One of the powerful lessons I have learned in facing constant psychological assaults (directed energy weapons torture and community policing based gang stalking - see My Story Begins), is the need to cultivate humility. It can help us to calmly endure hardships that would break the mightiest of men. A practical lesson in this regard was furnished by Jesus Christ on the last night of his life on earth.

Jesus knew that his disciples needed to cultivate specific qualities that would help them to work together and endure hardship. To that end, only hours before his death, he focused his energies on teaching them. One such lesson was taught by example when Jesus, although being their Teacher and Master, girded a towel and proceeded to wash the feet of each of his disciples. -John 13:3-5 This menial task was usually reserved for the lowliest servant in Jewish households of the day. However, by performing this humble act, Jesus wanted to stress by example that his disciples must willingly serve others, not “lord it over” people as was common among political leaders.

The Bible account indicates that Jesus washed the feet of all twelve of his disciples in attendance, including Judas Iscariot. Amazingly, Jesus was well aware that Judas was secretly plotting his murder! -John 13:2 Yet, he calmly washed his feet along with the others. We know that Jesus was a man of deep feelings. Can you imagine how being so close to the man who would betray him affected his emotions? How would you feel in this situation? Yet, Jesus calmly performed this humble act, without revealing what he knew to the other disciples, or allowing his emotions to get the better of him.

It is this singular act, washing the feet of a wicked betrayer that reveals to me the depth of humility found in Jesus. Why did he do it? A noble characteristic of humility is that it allows us to focus on the needs of others even as we face extreme hardship. Jesus felt that the lesson in humility he was teaching his beloved disciples, was more important than his personal feelings regarding Judas. With extraordinary humility, he washed the feet of all, including his betrayer, so that his disciples could be taught without distraction. He pushed aside his own feelings and interests to meet the needs of his disciples. He held his disciples in such high esteem, that he considered their needs more important than his own. -Phillipians 2:3,4 Do you see the lesson we can learn from this?

As victims of psychological attacks, we know that our persecutors are hoping that we will resort to extremes of anger or show terror. If you fly into a fit of rage or burst into tears and express hurt or fear, he is getting what he wants. (see Tips on Coping With Bullying). However, like Jesus, we can even be in close quarters with our persecutors and still maintain complete emotional control by cultivating humility.

One of the intended byproducts of psychological warfare is forcing the victim to become so focused on his own misery that he isolates himself from others emotionally. Such thinking makes one mentally unbalanced and prone to rash behavior. However, the beauty of humilty is that it helps us to remain focused on the interests of others in spite of our own adversities. We avoid becoming overwhelmed by our problems. Humbly serving the needs of others is one of the most emotionally healthy activities we can engage in. It is especially beneficial during times of personal crisis, as it works to protect emotional and mental health.

We can be certain that Jesus true disciples never forgot his extraordinary display of restraint and humility. It provided an appealing motivation for their own cultivation of this priceless quality. Can you see how cultivating humility in imitation of Jesus can help you?

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” - Viktor E. Frankl, Neurologist, Author and Holocaust survivor

An Additional Comment

There is another vital lesson that came to mind as I reflected on the example Jesus set in washing the feet of his betrayer, Judas. The truly kindhearted person can display kindness even toward the unappreciative.  Genuine kindness is not hypocritical, or merely a thin veneer of politeness and courtesy that quickly dissipates when others are rude.

I am intensely concerned that the daily barrage of rudeness that confronts me never darkens my heart. Writing this blog is a constant reminder that I must follow the advice I pass on to others! Far more than any physical or psychosomatic  harm my persecutors may cause, I worry about losing my humanity. Losing the ability to feel genuine love for my fellow man is the price I simply cannot pay. Reflecting on and sharing the positive lessons I learn through these writings helps me to hold on to that most precious of possessions—love of neighbor.

“You must love your neighbor as yourself.”—Matthew 22:39

Whether done by ten-year-old children in a schoolyard, or by adults in organized campaigns of psychological attacks, bullying is bullying! I found an article that offered children tips on coping with bullys. However, they can apply just as well to adult victims of directed energy weapons torture and community policing based gang-stalking. The excerpt is posted below. I hope you find it useful!

Help for the Victims

Victims of bullying, particularly the young, face a difficult challenge—that of maintaining balance under pressure. When someone bullies you, he is probably eager to throw you off balance emotionally. He is hoping that you will resort to extremes of anger or show terror. If you fly into a fit of rage or burst into tears and express hurt or fear, the bully is getting what he wants. So he may try to provoke the same reaction again and again.

