Review Article ISSN 2641-4333

Neurology - Research & Surgery

Suffering and the Soul: a Therapeutic Approach

Julian Ungar-Sargon*

*
Correspondence:
Julian Ungar-Sargon, Borra School of Health Sciences,
Borra School of Health Sciences, Dominican University IL,
Dominican University IL, Illinois, USA.
Illinois, USA.
Received: 06 Oct 2024; Accepted: 19 Nov 2024; Published: 30 Nov 2024

Citation: Ungar-Sargon J. Suffering and the Soul: a Therapeutic Approach. Neurol Res Surg. 2024; 7(4): 1-8.

the prejudices of its purely secular and reductionist approach. Yet,

across the diverse cultures of the world, we find spiritual traditions
that embrace a fully integrated psychology, unsullied by the
limitations of the modern scientific method.

It is only by grounding psychology on a foundation of sacred and

universal truths found in all traditional civilizations that we can
begin to restore a true science of the soul that addresses the entire
gamut of human needs and possibilities.

Suffering and the soul have a complex relationship that can be

approached therapeutically in several ways:

The Nature of Suffering

Suffering is often viewed as more than just physical or emotional
pain. From a soul-centered perspective, suffering can be seen as:

• A path to growth and transformation rather than a pathology to

be eliminated
• An invitation to engage with deeper questions of meaning and
existence
• A process that emerges from the unconscious, beyond our
conscious control

Mircea Eliade (1907–1986) [1]

Since the inception of psychology as a distinct field of study in
the modern West, it has been widely regarded as the only valid
form of this discipline, supplanting all other accounts of the
mind and human behavior. The modern West is unique in having
produced the only psychology that consciously severed itself from
metaphysics and spiritual principles.

The momentous intellectual revolutions inaugurated by the How does the distinction between pain and suffering impact
Renaissance and the European Enlightenment further entrenched therapeutic approaches and what is the theoretical basis for the
suffering soul.
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 In his play “Prometheus Bound” the play opens with Prometheus
being dragged to a remote, desolate location by Hephaestus,
the god of fire and metalworking, and two other gods, Kratos
(Strength) and Bia (Force). There, they chain the Titan to a rock,
leaving him to endure unending torment as decreed by Zeus.

Throughout the play, various characters visit the chained Titan,

including the chorus of Oceanids (sea nymphs), Prometheus’
brother Oceanus, and Io, a mortal woman cursed by Zeus. Through
his interactions with these characters, Prometheus’ story unfolds.

Despite his immense suffering, Prometheus remains defiant. He

sees his punishment as unjust and stands by his decision to help
The Suffering Soul was Born in Antiquity in the Writings of humanity, even if it means enduring the wrath of Zeus.
Job as well as in Greek Tragedy
Prometheus and Chiron being figures of teachers and healers, along The tragic nature is the irony of his bringing so much blessing to
with their propensity to transgress the boundaries between mortals humanity yet unable to release himself from his torture.
and immortals, renders them vulnerable to unending wounds.
Corporal pain brings their immortal bodies closer to the mortal The divine spark in the figure of Prometheus, which finally
experience, but without death’s release from pain. because of his eagerness to create, help and be so pro-man and
his development, contradicts the interests of the gods and even
In Hesiod’s Theogony, Prometheus’ wound functions as a threatens them and he must be punished. He must bear in mind
punishment. But in Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, Prometheus’ that he should not develop the person in the direction of supposedly
wound is incurred because he refuses to share his secret knowledge being God. The ability of creation and creativity inherent in man
with Zeus, framing his injury as torture. Chiron is injured by can also lead him to hubris!
Heracles’ poisoned arrow because he mediates between beasts
and heroes. Heracles resolves both of their wounds: he kills Zeus’ eagle, The other figure bearing upon our archetype of the tragic calling
releases Prometheus from his chains, and assumes Chiron’s immortality, of the healer is Chiron who represents a complex and developing
illustrating the interdependence of transgression and limits. character. His personal story is difficult and tells of a strange birth.
Unlike the rest of the Centaurs, his father is Titan Cronos, the
father of the gods, and his mother is the nymph Phalera.

