Will divine guidance heal your sorrow?

In this article I ask, ‘Will divine guidance heal your sorrow?’ I wanted to ask this question, because we often – in the world of spirituality anyway – hear the notion of Divine Guidance. However, I am not always clear what it is that people are referring to, and I’m not certain they are always clear. So in this article I find out, and share with you my sense of what this is, and how it could benefit your life.

I chose this also because it is the divine within and without, inside and outside our intra-psychic field, that could lead us to the greatest realisations. But it requires practice, awareness, and openness. And it is with this awareness that we can realise our true potential as individuals. I know that talk of ‘divine’ or ‘god’ has been contaminated over time, and we are increasingly ambivalent about spiritual practices. However, I encourage you to remain open to the conversation, and spit out that which won’t serve you.

Divine Guidance

Divine guidance, in dictionaries anyway, means guidance from a divinity, or divine source. The divine source could be God, Gaia, Allah, or another way of thinking about the Universe. An alternative way of thinking of the divine is that connection between your conscious self and unconscious self.

Gospels such as the Qurran, the Bible etc are said to have divine sources (as just a few examples). However, divine guidance doesn’t have to just lead to scripture, despite that being a gift to humanity. Divine guidance can exist whenever we choose to connect with it. Divine guidance can support us at every stage of our lives. God’s generosity is without limit, and we can connect with divine guidance at any point in our lives. But do you?

Ways of connecting with divine guidance

  1. Prayer

The simplest way of connecting with divine guidance is prayer. By sitting or kneeling, holding our hands in the traditional position, closing our eyes, we ask the question to the universe. We then wait. We remain open to the feedback. That is the challenge, for when we close ourselves down to the return frequencies, we shut out the value of prayer.

Receiving the guidance requires open listening. It compels us to remain open to the sounds within, our inner voices. The Mind is a complex phenomenon and it takes time to attune to the frequencies within. Also, people often feel that we should pray for things to happen, i.e. pray for a new car. This isn’t the purpose of prayer. The universal rhythms are in perpetual flow, and attempting to manipulate or change that is not the purpose of life. The Universe will flow as it will flow. The purpose of prayer is to build connection with our inner voice and learn about our role in life.

2. Contemplation

Even if you do not wish to get on your knees and pray, you can simply contemplate. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and think about a matter close to you. You may want to think about whether or not to leave a job. We do need to consciously ask the question, share the issue, and open up to what is returned.

Over time, perhaps over several sessions of contemplation, the clarity will emerge; even if the clarity is about lack of clarity!

3. Dialogue

Another way to connect with divine guidance, is to connect with people who are in tune with divine guidance. This could be a rabbi, a pastor, or a medium. Approach them and ask for the guidance on the matter at hand.

Obviously, there is a risk of connecting with someone is just deluded and not connected with divine guidance at all. However, trust your own voice to find that person.

Is the guidance divine, or something else?

This is, I guess, a matter for you to consider. You may believe that the inner voice is your own inner voice, generated simply and organically by your brain. This is fine. The belief behind the mechanism is less important than the connection with the voice. You may, conversely, believe that the inner voice is your connection with the divine, and thus something far more expansive, however you understand this. However, the latter is something which makes more sense to me.

This is because the mind is separate to the body, and the mind exists independently and after death. This is dualism. I won’t develop the dualism argument here, just to say that there are plenty of resources out there, and much evidence to support the idea that the mind and the experience it generates is utterly unique and primordial. It is the mind that connects with the divine, and the divine – howsoever you consider it – is that which the mind is interminably a part of.

Divine in therapy?

I am often asked if there is a place for the divine in therapy. My unequivocal answer is yes. In fact, to ignore or to remain closed to the notion of the divine in therapy leads to cultural imperialism. Do we have the right to shut out a person from the entire field? My answer is most definitely not. My advice is to ensure you retain an openness to the entire field for our clients, regardless of your own beliefs. And if you struggle, return to your own therapy or supervision for insight.

Final thoughts

Divine guidance is, for myself, something which I connect with each morning on the yoga mat, in daily prayer, and in contemplation. The world makes demands of us that we may not always easily be able to respond to. Our lives are often filled with sorrow and hardship – I have written separately on the notion of suffering here. The challenges can be painful, distressing, and have massive implications. Divine guidance will take us out of the challenge, offer us clarity and coherence, and support us in the next leg of our journey.

My advice is to open yourself to the possibility at least. What do you have to lose? Trust the journey, and begin the practice of opening yourself to the connection with divine guidance. If you struggle to work out how this could work for you, then read other articles on my blog, and contact for further support.

Warmly,

Dr. Andrew x