I hope you'll agree with me that the contributions to this
Newsletter are of very high quality. Subjective experience and
empirical research are two sides of one coin and in this issue we
are shown the value of each. We need to aim high if we are to be
successful in influencing UK psychiatry. In particular, right now
the College is finalising a draft curriculum on Basic
Specialist Training and the MRCPsych examinations. This is
work that has been going on for some time, and the publication of
the new curriculum will shape UK psychiatry for a good many years
to come. The SIG, being newly established, has not been party to
the re-drafting of the curriculum and we are concerned that
spirituality and religion should be properly included; the SIG
Educational Objectives Working Group is currently liaising with the
College and we will be reporting on the progress of our proposals
in the next Newsletter.
Apart from our one-day meetings, we are involved in public
events. The residential conference in Ripon, Yorkshire, August
23rd-26th, 'Beyond the Brain - Scientific and Spiritual
Aspects of Meditation' was felt to have been a great
success (a full report of this will be included in the next
Newsletter). On May 14th next, we are holding a joint conference
with the RSM. The programme is entitled 'The Place of
Spirituality in Psychiatry'. We are also busy planning our
contribution to the College meeting in Cardiff in 2002, with
workshops and formal presentations.
Do write in if you have comments, book reviews, would like to
contribute an article, or with ideas for the further development of
the SIG. And if you are free on November 8th, book your place early
with Sue Duncan. It promises to be a very interesting programme and
it will be good to see you there.
With best wishes,
Andrew Powell