Without making any
claims in either direction about faith,
it seems to me that the
ancillary benefits of spirituality are
substantial and
available to even the religiously squirmish.
The stew of Eastern
religions that everyoneÕs mom is somewhat
interested in provides a
perfect excuse to be touched and
taken care of: yoga,
reiki, re-alignment of chi in processes
that frequently require
massage. With so few opportunities
for tender but
non-sexual contact, I wouldnÕt be surprised if
most people were into this
Buddhist mishmosh it for the
reenactment of
parent-child roles it requires.
Prayer seems
categorically healthy: a ritualized self-examination
that makes you talk to
yourself about the things you want. I
remember the thunderbolt
of embarrassment that struck me
on the head when, at 5
or 6, I realized I spent more time
praying for troll dolls
than for my parents.