What can you do? Consider the following suggestions. They are written primarily with the young in mind, but the principles may also apply to adults dealing with bullies.

▪ Keep cool. Don’t give in to rage. The Bible wisely advises: “Let anger alone and leave rage.” (Psalm 37:8) When your temper is out of control, you give the bully power over you, and you are likely to do things you will only regret.—Proverbs 25:28.

▪ Try to put thoughts of revenge out of your mind. Vengeance often backfires. At any rate, revenge is not really satisfying. One girl, who was beaten up by five youths when she was 16 years old, recalls: “I decided in my heart, ‘I will get even with them.’ So I got some help from my friends and took revenge on two of my attackers.” The result? “I was left with an empty feeling,” she says. And her own conduct worsened afterward. Remember the Bible’s wise words: “Return evil for evil to no one.”—Romans 12:17.

▪ When things appear to be getting heated, get away quickly. The Bible says: “Before the quarrel has burst forth, take your leave.” (Proverbs 17:14) In general, try to steer clear of those who tend to bully. Says Proverbs 22:3: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty.”

▪ If bullying persists, you may need to speak up for yourself. Choose a moment when you are calm, look the bully in the eye, and speak in a firm, level voice. Tell him that you don’t like what he is doing—that it is not funny and that it hurts. Do not resort to insults or challenges.—Proverbs 15:1.

▪ Talk to a responsible, caring adult about the bullying. Be specific about the problem, and ask for help in handling it. Do the same in your prayers to God, and this can be a wonderful source of help and comfort.—1 Thessalonians 5:17.

▪ Remember that you have value as a person. The bully might want you to think that you don’t matter, that you deserve to be treated badly. But he is not your judge. God is, and he looks for the good in each of us. It is the bully who becomes less worthwhile by resorting to such conduct.

One of the most amazing displays of physical control was furnished by Charles Blondin in the latter half of the 19th century. He crossed Niagara Falls a number of times, first in 1859, on a tightrope 1,100 feet long and 160 feet above the water. After that, he did so each time with a different display of his ability: blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, and carrying a man on his back. To maintain such balance required extremely great physical self-control. Due to the achievements his superb physical control made possible, Blondin was rewarded with both fame and fortune.

As any victim of government sponsored directed energy weapons torture and psychological attacks (including community policing based “gang-stalking”) is well aware, one of the greatest challenges we face is maintaining self control. The daily barrage of humiliating actions we undergo are designed to provoke us, luring us into self-destructive behavior. Like a skilled tightrope walker, we must cultivate self-control. Indeed, our very survival is dependent on staying in firm control of our emotions and actions. That can be a challenge, as the desire to retaliate in some way may at times seem overpowering. To counter such ill-advised thinking, we may need to adjust our attitude and view self-control as the superior response, a facet of our true inner strength.

Sadly, popular entertainment glorifies the “hero” that answers all provocation and ill treatment with an outburst of violence, vanquishing his enemies as the admiring audience cheers him on. Unlike movie violence, real-life retaliation often carries severe, life changing penalties and losses. The person who keeps himself under control is better equipped to make decisions that are in his best long-term interests. Those who lose control of their emotions, giving in to anger, often live to regret the outcome of their actions.

Do you see self-control as your strength? Not merely control of your actions. This includes controlling your emotions as well. Unless we highly value the ability to rein in our emotions, we will develop grudges and bitterness which lead to outbursts of anger. We will also damage our health, and healthy relationships, compounding the effects of the psychological attacks we undergo.

“By over-responding to conflict and not trusting others, hostile people might also be at risk because they don’t benefit physiologically from their social relationships; People most prone to anger were almost three times more likely to have a heart attack than those with low anger in a recent study of 12,986 participants…” - Angry Thoughts, At-Risk Hearts, Monitor on Psychology (American Psychological Association)

In view of the foregoing, it is vital that we divest ourselves of the perverse admiration of “good guy” violence and retaliation often seen in movies, and see the tremendous benefits that developing self-control can bring us. Such self-control is a measure of true masculinity and emotional maturity, that will contribute to greater success in all facets of life.

