subject: Dealing With Depression Is Easy [print this page] Dealing With Depression Is Easy Dealing With Depression Is Easy
Scientific method For Dealing with Depression
When we're dealing with depression or any emotional pain, we normally think of our waking state of consciousness as a single state of mind. If we're awake all day, as most of us are, we tend to think of this as one single experience -- one state of consciousness. Although we can have many moods and emotions, still we think of it all as only one conscious, waking state.
But the ancient, prehistoric, people who invented the Sanskrit language, had a far different idea. They devised a very scientific formula, describing how the mind works.
The Sanskrit Language splits-up our normal waking state into three separate and distinct states of mind.
The Sanskrit names are: 1. Rajas -- 2. Sattva -- 3. and Tomas.
The English translation would be: 1. Passion -- 2. Goodness -- 3. and Ignorance
Accordingly, all emotional pain comes from the states of mind called Rajas and Tomas. Sattva is a pro-active state of mind where emotional pain not exist. And we enter each of these separate and distinct states of mind because of what we're thinking. Very simply, thinking thoughts of greed and anger produces Rajas. Thinking thoughts of fear and depression produce Tomas.
Then while in Rajas, for example, if our desires are thwarted, the emotional pain from anger or greed results. And while in the state of Tomas, if our state of well being or self esteem are threatened, the emotional pain of fear and depression result.
This simple, scientific truth, know from prehistoric times, can lead us to a simple method of dealing with depression and all emotional pain immediately. But in the beginning these three (3) sates of consciousness don't seem too important. We will discover, however, as a scientific fact from the laboratory of our own life, all emotional pain can be pacified very quickly by forcing the mind into the middle path, Sattva. This knowledge is essential.
It meant the difference for me, of ending my emotional pain immediately or prolonging this pain and suffering for a long time: that is, many months, years, or even a lifetime.
In order to make the first and really profound point about this scientific psychology, we will get away from the subject briefly. Instead we will discuss the relationship between ancient Sanskrit and ancient Greek. Although this seems totally unrelated to dealing with depression, it's really profound. Many scholars believe that ancient Sanskrit is the oldest of all languages. That it's actually the Parent or Grandparent of all modern language.
But in particular, it's closely related to ancient Greek. Some words are the same. But more importantly, ancient Greek and Sanskrit use the exact same grammar rules. And although it's not important to our discussion now, Ancient Latin and Sanskrit use some of the same words too, and also the exact same rules of grammar.
In the West, we think of the ancient, Greek civilization as being highly developed, both intellectually and culturally. That entire area of the world is considered the cradle of modern civilization. This is a really boring subject but very quickly we will show it's profoundly important for dealing with depression.
Aristotle, for example, was an ancient Greek who lived about 2,500 years ago. There are some very profound aspects of his intellect. There are even some theories on the internet, that he was way too intelligent to be an ordinary earth bound human. Instead these people are claiming Aristotle is actually a being from outer space, who landed here by space craft.
Aristotle wrote the book, Poetics. And according to Lew Hunter, who taught Creative Screenwriting 434, at the University of Southern California, "Nobody in the past 2,500 years has been able to come up with a better formula for telling a story." So everyone who took Lew Hunter's modern, screenwriting class was required to use the writing rules established in Aristotle's Poetics.
Aristotle's rules for logic are famous around the world with Lawyers, mathematicians, and others. Many believe that nobody in the past 2,500 years has been able to add very much to Aristotle's rules of logic.
And Aristotle's book, Physics was taught in European Universities up until the time of Sir Isiac Newton in the late 17th Century. But Aristotle's Physics still interests modern science. Newton Laws of Physics have now been updated with Quantum Physics. Quantum Physics is not something entirely new.
Steven Hawking, had Sir Isiac Newton's old job at Cambridge for thirty years, taking up the post in 1979 and retiring on 1 October 2009. Hawking had a runaway best seller, which stayed on the bestsellers list for a record-breaking 237 weeks -- almost 5 years. In this book he says, that based on the electron microscope, at the core of all mater is something resembling thought.
This conforms Aristotle's theory, that matter does not exist at the core of actual existence. Instead there's something metaphysical: that is, non physical. This is useful in explaining the modern concept of phantom electrons. All this has nothing to do with Aristotle's theory for dealing with depression. But it does establish Aristotle as an expert in various fields.
