Dementia: Strength-based spirituality

According to The Free Dictionary, “Dementia is a loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting more than six months, not present since birth, and not associated with a loss or alteration of consciousness.” The Free Dictionary defines “consciousness” as “a sense of one’s personal or collective identity…” or “alertness to or concern for a particular issue or situation.”

I would dare argue (With a dictionary?  Why that’s like debating Daniel Webster…) that every situation in life is at least somewhat associated with an “alteration of consciousness.”  Medically speaking, “alterations of

consciousness” are often associated with comatose states.  Spiritually speaking, “alterations of consciousness” are often associated with awareness levels.

I would therefore argue (cordially) that dementia is not so much a loss of overall mental ability (since we’re really not sure what most of the brain is about) as it is a loss of specific-type memories.  These lost memories are often strongly tied to “a sense of one’s personal or collective identity” (names, faces, family histories) - and just as often entail a marked change in the state of “alertness to or concern for a particular issue or situation” (safety, hygiene, social appropriateness).  It seems as though dementia would therefore be strongly associated with an “alteration” of consciousness – but that this alteration need not be strictly defined in terms of “loss.”

There are many spiritual traditions that urge adherents to “Be Here Now.”  Some call it “mindfulness” –others “Sabbath.”  “It” is the ability to be fully present to the moment at hand.  If you’re chewing, just chew.  Actually taste each morsel as it releases its crushed flavors onto your tongue.  If you’re breathing, just breathe.  Actually follow the whoosh of air as it sweeps through your nasal passages.  If you’re praying, just pray.  Actually notice the abundance of what is, rather than yearn for past and future projections.

It seems that what most gets in the way of Being Here Now is a continual stream of memory-induced thoughts like these:  “I can’t Be Here Now because so-and-so is expecting me to Be There Soon with him/her…  If I let her/him down by Being Here Now instead of Being There Then, the compendium of memories called “the relationship” might be jeopardized.  Then all that I’d have is this moment, and that is Not Enough.  Why just look at what happened in The Grasshopper and the Ants…”

Fortunately, spirituality does not necessarily depend upon memory – nor does it necessarily depend upon a state of everyday consciousness.  The “Be Here Now” aspect of dementia could lend itself to an exploration of spiritual possibilities.  When former definitions of “self” begin to fade, there may be openings for new definitions of “Self” to emerge.  The “monkey mind” – which meditation practitioners spend years trying to quiet – may now be just calm enough for spiritual awareness to flourish.

Holistic dementia programs are becoming wonderfully inclusive of the emotions and capabilities of memory-

challenged individuals.  Increased emphasis upon interspirituality could round out these programs even more.

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/dementia

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/consciousness

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/12/alzheimers.aspx

http://www.thehearth.org/theway.html

http://www.topia.net/interspirituality.html

http://www.ramdass.org/

http://www.dltk-teach.com/fables/grasshopper/mstory.htm

Copyright September 13, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

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