For a skilled tightrope walker like Charles Blondin, a loss of self-control while performing could have meant great physical harm or even death. Is it really any different for us as victims of psychological warfare? When we highly value and cultivate self-control, we protect our health, and may well preserve our lives. Therefore, view self-control as your strength!

“He that is slow to anger is better than a mighty man - Proverbs 16:32

One of the core psychological objectives of covert, government sponsored, “gang-stalking” and directed energy weapons torture is to attack and destroy the self-worth of targeted individuals. In essence, the constant barrage of humiliation, torture, and ill treatment we undergo carries an insidious yet powerful message: “You are worthless . . . You deserve to be treated with contempt . . . You have no value.” These subtle messages, over time, subvert healthy self-esteem, speeding up the likelihood of the victim resorting to self destructive behavior or even suicide. To remain emotionally healthy, the victim must disconnect his self-worth from the opinions of his persecutors. We must not measure ourselves by the views of a group that does not have our best interests at heart. For many, however, that can be a challenge.

If the highest authority in your life is a human government, where do you turn for help when that authority becomes the source of cruel injustice, victimizing you or your loved ones? Truthfully, those who cannot see beyond human authority have nowhere to turn! It is, no doubt, a crushing burden for them to know that they have no alternative, no higher power that can be trusted. However, for those who have a firm belief in a loving and concerned Creator, it is quite different. We can appeal to and derive comfort from a higher, uncorruptable authority. That authority, our God, becomes our salvation when all human authority fails us.

One of my favorite sources of comfort is a Bible passage that quotes directly from the Son of God, Jesus Christ, regarding how God feels about us personally. “Do not two sparrows sell for a coin of small value? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without YOUR Father’s [knowledge]. But the very hairs of YOUR head are all numbered. Therefore have no fear: YOU are worth more than many sparrows.” -Matthew 10:29-31

Think of what that means. In Jesus’ day the sparrow was the cheapest of the birds sold as food to the poor. If God places such value on a single sparrow, of how much greater worth is a human! As Jesus explained, he knows every detail about us. Why, the very hairs of our head are numbered! Knowing that God values us so highly as individuals (in spite of our imperfection and sinful nature) is a source of great strength and courage to me. It provides a solid basis for soundly rejecting the opinions of my persecutors, and protecting my mental health in the process.

Viktor E. Frankl, a neurologist and Holacaust survivor who studied the impact of long term injustice on concentration camp inmates and survivors, noted that the knowledge that there “is a meaning in one’s life” is critical to survival. Knowing that God values me personally gives my life meaning. It is the key to my success in surviving the decade of psychological warfare I have endured. Developing a keen awareness of how our Creator values us personally can helps us to transcend any suffering we may undergo.

Anger, frustration and bitterness are often the byproducts of being a long-term victim of Federal directed energy weapons testing / torture and psychological attacks including “gang-stalking.” Interestingly, such long term injustices can prove deadly for both the victim and the attacker! Recent studies are showing that the more mean-spirited and hostile a person is, the greater the likelihood of impaired lung function and damage. In fact, the cumulative effect of hostility on lung function is often greater than that suffered by smokers!

“In a study of more than 4,600 18- to 30-year-olds, Jackson’s team (Smith College, Northampton, Mass) found the more hostile, frustrated and mean-spirited the personality, the lower the pulmonary (lung) function. In other words, “it appears harboring hostility hurts,” according to the study, published in the journal Health Psychology…The more rapid the decline in lung function, the sooner people die…The effects of hostility, like smoking, accumulate over the years, gradually gnawing away at health.” The full report on this study is found on the Montreal Gazette (newspaper) website.

What lesson can we take from this? Mean-spirited, hostile people damage their own health and age faster than the kindhearted and forgiving. Isn’t that a good reason to avoid mean-spirited attacks on others? And, if we are the victims of such attacks, maintaining better health is a powerful incentive to let go of resentment and bitterness.

It may be purely anecdotal, but in observing the individuals employed in psychological attacks against me, I have long sensed the connection between mental disposition and health. I have seen enough of these individuals to know that over time, abusing others ravages ones’ own health. My persecutors often look quite a bit older and more “worn” than what is typical for their age. Now, science has revealed why!

Finally, for those who are victims of psychological attacks and directed energy weapons, learn to let go of anger and the desire to retaliate. You will feel (and look) much better if you do!

