Does depression have to do with something spiritually?

[Iroh_94]

Hello everyone,

It might not be the best forum to post this but it covers the general theme of my question. First some background information.

I have been for the last half year pretty much depressed and going to a therpist soon. This is the third time in my life that I have been emotionally ill. Even though this time it is different.

"normally" when I am depressed it I lose my 'sense of spirituality' however, this time it is still present but in a different way.

So my question is. Does depression has a influence on your spiritual sense and/or is it related? When i meditate now it is like I am meditating an entire different person and it is not like I have seen before. Or what are people thoughts about the subject? Curious and open to other peoples opinion!

[JustBe]

Depression, whichever type you suffer from, is associated with your mind/body/spirit connection. It can also be associated to the environment as well. If you are aware of yourself moving through the changes and growth each cycle of depression was revealing, you would notice the differences in how much of you has moved through deeper into yourself to source that centeredness, your able to tap into now. If your not someone consciously aware of the changes and movements within it would be harder to be aware of this. Where as your now noticing oncebout of those other periods because you have a comparison. Earlier in your process, it was overshadowed by the cloud of depression.

I’ve noticed that the reason I was able to see change through my process earlier was simply because my depression was more situational. It wasnt that big dark foreboding void many enter and cannot rise from until its entered. They are often unaware they entering the fullness of their painbody and emptiness as one big dive. Until your aware that your emptiness is complete, it can be hard for many in this way to see the light

Through my own cycles I’ve noticed those points in myself where the void of depression, or darkness is there, I had enough awareness through each level of going deeper into my true self, to be able to not enter it. As your balance of pain/suffering and your true self merges you get stronger and more able to see that the light never disappears even as the darker void of depression clouds your abilities to notice more of you that is beyond the depression itself.

Your becoming aware of your change, your internal balance and it’s affects in new ways.

It might pay to lookup on how the mind works.

'Tinybuddha' is a great resource.

[Unseeking Seeker]

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Depression

Doctor says check out and balance hormonal chemistry

Krishnamurthy says get to the root of the thought, the source and face it head on, looking it in the eye, knowing that all negativity and contractions are illusions of the egoic mind.

Meditation school says recognise the false self associated with outcomes from the true self, too lost in prayer, too engrossed in the divine dance, too much in love being love Itself and then ... hey! Where is that depression?

Please try all, not necessarily in the same order!

Hope this helps

***

[Rah nam]

I see depression as a conflict between body/mind and spirit.

[Shivani Devi]

I see depression as the lack of creative expression, with both terms being the opposite of each other...depression/expression.

In a lot of cases, as in mine, depression is caused by "holding back" or "holding out" due to fear or social conditioning/upbringing.

We fear that other people won't accept our ideas and opinions (or us as worthwhile people because we identify with them), so we keep them to ourselves.

We fear that we are "not good enough" to do a certain thing, so we don't do it.

We have plans to do all these amazing things, but our "comfort zone" has just become WAY too comfortable. The brain has lost some of its neuroplasticity and resilience to the tolerance of distress; eg "you know, I would LOVE to do it, but it is just too hard/demanding/raining/too far to travel/too noisy/people I don't like are going to be there..." *insert ANY excuse your mind will accept*.

After a while of doing this, the whole personality totally introverts, resulting in depression.

What is required is an initial and constant motivational force called an "activation force" which, in the beginning, it would be like somebody has just asked you to climb Mt Everest...without the use of your legs.

However, just take it slow and easy and if any attempt is even MADE, it is better than no attempt at all, but don't beat yourself up because you "failed to do it" because "failing to do it" means doing nothing at all and letting all those excuses win....again!

Depression is your spirit crying out and saying "If only the world could hear me, but I have no power to make that happen". It is about things not going the way you WANT them to, so you don't even try anymore...you just lay down like a beaten horse and wait to die.

...but given rest, nourishment, gentle exercise and no more whippings, slowly and surely, strength will be regained and then you can say "I don't want to live my life on the racetrack anymore...I want to go out where all the wild horses are and be free".

Love your post again, SD - thanks

[Unseeking Seeker]

Originally Posted by janielee

Love your post again, SD - thanks

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+ 1

& if I may add, wait not for the Creator as in imagined form for His Light is already within us and rebuff not outstretched helping hands, for those hands as are our hands, are of the Creator Himself.

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Originally Posted by Rah nam

I see depression as a conflict between body/mind and spirit.

Can you elaborate, Rah nam?

JL

Thanks

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. Khalil Gibran