Approaching to the problem of the psychological rehabilitation of the nations

This is probably one of the problems which we, will find it hard to grasp because of its magnitude; we shall find it difficult to solve because of the relatively modern nature of the entire science of psychology. We know so little of our own natures and find it hard to define the exact meaning of the word, "psychology". There are many schools of psychology: The Eastern and the Western approaches to the subject differ so widely; psychology enters into every phase of human thought and penetrates into the fields of religion, of business relationships, of political interpretations and into every phase of human activity. Behind all that takes place, there is to be found some psychological reason; all lines of behavior and of conduct are conditioned by some individual, group or national psychology. That is a base premise.

Therefore, until we know more about our own personal psychology, is it not almost impossible to attempt to comprehend the psychology of nations and formulate to ourselves any theory as to what it should be? The answer is both yes and no. It is both easier and at the same time more difficult to understand the psychology of a nation than it is to understand one's own individual psychological make-up. We are too close to our own picture to get a true perspective, but we can stand off and gauge a national picture and its psychological values on our planet today if we remember:

1.   Every nation has its own soul or individual psyche, that demonstrates as its peculiar culture, its inherent characteristics and its sovereign integrity. By the word "sovereign" we mean its realization of itself as an entity among other entities; we are not using it in the political sense of isolated relationships, selfish intention, or the power to do as it chooses, irrespective of the rights, integrity and cultural and political life of other national entities.

2.   That a knowledge of historical procedures during the past must be remembered as conditioning individual nations; i.e. Britain for many centuries "ruled the seas” and controlled a most powerful and wide-flung empire; it is not easy for her to readjust herself to the new order. The United States has a population largely composed of those who entered it to escape from conditions they considered undesirable and limiting; hence the isolationist tendency which, though now largely outgrown, still colors some of the American thinking. Every nation is conditioned by its past, by its old relationships, its heredity, its language and all the factors which we summarize by the word "culture", far more than by the vision of the future.

3.   The geographical factors can also contribute to the psychological conditioning of a nation. For example, island nations, which constitute approximately 25 percent of the world's countries, are especially vulnerable to aggression from beyond their borders. They are also especially affected by climate change because they rely upon imports and thus are greatly affected by changes in the global economy. The United Nations, being aware of these conditioning factors, established a UN Office of the High Representative for the least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, in order to focus upon their special needs.

4.   That every nation has its psychological weaknesses as well as its strength and that, like the individual, each has to learn to eliminate its inner conflicts and complexes, to integrate and become a "whole" or " national integrated personality"; and more important, to infuse its life with its soul qualities, thus producing recognition of its common interest in the welfare of all nations and its rightful contribution to human destiny. Every nation is thus in need of psychological rehabilitation though the means and the type differ as between one nation and another.

We must di some clear thinking here. It means (as far as in us lies) we must dissociate ourselves from our own particular national background, from our national and traditional prejudices, and endeavor to see this world of nations as simply groups of human beings of like nature as ourselves. In the eyes of the spiritual leaders of humanity - the Spiritual Hierarchy, the Christ Invisible - there are no Frenchmen, no British or Chinese, no Americans or Germans, no Russians or Brazilians, but simply HUMANITY, one and indivisible, as Gandhi taught; their nationalities and their limited loyalties are regarded simply as temporary restrictions and separative barriers which the processes of evolution will eventually eliminate.

The relationship of nations is dependent upon an understanding of national psychologies, plus a trained and developed goodwill. In the past these national psychological differences have led to trouble, have induced aggression, have let to weakness (e.g., the fear of the Great Powers which conditions so many of the little nations - a psychological factor to be remembered) or greed, leading to the exploitation of the disadvantaged. There are many psychological factors to be considered and you cannot be expected to consider them all, but we can endeavor to get a general picture and see the beauty which every nation contributes to the whole.

