Uncaused Depression is a sign of Spiritual Growth; Celebrate it! Embrace it!
Hello Friends,
What do we do whenever we are confronted with a situation that plunges us into depression? We may try hard to set things right by removing the cause of unhappiness. That's natural. By all means we should do it. If we are successful, we are done with it and the matter happily ends there.
What if we cannot do much about the situation? We continue to feel bad. Some try to brush it aside. Others may try to deny that they are unhappy but with little success. Those who do not deny may, at times, indulge in something else: self pity. Indulgence in self pity is often very tempting - it gives a false sense of relief. It actually reinforces the psychic pain within us. Can you think of other alternatives? Blaming others?
In all the alternative responses described above, there is one common thread: that of resistance to the pain of unhappiness, struggle or fighting it. Especially when it is not in our hands to change our circumstances.
I have to state from my own experience of dealing with depression in my life that there is yet another approach to this: just accept the depression, feel it closely, observe what it's doing to you internally, focus your attention on it, without any analysis of the cause of the depression. It may appear difficult, rather even a ridiculous thing to do, but do try it. In some hours, you might find a space between yourself and the depression. In time it certainly will loose its severity. It can actually melt away. But the moment you lapse into the thoughts of what caused this unhappiness, how it could have been avoided or whom to blame, you've lost it. Please remember this catch.
We do not realize it, but our resistance to depression or anxiety, actually increases the pain!
This posture suggested by me works best (and it is actually easier) when we confront UNCAUSED DEPRESSION. All of us would have felt depressed, low or in a bad mood, for no reason at all. Our normal reactions to such a state include distraction, getting busy, in the hope that the depression will fade away. Worse, we might try to fabricate 'causes' for this unhappiness, and see who or what can be blamed for this state. That too is tempting; it gives a false sense of comfort, but internally, the pain accumulates.
I had written a post in this blog titled: "We 'create' UNHAPPINESS for us all the time" (Series 19 on December, 25, 2013). Those interested can read it: please click here.
You will find a more detailed explanation of this UNCAUSED DEPRESSION in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? Depression, angst, meaninglessness, emptiness, sense of void, fear of death, all of these are manifestations of the true human condition, at the very core of our existence. Humans have learnt to keep themselves distracted from feeling this FUNDAMENTAL UNHAPPINESS by doing a thousand things, many of them important, some seemingly important, the rest plain mundane stuff.
So, many of us escape noticing this basic truth of human existence and lead what they think is a 'contended life'. Many get hints of it, and avoid it by getting 'busy', entertaining themselves (for they were probably experiencing 'boredom' or 'loneliness'). As I have stated before, some may get into the more destructive mode of falsely 'creating' external reasons for this suffering. Finally, some who have the courage to acknowledge that their depression has no external cause may wonder what to do and even end up with psychiatrists.
This basic human condition has been captured beautifully in many outstanding works of art, literature, movies, even architecture!
My years of experience with depression have taught me that such UNCAUSED DEPRESSION is actually not a mental disease. It is a sign of early SPIRITUAL GROWTH. A psychiatrist will try to pull you down through medication or counselling or both, to help you again feel like other 'normal' people who do not feel depressed like you. That, at best, works only for some time.
Instead of being pushed down, the remedy is to allow yourself to grow further, and enjoy the bliss of FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS! And, full acknowledgement followed by dropping all struggle or resistance to this pain is the first step.
This is one of those dilemmas that humanity is not ready to face. We are trained, both by instinct and experience, to move away from pain. On the contrary, I am suggesting that you move into the pain! That, ironically, is the truth.
Friends, this is not a one time exercise to cure yourself of depression. The new found peace and joy has to be continuously renewed by maintaining the stance: the stance of surrender. It is a life long journey into a new world.
Yes, there is no way out of this unhappiness. The way is only through it! This is not only my own experience, but has been documented by many. The complications arise when bombastic words and concepts are used in spiritual literature. This complication drives people away from any talk of spirituality. Many confuse it with the occult! Really speaking, the process of moving up the spiritual ladder is a straightforward process.
