The Threefold Gaze
A Spiritual Lens for a Flourishing Life
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE THREEFOLD GAZE?
We are our best and happiest selves when...
WE KNOW WHO WE ARE
When we look inward, we learn who we are, what we value, what we're good at, and what makes us unique. We develop self-acceptance, autonomy, and competence.
WE FEEL DEEPLY CONNECTED TO OTHERS
When we look outward, we form positive relationships, we engage with others, we connect meaningfully, we experience empathy, and we contribute socially.
WE ARE PART OF SOMETHING LARGER THAN OURSELVES
When we look "upward" we discover that we are a part of Something Larger than ourselves, and we are made for Something More. We find meaning, purpose, satisfaction, and reason to hope.
WHY DO WE NEED THE THREEFOLD GAZE?
EPIDEMICS OF EMPTINESS
Back around 2014, I started tracking a phenomenon known as "an epidemic of despair." This referred to an alarming uptick in deaths by slow suicide (addiction, alcoholism, and despair-related diseases).
In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General raised the alarm concerning another trend, which he called "our epidemic of loneliness and isolation."
A common denominator between both trends is the acknowledgment that a growing number of humans are chronically, if not terminally, unhappy. The root of the misery includes fundamental dissatisfaction with life and radical disconnection from other human beings.
A WORKING HYPOTHESIS
When viewed separately, the obvious culprits for the epidemics of despair and isolation are worsening economic opportunities and the rise of social media respectively. But if we look deeper, tapping into the wisdom of millennia of spiritual and religious traditions, I wonder if we might find a common root. I wonder if rather than evidencing two separate problems, perhaps the epidemics of despair and isolation might be fruit growing on the same tree.
Ancient wisdom, both Christian and pagan, suggests all life is connected, meaning there is a "live wire" of connection among the self, the other, the natural world, and "the divine." What if the real cause of this postmodern misery is an inner dullness of spirit, brought about by "too much emptiness and too much fullness" (to borrow Kessler's phrase).
DEFINING THE THREEFOLD GAZE
The practice of the threefold gaze is not a new idea, just a new application of a very old one. It is simple as a concept, yet powerful in its outworking. It involves
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Looking Inward - Cultivating a rich interiority rooted in self-awareness and reflection
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Looking Outward - Cultivating empathy through an attentive awareness of the other
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Looking Upward - Cultivating an active sense of connection to Something More, something bigger and more timeless than a single self
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