Hurricane Katrina & Spiritual Viewpoints
Written by Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D.

Hurricane Katrina is the most shocking mass event, besides the 9/11 World Trade Center attack, to hit the United States, and is likely to be even deadlier as the death toll rises. No one could have imagined this disaster of Biblical proportions, the second one in a year (the first being the Asian Tsunami that killed approximately 250,000 people).

Worse than the hurricane itself was the flooding of New Orleans, and even worse than that was the incompetence (or was it?) that the disaster was handled with. It took more than three days for the government to swing into action and assist those who were caught in the crisis, which would have lowered the death toll considerably. The moral of the story for most Americans was, “Store plenty of food and water because the government might not rescue you before you starve to death, especially if you are poor or black.” FEMA has proven itself to be a lame duck and has yet to assist anyone, supposedly spending $500 million per day in the rescue efforts although no one has been aware of their presence anywhere as a helper. The gulf coasts of Mississippi and Alabama remain devoid of federal assistance even two weeks later.

It makes us wonder if some sinister plan is happening that is unfathomable to the ordinary mind. Almost everyone believes that if those were rich, white people rather than poor, black people trapped in the floods of New Orleans, the government would have pulled out all the stops and aid would have been made available immediately. Was it ineptitude, or was it something more sinister, purposely executed?

I am going to steer away from getting into conspiracy theories, however, for we all know they are there and run in most governments around the world. The darkness in the governments is only a representation of the shadow self in the mass consciousness of humanity. Rather, I would like to look at what this event could mean for those who would like to take a spiritual perspective. Those who were involved in the mass event were meant to be involved in it. Those who were not were meant to play their roles as spectators or helpers. It was no accident as to who was involved in the mass event, and who was not. Anytime a mass event takes place, all participants have been present by choice in their souls. It was meant to be an event in their lives. If they were not meant to be involved, they would have been out of town that week, or resided in another location.

The event was a wake up call on a social and spiritual level. It showed the public that prejudice still exists, whether it has to do with race or financial class, it is there. It also showed that the leadership of the country is in dire need of re-evaluation. This is the social aspect. The spiritual aspect is that this is loud wake up call for many people and it has reached the core of their being. For those involved in the event, it is quite obvious how this could be considered a wake up call, for no one’s life will ever be the same. It is not uncommon to hear people who were involved saying, “This has changed my life forever.” The close brush with disaster and death has caused many to have a spiritual revolution and a new zest for life. They suddenly find clarity about what is really important in life and cherish it more. Their faith in their religious beliefs has either been strengthened or shattered. They realize how much they love their friends and family members, who might have previously been an object of their anger or frustration. They have realized strengths and weaknesses in their character that might have been less noticeable before. All participants in this mass event have had a jolt and permanent changes in their personalities have manifested instantly.

For some it is not so instant. Many will deal with loss and trauma for quite a while. However, a new level of lucidity is present in the victims of the storm and now the questions are being asked, if they were not being asked before: Where was God in all this? Who am I really? Do I still believe what I believed before? What happens after I die? Who do I really love? What do I really want to do with my life? What is my purpose? What is really important? These are only a few of the spiritual questions that are being asked in the mind of each participant of this mass event.

On a mass level, the same questions are being asked, perhaps not with so much intensity, but none-the-less, it makes everyone wonder, “If that was me in that event, how would I have acted? What would I have done? Would I have been a hero or a coward? What belongings are dearest to me and if I could only take what I could carry, what would I take with me? Would I have been among the casualties or the living? Would I be a helper or an obstacle?” The masses are also shocked into realizing that perhaps the end times are nearer than we thought. Perhaps the prophesies of the Bible have begun and we must get down to the work of becoming enlightened now or never. The time for examining the self, and self-inquiry, has come. Chasing after money and success are illusions after all, so the masses must ask themselves, “What is truly important in my life, and what is it that I came here to do? Maybe I better get going!”