When Phalera gave birth to her baby, she was frightened by its
half-horse and half-human shape and abandoned it in the forest.
The abandoned and strange immortal boy Chiron was adopted
by Apollo, the god of wisdom and the sun god of perfection.
Continuing Chiron's peculiarity, his abandonment and adoption by
the god Apollo made him a wise and powerful creature.

Later in life, Chiron was accidentally injured by a stray poisoned

The Greek playwright Aeschylus wrote a tragedy called arrow fired by the Hero Hercules, and he mortally wounded him.
“Prometheus Bound” way back in the 5th century BCE. It’s a The wound in the lower part of the horse and its ability to heal also
powerful play that dives deep into the Prometheus Titan story, makes Chiron a god of medicine; he receives the ability to be the
specifically when the rebellious Titan was chained to a rock as inspiration for healers.
punishment from Zeus.
It brings the person the ability to become himself to be the wise
In this ancient masterpiece, Aeschylus depicts Prometheus as a and wounded caregiver.
tragic hero one who suffers greatly for his defiance against the
gods but remains steadfast in his convictions. The tragedy is that Chiron is the one who suffers his wound and volunteers to replace
he cannot save himself. the chained Prometheus and give it its eternity after it has served
its punishment for some 30000 generations!

Chiron, the wounded healer who, through the wound, adds to his
wisdom, bringing about further development and healing through
the personal wound and the depth of the mental interior, which is a
place we humans have beyond ego.

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The Sciences of the Soul: The Early Modern Origins of Harmony of the Soul
Psychology Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, had a fascinating
Fernando Vidal [2] reveals that psychology existed before concept of harmonia (harmony). He used the analogy of a bow
the eighteenth century essentially as a “physics of the soul,” and a lyre to explain this idea. According to Heraclitus, harmonia
and it belonged as much to natural philosophy as to Christian is the unity of opposites, where seemingly contradictory elements
anthropology. It remained so until the eighteenth century, when come together to form a cohesive whole.
the “science of the soul” became the “science of the mind.”
Vidal demonstrates that this Enlightenment refashioning took Luke Parker [4] claims that Heraclitus’ idea of harmonia extends
place within a Christian framework, and he explores how the to his broader philosophy, where he sees the world as a dynamic
preservation of the Christian idea of the soul was essential to the interplay of opposites, constantly in flux yet unified by this hidden
development of the science. harmony.

Not only were most psychologists convinced that an empirical Heraclitus’ statements on harmonia and B 50 draw attention
science of the soul was compatible with Christian faith; their to features of their own syntax in order to use the structure of
perception that psychology preserved the soul also helped to language to model the claims they make about the structure of
elevate its rank as an empirical science. Broad-ranging and reality. Understanding the texts in this light helps us appreciate
impeccably researched, this book will be of wide importance in how deeply Heraclitus draws on the analogy between language
the history and philosophy of psychology, the history of the human and logos. In addition, we can see that the texts mobilize Heraclitus'
sciences more generally, and in the social and intellectual history insight into linguistic structure and meaning. In doing so they offer
of eighteenth-century Europe. the fitting-together of language as exemplary of harmonia, and
our access to its meaning as both an example and an instance of
Cultural historians have approached the emergence of psychology “listening to the logos.”
not as a branch of scholastic philosophy that gradually became a
separate theoretical discipline, but as intrinsic to social and cultural
practices from which theories of mind cannot be disentangled
(see for example the work of Graham Richards, and of the
present reviewer). Medical historians such as Akihito Suzuki [3],
meanwhile, have shown us that mainstream medicine and biology
largely did not pick up on Locke’s Essay, at least not on essentially
‘psychological’ issues such as madness, until a century or so after
its 1689 publication.

Both of these historical approaches, in their own ways, encourage

a view of the eighteenth century as a period of relative stasis in
the emergence of the formal discipline. Vidal’s book, by contrast,
demonstrates at the richness of that century’s radically developing
(if also fragmenting) philosophical traditions in which theories
of soul and mind, not to mention a burgeoning anthropological
discourse, were undergoing continual recombinations in the
shadows of natural philosophy.

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In fragment 51, Heraclitus states that people do not understand
how things that are in opposition can actually be in agreement. He
illustrates this with the bow and the lyre, where the tension in the
strings creates harmony [1]. This concept is not just about musical
harmony but also about the underlying unity in the natural world,
where opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent [2].

