towards wholeness) to describe a form of spiritual healing that involves deep, rhythmic breathing, against the backdrop of shamanic and orchestral music, that occurs in a safe and open environment.

Although controversial, Grof Breathwork is emerging as a valid approach to treating mental problems caused by deep-seated emotional wounds.

In an emotion-filled interview, Williams recalled a childhood that was defined by his mother, who died when he was two months old, and a war that ravished the conscience of humanity. Born in January 1945, when the last ugly scenes of World War II were played out, Williams seemed to have weathered the storm. Personal and national tragedies seemed behind him, having been raised and well-schooled in a middle-class environment.

It seemed that all was going well. Many believed that I never knew my mother. So, the full trauma of her death should not adversely affect me. But that was not the case. There is a psychic connection between a mother and an infant. It is a bond that defines you for the rest of your life, he said, as he recounted a sudden onset of anguish that left him withdrawn, immobile and in a fetal position for long periods of time.

I was in a locked down or survival mode.

The full onslaught of his mother's death had surfaced.

Williams sought help and identified the cause of his anguish through Primal Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. But with the introduction to Grof's Breathwork, he saw a much deeper and bigger picture of his inner wounds.

"I was moved and fascinated by Grof's book, Beyond the Brain, and his level of work on the mind and consciousness studies."

Williams' commitment to research and helping others are unmatched. He became research director of the Association of Holotropic Breathing International and is the founder of 'Re-becoming', an organization that advances Grof Breathwork as an untapped modality with limitless potential for healing and creativity.

Breathwork, as it is called in my practice, is unlike traditional psychiatric counseling, argued Williams. You are not given a pill to quiet you. To mask the pain, you need to experience it. If not properly treated, inner torment manifests in the form of anger, violence, asocial or antisocial behaviors.

According to Williams, Breathwork allows the client to openly express his or her feelings in order to resolve inner conflicts. During the process, emotions vary but could range from agitation, crying and babbling, to screaming and other natural ways that our organism re-adjusts towards wholeness and balance.

Some have criticized Breathwork as potentially damaging to the