Chap 10

Curing Depression with Spirituality

Depression, according to recent statistics, is practically an epidemic, with over 70 million people suffering from its affects, such as a feeling of moroseness, uselessness, lack of energy, inability to sleep, and a poor attitude toward life in general, among other symptoms. Depression causes a pessimistic view of things. It also discourages enthusiasm and stifles one’s initiative. It may also produce despair and bring about sickness in the mind and body. It can make one resort to rash and thoughtless actions that a person may later regret. Much of the time, such thoughts are completely unnecessary. Thus, it is imperative that we help cure depression so that people can live with more happiness, and energy, and are thus able to reach a higher potential in life.

The reason for depression may be different for each person, and there are a variety of causes. Therefore, it must be analysed and understood. So what can we do to help cure such an attitude, as long as it is not a biological problem?

Spiritually, there are many ways to help take care of this condition. So let us take a deeper look at this.

Depression and Spirituality Components

There is often a feeling of disconnection when depressed, particularly when suicidal ideation is present. Life can feel meaninglessness, and there can be overarching wish that “I was not alive”. Conversely, years ago, when I thought life was not worth living, there was in me much more devotion and prayer activity at the same time. Craving for Divinity came also, at that time, with my craving for alcohol! It was a feeling of inner emptiness, (loss of pleasure), being filled with only fear, and reactivity to life around me. I felt like an alien in this world.

There is a concept of the “sick soul”, or for alcoholics it is a “spiritual disease of the soul”, (as per 12-step programs). There are lots of people who feel naturally connected with the world, and they have or are born with an inner resilience which is well balanced from the outset. This speaks to the findings about inherited disorders including “addictive personalities”. If one is not impulsive, and is steady on course to ones chosen career, relationships etc. then unnecessary trouble is kept at bay. On the other hand, those who are experiencing inner conflicts and/or strife in their environment will be lacking peace and serenity. The stage is set for mental disorders of depression/anxiety and obsessive behaviors. An original word was melancholia, as including the sense of incapacity for joyous experience. This is now one of two parts for the diagnosis of depression.

The low mood perhaps is experienced as active anguish, with a sort of psychical “deadness” not present in healthy life. Loathing, irritation and reactivity combined with fear, do not make for a happy life! Alongside is Anhedonia, being is the loss of enjoyment for what was previously enjoyable.

It is a dark experience, this depression. A black dog or black hole. Shame and blame then attaches itself, especially if there are episodes of substance abuse. Life can become a crisis, and the crisis mental health teams may well get involved if self-harm or suicide attempts occur.

So what is this disharmony of the individual soul and self, and the world? Why have dark emotions and crazy impulses, and why aren’t we full of positive, harmonious, and peaceful emotions?

What wrong with God’s creation would say those who are skeptical about a kind and loving Creator!

My disconnection propelled me into becoming a monk in India at age eighteen. Then into a career in mental health, along with, on and off personal experiences of depression and dependency type behaviors. My quest for self-understanding, of meaning, serenity and peace led me to surrender. Suicide was potentially an option, as for a very brief period my thoughts were very dark. Now there exists a Divine Grace, which draws me out of my ego based self-personality into the light of Truth.

I work,(as of 2022), with the depressed, the anxious, & those who have suicidal ideation. Many claim something “other” holds them back from death’s door, and offers hope. My depression led to disconnection with the world but not with God, and there remained an understanding inside that I would be all right. My Goddess is still with me, and I write elsewhere further of my personal pathway and belief system. (Which is more based on ancient practices from the East, but includes Multi-faith components).

The disorders or mental health issues connect me to my quest, through complex interweaving of soul and Cosmic Soul, leading to my Practical Enlightenment. (Not just a spiritual trip, but also a space where I can realistically serve others in my Realistic Realization space).

Yes, my sense of healing is Goddess derived for She is my Deity. I have however no difficulties with other beliefs as I am Multi Faith.

Meaning can exist in the depth of the dark places. The sick soul can find the healing light and receive the Divine Grace.

A long and painful process can be bypassed with the help of Guides and Gurus. It can be done in this life!

I saw the possibility of happiness but it is not the ordinary happiness. It is Ananda, the Bliss of Consciousness. Along with spiritual consciousness as Chit, and spiritual Truth as Sat.

Sat, Chit, Ananda. The end product or desired result from the study and practice of Vedanta.

Happiness is something vastly complex, and includes the “dark forces”, because it subjugates then, not eliminates them.