Another spiritual viewpoint is that this is a new beginning for so many who escaped the event with their lives. The slate has been wiped clean. Now everything must be started over again. New friendships must be made, new surroundings, new belongings, new jobs, new everything. For some, this is the fresh start they were looking for, even if it means starting from scratch with very little money. Their lives can be rebuilt. It might not be “fair,” but it is still a new start. Their old ruts have been broken, whether they like it or not, and a new path must be walked.

For those who have experienced loss, this is an important lesson in their lives. Everyone experiences loss sooner or later in their lives if they live long enough, and for some, this is their moment. It is quite painful to experience loss, but life is not a complete education unless loss has taken place. Even loss is an illusion, for truly no one was harmed, not even in death. All humans and animals are pure consciousness, and they are still whole and “okay,” even though they are no longer in a body. It is, after all, One Self having many lifetimes and dreams in all these various bodies and identities. The human or animal form is not who that One Self really is. It is only a temporary experience of the One Self. For some, this may be their chance to find out this truth, that the spirit of a person or animal friend lives on.

For some, their roles as helpers and heroes is exactly the spiritual experience they needed to have. It is important for a person to experience being the giver in life, and for some, this is their chance. There are many counselors, some paid and some volunteer, who are assisting those who have had this traumatic experience, and for them it is a fulfilling experience and a lesson in being a guide and teacher to others. This is also a valuable spiritual experience, and if there was no disaster, this experience would not be possible.

For many on the mass level, there is a shift in the heart that must happen because they are angry at the government or particular leaders. Those who are furious at the leaders, whether it is believed that there was purposeful harm done to the victims or simply incompetence, all must find forgiveness in their hearts if they want to contribute to a shift on the planet. It is impossible to find someone who does not have some sort of negative feelings about the event, whether it is anger at those in charge or fear about their own security. The confidence of the public has definitely been shaken. All must realize, however, that the leaders are not the problem. It is the darkness in humanity that is the problem. These particular leaders would not be able to be in office if there was not darkness in the mass consciousness. This darkness must be dealt with on an individual basis first, and then it will shift in the mass consciousness as a result of each individual shift. Many blame Bush and others for the lack of immediacy in handling the event, but Bush is only a face and name for something that is much deeper in the psyche of the masses. Here is a chance for many to practice unconditional love and learn how to send light and love toward Bush and other leaders, rather than hatred and anger. Hatred and anger only feeds negativity, whereas love neutralizes it. Rather than hate leaders and government, we could visualize them becoming more enlightened and compassionate, thus birthing an enlightened government that cares deeply about its citizens.

There are many spiritual perspectives one can view disastrous events from. These are only a few among multitudes of possible ways to look at disastrous events. What is important is that we search and find these spiritual perspectives, always reaching for higher ground by going deeper within. On the surface there are human feelings and thoughts about how unfair disastrous events are, how terrible they are, how unfortunate they are. The deeper perspective, while still being compassionate about the human dilemma, realizes that there is always a purpose and reason for these events that can have positive influences and outcomes, even if the human mind cannot perceive what these possibilities are.

Many of us do not have time to donate to the cause, and some do not have much money to donate, but all of us have the ability to envision healing and growth around all the participants in an event, from the smallest child to the most powerful leaders. In your meditations, hold those who are hurting in your arms, nurturing and supporting them, surrounding them with love and light, and a vision for their well-being, seeing them arise from the ashes like the Phoenix, being born anew. In your meditations, give Bush and the other leaders who failed a sincere embrace in love and compassion, and touch them with your heart, rather than your mind. Become bigger than the human perspective, and enter the perspective of the eternal self, and see how this event will cause growth in the human consiousness, rather than regression. This event has happened for a purpose, and only the eternal self can truly understand this.

Ask yourself what your own lesson and awakening can be in the face of this event. Must you soften your heart in some way or another? Must a realization be had? What is it that you can take from this experience that can contribute to your well-being and growth? Are you one of the ones who is supposed to help some way? Are you one who can envision and nurture those who are hurting? Must you dismiss hatred and anger toward the incompetence or perceived evil of particular leaders and replace it with unconditional love? What is your spiritual perspective of this event?

Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D., is the founder of University Of Metaphysical Sciences. She is an author and teacher in the field of metaphysics.