Conceptualizing Suffering and Pain

The human experience of dis-ease is the “Universal Currencies”
of the Illness ...

In revisioning health care and healing spaces the inner world and
soul of the practitioner participates in the therapeutic encounter
and therefore we must examine what suffering does to the soul. Therapeutic Focus
Acceptance-Based Approaches allow us to appropriate tools:
• Patients are encouraged to accept pain as an inevitable part of
life while working to reduce unnecessary suffering.
• Mindfulness techniques can help patients observe pain
without amplifying it into suffering through rumination or
catastrophizing.

Narrative and Cognitive Approaches

Therapists help patients reframe their narratives around pain:
• Exploring how interpretations of pain lead to suffering
• Identifying and challenging beliefs that transform pain into
prolonged suffering

Recognizing suffering as distinct from pain encourages a more

holistic approach:
• Addressing not just physical symptoms, but psychological,
social, and spiritual dimensions of distress
• Incorporating interventions that target meaning-making and
existential concerns alongside pain management
Distinguishing Between Pain and Suffering in the Soul
Central to the Buddhist teachings on suffering is the distinction Spiritual and Existential Dimensions
between pain and suffering. While pain refers to the physical The pain/suffering distinction opens up exploration of deeper
or emotional discomfort we experience in response to stimuli, existential issues:
suffering arises from our interpretation and resistance to that pain. • We need to address spiritual pain and suffering that may
This distinction is elegantly illustrated in the metaphor of the two accompany physical symptoms
arrows the first arrow being the unavoidable pain of existence, and • Existential approaches must therefore be employed to help
the second arrow representing the mental anguish we inflict upon clients find meaning in their pain experiences. What does this
ourselves through our reactions to that pain. look like?

This distinction between pain and suffering has significant By recognizing the nuanced relationship between pain and
implications for therapeutic approaches: suffering, we can offer more targeted, comprehensive, and
empowering interventions that address both the immediate
Understanding Pain vs Suffering sensations of pain and the broader psychological and existential
Pain is generally viewed as a physical or emotional sensation, challenges clients face.
while suffering involves a broader psychological and existential
response. This distinction shapes how therapists conceptualize and
address a client's experience:

• Pain is seen as inevitable and often temporary, while suffering

is considered optional and prolonged
• Pain is a specific experience, while suffering involves a more
global state of distress

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A Theoretical Framework experience and our ethical obligations. As de Beauvoir suggests,
Aristotle's perspective is particularly relevant here embracing ambiguity may be key to living an authentic and
• Aristotle defined the soul as the "first actuality" of a living body meaningful life.
• He saw most aspects of the soul as inseparable from the body
• Imagination and reason posed challenges to this view of
inseparability

This perspective aligns with Stoic philosophy, which emphasizes

cultivating inner tranquility rather than chasing external pleasures.

Simone de Beauvoir, Immanuel Kant, and Aristotle all grappled

with the complex relationships between happiness, morality, and
the human condition. Their perspectives reveal the ambiguity
inherent in our understanding of happiness and its role in ethics.

Kant's Ambiguous Concept of Happiness

Kant struggled to reconcile happiness with his ethical system due
to his generally subjective view of happiness. This led to some Jung and the Soul
inconsistencies in his approach: Carl Jung developed a complex and nuanced understanding of
• He saw happiness as too passive to provide moral motivation the soul that was central to his psychological theories. He saw
• Yet he recognized that people seek happiness as their ultimate the Soul as a bridge and interface between the inner world and
end outer reality. It was a mediator between consciousness and the
• He attempted to incorporate happiness into ethics in various unconscious. This mediating function allowed the soul to facilitate
ways psychological growth and individuation.