Most think spirituality is religion. What I write about is plain non-religious spirituality. Yet, while you practice it, you are free to continue with your religious beliefs. You can also continue with your usual, practical life, but with a more aware stance. That makes all the difference.
Tell me, should we not celebrate depression? Try it the next time you feel depressed, especially without reason.
In all the alternative responses described above, there is one common thread: that of resistance to the pain of unhappiness, struggle or fighting it. Especially when it is not in our hands to change our circumstances.
I have to state from my own experience of dealing with depression in my life that there is yet another approach to this: just accept the depression, feel it closely, observe what it's doing to you internally, focus your attention on it, without any analysis of the cause of the depression. It may appear difficult, rather even a ridiculous thing to do, but do try it. In some hours, you might find a space between yourself and the depression. In time it certainly will loose its severity. It can actually melt away. But the moment you lapse into the thoughts of what caused this unhappiness, how it could have been avoided or whom to blame, you've lost it. Please remember this catch.
We do not realize it, but our resistance to depression or anxiety, actually increases the pain!
This posture suggested by me works best (and it is actually easier) when we confront UNCAUSED DEPRESSION. All of us would have felt depressed, low or in a bad mood, for no reason at all. Our normal reactions to such a state include distraction, getting busy, in the hope that the depression will fade away. Worse, we might try to fabricate 'causes' for this unhappiness, and see who or what can be blamed for this state. That too is tempting; it gives a false sense of comfort, but internally, the pain accumulates.
I had written a post in this blog titled: "We 'create' UNHAPPINESS for us all the time" (Series 19 on December, 25, 2013). Those interested can read it: please click here.
You will find a more detailed explanation of this UNCAUSED DEPRESSION in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? Depression, angst, meaninglessness, emptiness, sense of void, fear of death, all of these are manifestations of the true human condition, at the very core of our existence. Humans have learnt to keep themselves distracted from feeling this FUNDAMENTAL UNHAPPINESS by doing a thousand things, many of them important, some seemingly important, the rest plain mundane stuff.
So, many of us escape noticing this basic truth of human existence and lead what they think is a 'contended life'. Many get hints of it, and avoid it by getting 'busy', entertaining themselves (for they were probably experiencing 'boredom' or 'loneliness'). As I have stated before, some may get into the more destructive mode of falsely 'creating' external reasons for this suffering. Finally, some who have the courage to acknowledge that their depression has no external cause may wonder what to do and even end up with psychiatrists.
This basic human condition has been captured beautifully in many outstanding works of art, literature, movies, even architecture!
My years of experience with depression have taught me that such UNCAUSED DEPRESSION is actually not a mental disease. It is a sign of early SPIRITUAL GROWTH. A psychiatrist will try to pull you down through medication or counselling or both, to help you again feel like other 'normal' people who do not feel depressed like you. That, at best, works only for some time.
Instead of being pushed down, the remedy is to allow yourself to grow further, and enjoy the bliss of FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS! And, full acknowledgement followed by dropping all struggle or resistance to this pain is the first step.
This is one of those dilemmas that humanity is not ready to face. We are trained, both by instinct and experience, to move away from pain. On the contrary, I am suggesting that you move into the pain! That, ironically, is the truth.
Friends, this is not a one time exercise to cure yourself of depression. The new found peace and joy has to be continuously renewed by maintaining the stance: the stance of surrender. It is a life long journey into a new world.
Most think spirituality is religion. What I write about is plain non-religious spirituality. Yet, while you practice it, you are free to continue with your religious beliefs. You can also continue with your usual, practical life, but with a more aware stance. That makes all the difference.
Tell me, should we not celebrate depression? Try it the next time you feel depressed, especially without reason.
Cheers!
Deepak Chatterjee
chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944
@Deepak33C
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