We would like here to ask you - leaving you to answer the questions - what do you really believe is meant by the words "psychological rehabilitation"? Do you mean restoration of morale? The nations in war need that badly, because of psychological devastation of war is increased by a sense of guilt and of world disapproval. Other countries, however, do not need this same restoration of morale so much as moral values. What do you feel creates the differences in attitude? does your definition mean an increased cultivation of national integrity? Yet an intense and jealous nationalism has been one of the major sins of most nations, if not all. It sets up barriers, closes doors of entry, and develops prejudices. There has been an enormous emphasis upon the importance of national citizenship, but today it is the world citizenship which needs to be developed. Or do you believe that the psychological rehabilitation of the nations is dependent upon the inculcation of something entirely new in world affairs and thinking: right human relationships? How do you feel that the relatively new attitude should be developed so it becomes universal? Millions are today convinced that this is needed and - as individuals - need no awakening or rehabilitation. Perhaps the phrase means something deeper still - the awakening of the sense of responsibility and the calling of the soul of a nation to take charge of its material affairs? Does, again, the psychological rehabilitation of a nation necessitate the acceptance of the ideology of Democracy as (for instance) the United States and Switzerland understand the term, or are there other democracies which are differently constituted? The British and the Dutch governments are also democracies, for instances, yet - at the same time - they are monarchies.

Also, democracy appears in a wide variety of forms, there are certain core features that most share. There are: that all who are competent to decide on how they should be led must have a regular say in how those leaders are chosen - hence a regular electoral cycle; that the vote of every citizen, from the richest to the poorest, should count the same in the process - hence the need for secret ballots; and that every citizen is completely free to decide how that vote should be cast, without intimidation or bribery - hence the need for a non-politicized police force and army. In addition, every citizen should have access to information about those who aspire to lead them - so the media should be free to provide full and unbiased coverage of all involved on an electoral process.

There is perhaps a tendency in the West to regard democracy as a panacea for the difficulties that any society faces as it attempts to modernize. Yet if democracy represents a certain phase of national consciousness, which can only be reached after other phases have been explored, then it may be that the attempted impositions of democracy on a nation which isn't psychologically ready for it would be counterproductive. There are a number of supposed democracies around the world that are plainly dysfunctional in various degrees. This is not to suggest that individuals, groups and nations should not aspire to conditions of increased freedom; but societies, like individuals, go through an evolutionary process of maturing, and it would be naive to suggest the Western model of democracy, arrived at through centuries of struggle, could - or should - be simply transplanted into countries with different histories and cultural norms. In this sense, a fully democratic society has to be developed by a people through experience. And just as no-one would claim that every individual is now resonating strongly with pure energy of Love, the same claim would seem equally misguided with respect to nations.

All people are inherently divine and psychological effect of the true appreciation of divinity consists on a sense of non-separativeness, of non-aggression, and of the integrity and the essential fusion of the ONE HUMANITY. The accuracy of the promise of divinity will be proved not by any one nation but will be proved as an evolutionary process involving all humanity. Therefore, we can be sure of the future attainment. There are enough human beings down the ages, who have achieved the goal and who have demonstrated the essential divinity of Humanity to guarantee the future of humanity. How, therefore, does this suggestion govern our efforts to bring about psychological rehabilitation?

In our next problem, dealing with the children, and the education of the masses, the same general thesis will present itself. We indicate it here because it has a bearing upon the psyche of different nations. Curiously and also truly, the problem of every nation in the modern world is one of EDUCATION. Education is (or should be) a mode of developing a right psychological attitude to life, toward ourselves as individuals and toward individuals in the collective form of communities and nations.

This can prove to be an interesting lesson. It involves your thinking and your personal attitude towards other nations. It has been said that the man or woman who achieves spiritual and mental freedom (thus becoming a world citizen) is the result of the product of a generation of enquirers - of those who can formulate intelligent questions. The crux of the situation here (which is fundamentally true) is that the enquirer must answer his own questions truthfully. That is not easy. For instance: Why do you personally dislike (if you do) certain nationalities? Sit down and think this out, for it is important. Equally important is WHY do you dislike one nation and like another? Have you argued this out with yourself? You MUST face your reasons, because you - as symbol or a part of some national group or religion - are a representative of the whole group. We are all of us basically alike.

A right understanding of these problems, arrived at through and study, will foster and help a right public opinion and the RIGHT opinion is inevitably the basis of a correct, good and sound government in any nation and will equally inevitably produce a correct psychological approach to other groups and nations. The basic trouble is that the public is not faced by its representatives with true questions, or seldom given the true answers. The public or the masses of any nation are widely misinformed and influenced by "pressure groups" in democracies for instances or controlled by dictators (through their state police) and historically and spiritually uneducated.

The bringing about of a right public opinion in connection with right human relations will inevitably lead to the psychological rehabilitation of all the nations involved. We must try to do our small share in this connection.