We hear about increased social isolation in the news, daily. We see groups of teenagers, seemingly together but staring into their phones instead of interacting with each other. Increased use of social media has led to heightened feelings of social isolation. Recent research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that the more time young adults spend on social media, the more likely it is for them to feel socially isolated. “We are inherently social creatures, but modern life tends to compartmentalize us instead of bringing us together,” Dr. Brian A. Primack, the study’s lead author, said in a press release.
Loneliness is painful and can have negative effects on both mental and physical health. Regardless of the “cause” the results of leaving this complex emotion unchecked can be devastating to our well-being. The consequences could be: altered brain function, poor decision making, decreased memory and learning capability, heart problems, drug and alcohol abuse risk, higher stress levels and depression. Raised levels of stress can increase the risk of arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, dementia and even suicide attempts.
Whew…none of that is good! Perhaps we need to address loneliness as we do any other illness, by seeking healing. Running around and distracting ourselves with activity only works for so long. Eventually we have to sit quietly with ourselves and recognize who we truly are.
Mary Baker Eddy’s statement in Science and Health with Keys to the Scriptures, “Material sense does not unfold the facts of existence; but spiritual sense lifts the human consciousness into eternal Truth,” lights the way to healing the loneliness. We find healing in spiritual knowing and base our prayer on spiritual knowing. We are not lonely humans that need to become un-lonely humans because we are made in the image of God. Therefore, we cannot be lonely because God is not lonely.
How freeing is that revelation? God is Love, the source of the essence and harmony of being. He is Mind and the source of true consciousness. As we are God’s spiritual likeness, we can only reflect the fullness of Love. As we develop our spiritual sense we see and understand the real nature of creation. We can “flip the script” if you will…instead of starting with a lonely person and trying to understand what made them lonely, we can begin with perfect God and know, that in His image, we are perfect as well. As we exercise our spiritual sense, our unity with God is revealed and we know that we can never be alone.
Join us on May 25th at the Beach Retreat and Lodge in South Lake Tahoe for a free summit where we will explore more healing solutions to life’s challenges. Go to talksthatinspire.org for information on the speakers, topics and an opportunity to register.
