Technology and spirituality
08/09/16 05:33
I watched part of the keynote of the Apple product launch yesterday. I have been watching the computer company for many years and have been a fan of some of their products, though I am less enthusiastic now that they seem to be at the top of the sales charts than I was when apple users were a minority and the company was seen as a purveyor of “alternative” products. The presentation yesterday was, like previous Apple product announcements, carefully designed and crafted to evoke enthusiasm about Apple’s products and a positive impression of the future of the company. These announcements are aimed both at customers and at shareholders.
The part of the presentation that I watched was demonstrating some of the features of the Apple Watch. The device was being portrayed as a partner in increased health and fitness. It can be used as a monitor of certain body functions, a way to record exercise and even a motivator of healthy lifestyle choices. I don’t own an Apple Watch and I doubt that I’m a potential customer at least in the short term, so I wasn’t exactly thinking of the device as something I would wear. What struck me about the segment that I watched was an application that was highlighted a couple of times. The application interrupts whatever else the wearing is doing and reminds that person to take a deep breath. It even provides a graphic to illustrate the pace of breathing that is recommended.
I’m all in favor of breathing deeply. I have been employing breath prayers for decades as a part of my personal spiritual discipline. For thousands of years religious people have sensed the connection between breathing and spirituality. The word spirit is etymologically related to words for breath and breathing. In both Hebrew and Greek, the same word is used for spirit and for breath. However, it has never occurred to me to look at my watch when engaging in deep breathing. The process involves paying attention to my internal clock, not an external one. The timing of a breath is a natural function to be observed, not regulated. If I were to think of the things required for a healthy spiritual discipline, I wouldn’t count a watch as one of those requirements.
Of course the people at Apple and its software developers are trying to make the point that the watch is more than a timepiece.
Modern computers aside, there is a dimension to spirituality that involves a process of developing internal regulation of one’s life. A mature spirituality isn’t about following external rules and regulators, but rather developing an internal sense that guides ones thoughts and behavior. There is a reason we use the word “discipline” when speaking of spiritual practices. Prayer is not something that is imposed from the outside, like a set of commandments, but rather something that comes from within.
A careful observer can see the process of internalization by watching preschool children. Often, when they come to the preschool that meets at our church, young children look to adults for the standards and norms of behavior. Regulation of their behavior comes from the words of the adults around them. They determine “right” and “wrong” by what is told them. Participating in the program, however, they begin to sense that there are other clues to their behavior. They develop empathy and can understand that other people have feelings. A child can learn that hitting causes pain. They begin to internalize a sense of what to do and what not to do. The controls on their behavior begin to be internalized. When this process fails, the person involved has trouble functioning in society. If a person’s behavior is controlled only by outside forces, they become sociopaths and the outside forces increase until a behavior lands them in jail. It is a delightful process to see the awareness come alive in a young child and to witness that child begin to self-regulate their behavior.
It is similar with the growth of a spiritual discipline. We might begin a practice because we learned it from others. Then, over time as we repeat the practice, it becomes a part of our identity. I don’t have to think about beginning my day with a gratitude prayer. It is something that I always do. I’ve done it so long and repeated the process so often that it is part of my internal identity.
It is not dissimilar with deep breathing. I don’t need a watch to remind me to stop and take a breath. It is true that my discipline is imperfect and that I have, on many occasions appreciated a human partner who reminds me to “Calm down. Take a breath.”
I suppose that if I were at a different phase of my life, I might embrace this new technology and try to develop applications that would partner with human teachers to assist those who are seeking in finding the practices that are most helpful for them. There probably is a role for devices to play in developing and deepening spiritual disciplines. But from my present perspective, it seems like the gift I can give some of the people I know is to remind them to set aside their devices.
A few years ago a colleague was nearing exhaustion as she directed a major conference and balanced all of the details of the event. She was constantly being interrupted by her cell phone and losing her focus on the people who were around her. At one point I simply grabbed her phone and walked away from her. I promised her I would return it after dinner. When a text message came in on her phone, I ignored it. She could respond to it later. When it rang, I let it go to voice mail. She had a very pleasant dinner. No crises arose because she waited until after dinner to deal with her messages. She has thanked me over an over for that gesture since that occurred.