Evil or Satan cannot be separate from the Divine Oneness, otherwise there would not be a monotheistic God, only Duality. This is an issue or problem that Buddhism and Hinduism do not seem to have much interest in. (Even if they seem to have multiple gods). “Idol worship”, does not necessarily mean that the worshiper is Dualistic in faith. It’s the fundamentalists that seek to criticize other beliefs!

Natural evil is not a stumbling-block when it swallowed up in the Deity of one’s choice.

Healing and harmony can take place not by denying or ignoring, but by treating professionally when indicated, whilst working to undermine the causative darkness and find a pathway that ensures a return to the Light. It is still for me about what one essentially is, a Divine Being yoked with the Cosmic Consciousness.

Fear and reactivity

What happens when all noticeable mental health issues are resolved, including even mild to moderate. What is left may still be negative as far as “complete” mental health goes.

Fear and Reactivity.

These two always disturb ones serenity and peace.

What can one do?

If we are embedded in our spiritual centre, we are without fear, and can mix in the world at ease.

We will not accept fear and remain resistant to our reactivity.

This realized or enlightened space is a transition period even for the highly developed spiritual practitioner, because we are still in human form and still experience and display emotions. Surely, we are only talking about a small percentage that have that perfect state of realization?

The ancient sages & seers would say otherwise, that we are all by nature Divine Beings, and therefore by nature can be free. Perfectly so!

Being free, means freedom from the two items of fear and resistance, but much more.

I am discussing these two in order to drill down to a sense of what this process requires.

In our claim of oneness with the Divine or Cosmic Consciousness, we have various ways of expressing the Truth of Life. In my personal philosophy, I agree with the statements espoused in Vedanta, the ancient philosophical practice from India. The core place to be as far as Vedanta is concerned is to be in awareness of Sat, Chit, Ananda. (Existence, Knowledge. Bliss). It is found in the “witness state”. It is much more focused than “mindfulness”.

However, this view espoused by many spiritual practitioners, is also in the domain of a variety of religious and spiritual teachers in their esoteric teachings. For instance within the domain of Sufism or Mahayana Buddhism.

When we seek to remove the old ways through our practice, at the same time our guides, angels, or our Deity of choice moves towards us. Just as we move towards It/He/She/Them. We still get life experiences, but they are always what we need to learn through, and what we need to shine our Divinity through. We then exist in a different world, which is still the one we leave! (How does that work)?

It is all about our vibration, the expression of our soul as its enlightened self.

Therefore, we accept. We do not react. We do not fear. We deal with life and function. Then G.O.D. equals Good Orderly Direction.

As far as change goes, we accept it, but do not hasten or dramatize it. We see and probably experienced change in a much gentler fashion. However, we do not sit around saying: “its karma, man”. Alternatively: “what will be what will be”. We act and do so dynamically in times we needed to do so, when “righteous reaction” is called for. (Think of events in the Bible or the Bhagavat Gita).

We are called to transform ourselves and this world around us. We will not tolerate the darkness in all its forms. We encounter destiny as part of our realization, and that can be in the middle of a busy world, not in some cave.

We are called to serve when we accept our spiritual journey. It is not though about going out and running a soup kitchen for the homeless.  That may bring us kudos in this and the afterlife, and make us feel good now. True service is not motivated by ego decisions.

Growth can occur through all experience and your presence in all circumstances. Remember it is about not radiating fear or reactivity. That alone is service. Otherwise, one is just looking for the method of how to be “a good person all round”.

Until this connection with the Divine occurs, the ego base self continues to look for answers through different channels. That may include therapy, treatment or medication. (Which often helps the earth bound personality). The issue here though, is finally overcoming the confusions of self, along with the manifestations of psychological disturbance, from its root. This issue is about a switch to the full light of Truth, which brings release from all darkness.

Which brings us back to the beginning, the baseline ego based human experience of being fearful and reactive.

I have been willing to change.

The problem is, it took so long and I have gone backwards at times!

I think my Goddess understands that I have some capacity to change. It is a question of time and: “it works if you work at it”. (As per A.A.)

The thing you say is “I am willing to be met and to be helped”. I can do my bit it’s not much”. (Being humble)! Or: “I have a devotion and I hope that due to my prayers and meditations, repetition, and devotion to my mantra, that I will be met halfway”.

Met in truth.

The truth will prevail despite my efforts otherwise and despite my ego based searching/seeking and desire for a good presentation to others.

