Systems Thinking: A Conceptual Framework for Spirituality
What is systemic thought or systems thinking in general? Systemic thinking is simply a mode of thought where — instead of perceiving the immediate situation and reacting — one's orientation and decisions are grounded in a well-formed systemic view of the entire field of action with its multiple variables, patterns and potentials.
In the context of spirituality, systemic thinking seeks to identify and employ the generic patterns underlying diverse methodologies, often shrouded in obscurity by superimposed dogmas, beliefs, rituals, sentiments, etc. Despite the fact that a religious or a spiritual adherent may not see the mechanics of his practice, they do exist on some level. Otherwise, no result would follow — neither physical nor psychological, or anything beyond.
A systemic approach doesn't exclude or include the concept of God or gods by definition — as systems are only neutral formulae describing the dynamics of a situation. If there is a god, then let's pin down the mechanics of its/his/her interaction with the human mind. If the ultimate factor is non-personal and immanent, then let's map its connectivity and characteristics in practical terms. 
If it's the human soul seeking to ascend or transcend, then let's analyze the progressive inner dynamics underlying the internal evolution.
Countless traditions of knowledge already feature their own internal holistic systems, carefully laid out and presented for example in Buddhism and the Vedic traditions of India, in classical Chinese teachings on cosmology and causality, and in many other ancient and contemporary models of relating with the totality of the universe and the inner dimension across the fields of science, philosophy, religion, politics, arts, history, and legends.
When this body of knowledge is stripped of contextualities like its cultural overlay, distilled into generic formulae, and brought into a shared grid of reference, we're approaching a position where we can combine the totality of their existential analyses, compare the patterns that have been recognized, and synthesize a framework accommodating the best of all worlds in generic terms. It's a tall order — but definitely not impossible!
With all the misunderstanding and conflict in the world — emerging from narrow-minded perspectives and lack of systemic and synthetic capacity — it's about high time we had a syncretic and symmetric grid against which to reconcile, synthesize, and take advantage of all these scattered and isolated aspects of the totality of human and universal wisdom, reaching a more holistic perspective of existence and the human situation in a broader context. ∞ Have an interest in systemic spirituality or related fields of study? Please get in touch! ∞
