Zemler: From Soldier to Healer: Transforming the PTSD Dragon From Death to Life.
The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee is holding a series on “Moving Toward a Just and Peaceful World” from noon to 1:30 p.m. on three Tuesdays at the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, 1342 N. Astor St.
The speakers are: Tuesday, Father G. Simon Harak, director of Marquette University’s Center for Peacemaking, on “Resisting Empire”; March 11, Athan Theoharis, retired Marquette history professor, on “Security, Morality and Realism: The Government’s Response to 9/11″; and March 18, John Zemler, visiting theology professor at Marquette, on “From Soldier to Healer: Transforming the PTSD Dragon From Death to Life.”
The series costs $28, or $10 a session, including lunch. Make reservations at (414) 276-9050.
I apologize for the late notice of this speaking engagement. Below is a synopsis of my talk.
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Dr John Zemler, a former Army Captain, now a Disabled American Veteran and Disabled Catholic Theologian will speak on the topic: “From Soldier to Healer: Transforming the PTSD Dragon From Death to Life.”
In his talk he will briefly explain the horror of what is like to have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), how American Society generally blames you for your wound PTSD soul-wound, and how PTSD tries to kill all of those whom it afflicts. John identifies PTSD as a wounding of the human soul.
In the transition from Solider to Healer, From Dragon’s Prey to New Lamb, Dr. Zemler will discuss how American Soldiers are trained to kill the enemy and how their lives have no real meaning to decision makers. Their lives are used up by politicians and those other Americans who drive SUVs and Hummers. Soldiers are not allowed to choose where they will have their lives expended nor whom they are to kill. Even if they never kill or are deployed to combat, this conditioning damages their souls.
In his life as a healer, John, explains a portion of how he himself survives PTSD and has not killed himself; that is, how his own soul has received healing. Religious faith and ritual, primarily Catholic and Buddhist, and the crafts of art and music, provide important means for him to stay healed and help in the healing of others afflicted with PTSD.
John Zemler will describe how those who have survived PTSD, whether military or civilian, may become healers in their own right. The PTSD-Survivor can become a Bodhisattva to those who need healing. In early Christian terms of the first-century, the PTSD-Survivor learns how to bear one another’s burdens and how to fill out the suffering of Jesus Christ (See Letters of Paul). Where as before these human souls were being consumed by the Dragon of PTSD. They can now take on the death-burden of those people of whom PTSD is trying to kill and thus enable them to find the strength, ability, and means to stay alive. That is, they can enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death for others and carve out some space to live.
All in all, it is about helping women and men with PTSD have their souls healed and not allow Death to consume them.
Semper Pax, Dr. Z