I suppose the good thing is that I accept my personal nonsense, and I am not grabbing onto it, while seeking to have a line to the Divine Consciousness which I believe will heal me.

I am available despite my best efforts to do otherwise. I am still available for my encounter. A relationship with the Divine

If I feel I cannot understand the past, there is no point in shame or guilt. So much happens, has happened, maybe will happen? I need to align it all to my Higher Power and realise my True self.

Therefore, I threw out the rubbish, but I did not go through it to see what I was chucking out. Rubbish. Just throw it out!

I know that in my True self there is no anger, or awful reactivity, (without “righteous” full reason).

I experience folly and some frustration. (Or rather amazement about my tendency to divert from the Light).

I may have been doing my best but can be, “happily engaged”, in negative thoughts behaviours and actions. The time has come. Let us move on and be free from all the nonsense.

That is move on from the darkness to the Light, and find not only honestly, but the honesty driven by the energy that I call Divine Grace.

We can change, you can change. We can be free together.

Sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, and more? No. I align myself to the Higher Power and yes I still really feel the distortions of my thoughts and behaviour. (I am the “Witness” and am “mindful” of those thoughts).

Yet I know that my Goddess power through Divine Grace will help me and support me and guide me to the next moment. Your Deity of choice will do so also.

In that I feel free enlightened as in: “lightened from my burdens”.

It is radical, this growth and ability to comprehend that there is nothing outside of the Cosmic Consciousness.

True reality is there, and it’s not to be thrown away, pushed away, or minimized.

However, I need to be party to doing the restorative works, which is not the same as floating on a cloud meeting a: “happy God who makes happy place”.

It is about your Divinity as much as mine. In addition, it is about Divinity of the world.

My service then is this is a service to myself, and I understand if I do not do this, then this lack of intention and drive will be my depression.

So I release all the lies and agree to allow that Grace to respond and wash over.

Accept all that has happened is years of learning, and that teachers are all people around, and all of life around.

I say yes to the Truth and now I will say I am a Divine

Being without notifying any authority to get “permission”.

I can only have the awareness of my day to day, moment to moment, the best state to be in.

I do this also with my mantra yoga, which uses the names of my dancing Deity, arising up as the Kundalini energy to break through and then free from the bodily chakras.

Overcoming depression.

In spite of what you feel in depression, it may be possible to overcome depression with treatment. Then also spiritual or religious “awakenings” could be considered. It is not a matter of point of view, or mental illness beliefs. If attitude is changed dramatically then “relief” can be dramatic. This seems to occur more in the “rock bottom moments” of say, alcoholism, when relief is experience after a “religious or spiritual” experience. Mind magnifies a problem and makes it impossible to move on.

There are techniques to stop this. By not listen to the promptings of the mind. Rejecting them. Modifying them, talking back to them. (Think C.B.T & A.C.T. therapy models). In 12-step progammes it’s about “stinky thinking”. Participants say, “I don’t go there”. (Into my mind).

A cure?

Spirituality may be able to cure all forms of depression completely. It has been said as so in 12-step programmes. Although participants will also say they are in recovery “one day at a time”’. Some facilities using this model do not allow residents to use medication, even if they had been on anti-depressants before entry.

Religious or spiritual conversions with total cures have happened. The odds are not great!

So saying this, (talking about “cures”), does not seem very useful!

Will it certainly help?

Developing oneself spiritually can lay some groundwork, so you change your view about the meaning of Life and the Universe.

That may allow you to rise above your issues. (All of them!)

Of course, treatment options cover physical or medical factors, psychological, and spiritual factors.

In counselling we get the client to say not just what is wrong but why. Seems too basic?

Calmly thinking over things is a good start. It is also the start of Problem Solving. Do it in writing. Reflect with another person (Hopefully less depressed!). Ideally the assistance of someone you trust, who will be empathetic and non-judgemental.

Spiritually: Here add a prayer for attaining the right help.

Your mind is saying problems cannot be solved and overcome. The Divine within you, and the loved ones around you, can effectively solve or dissolve all your problems. Or, at least help. Just do not give up.

Physical and Health Problems

Chronic physical pain often seems to go with the chronic mental pain. All aspects need to be treated.

Keep fit by participating in healthful activities. Exercise is invigorating both mentally and physically.

A good diet is very important the mind. It can be a journey in itself to find what works for you and what if any supplements have a benefit. Yoga is useful. Just sitting in a good posture or stretching helps