“Spirituality deserves a fundamental place in science”

Spirituality is an anchor for the pursuit of happiness and prosperity. Spirituality is human and nothing new, but we have forgotten it. We are conditioned and live in a certain context. There is no place for spirituality.

Words from Prof. Dr. Sharda Nandram that immediately make you think. On Friday, she gave her inaugural lecture at Nyenrode Business University titled: Spirituality: The Discipline for Doing Business with the Unknown. She now holds the chair of business and spirituality.

Spirituality goes beyond what we see, explains Nandram: Spirituality deserves a fundamental place as a scientific discipline. Each discipline needs a definition, a research method and a vision. Nandram relies on mathematics to show why this is necessary. “Mathematics also has unknown aspects. The character ‘infinity’ is there to deal with the infinite or the unknown. Spirituality is also in search of the unknown. This soft side of spirituality deserves a hard side that mathematics already has.

Intuition as a basis
The blurring of spirituality needs to become clearer, according to Nandram. Solving problems from a different level of consciousness, as she describes it. “We know how important intuition is for entrepreneurs. Intuition is the basis. It takes some courage. The more you search for it, the more it opens. The more you surrender, the more it comes to the surface. The more it comes to the surface, the more creativity there is, the faster solutions can be imagined.

His main objective with the chair is to further develop the discipline of spirituality. “People know it’s important, but they’re still stuck in the tube of rationality. That’s not where the spirituality is. Nandram wants to help people be open and embrace the unknown in business. She wants to give them a lens to achieve acceptance of the unknown in science and business.

source of innovation
“In the unknown lies an infinite source of innovation. This is where many entrepreneurs get their ideas and successes. Entrepreneurship starts with ideas that don’t yet exist. Entrepreneurs tap into their infinite resource. You need that edge over your competition. It sets you apart as an entrepreneur. You want to grow, to develop, so you need your intuition. Spirituality is the cornerstone, which leaves room for imagination. It’s just not measurable, but noticeable.”

Because the theme is not yet measurable, many people find it exciting to get started. Nandram: “What if they allow the unknown? How are they going to do it, how are they going to work together? What do they do ? How does it lead to solutions? At this level of being resides the potential of the unknown.

Lasting happiness
According to Nandram, all new scientific topics need fifteen to twenty years. Nandram says to be patient. “Entrepreneurship was also given this time. Spirituality takes courage and needs people who live it. I want to contribute to it with my work. I hope there will be more understanding of the phenomenon of spirituality and how it can serve long-lasting happiness and prosperity in every organization.