Kant's concept of happiness was ambiguous, with at least two The Soul and Imagination
different versions appearing in his work. He suggested a Stoic- For Jung, the soul was closely tied to imagination and creativity
like concept of happiness as inner peace resulting from doing one's much as its images emerge through dreams, art, and active
duty which highlights his struggle to define happiness consistently imagination and dialogue with the unconscious.
within his ethical framework.
Soul Loss and Retrieval
De Beauvoir on Ambiguity and Meaning Jung incorporated shamanic concepts of soul loss into his theories:
Simone de Beauvoir approached the question of happiness and • Trauma or disconnection from one's depths could lead to "loss
ethics through the lens of existentialism. She emphasized the of soul"
fundamental ambiguity of the human condition that: • This manifested as depression, loss of meaning, or fragmentation
• Humans are both conscious subjects and physical objects in the world • Soul retrieval involved reconnecting with neglected aspects of
• We exist in the present moment, between a past that no longer the psyche thus healing often required reintegrating lost soul
exists and an uncertain future fragments.
• We must create meaning for ourselves in the face of this • Yet it also depended on human consciousness for expression
ambiguity
This living, autonomous quality of the soul was central to Jung's
For de Beauvoir, ethics emerges from how we respond to this approach. By viewing the soul as a dynamic, mediating force within
ambiguous existence which bears on the nature of soul work in the psyche, Jung developed a rich framework for understanding
that we cannot eliminate ambiguity but must embrace it and that human psychology and fostering growth.
authentic living involves accepting our freedom and responsibility.

These affect the relationship between Soul and Body since the
relationship between happiness, ethics, and human existence
remains profoundly ambiguous. Philosophers have grappled with
questions such as:
• Is happiness subjective or objective?
• How does happiness relate to moral behavior?
• Can we achieve lasting contentment in an uncertain world?

While definitive answers remain elusive, engaging with these

questions can lead to a richer understanding of the human

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Suffering is a Path, not a Pathology Wholeness
Tony Humphreys [5] writes that in order to truly and fully The physician’s attitude to dis-ease is founded upon wholeness
understand human suffering we need to respond to it symbolically, being the birthright of every human being and that while the soul
rather than literally. Literal interpretations do little to resolve may have been obscured, it cannot be destroyed. His or her task
human suffering and typically block the emergence of more is to guide this process of enabling the patient to make contact
creative possibilities to resolving it. once again with the enduring nature of his own soul and so to be
restored from within.
Pain is physiological and, most often, though not always,
pathological, whereas suffering is psycho-spiritual, for it inevitably The great advantage is that instead of the patient always struggling
attempts to draw attention to a life unlived, to buried hurts and to go forward, much as Sisyphus was condemned forever to roll
hidden vulnerabilities and to the presence of powerful protective his boulder uphill, it becomes possible to rest in the mind, as
forces against further emotional and social lessening of one’s
Buddhists like to say, and see what emerges. This is no regression
presence. Suffering can also be spiritual because it invites us to
to the helplessness of babyhood but a reconnection with what is
engage with those questions that ultimately define who we are.
sometimes called the perennial wisdom.
When physical pain is present it needs to be alleviated whenever
possible, for pain can erode the person’s aliveness and energy. When we directly engage the soul we find ourselves in an expansion
Medication is a very powerful force for relieving pain. Sometimes of reality Andrew Powell calls spiritual object relations [6].
when suffering is alleviated, pain can disappear. There is no
greater suffering than psychological and spiritual despair, such that The psychoanalysis of object-relations has demonstrated that
individuals in such dire distress may physically cut themselves to human beings are born object-seeking, behavior that continues
gain relief from that overwhelmingly sad emotional state. throughout life. Consider then the possibility that in life, we are
simply continuing to feel and act on what we know already as
Responses to suffering are formed at an unconscious level and because souls, the joy of union with another. In spirit, the union is, naturally
the language of the unconscious is symbolical the only universal language enough, with the supreme soul, the Godhead.
as pointed out above we need to approach both psychological and spiritual
suffering with the tools of metaphor and symbol. This approach calls into question Freud’s claim that our search for
the Almighty arises merely from a neurotic projection designed to
The Wrong Trajectory shield us from the fear of death and oblivion. Being open to soul
Rather than understanding suffering through symbol and means the existential loneliness that arises in a lifetime is because
metaphor, there has been a relentless search for physical causes or of the painful separation from the supreme source from which
signs of suffering that are taken literally, and which have limited we came. The therapeutic task is to help bring the mind, through
our access to the depth, creativity and spirituality of our nature. a process of active imagination and reflection, to a heightened
This is evident in most modern psychotherapy, in cognitive- awareness of that relationship and to take strength from it.
behavioural modification, neurolinguistic programming and
pharmacology all useful approaches, but by themselves superficial Wholeness and healing call for those negative passions to be
and unintentionally devaluing of our deepest being. owned. Dig deep, and love and hate stand together in all of us.
The paradox is resolved not by suppressing the shadow but by
Depression is a suffering that many individuals experience. recognizing it for what it is, part of the Self, and learning how to
Symbolically, depression is about what has been “pressed contain it so as not to hurt others.
down” of our true nature and the fear or terror of allowing what
is buried to come to consciousness. Depression is created by the
deep emotional self, the soul, to draw attention to the blocks to
expression that exist and, at the same time, attract a substitute
attention to one’s presence, without some attention, the self,
necessarily plunges into despair and, metaphorically, wants to
‘disappear’ from the profound suffering of invisibility.

