Spiritual Intelligence Part 1

Humility is the basic stepping stone so very much essential here before we even try to decode our religion which is full of Rumz or written in riddles. We are wrong in our surmise when we think that human intelligence is the only necessary criteria required for understanding our religion. The under mentioned book has something worth taking a note of, and then let us ponder on it:-

"Spiritual Intelligence the Ultimate Intelligence" By Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall.

Very briefly the book says that as psychologists discovered ways and means to measure intelligence, Aristotle’s definition of man as a rational animal developed into an obsession with IQ. To be more specific the author says that there are three kind of thinking and three kind of intelligence (IQ) attached with it. They are 1) IQ - or Intellectual or Rational Intelligence 2) EQ- Emotional Intelligence 3) SQ- Spiritual Intelligence.

The theory went before that the higher a person's IQ the higher the intelligence, because by disciplined thinking he is exercising his brain to function more effectively and efficiently. With IQ the Intellect is used by rationally trying to reason with our intelligence only that which is visible with our eyes, and heard with our ears and by making use of our five senses. But by mid 1990 Daniel Goleman popularized research that EQ or Emotional Intelligence is of equal importance. EQ gives us awareness of our own and other people's feelings. It gives us empathy, compassion, motivation, and the ability to respond appropriately to pain and pleasure. As Goleman pointed out that EQ is basic requirement for effective use of IQ. If the Brain area with which we feel is damaged, we think less effectively. A very good example is when we are very angry we cease to think momentarily that is why it is called as blind rage. What does not change is the spiritual Intelligence known as SQ for it remains ineffective of the emotional storms which our mind so often plunges into it whether voluntarily or involuntarily. One needn't be high on IQ or SQ to be high in EQ. One could be high in IQ but low in both EQ and SQ, and so on.

Three Psychological Process:-

The whole of Western Psychology rest on two processes- IQ, and EQ. The SQ is the third process calling for expansion of psychology as a science. Sigmund Freud initially defines the two process as primary and secondary. Primary process is associated with the body, its id, the emotion, instinct, The secondary process is associated with the EGO with the big "I" which is on the whole logical, rational, and linear.
As shown by the author and which can be seen from scientific structure of brain that he has explained he adds further that there is third process or third kind of thinking- the unitive all encompassing thinking, to be known as Tertiary process. These three processes can be linked to three kind of thinking of the brain which can be represented by three concentric circles of the human mind.

The outer layer of concentric circle is the secondary process - the rational - the Logical - EGO - IQ
The middle layer of concentric circle is the primary process- Associated with body - its id - Emotion - EQ
The core centre layer of concentric circle -is the third tertiary process- Integrative - Higher self - Coherent - SQ

If we let go our EGO, than all our emotions dissolve and merge into the higher self and that is called as spiritual intelligence known in our Zoroastrian religion and in avesta/Pazand as Asneh Kherad or Hosh.

We do not require worldly academic intelligence or Engineering Degree but divine intelligence known as Asneh Kherad to know the sublime truths so cleverly camoflaged in mere external meanings of our scriptures.

Testing for SQ (as shown by the author)

The indications of highly developed SQ - Spiritual Intelligence include :-

1) The capacity to be flexible
2) A higher degree of self awareness.
3) A capacity to face and use suffering.
4) A capacity to face and transcend pain.
5)The quality of being inspired by vision and values.
6) Reluctance to cause unnecessary harm.
7) The tendency to see the connections between diverse things (being Holistic).
8)A marked tendency to ask "Why" or 'what if " questions and to seek "Fundamental Truth" answers, and not merely to ask question for the sake of asking or to show off and brag.
9) A servant leader for bringing higher vision and value to others.

Firdosh K Sukhia