Luís Portela, President of the BIAL Foundation - "Perhaps there could be a breakthrough in the area of ​​spirituality, carried out by science [...]".

The serenity of his words invites thought and reflection. With a visionary career in healthcare, Luís Portela, President of the BIAL Foundation, honors us with a conversation where science and spirituality intersect, reflecting a scientific journey that has made inroads into human history.

“It has been very rewarding for us to be able to support scientific knowledge and medicine in general over the past 31 years.”

The BIAL Foundation is celebrating its 31st anniversary and is a nationally and internationally recognized institution, particularly in the fields of neuroscience and parapsychology research. Has this mission of encouraging the scientific study of human beings, both physically and spiritually, been an enriching journey?
It's been a great pleasure for us to be able to support scientific knowledge and medicine in general over the past 31 years. We have three awards: the BIAL Award for Clinical Medicine, the BIAL Award in Biomedicine, and the Maria de Sousa Award, which encourage scientific development in general, in the health sciences. Over the years, we've recognized some of the most notable physicians and researchers in Portugal and have recognized top individuals worldwide. It's also a great pleasure to have created a system of scientific research grants covering two areas where we believe there's still much to explore: Neuroscience and Parapsychology. We've already supported more than 800 projects, involving approximately 1,900 researchers, which is something that makes me very pleased. In some cases, there are very interesting results published in scientific journals that aren't yet widely known. But science is like that, and over the next few decades, things will become known and disseminated.

Through the BIAL Foundation, are you leaving part of your legacy?
I don't see things that way. Since I was a child, I've developed the habit of trying to do things as well as possible. He wanted a career in medicine and research; I really enjoyed the contact with patients, students, and the university environment, but my father's premature death at age 50, when I was 21, changed my life, and I ended up choosing to leave my career as a medical researcher to dedicate myself to the company and honor the memory of my grandfather and my father, continuing the beautiful work they had done, of which I was very proud. Therefore, throughout my life, I've tried to do things well, to be correct and good at what I tried to do. Not "goody-goody," not "wimpy," I never liked taking on that role, but to be a correct, good person. And then we'll see. If people benefit, if they don't, I'm no longer thinking about it.

And is it possible to look at spirituality through the lens of science?
Yes, I believe it's possible and desirable. For a long time, people separated the two—what belongs to religion belongs to religion, what belongs to science belongs to science—and spirituality was left behind. [...] Fortunately, in recent decades, some researchers began to emerge who, under the rigor of the scientific method, began studying phenomena described since ancient times as miracles or mysteries, and people began trying to understand what they were. Understanding what thought transmission, telepathy, and various phenomena were. This, in my view, has laid the foundations for what the 21st century could be, in which perhaps there may be a breakthrough in the area of ​​spirituality, driven by science, that can help people better understand what they are doing on earth, better understand who they are in essence. And there will be no reason for us to keep jostling, exterminating people, animals, and plants. I think it will be up to science to pioneer this area. I have some hope that it is through science that humanity can gain sufficient enlightenment to behave in a more balanced way on the surface of the earth [...].

At age 12, he asked to stop going to Mass, feeling that the answers he received through a Catholic education didn't satisfy his curiosity. Did his medical degree and science studies help him find these answers?
When I was that age, I was deeply impressed by the fact that humanity, from a faith-based perspective, accepted anything and everything. I couldn't explain it; it was called a miracle, a mystery... and everything was accepted. That was from a faith-based perspective. But this same humanity, from a scientific perspective, rejected things. And I found it a bit strange. What kind of humanity is this that seems to live at opposite ends of the spectrum? [...] And it seemed to me that, in fact, the middle path was appropriate. Accepting the phenomena described in antiquity, as they are, but studying them and understanding whether they are fantasy or real, and what kind of rational explanation might exist for them. [...] That was my sense of seeking discovery in my youth, and that's why I went into medicine and research, to break new ground and contribute something to helping people better understand what life is and our involvement on this planet Earth. [...]

The pandemic has undeniably brought about a social upheaval, particularly in how we view ourselves as human beings, nature, and health. Do you believe science is prepared to support a shift in mindset toward what is natural?
I think people realized that the pandemic situation was related to the misuse of free will, of humanity, which, in my opinion, is very intoxicated with materiality. [...] There are many things people have become accustomed to doing that don't make much sense. Seeking the easy exacerbation of the senses, hyperconsumerism, the rampant hypermaterialism we live in. And so I think people have considered that there really are values ​​that go beyond that. [...] I believe that in the post-pandemic era, it's natural for more scientists to engage in research in these areas. More people are seeking to reconnect with themselves in a different way than before, but there are also more scientists, coming from psychology, mathematics, philosophy, and physics, who are considering the usefulness of research in these areas. What I hope is that in the 21st century, human beings in general will turn more toward themselves, toward nature, toward a harmonious way of being on Earth, and that scientists can contribute in this regard by investigating areas that have been left behind. [...] It seems to me that science can make a significant contribution here, so that humanity can have a more harmonious presence on Earth's surface.

