Last night I finally watched the Oscar-winning best movie: “Spotlight” and found its delivery of the Boston Globe journalists’ investigation of the Boston clergy abuse scandal very enlightening. Although it was intended that the audience watch the movie to follow the journalists’ journey through the veil of silence perpetrated by the Boston diocese, I was also viewing as a survivor.
Throughout the movie I realized how carefully the entire scandal had been muted and silenced by the entire community and justice system. The complexity of proving that a religious institution had been protecting sexual predators at such a large scale should have provoked an overwhelming outcry to correct the issue. However, as the movie pointed out so poignantly, the sexual abuse of children has been a longstanding practice that continues even today.
I loved the delivery of the story…the way it carried you along through how the court had sealed records about a case against the diocese, and how the court files that would have substantiated the journalists’ story were somehow missing from the public records. The exposure of the cover up by the diocese’s lawyers and the cardinal himself revealed how the RC church maintains their veil of silence about their ongoing protection of pedophiles within their ranks.
At the time of the press release of the scandal, I had already begun my recovery from the effects of having been raped as a 10-year-old child at the hands of my parish priest. As some of the victims in the movie pointed out, there was no way to comprehend what was happening, nor anyone to confide in about the abuse by people we had respected as representatives of God himself. One character survivor in the movie stated that his mother had brought out some cookies when the priest came to their house, after her child had told her about the abuse. When you can’t tell the people you’re supposed to trust the most, there’s nowhere to go, but into confusion and self-punishment and, for many, into self-destruction.
The only time that I burst out in tears during the movie was when the lawyer who had been working with victims for years described the condition of one of his clients: ‘He’s one of the lucky ones – he’s still alive!’ As someone who endured the aftermath of having been raped by one of the church’s perverted priests, I was ‘lucky’ not to have succumbed to the self-degradation and self-loathing that resulted from my experience.
During the Oscars, the producer of “Spotlight” made a plea to the present pope to help the situation, but the sexual abuse of children appears so rampant that the entire church could fail. Despite the pious character of the present pope, there’s really nothing he can do when priests are allowed to be alone with trusting and reverent children. After all, we were taught to confess our ‘sins’ to them and they ‘forgave’ us. Such hypocrisy has cost the lives of too many innocent children who blindly trusted the church’s representatives and were silenced like deaf mutes into despair.
From my perspective, I somehow made it through the utter confusion of my childhood, teen years and young adulthood, until I found myself not really knowing why it was happening to me. However, there was a glimmer of hope within me that guided me to keep fighting and searching for a solution to my condition. Fortunately, I found someone who understood my spiritual malaise and taught me to work within with the Light* to strengthen my spirit, which gradually brought me back to the person I truly am.
“Spotlight” brings home the multi-faceted lengths to which Catholics protect their priests, bishops and cardinals at the expense of the innocent victims of their perverted sense of religious authority.
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*Light: The pure white light of the universe; purely positive energy; a generic term not associated with any religion or deity
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In the last century when Tesla proved that electrical energy could be harnessed out of the ambient atmosphere, his invention was regarded as too advanced for the technology of the time. It would now be a phenomenal breakthrough for us to acknowledge and develop our ability to use the ubiquitous positive energy of the universe to bring us individual health and harmony, while allowing our spirits to become more positive during this lifetime.
One of the most remarkable skills I’ve consciously developed is to be able to detect where negativity lies within a receptive person across any distance by tuning in to their body’s spiritual energy system. More importantly, I can then remove the elements of negativity that obstruct their physiological auto-correction mechanisms, so that their body can self-heal in a more self-sufficient way on an ongoing basis.
Even as we strive to better our human condition through science and technology, inside each of us is a largely untapped reservoir of wisdom that has been neglected, ignored or dismissed throughout modern history. Within each of us is a unique sentient being who is either allowing negativity to interfere with us, or who is waiting for us to wake up and start utilizing the higher level skills that could improve our wellbeing at a grand scale.
outraged because their behaviour is unacceptable. However, the behavior of adults who bully, accuse, criticize, threaten and abuse children with the excuse of protectiveness or discipline is not only inexcusable or unforgiveable, it also causes irreparable damage at the spiritual level. Once a child’s innocence has been shattered by the frightening experiences of abuse, it can either bring a lifetime of shame, guilt and low self-esteem, or it can trigger a self-preservation instinct that results in constant restructuring, adaptation and determination toward self-preservation. Once their trust in authority figures has been shattered, many survivors of childhood abuse find it very difficult to ask for help and they often become alienated while their spiritual strength weakens over time.
Those of us who have been mistreated in this world under so many different circumstances struggle not only to overcome the mental, emotional and physical aftermath, but also to deal with the ongoing negative interference that occurs at the higher level. Through my many years as a spiritual problem solver, I’ve learned to identify and eliminate the negative elements extending from higher levels that linger and interfere with one’s wellbeing long after an abusive event that are not recognized or treated through other means.
In order to protect ourselves at the spiritual level and to withstand the onslaught of negativity that many of us face on this planet, it takes effort and commitment to progress at the spiritual level. Even if spiritual ground has been lost, we are all equipped with a connection to our spiritual aspect that can be restituted from its idle state and put to use! While practicing to refuse and remove the elements of negative interference, we can develop a strong positive spiritual connection using the Light* that will continue to generate sustainable energy at all levels of our being.
Our mere glimpse upon life seems myopic, compared to the broad vista upon which our spirits gaze. Whether we realize it or not, each one of us is part of our spirit’s timeless journey, making our lives of paramount importance in providing and developing a positive spiritual orientation.
Even though Valentine’s Day might seem a rather trivial holiday, I really enjoy seeing the symbol of LOVE everywhere!
Hopefully, the spiritual aspect of our world can evolve dynamically from its incorrigible negativity into a fundamentally positive state. Perhaps, if love for oneself were more important, people could start caring for themselves, for each other, and for our planet.
Whenever one of my clients is about to make a change to better their life, they’re confident that the cumulative positive knowledge they’ve gained by working with their spirit will simplify their transition toward their goal of a brighter future. When you work at the higher level to bring your spiritual aspect into the process of change, you’ll be able to view the elements of change from a whole new perspective.
At this time of the year, the ‘chime of change’ is sounding once again. As we reflect upon our accomplishments during the past year, we can now start anew to make the changes we want to improve our wellbeing during the coming year.
We all seek spirituality in our own way, but some of us need a more self-propelled approach to our spiritual needs than what is pursued by the vast majority. The attainment of spiritual harmony can be established by coupling a genuine desire with a firm commitment that brings about a determined effort to progress with one’s spirit.
How to Work With Your Spirit 
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