Perhaps the most practical examples of coping with the oppression that comes with government sponsored directed-energy-weapons torture and community policing support through gang stalking, can be found in the Nazi concentration camps and Stasi prisons. I want to highlight the marked contrast in the lives of two victims. The first, Josef Kneifel, a political prisoner of the Stasi secret police in West Germany. The second, Viktor E. Frankl, a concentration camp inmate under the Nazi regime. The contrast in their responses to oppression and the resultant outcome gives insight into how we can best respond to long-term injustice.

Let’s first consider Josef Kneifel. Josef was arrested by the Stasi (the East German secret police) for his role in efforts to destabilize the oppressive regime in East Germany. As a particularly hated political prisoner, he was subject to torture, isolation, and a constant barrage of dehumanizing treatment. The Stasi also arrested his wife although she knew nothing of his crimes and tried to convince her to divorce him. She was offered immediate release if she did so, but she refused.

Kneifel suffered emotionally and physically while incarcerated. The book Stasi, by John O Koehler, describes Kneifel’s response during his imprisonment. Full of pent up anger against the regime, he looked for every opportunity to vent his feelings. He would think of ways to “mock the regime and prison officials. Using the jagged end of a broken plastic spoon, he cut veins in his legs and collected blood in a plastic cup.” With his own blood, he painted caricatures on the whitewashed cell walls, ridiculing Stasi warders and communism. He would draw blood and pour it into the lock of his cell door. When a warder opened his cell door, Kneifel sprayed him with blood he had collected in a metal bowl. His unrelenting anger contributed to the rapid decline of his health. When Kneifel was released, he was prescribed a regimen of kidney dialysis. His health ruined, he never recovered.

A profound contrast is found in the life of Viktor E. Frankl. Of Jewish heritage, he served as a psychiatrist in government clinics and hospitals in Vienna during the 1920-30’s. However, in 1942, along with his wife and parents, he was sentenced to hard labor in Theresienstadt concentration camp. “Though assigned to ordinary labor details until the last few weeks of the war, Frankl tried to cure fellow prisoners from despondency and prevent suicide.” Since it was forbidden to actively intervene in a suicide attempt, such activity had to be both preventative and clandestine. He secretly worked with inmates after long days spent in manual labor. His wife and parents died in the concentration camps. Frankl acknowledges that his spirituality and selfless efforts to help others protected his own mental health and allowed him to quickly adjust when released from the camp at the end of the war. In the post war years Frankl published more than 32 books including the highly regarded Man’s Search for Meaning. He served as a professor of neurology and psychiatry.

Here are two individuals who suffered great injustices at the hands of their governments. One gives in to bitterness and self-destructive anger, destroying his own health in the process. The other uses his limited resources to help fellow inmates at the risk of his own life. Both suffered great loss. Who made the better choice in responding to injustice? How did the choice each made affect their long-term mental and physical health?

These two examples provide a powerful encouragement for modern day victims of long-term injustice: Choose your attitude and response wisely! “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” - Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” —Mahatma Ghandi

The truth contained in the statement above can be of great aid to victims of gang stalking and other harassment that is part of a program of psychological attacks. Often those responsible for such attacks successfully recruit neighbors, relatives, and workmates to work against you (This is evidently a tactic used by covert agencies like the FBI). It may be that persons you have a measure of affection and trust for have played a role in psychological violence you’ve endured. Do you hold on to anger and resentment against them? Or, do you forgive?

Willingness to forgive often carries a far greater benefit for the forgiver than the one being forgiven. “Forgiving others is more about your peace of mind then it is about their feelings . . . The issue is learning how to transcend the hurt, how to get to a place in your heart and mind where the hurt is no longer holding you back from fully caring for others and allowing yourself to be cared for by others.”

Being able to transcend hurt and move on is essential for those victimized by psychological attacks such as “gang-stalking.” The longer we harbor anger and resentment, the more damage we do to ourselves mentally and physically. Forgiving others gives us a measure of peace that contributes to a healthy mental outlook. Studies has shown that forgiving others lowers blood pressure, slows the growth of cancer, among other health benefits. I can personally attest to the almost immediate feeling of relief that forgiving provides. It is only when I have forgiven others in my heart for the pain they caused that I healed emotionally and moved forward. Of course, at times, forgiving can be very difficult to do. However, as Ghandi observed, it provides evidence of strength of character, something we can all cultivate.