So I don’t think I’ll place an order for a new technological device this week. I won’t even watch all of the keynote message. And, for now, I’ll be setting aside my devices when I practice my spiritual disciplines.
The part of the presentation that I watched was demonstrating some of the features of the Apple Watch. The device was being portrayed as a partner in increased health and fitness. It can be used as a monitor of certain body functions, a way to record exercise and even a motivator of healthy lifestyle choices. I don’t own an Apple Watch and I doubt that I’m a potential customer at least in the short term, so I wasn’t exactly thinking of the device as something I would wear. What struck me about the segment that I watched was an application that was highlighted a couple of times. The application interrupts whatever else the wearing is doing and reminds that person to take a deep breath. It even provides a graphic to illustrate the pace of breathing that is recommended.
I’m all in favor of breathing deeply. I have been employing breath prayers for decades as a part of my personal spiritual discipline. For thousands of years religious people have sensed the connection between breathing and spirituality. The word spirit is etymologically related to words for breath and breathing. In both Hebrew and Greek, the same word is used for spirit and for breath. However, it has never occurred to me to look at my watch when engaging in deep breathing. The process involves paying attention to my internal clock, not an external one. The timing of a breath is a natural function to be observed, not regulated. If I were to think of the things required for a healthy spiritual discipline, I wouldn’t count a watch as one of those requirements.
Of course the people at Apple and its software developers are trying to make the point that the watch is more than a timepiece.
Modern computers aside, there is a dimension to spirituality that involves a process of developing internal regulation of one’s life. A mature spirituality isn’t about following external rules and regulators, but rather developing an internal sense that guides ones thoughts and behavior. There is a reason we use the word “discipline” when speaking of spiritual practices. Prayer is not something that is imposed from the outside, like a set of commandments, but rather something that comes from within.
A careful observer can see the process of internalization by watching preschool children. Often, when they come to the preschool that meets at our church, young children look to adults for the standards and norms of behavior. Regulation of their behavior comes from the words of the adults around them. They determine “right” and “wrong” by what is told them. Participating in the program, however, they begin to sense that there are other clues to their behavior. They develop empathy and can understand that other people have feelings. A child can learn that hitting causes pain. They begin to internalize a sense of what to do and what not to do. The controls on their behavior begin to be internalized. When this process fails, the person involved has trouble functioning in society. If a person’s behavior is controlled only by outside forces, they become sociopaths and the outside forces increase until a behavior lands them in jail. It is a delightful process to see the awareness come alive in a young child and to witness that child begin to self-regulate their behavior.
It is similar with the growth of a spiritual discipline. We might begin a practice because we learned it from others. Then, over time as we repeat the practice, it becomes a part of our identity. I don’t have to think about beginning my day with a gratitude prayer. It is something that I always do. I’ve done it so long and repeated the process so often that it is part of my internal identity.
It is not dissimilar with deep breathing. I don’t need a watch to remind me to stop and take a breath. It is true that my discipline is imperfect and that I have, on many occasions appreciated a human partner who reminds me to “Calm down. Take a breath.”
I suppose that if I were at a different phase of my life, I might embrace this new technology and try to develop applications that would partner with human teachers to assist those who are seeking in finding the practices that are most helpful for them. There probably is a role for devices to play in developing and deepening spiritual disciplines. But from my present perspective, it seems like the gift I can give some of the people I know is to remind them to set aside their devices.
A few years ago a colleague was nearing exhaustion as she directed a major conference and balanced all of the details of the event. She was constantly being interrupted by her cell phone and losing her focus on the people who were around her. At one point I simply grabbed her phone and walked away from her. I promised her I would return it after dinner. When a text message came in on her phone, I ignored it. She could respond to it later. When it rang, I let it go to voice mail. She had a very pleasant dinner. No crises arose because she waited until after dinner to deal with her messages. She has thanked me over an over for that gesture since that occurred.
So I don’t think I’ll place an order for a new technological device this week. I won’t even watch all of the keynote message. And, for now, I’ll be setting aside my devices when I practice my spiritual disciplines.