Spiritual intelligence: We all have a "God Spot" in the brain.

Interview with Suzana Naiditch. Source: Exame Magazine

In her book *Spiritual Intelligence*, American physicist and philosopher Dana Zohar addresses a topic as new as it is controversial: the existence of a third type of intelligence that broadens people's horizons, makes them more creative, and manifests itself in their need to find meaning in life. She bases her work on the "spiritual quotient" (SQ) on recently published research by scientists from around the world who have discovered what is being called the "God Spot" in the brain, an area that is believed to be responsible for people's spiritual experiences. The subject has been featured in cover stories by American magazines such as *Newsweek* and *Fortune*. Dana states: "Collective spiritual intelligence is low in modern society. We live in a spiritually stupid culture, but we can act to raise our spiritual quotient."

Dana lives in England with her husband, psychiatrist Ian Marshall, co-author of the book, and their two teenage children. A physics graduate from Harvard University, with postgraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she currently teaches at Oxford University in England. She is the author of eight other books, including *The Quantum Self* and *The Quantum Society*, already translated into Portuguese. *SQ – Spiritual Intelligence* has been published in 27 languages, including Portuguese (in Brazil, by Record). Dana has been sought after by large companies interested in developing the spiritual quotient of their employees and giving more meaning to their work. Dana Zohar gave this interview to *Exame* magazine in Porto Alegre, during the 30th World Congress of Training and Development of the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO), an organization founded in Sweden in 1971, representing 1 million training specialists worldwide. Here are the main excerpts from the interview:

What is spiritual intelligence?

It is a third intelligence, which places our actions and experiences in a broader context of meaning and value, making them more effective. Having a high spiritual quotient (SQ) implies being able to use the spiritual to have a richer and more meaningful life, with an adequate sense of purpose and personal direction. SQ broadens our horizons and makes us more creative. It is an intelligence that drives us. It is with it that we approach and solve problems of meaning and value. SQ is linked to the human need to have purpose in life. It is what we use to develop ethical values ​​and beliefs that will guide our actions.
How do these studies confirm your ideas about the third intelligence?
Scientists have discovered that we have a "God spot" in the brain, an area in the temporal lobes that makes us seek meaning and values ​​for our lives. It is an area linked to spiritual experience. Everything that influences intelligence passes through the brain and its neural extensions. One type of neural organization allows humans to perform rational, logical thought. It gives them their IQ, or intellectual intelligence. Another type allows for associative thought, affected by habits, pattern recognition, and emotion. It is responsible for EQ, or emotional intelligence. A third type allows for creative thought, capable of insights, formulating and revoking rules. It is the thought with which the previous types of thought are formulated and transformed. This type gives them SQ, or spiritual intelligence.

What is the difference between QE and QS?

It's transformative power. Emotional intelligence allows me to judge the situation I'm in and behave appropriately within the limits of that situation. Spiritual intelligence allows me to ask myself if I want to be in that particular situation. It implies working within the limits of the situation. Daniel Goleman, the theorist of Emotional Intelligence, speaks of emotions. Spiritual intelligence speaks of the soul. Spiritual intelligence has to do with what something means to me, and not just how things affect my emotions and how I react to them. Spirituality has always been present in the history of humanity.

Why is the corporate world only now becoming concerned about this?

The business world is going through a sustainability crisis. Its current attitudes and practices, focused solely on money, are devastating the environment, consuming finite resources, creating global inequality, leading to a leadership crisis in companies, and destroying the health and morale of the people who work for them or whose lives are affected by them. Spirituality in business simply means working with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in the community and the world, having a broader perspective, and inspiring your employees. We no longer know what life truly is. We don't know what game we're playing or what the rules are. We lack a deep sense of fundamental goals and values. This crisis of meaning is the main cause of stress in modern life and also of illness.
The search for meaning is man's primary motivation. When this need ceases to be satisfied, life seems empty. In the modern world, most people are not fulfilling this need.

How can the symptoms of this crisis be detected in corporate life?