Samuel Bendeck Sotillos writes [7]:

Relationships, as informed by metaphysics, comprise both
horizontal and vertical dimensions, yet the horizontal is always
subordinate to the vertical, that is to say, “the relationship between

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man and the world is premised on the primary relationship between is needed to restore a science of the soul is to urgently turn to
God and man” [8]. the universal and timeless wisdom that has reliably guided all
humanity, for millennia, in its quest for true knowledge of who
An effective and fully integrated psychology requires both we really are.
dimensions. relationships encompass an indefinite number of
states of consciousness and levels of reality a sacred unity both Therapeutic Approaches
within the created order and of what lies beyond it, as the Lakota Several therapeutic approaches aim to work with suffering on a
saying discloses: Mitakuye oyasin “all my relatives” or “we are all soul level:
related.” [9].
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
The Hindu tradition has as what is known as satsang, or an Mindfulness practices encourage:
association with truth or reality, which consists of being in the • Turning toward unpleasant sensations rather than avoiding them
company of saints and sages; however, it also signifies our ultimate • Increasing emotional and bodily awareness
encounter with the Self or the Supreme Identity. • Responding thoughtfully rather than reacting automatically

This is never truly the human confronting the human, but the Symbolic and Metaphorical Interpretation
Divine encountering the Divine; it only appears as the former from
a relative point of view. However, from the aspect of Ultimate Rather than taking suffering literally, therapists may:
Reality or the Absolute there is none other than the Divine Itself. • Use metaphor and symbol to access deeper meanings
• Explore dreams and the unconscious for healing direction
• View depression as representing what has been “pressed down”
in one’s true nature.

Soul-Centered Perspective

A soul-centered approach involves:

• Viewing suffering as potentially developmentally useful
• Considering depression as a “dark night of the soul” with
transformative potential
• Exploring how suffering reveals aspects of character and
resilience

Mindfulness-based soul care model emphasizes:

In other words, the pure Subject as the Self realizes the object • Attunement to painful emotions
within itself and its inherent oneness. If psychology returns to its • Building trust through deep listening and validation
origin in metaphysics, sacred science and spiritual principles, it • Self-care and compassion for both client and therapist
can again become worthy of being called a science of the soul. The
following verse frames the predicament in which contemporary Benefits of a Soul-Centered Approach
psychology finds itself: “The stone which the builders rejected has Taking a soul-centered perspective on suffering can:
become the chief cornerstone.” (Psalm 118:22). • Help find meaning in difficult experiences
• Reveal capacities for courage and resilience
This is the primacy of the Sprit that psychology needs in order to • Lead to increased empathy, compassion and appreciation for
return to its origins in divinis. life
• Support the process of individuation and personality
Without metaphysics no psychology can be a true psychology or development
a science of the soul. This confirms something that Schuon has
discerned: “There is no science of the soul without a metaphysical While suffering is a fundamental part of the human experience,
basis to it and without spiritual remedies at its disposal [10].” therapeutic approaches that engage with it on a soul level can help
transform it into an opportunity for growth, meaning-making, and
It is only metaphysics that allows for spiritually complete deeper self-understanding.
diagnosis, treatment and cure of “the diseases which affect the
soul, indicate their treatment, and point out their remedies” [11] By viewing suffering through a symbolic and developmental
anything less would not be a postcolonial or, rather, a perennial lens, rather than as mere pathology, both healers and patients can
psychology without which the modern West will never recover approach it with greater compassion and insight.
what it has long forgotten. As the old paradigm falls apart what

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References 7. Spirituality Studies. 2021; 7: 18-37.
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bo6054878 Up Under Scrutiny. American Psychologist. 1982; 37: 504-
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© 2024 Ungar-Sargon J. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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