We're witnessing a search for slow living, for the earth, for organic products, for looking inward. Can spirituality be a path to human personal development, to live in peace, without anxiety, and with full attention? How can we reach this place?
I think that when you glimpse life from a spiritual dimension, you tend to have a broader perspective on things. We tend to minimize physical facts, not overvalue them. […] I think it's important for people, once or twice a year, to meditate a little, to ponder deeply what they're doing here. […] No less important is, in our daily lives, to take 10 or 15 minutes to consider whether what we did in the last 24 hours is in line with our major life goals, or if we strayed, if we did things we consider wrong. And in that case, what we can do to avoid making those mistakes. I think this is a beautiful way to be in life. […] I think that when we go through a process like this, with sincerity, honesty, and transparency with ourselves, there will come a day when we look back and say: I overcame that defect of mine. I overcame myself. It's no longer part of me. And these are moments of great spiritual vibrancy. […]

How do you arrive at this examination of conscience? Are there different ways? Because we're all different...
I think relaxation techniques and meditation, which are now popular in various schools, are very useful for reconnecting with ourselves. I personally enjoy reconnecting with myself through relaxation, meditation, and silence. But I admit that some people prefer to reconnect with themselves through prayer, or listening to music, or simply syncopated sounds, focusing on their own breathing. I think it's important to set aside those 15 minutes to reconnect with yourself every day. I believe that mental cleansing is absolutely essential, perhaps more essential than the physical cleansing we adopt as a habit. But the important thing is to make the journey, to focus on being better.

“I consider mental hygiene to be absolutely essential.”

You've written a dozen bestselling books on spirituality. What motivates you in your social and scientific role in this field?
I think one of the most beautiful things in life is learning. If we want to, we learn every day. […] And I enjoy that. And at a certain point, I felt I had no right to keep to myself what life teaches me, so I began to enjoy sharing. […] For 17 years, I wrote opinion pieces for Jornal de Notícias, and that's what gave me the habit of writing. Then, some of those compiled articles became my first books, and I've already published ten books. I write with great pleasure. […] The meaning is, above all, sharing.

He has been decorated several times, including as Commander of the Order of Merit, awarded four Honoris Causa, and received the Neuroscience Award from Louisiana State University… To what extent does this materialization of recognition take on importance in your life?
I think it's wonderful to see recognition from others. I've received three State decorations, four Honorary Doctorates, and other Portuguese and foreign distinctions, and I've truly felt deeply cherished by society in general. We must be careful not to get carried away by this, but it's good to feel the affection of others, to feel that others notice the effort we're making and appreciate it.

Besides the pleasure of reading and writing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time? What is a luxury for you?
I really enjoy being with my family. I'm a family man; I take great pleasure in being with my wife, my children, my daughters-in-law, and my nine grandchildren. I also enjoy being with friends, of course. And I really enjoy being in contact with nature, a lot. [...] For over 25 years, I've enjoyed cycling, especially when I can cross the forest, walk along the seashore or riverbank. Or walking, which I also really enjoy. Now that I'm retired, I cycle or walk almost every day.

What's your favorite book?
There are many books I really enjoyed, but I'll mention one that's little known, especially in the West, but it's such a beautiful, beautiful book... It's called "The Book of the Perfect Way," by Lao-Tzu. It's a book written a few millennia ago and is incredibly relevant today. Lao-Tzu's truths are the truths of today.

He's a northerner, and the north has a particular taste for good food. What are your favorite dishes?
I stopped eating meat many years ago. Eating the carcass of a warm-blooded animal started to shock me a little. It doesn't mean it's a sin, and I do eat it occasionally, but very rarely. If I go to a friend's house and they serve me meat, I'll eat it. But I eat fish and vegetarian dishes every day. I'm not very picky; I like to eat well. From simple things like good hake fillets or tomato rice, to garden rice, which is a delicacy for me. But also seafood rice, seafood açorda, lamprey, a good sea bass in salt…

Where do you find your balance and how do you apply spirituality in your life?
Once or twice a year, I try to redefine my coordinates, my life purpose, my major life goals. In my daily life, I practice meditation, connecting with myself and distancing myself from the whirlwind of things that surround us. From a serene and peaceful perspective, not selfish. I assume that universal harmony is something that exists permanently, always available to us all. But sometimes we get so distracted that it almost seems like this universal harmony doesn't exist. For me, it's important to spend 10 or 15 minutes with this harmony and try to extend it throughout the 24 hours of the day.

«I assume that universal harmony is something that exists permanently, always available to us all.»

Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Ana Nogueira