Since the rise of capitalism 200 years ago, all that matters in the business world is immediate profit. This has created a corporate culture devoid of meaning and deeper values. We just want more money. But for what? For whom? We work to consume. It's a meaningless life. This affects the morale of both managers and employees, their productivity and creativity. And it also distances businesses from broader concerns about the environment, the community, the planet, and sustainability. The corporate world is a self-destructive monster because it lacks a broader structure of meaning, values, and fundamental purposes. There is a profound relationship between the crisis of modern society and the underdevelopment of our spiritual intelligence.

Which companies have called upon her to develop projects aimed at raising the spiritual quotient of managers and employees?

I cannot mention their names, but I have worked with banks, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, oil companies, and car manufacturers. We worked together to gain an understanding of how existing attitudes and practices are unsustainable and how companies can develop both sustainability and services by cultivating the ten qualities of the spiritual quotient.
Could you give examples of companies or businesspeople who are seeking more meaning in their work?
There are many examples. Mats Lederhausen, McDonald's vice president of global strategy, is one of them. His role in the company is to be a voice of protest and conscience, shaking people up, rocking the boat. He initiated projects such as the free distribution of polio vaccines in Africa, the fight against genetically modified crops, the use of larger cages for chickens, and work to restore damaged ecosystems.
Another example is Amul, an Indian company that distributes milk from 10,000 cooperatives to the state of Gujarat. Amul buys milk daily from farmers who own only one cow, allowing poor individuals to compete with large farmers. The Asian Development Bank is dedicated to eradicating poverty with microcredit programs for very poor people.
British Petroleum has adopted a new slogan, "Beyond Oil," and is putting the bulk of its research funds into developing alternative energy technologies that are less harmful to the environment. John Browne, the company's CEO, has managed to increase the value of the shares by emphasizing long-term relationships between his company and society.

What is a spiritually intelligent leader like?

He is a leader inspired by a desire to serve, a person responsible for bringing higher vision and values ​​to others and showing them how to use them. He is a person who inspires others. People like the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi. In the business world, Richard Branson of Virgin is a spiritually intelligent leader. He is very concerned about the environment and the community. He is very spontaneous, has vision and values, and has broad perspectives.

How can spiritual intelligence be developed?

Becoming aware of the ten qualities common to spiritually intelligent people and working to develop them. Seeking more the why and the connections between things, bringing to the surface the assumptions we make about their meaning, becoming more reflective, taking responsibility, being honest with ourselves and more courageous. Becoming aware of where we are, what our deepest motivations are. Identifying and eliminating obstacles. Examining the numerous possibilities, committing to a path and remaining aware that there are many paths.
How can spiritually intelligent people benefit corporations?
People with high spiritual intelligence (SQ) always want to do more than is expected of them. Something beyond the company. Those who work solely for money don't do their best. In companies that seek to develop employees spiritually, productivity increases because they become more motivated, more creative, and less stressed. People give their all when pursuing a higher goal. If organizations give people space to do more, if they know how to develop each individual's spiritual intelligence, they will achieve greater results, and more quickly.

The woman says that capitalism as we know it today is nearing its end, but that a new capitalism is emerging. How will companies fare with this new perspective?

A new type of company is emerging. It's a responsible company. In the new capitalism, the companies that will survive are those with a long-term vision, that care about the planet, and that focus on developing the people who work for them. Companies that are concerned with profit, yes, but that want to make money to develop the communities in which they operate, protect the environment, and promote education and health.

Dana Zohar identified ten qualities common to spiritually intelligent people. According to her, these people:

1. They practice and encourage deep self-awareness.

2. They are driven by human values. They are idealistic and believe in life.

3. They have the ability to face challenges and use adversity to their advantage.

4. They are holistic - they have a vision of the integrated whole and a perception of unity.

5. They celebrate diversity as a source of beauty and learning.

6. They have independence of thought and behavior.

7. They always ask "why?" and "what for?". They are agents of change.

8. They have the ability to place things and issues in a broader context.

9. They have spontaneous gestures and attitudes, and are emotionally balanced.

10. They are sensitive, fraternal, and compassionate.