In this series on detoxification the topics of physical and emotional detoxification have been addressed. Many times when the body is not well, it is useful to help support or push the detoxification system in order to regain health. Many times there is an emotion purge that happens alongside (see Emotional Detoxification Tool Box). If these two phases are successful, most people will experience a “spiritual detoxification” as well.
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Many faith traditions address the need for spiritual cleansing/renewal and Islam is no different. Wu’dhu, prayer, dikhr/tasbih, fasting and Hajj are all ways in which Islam promotes this. Each of these actions involves the body, heart, mind, spirit and soul or what Dr. Malek Yamani calls the “Psychic Agents.” It is due to this multi-tiered involvement of al psychic agents that makes them such effective tools. Yet, why is it that these very practical and effective tools sometimes do not act as the safeguard they are meant to be?
But before we go any farther, let us discuss what the psychic agents are and what their functions are.
The Psychic Agents
Many Muslim readers may not find these terms new. However, my understanding of the way they interact may be of renewed interest. In my academic and clinical research as a psychologist, I have found that there are five psychic agents. They are the:
The body requires many things like food, rest and water. If its needs are not met, it falls out of balance. It is the first step in maintaining spiritual integrity or what I call wholeness.
The heart, just like the body also has requirements, but can also be prone to desires that are not necessarily good or productive. It can make or break wholeness and destroy all other layers.
This can literally mean the mind as well as the intellect or thinking process. Brain chemistry can be altered by what we eat as well as our actions. Our habits and the company we keep, what we see and hear also affect how we process information.
The Spirit or lowercase “ruh” is different than the Soul that is breathed into us in the womb. It is changeable and attached to the Heart and is greatly influenced by it. Depending on the desires or inclinations of the Heart, the Spirit will be altered in a good or bad way.
This is the Soul that is given to us in the womb and is unchangeable. It continually strives to be closer to Allah and is inclined to do good. However, if the other psychic agents are out of balance they will overwhelm the Soul and eclipse its importance, and then the person’s other layers will not be able to reach wholeness.
Each agent can be seen as both a self contained unit, and as being able to influence and be influenced by the other agents (as well as by the psychic energies, but more on that later). The exception is the Soul, which is not changeable.
What It May Look Like
A few nights ago I received a frantic call from a client in the middle of the night- she was having a spiritual melt down (as well as emotional). She was attempting to get off anti-depressants, fasting and having family problems. Unconsciously she was attempting to detoxify, physically, emotionally, and spiritually simultaneously. This is not the first time I found a client of mine in such a situation. As the body attempts to heal itself, the other psychic agents also attempt to heal or to put it in Islamic terms, attempt to take their rights. This is a natural process. This naturally begs the question-where does disease come from?
Ibn Qayim in his book on prophetic medicine states that there are two sources; one is the body (meaning organic disturbances) and then there is the Heart. According to Ibn Qayim, the Heart is the greatest source of disease. There are many ahadith (traditions of Prophet Muhammed) that support this statement. In my work as an integrative healing specialist I have seen this play itself out many times in peoples’ health issues. I have found that the emotional and spiritual states are both independent factors in the cause and healing from a disease. Many times traditional and holistic interventions are not enough to help someone. Over the years I developed a bodywork system to help restore balance. I call this method Nur al Tawheed (The Light of Unity). Until these various psychic agents can be brought back into unity, healing will not take place.
So, how do these various agents fall out of harmony? The answer lies in the two Psychic Energies and which one gains the upper hand.
The Psychic Energies
The psychic agents do act upon each other, but there are also two additional forces that act on them, one internal and the other external. These agents are:
- The Spiritual Energy
- The Physical Energy
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As their names imply, Spiritual Energy acts from within, and Physical Energy is externally. They also act from above (Spiritual) and from below (Physical). These energies become weaker or stronger by our actions. The more energy the Spiritual Energy puts out, the closer to Allah the person will be. The more energy that the Physical Energy puts out, the farther the person will be from Allah. The next section will address the things that can be done to strengthen the Spiritual Energy, so here I will briefly outline what strengthens the Physical Energy and weakens the five Psychic Agents.
There is an old book that I enjoyed reading titled, As a Man Thinketh. The main idea of the book is that we become what we think; it is also equally true that we are also greatly influenced by what we do or our habits. Consciously or unconsciously we all make choices every day. Some are bad, some are good and others are neutral. These are our lifestyle choices. They can make or break the health of all five agents. These habits can include:
- Not praying on time
- Praying badly
- Not performing our Islamic duties or performing them badly
- Not reading Qur’an
- Harbouring ill feelings
- Exposing ourselves to haram or questionable things (images, foods, situations) that are considered “gray areas.”
- Not eating nutritious food
- Consuming drugs (this can include foods like coffee and sugar)
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not getting a proper amounts of exercise
- Not being conscious of our choices/doing things without thinking first
- Associating with the wrong crowd
This list is not a complete list, but is meant to show what are the things that many commonly happen that weaken us.
Tool Box
When these agents fall out of balance there are many things we can do to restore harmony to avoid the diseases of the body, heart, mind and spirit. As mentioned, Islam provides many “safeguards,” like prayer, wu’dhu (ablution), dikhr (remembrance of Allah) etc. . . .). However, when these are not performed well, proper intention is out of place or the actions become mechanical (done mindlessly), they no longer will hold their intended weight on all Psychic Agents. When this happens it weakens the Spiritual Energy.
In order to strengthen the Spiritual Energy the following list of activities will help to accomplish that as well as assist in balancing the Psychic Agents:
Regardless of someone’s ability to read Arabic, anyone can benefit from the Qur’an in Arabic. You can use one of the various recordings available or have someone read to you. You can also read one page of Qur’an in Arabic, daily. The importance of the Qur’an, in Arabic, as a “tonic or medicine” cannot be overstated.
Although dikhr may seem to be a small thing, its weight on the Psychic Agents is heavy. It is not a time consuming activity, and can be done anywhere. If you are not used to it, the best thing is to do it after you pray, after you eat, brush your teeth or any other regular activity that you engage in.
- Prayer
- Sunnah prayer
- Getting adequate rest
This group of four: rest, eating, exercise and water, all deal with the needs of the Body. When not met, which in today’s world many of these needs are not met due to time constraints, no other Agent will be in harmony.
- Getting adequate exercise
- Eating a well balanced diet
- Drink enough water
- Eliminating any negative emotions in your life
Both harboring ill feelings, and feeling many negative emotions not only impact the Body (via the endocrine and nervous systems), they also are a poison to the Heart and Spirit. This does not mean that we should accept the wrong doings of others, but that we do not allow them to affect us in negative ways. We are in control of how we react.
- No harbouring of ill feelings toward others
In Islam Muslims are taught to say, “Masha-Allah,” and “Subhana-Allah,” but all too often these words are being replaced more and more by “wow, cool, bravo and lucky.” They in no way acknowledge the work of Allah or guard the speaker or listener from any ill feelings like envy. Islam is a very practical religion, and at every juncture strives to maintain the integrity of the human being.
- Surrounding yourself with people who are positive and motivated to do good, and have your well-being in mind
Conclusion
Give yourself time to accomplish this. Take it in stages and once you accomplish one thing, go on to the next. Many times people give up because things do not change quickly enough. This is a process that will take time, effort and patience. You may need to seek out the assistance of other, take a class in Arabic or other courses to strengthen you. So do not give up and may Allah Subhana wa T’Allah (Glory Be He) make you path easy.
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