In the context of psychological attacks that include “gang-stalking” and other forms of emotional violence, forgiving means being able to shake off the accumulation of daily humiliations and abuses. Do not hold grudges, let go of resentment, let it go! Start each day free of the emotional baggage of the prior. This helps you to avoid the accumulated emotional damage that leads to suicide, or other self-destructive behavior.

‘Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. —Bible, New Living Translation. That Bible counsel may seem unrealistic to some. However, it provides vital emotional and physical benefits that protect the health of victims of evil. When you forgive, you benefit yourself most.

References:
NPR: Studies Suggest Forgiveness Has Health Benefits
Stanford Forgiveness Project
Forgive and Be Well?

Long-term victims of directed energy weapons testing/torture and community policing based gang-stalking will find that over time they begin to put up emotional barriers. They draw away from long-time friends and relatives. They become overly suspicious. As isolation deepens, victims of psychological attacks are easily overwhelmed by paranoia, bitterness, anger and frustration that leads to self-destructive thinking and behavior.

Manifestly, something happens to the reasoning processes of a person who is isolated by choice or by force of circumstances. He thinks too much about himself, giving in to self-pity. He becomes critical and suspicious of others and overemphasizes their failures toward him, sometimes attributing bad motives. He waits for others to be friendly and feels they have failed him if they are not. As a result, he makes it difficult for those who are genuinely concerned to draw close to him. As their efforts to express concern are criticized, repelled, or ignored, they eventually stop trying. The victim eventually poisons the healthy relationships that are necessary for good mental health.

As a result, it is vital for victims of psychological attacks not to isolate themselves! Rather than pitying himself, waiting for others to do something, expecting to receive, he should take the initiative in actively expressing love for others. Work at it! Be the sort of friend you want others to be. Look for ways to give to others, to bring happiness into their lives. And, take the initiative to do so!

Of course, it takes effort to become active in sharing with others, not allowing oneself to become discouraged because of feeling ashamed or inadaquate. Since it is not easy to overcome isolation, we do well to avoid becoming a victim of this malady. Hence, even though others may disappoint us, we need to guard against drawing away from people. The Bible says: “No one of us lives . . . for himself alone.” (Rom. 14:7, The New English Bible) Once a person isolates himself, he is in danger of thinking unwisely, even foolishly, to his injury. That is exactly what the torturer and gang stalker intends. Psychological attacks can be successfully defended against if you do not isolate yourself!

I have found that coping with daily attacks by directed energy weapons and community policing based gang-stalking cannot be left to chance. One of the best coping mechanisms I employ is personal Bible study. It provides a rich trove of good examples that furnish lessons I can apply to my situation.

One recent personal study session revealed a sterling quality of Jesus Christ that I seek to imitate in dealing with others. In Jesus’ day, people who lived in Judea and Galilee generally had “no dealings with Samaritans,” their closest neighbors (and distant relatives). (John 4:9) A saying recorded in the Talmud no doubt expressed the feeling of many Jews: “May I never set eyes on a Samaritan.” The Mishnah even included this rule: “Cattle may not be left in the inns of the gentiles (non-Jews) since they are suspected of bestiality.” Such blanket prejudice against all non-Jews was unjust and quite contrary to the spirit of the Mosaic Law. (Leviticus 19:34) Other man-made rules demeaned women. The oral law said that a wife should walk behind, not beside, her husband. A man was warned against conversing with a woman in public, even his own wife. Like slaves, women were not allowed to offer testimony in court. There was even a formal prayer in which men thanked God that they were not women.

Although raised in Galilee, Jesus rejected all such prejudices of his contemporaries. For example, he willingly engaged a Samaritan woman in public conversation, providing encouragement that blessed her and her family. (John 4:1-15) When a Gentile (Roman) army officer pleaded for his aid, he kindly responded. (Matthew 8:5-13) Jewish tax collectors were hated and shunned by their fellow countrymen. Jesus, however, was willing to help them, in spite of being criticized for doing so. (Matthew 9:9-13) In so many ways, he provides a wonderful example for us. He refused to allow the prejudices and stereotypes held by his contemporaries to affect how he treated others. Even when he was impaled and about to die as the result of an outrageous act of injustice, he consoled the condemned criminal impaled next to him with a promise of future restoration.

