Spiritual Quotient Leverages IQ & EQ

Solving logical or strategic problems involves the use of rational intelligence. Psychologists who devised tests to measure rational intelligence termed their measure as “Intelligence Quotient (IQ)”, their hypothesis being that higher the IQ more is the rational intelligence. Initially the IQ included only verbal and mathematical-logical capabilities.

Howard Gardner’s 1983 book “Frames of Mind” refuted the narrow IQ view and extended the concept to include spatial capacity, physical fluidity musical capability, inter-personal intelligence, intra-personal intelligence etc. The operative word in his view of intelligence was multiple. While the utility of IQ in identifying potential performers is not disputed, according to renowned psychologists IQ contributes only about 20 percent to the factors that determine life success, which leaves 80 percent to other forces. As Gardner in one of his articles observes, “One’s ultimate niche in society is determined largely by non-IQ factors, ranging from social class to luck”.

In the mid-1990s, Daniel Goleman popularized the “Emotional Quotient (EQ)” a degree of emotional intelligence, awareness of one’s own and other people’s feelings such as empathy, compassion, motivation and the ability to respond to pain or pleasure appropriately. His basic hypothesis was that for an effective use of IQ, EQ is a necessity. He writes: “In a sense we have two brains, two minds and two different kinds of intelligence, rational and emotional. How we do in life is determined by both; it is not just IQ, but emotional intelligence that matters”.

The millennium contribution in the area of intelligence was from Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall who coined the term “SQ” for “Spiritual Intelligence”. They argue that the SQ is the basic foundation for an effective use of EQ and IQ. They also refer to it as the soul’s intelligence. While rational, logical thinking gives one’s IQ, and associated habit-bound, pattern recognizing, emotive thinking gives one the EQ, the creative, insightful, rule-making, rule breaking thinking with which we reframe and transform our previous thinking gives one the SQ. On a scientific plane, the brain’s serially connected neural tracts, and neural networks, are associated with the IQ and EQ respectively.

Singer’s work on the unifying neural oscillation offers the first evidence of SQ. Just as the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, SQ allows one to add larger, deeper and richer context to the present. She evolves a model of SQ based on the six petals of the Lotus and its center, corresponding to the seven charkas described by the Hinduism’s Kundalini Yoga.

Can we identify, measure and improve on our SQ, and thereby effectively use our EQ and IQ? The Indian Philosophical treatises – the Upanishads, attribute perception to the mind, conception to the intellect and “illumination” the Self.

They speak of the ascent from Intellect (IQ) through meditation and cool Meditation is the route to the highest knowledge (illumination), when self-realization, which is the integration of inner self or spirit into the cosmic spirit. For instance, in the Sahaja Yoga mode of self-realization it is propounded that body is the whole self. The vehicle of influence is the subtle body parallel to physical body wherein there are seven charkas, chief nerve centers; three tracks of nervous energy called nadis; and the latent energy coiled within called Kundalini. When Kundalini rises from the base of the spine, it integrates the seven main charkas, and the subtle experience manifests itself in a flow of cool vibrations, which can be felt on the hands and also over the crown of the head like a cool breeze. It is through these vibrations that we gain a new awareness beyond thought, beyond emotions; with this subtle awakening we become sensitive to the state of our charkas and those of others.

This degree of sensitivity to the state of our charkas those of can be termed as SQ. Our EQ is enhanced with the rise of SQ as each chakra when cleaned with the Kundalini energy enhances our ability to emote. For instance, as per Sahaja Yoga, the first chakra enhances our ability to be “child like”, the second enhances creativity/aesthetics, the third inculcates a feeling of satisfaction, the fourth helps you control anger, the fifth improves your communication skills so that you do not offend other, the sixth enables you to forgive, while the seventh, the crown chakra allows you to integrate all these qualities so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

(Times of India article)