Mike Breland

About Me:  My Perspective

 Since knowing a person’s perspective is important in an integral discussion, I have decided to put up my perspective instead of my profile, as accurately as I’m presently able.  This is such that when I partake in an integral discussion, I can refer to this page as “My Perspective”.  I also understand that it will never be complete, as each new problem reveals yet another aspect of my perspective.  Ain’t it great?

My Perspective:

  I have been a medical physician  for over 25 years and have a specialty in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as Holistic Medicine.  I also have a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, having done my research on antibody-antigen reactions.  Thus, I have a relatively strong background in the hard sciences.

  However, in my twenties, I had a neck injury from snow skiing that took me several years of hard work to get recover.  Since modern medicine could not answer some of my questions while undergoing this rehabilitation process, I started on a 30 year process of inner exploration and research.  I studied with several spiritual teachers, read 1000’s of books on all the different religions, spiritualities, inner and outer practices, diet and nutrition, meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, Ken Wilber, etc, etc, as well as anything related to chronic pain management and my specific neck and back problems.  I also did many physical, emotional, and spiritual practices during that time.  Most helped some, none helped a lot.  But the combination of hard and “soft” science made the difference and led me to how I presently practice medicine.  Plus it gave me a first hand experience of what “Integral Medicine” can do as well as what many of my patients are experiencing. 

  Presently I work extensively with patients with back and neck injuries, as well as strokes, arthritis, spinal cord and other injuries or pain problems.  I also found it interesting that in my specialty I was required to be a team leader.  The members of my team include the patient and their extended family as well as their employer, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, nurses, other physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, insurance companies, lawyers, judges, care managers and anyone else involved with the patient.  Without knowing it, I was being forced to learn integral management.  I found I had to deal with the personal experience of the patient, their development level as well as that of all other members involved, the culture it takes place in, the economic, legal, and political environment, and of course, the objective data of muscle spasm, weakness, numbness, abnormal X-rays and MRI’s, etc. 

  Thus, in my perspective, I always try (note “try”) to be aware of the emotional and personal aspects of a problem, as well as the realities of the physical, scientific, cultural, economical, legal and other perspectives that have to be dealt with.  However, my deepest perspective is the spiritual one.  I have an underlying assumption that a spiritual reality exists similar to that posited by Ken Wilber and I try to interpret whatever happens in this context.  This is part of my personal practice.  My own spiritual experiences support Wilber’s perspective, so it is not merely a question faith.

  However, to develop that underlying spiritual perspective, I have had to really work on my own definition of “spiritual”, since initially it was pretty limited.  Ken Wilber’s Integral Spirituality helped me construct one that was more functional.  So, while I’m still struggling in several developmental lines, I now at least have a conceptual framework that reduces cognitive dissonance.  While I still can’t completely understand phrases like: “Things are getting better, things are getting worse, and things are already Perfect,” from years of experience I have developed a trust in what they say such that I can accept that statement as an axiom (as used in traditional logic) and use it in my personal practice and philosophy.

    Overall, I’m a bridge builder if possible, but also recognize the value of polemic and other arguments, if needed.  The latter may be needed in dealing with people at certain levels of development, as that may be what they best understand or what they use in their culture to resolve conflict.

    So, I hope this helps people understand “my perspective” when I blog on any particular subject.  However, please remember that at times I can be 25% lower than my center of gravity and so might be having a “bad level day”!

PS:  I also sometimes use humor or irony as a way to balance the over seriousness that tends to occur at times, since over seriousness can narrow perspectives.  So please understand where I’m coming from and why, whenever I do that.  If I’m concerned people won’t recognize what I’m doing, I will sometimes add: (humor alert). 

Education

Ph. D. Analytical Chemistry: 1978, University of Texas at Austin

M.D. 1985, University of Texas at Galveston

Specialty Training: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Virginia, 1990

Board Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: 1991

Board Certified Holistic Medicine: 2001

Career

Since graduating from my medical residency program in Virginia in 1990, I have worked as a "physiatrist" (physical medicine and rehabilitation) for a year in Montana, 7 years in Idaho and the last 11 years in relatively rural eastern Washington State.

Presently: Medical Director of Inpatient and Outpatient Physical Rehabilitation at a rural 110 bed hospital

Hobbies and Interests

Meditation and internal skill development; then the journaling of my experiences with an eye toward singling out methods that might be more generally helpful for other people.

Tai Chi, Qi Gong

Gardening and home repair

Bicycling

Lots and lots of reading

Playing with my dog, one of my favorite sentient beings

Perspectives

Inquiry Responses and Comments