Jesus example in this regard teaches me how to treat my fellowman. Our modern society is also afflicted with deeply held prejudices, suspicions, and hatred of strangers. Such attitudes often lead to cruel actions. No doubt, this pervasive spirit contributes to the growth of community policing based “gang stalking” and related forms of state-sponsored bullying. Yet, in this climate, as a Christian, I must be like Jesus; refusing to allow the prejudices and cruel attitudes of others to shape how I treat neighbors and strangers. As Christ did, I must treat others in a way that demonstrates Godly qualities of love, kindness and mercy. This holds true in spite of the fact that some among my neighbors actively support the psychological war waged against me. In responding to their actions, I must be motivated by nobler qualities, not the weaknesses of my antagonists. In this way I imitate the Christ, Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also the wisest.

Practical Benefits of Treating Others With Kindness

When a person is victimized by a group (as is the case with gang-stalking) paranoia and a general distrust of others often develops as a result. The victim isolates himself emotionally and may frequently misidentify innocent individuals as participants in the psychological attacks against him. However, doing good to others requires overriding feelings of mistrust and acting in the best interests of others. This provides three key benefits:

1. You maintain and develop communication and interpersonal skills that help counteract the tendency toward isolation. I have seen this benefit in my own case. Although naturally shy, I have developed the ability to initiate friendly conversations with strangers in any setting. Simply providing a warm greeting or a ready smile to others warms my heart and neutralizes the tendency to regard everyone in my immediate environment with distrust. It also stimulates pleasant responses from others, bolstering my countenance in positive ways.

2. You greatly reduce levels of paranoia and mistrust. When psychological attacks are done by a large group (as in gang-stalking) it creates a tendency in the victim to see everyone as a potential participant in psychological torture. You will tend to perceive or imagine that the group attacking you is much bigger than it really is. However, it is only by actively and continuously reaching out to others with kindness that you realize that not everyone is against you. The enemy is “cut down to size.” Even if you do interact with someone who is covertly participating in gang stalking, so what? Their intent is to produce a bitter and irrational response in you. They have failed completely if you interact with them in a calm and pleasant manner!

3. Your pleasant countenance attracts others. People are naturally drawn to kind individuals. As you work to develop this quality, it will draw others to you, earning their loyalty and trust. This counteracts the isolation that is a byproduct of the psychological war waged against you. It helps the victim to maintain and develop healthy friendships that protect mental health.

You cannot control every aspect of the psychological campaign being waged against you. However, by actively displaying kindness to others at every opportunity, you are controlling negative thoughts. That protects your mental health! Looking to the age-old principles of the Bible to counteract the modern weapons of psychological warfare may seem foolish to some. However, with over ten years of experience in waging that battle, I can personally testify to the effectiveness of Bible principles. It is the secret to my success!

“There is nothing in the world, I venture to say, that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions, as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life.” That observation by Viktor E. Frankl, a neurologist and Holocaust survivor is apropos to victims of long term injustice, such as directed energy weapons torture and gang-stalking. In 1942, Dr. Frankl along with his wife and his parents were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp by the Nazi regime. Though assigned to ordinary labor details until the last few weeks of the war, Frankl tried to cure fellow prisoners from despondency and prevent suicide. He worked in the psychiatric care ward, headed a neurological clinic, and maintained a camp service of psychic hygiene and mental care for those who were weary of life. Although suffering the miseries of Nazi oppression himself, his efforts to help others gave meaning and purpose to his life.

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Can you see how Frankl’s conclusion can help victims of long-term injustice? Even when adversity continues for years, we can choose our attitude, our response to that hardship.

What attitude should we choose in response to suffering? Dr. Frankl observed that those who became obsessed with retaliation against their abusers were often overcome by bitterness and disillusionment that continued long after they were released from the concentration camps. Such attitudes were most likely to destroy good mental health. However, those who maintained dignity in their view and treatment of others and a strong spirituality were best able to adjust to horrific suffering and maintain sound mental health. One of Frankl’s favorite quotes is the Biblical expression “. . . love is as strong as death is.” —Song of Solomon 8:6. The capacity to love our fellowman can survive any hardship or suffering. When we refuse to abandon love, by not adopting the hatred and cruelty of our oppressors, we retain our humanity and protect our mental health. Such excelling love is a byproduct of a healthy spirituality.

Can we benefit from suffering? The Bible says that Jesus Christ “learned obedience from the things he suffered” —Hebrews 5:8. What Jesus suffered when on earth refined his qualities of love, empathy and compassion while facing cruelty, injustice and wrongful death. Our noblest qualities can also be refined if we view and endure suffering with the right attitude.