Saint Francis of Assisi, The Canticle of the Creatures, and Positive Core Emotions

How do recent neuroscientific discoveries in the study of emotion intersect with the faith, especially the spirituality of Saint Francis of Assisi? This is what I will explore in today’s article, while also making some preliminary reflections on the relationship between parts of the self-system and core emotions.

Jaak Panksepp was a neuroscientist and psychobiologist who studied emotions in mammals. He concluded that all mammals (including humans) have a core set of hard-wired emotions that do not need to be learned. In Panksepp’s Affective Neuroscience Theory, he identifies seven primary emotional systems which include:

• Fear: a response to avoid perceived or real threats
• Anger: an aggressive response to address perceived wrongs
• Panic/Grief: a response to separation distress and sadness
• Desire/Lust: a sexual response that promotes reproduction
• Play: a social response that promotes joy
• Seeking/Curiosity: a motivation to explore and learn
• Care: a response to nurturing and a desire to provide nurturing

Panksepp’s research is fascinating as he studies emotion from an evolutionary model that explores how our subcortical brain circuits are activated by environmental stimuli which in turn produces neurochemical reactions. As a therapist I’ve used a protocol developed by EMDR and Ego State Therapy expert Sandra Paulsen to reset these emotional circuits. It is all very exciting work.

Connection between parts and emotions

From a parts work perspective, I wonder if certain parts are not initially connected to certain emotional systems. Perhaps our youngest parts initially manifest through core subcortical brain circuits. All these core emotions have a central node (i.e. a collection of brain tissue), the periaqueductal gray (PAG).

As we learn and develop, we develop conditioned responses to the environment and have a secondary learning process primarily in the upper limbic system. This then leads to higher level thoughts and processes in the neocortical region of the brain. So, our parts develop over time as we work through neural pathways influenced by the environment and various internal processes in different parts of the brain. This is something to explore in greater detail later.

Relationship between subcortical emotions and St. Francis

In any case, what I’m interested in focusing on today is the perhaps unlikely relationship between these seven core subcortical emotions and the spirituality of Saint Francis of Assisi. As many may know, Saint Francis was a 13th century mystic who founded the Franciscan order (including the Poor Clares and a Third Order). He lived a life characterized by Gospel-inspired poverty, chastity, and obedience. He was further inspired in a vision where Christ asked him to “repair my Church.” Toward the end of his life, following the feast of the Exultation of the Cross, he famously received the stigmata (the physical wounds of crucifixion) from a Seraph (a fiery angel).

Saint Francis is also well known for his relationship with animals and his appreciation for the natural world. It is here, especially in his poem, The Canticle of the Creatures (or the Canticle of Brother Sun), also written toward the end of his life during a high point of suffering, that we will draw some insight.

The life of Saint Francis is filled with unusual stories involving animals and nature that speak to a post-eschatological world. This means that Francis was so connected to Christ, so completely embodying the mind and heart of Christ, that he experienced the world as if the future Kingdom of God, the new heaven and the new earth, was already realized.

In Francis’ “world” the wolf already lives with the lamb, and the leopard lays down with the goat (Isaiah 11:6), and good already fully triumphed over evil. Francis saw the world, not just with his spiritual eyes, but with his physical eyes.

With these “eyes” then, Francis, at least as he’s depicted in these hagiographic stories, did not appear to experience any of the “negative” emotions as truly negative. Fear, anger, and grief, although neutral in and of themselves, no longer caused any dysregulation in him. He stopped responding with anxiety to perceived or even real threats. He did not act aggressively to right wrongs. He no longer expressed overwhelming sadness.

This is not a Vulcan-style stoicism, nor was it emotional suppression. He had achieved a state of dis-passion (perhaps one could say apatheia or holy indifference – not to be misunderstood as not caring), a true state of serenity. In IFS terms one would say that he was most often “in self,” and not blended by burdened or overwhelmed parts.

St. Francis, the wolf, and parts

In the Little Flowers of Saint Francis (a collection of legends about the saint’s life), Francis was able to fearlessly approach a terrifying and ferocious wolf who was feasting on nearby villagers. He confronted the wolf, made the sign of the cross, and commanded the wolf to come out and not hurt anyone. He brings the wolf to town and explains to the people that the wolf had only behaved that way out of fear and hunger. The townspeople agreed to feed the wolf and peace ensued.

This story fits the IFS parts work model very well. The wolf, when seen as a firefighter (a protector part), was only trying to survive. Francis, in the role of the inmost self, approaches the firefighter with compassion, calm and curiosity trying to understand its true intentions. Francis then unites the wolf with the rest of the self-system (in this case the village) where the manager parts (the townspeople) can feed him. The villagers no longer need to fear the wolf. The system now has harmony.

Saint Francis, like Jaak Panksepp, takes the emotions of animals seriously.

Creation reflects multiplicity

In the Canticle of the Sun, Saint Francis addresses all of creation as brothers and sisters. He reverences all of creation: sun, moon, wind, water, and the earth because they reflect God’s goodness. This is a prayer of gratitude and praise. Like Saint Francis, we can be moved by the beauty of creation even when we are personally struggling or suffering. The emotions of seeking (curiosity), play, and care shine through this poem. Saint Francis embraces and exults these emotions as he connects with creation and glorifies God. This leads to an overwhelming sense of joy.

Let us explore this beautiful poem that expresses a great deal of Saint Francis’ spirituality. All of creation reflects a multiplicity – an interconnected world that sustains us with its gifts and inspires us with its beauty. My own thoughts/reflections are in brackets.

The Canticle of the Creatures

Most High, all-powerful,
good Lord,
yours is the praise,
the glory and the honor and every blessing.

To you alone, Most High,
do they belong,
and no one is worthy
to speak your name.

[He begins by acknowledging God as the source of all blessing and all creation. God is the source of all multiplicity and yet he brings creation together into a unity]

Praised be you, my Lord
with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom
you bring us light.

And he is lovely, shining
with great splendor,
for he heralds you, Most High.

[He exults in the Sun -the source of light- and the sign of God’s love and life-giving presence. There is also clarity here – the sun is lovely and sheds light. There is awe and wonder in its splendor]

Praised be you, my Lord,
through Sister Moon and Stars.
In heaven you have formed them,
lightsome and precious and fair.

[The moon and stars not only provide light but are majestic and beautiful]

And praised be you, my Lord,
through Brother Wind, through
air and cloud, through calm
and every weather by which
you sustain your creatures.

[This is the beginning of so much gratitude for how the Lord sustains us through creation itself. We are called to experience and appreciate calm even while there are times we will experience turbulence]

Praised be you, my Lord,
through Sister Water,
so very useful and humble,
precious and chaste.

[Without water we cannot live, and so it is necessary/useful. Water is also described as chaste – it brings purity and harmony to the body]

Praised be you, my Lord
through Brother Fire,
by whom you light up
the night, and he is
handsome and merry,
robust and strong.

[The fire provides light in the night and allows us to see. The fire is strong and persistent as well as bringing joy]

Praised be you, my Lord,
through our Sister, Mother Earth,
who sustains us and directs us
bringing forth all kinds of fruits
and colored flowers and herbs.

[Here is a recognition of how we benefit from the fruit of the earth and its beauty. God sustains our bodies through creation]

Praised be you, my Lord
through those who forgive
for your love
and who bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those
who endure in peace,
for by you, Most High,
they will be crowned.

[Francis acknowledges human suffering and how this can be transformed through forgiveness and peacemaking.]

Praised be you, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death
from whom no living being
can escape.

How dreadful for those
who die in mortal sin!

[Even death is appreciated, and we are to face death with courage and without fear]

How blessed are those she
finds in your most holy will
for the second death
can do them no harm.

O praise and bless my Lord,
thank him and serve him
humbly but grandly!

[We are to be humble and pay attention to the present moment. We are to be filled with gratitude.]

Notice how many of the 8 C’s and the 5 P’s show up in this poem: clarity, courage, creativity, persistence, playfulness, and presence – perhaps others are there as well. This poem embodies gratitude and speaks to the playful and child-like approach to the world, as well as a recognition of the connectedness of all creation. Harmony occurs, like in our inner world, when we respect creation rather than use and abuse it.

The harmony between the goals of St. Francis and IFS

The goal of IFS is to bring our inner world into an inner harmony led by the compassion of the self. Saint Francis speaks to a harmony not only within but with all of creation. Every part of the self-system is valuable just as every part of creation is valuable.

Every aspect of creation matters and has a part to play just as every part of the self-system has an important role. The fire is just as important and worthy of respect as the water. Also in IFS, every part is just as valuable as any other part. The firefighters are just as valuable as managers or exiles.

Both Saint Francis and IFS focus on appreciating creation or our parts, rather than judging them. Creation is not something to dominate. We are to see creation as a family (“Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon”) just as we are not to dominate our internal family but see each part as worthy of love and respect. Harmony occurs through compassionate leadership.

Saint Francis has much to teach us about emotions -even without any training in neuroscience – and how to exercise dis-passion or holy indifference from negative emotions and how to embrace and transfigure positive emotions! He calls us not just into the Kingdom Within, but into the Kingdom to Come!

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

May God bless you on your journey this week!

Resources:

Montag C. and Panksepp J. (2017). Primary emotional systems and personality: An evolutionary perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 464. 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00464

Panksepp J. (1998). Affective neuroscience: The foundations of human and animal emotions. New York: Oxford University Press.

Panksepp J. (2005). Affective consciousness: Core emotional feelings in animals and humans. Consciousness and Cognition, 14, 30–80. 10.1016/j.concog.2004.10.004

Jaak Panksepp’s Ted Talk

A helpful summary of the 7 emotion circuits.

Here’s an interesting ministry I discovered focused on peacemaking and conflict resolution. I can’t say I have personal experience with this group, but I’ll share their link here: Taming the Wolf Institute

Listen to Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM reading the Canticle of the Creatures.

Word on Fire describes the conversion of Saint Francis and the Canticle.

EWTN celebrates 800 years of the Canticle.

If you’re not already familiar, discover and donate to my personal favorite Franciscan community, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal!

Christ is Among us!

Dr. Gerry Crete

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