Consequently the reader will personally experience the profound implication, Aristotle was also an expert in psychology. Now that we've mentioned some of the phenomenal accomplishments of Aristotle, we can at last get back to dealing with depression. And specifically we want to talk about Aristotle's Psychology.
We do not believe in the past 2,500 years that very many have been able to improve on Aristotle's Psychology. We know about Aristotle's method for dealing with depression, because he wrote extensively on the subject in his book, called Ethics.
Ancient Greek and Ancient Sanskrit are similar languages. So Aristotle probably didn't invent this Psychology. We believe he simply re-established the ancient Sanskrit Philosophy already existent in Greek Civilization. We are of course not trying to take anything from Aristotle.
The people who probably invented this system of Scientific psychology for dealing with depression and other emotional pain were probably the prehistoric people who gave us Sanskrit. But it was probably so embedded in Greek culture, there was no reason to give them credit for it.
In the Eighth Chapter of Aristotle's NICOMECHAN ETHICS, he presents a chart, showing exactly how the mind works for dealing with depression as well as other emotional pain. It's the Sanskrit science of three separate and distinct states of mind inherent within the normal waking state of consciousness -- same as Sanskrit. This has everything to do with dealing with depression.
Aristotle calls them:
1. Excess Energy --- 2. Mean or Balanced Energy --- 3. Deficient Energy
Although it's the exact same theory as Sanskrit Psychology, found in the Indian writings, Aristotle doesn't give any credit to Sanskrit. And of course he doesn't call them by their Sanskrit terms.
This process for dealing with depression is so simple that even a six year-old can easily understand dealing with depression. So although this sounds like a vary complicated subject, it's actually very simple and easy to learn.
And when we understand this simple, scientific psychology, we discover what might be termed the Marshal Arts method of dealing with depression.
The mind can't be controlled entirely by will power. Trying to control the mind with will power is like trying to control the wind.
Trying to control the mind with will power is like trying to control diarrhea. Yes, will power works on diarrhea for a little while. But we all know what happens. Eventually we all know what happens.
The same thing happens when we try to control the mind with will power. For example, try controlling depression with will power. Yes, it works for a little while. We can pull ourselves up by the boot-straps, keep a stiff upper lip and pretend everything is okay but eventually we're right back to our depression.
Or we can use will power to take action, go to a concert, go jogging or whatever. But as soon as we stop taking that action, we're right back to our depression. So will power for dealing with depression is good, but the problem is -- will power just doesn't go far enough! Sometimes we are even too depressed to take action.
Aristotle's system of Scientific Psychology, however, is the Marshal Arts system for dealing with depression.
In the marshal arts, it's not entirely about strength. It's about combining one's own strength with the strength of the opponent. When we watch a marshal arts demonstration, it looks like the person flipping the other person has tremendous strength. What we're really watching is the strength of both fighters harnessed scientifically into one.
In the same way, Aristotle's system of scientific psychology for dealing with depression, doesn't depend on the strength of will power alone. Yes, will power is necessary. But success in overcoming any emotional pain depends on using the mind's own energy.
Accordingly, the pain and suffering of depression comes form the mind having entered Tomas, the Deficient Energy state.
The depression is not caused by events in the outside world as most depressed people imagine. So the solution is to bring the mind back to the Mean or Balanced Energy state. And depression is pacified!
The practice of Virtue, according the Aristotle, is the key. By practicing virtue, the minds own energy is harnessed. This combined with our own will power is what produces the amazing victory. Using will power to practice the virtue of thankfulness or gratitude, for example, reverses the currents of the mind that cause depression. We will discover by experimenting in the laboratory of our own life, this is the best way for dealing with depression.
As we practice gratitude, the involuntary, reactive, and instinctual force causing depression become weaker. There is a corresponding and directly proportional, lessening of the emotional pain. Within only a few minutes of practice, the depression will move from extreme pain, to mild, and then finally the pain will end all together. This happens almost immediately -- in the course of just minutes or seconds.
What happened to the depression? It disappears into a space like vacuity. It's like magic for dealing with depression. By practicing the of virtue, gratitude our mind is -- sucked in -- so to speak -- to the Balanced Energy State of Mind. In this state of mind, we'll discover, it's scientifically impossible to experience any form of emotional pain.
But it's important to note. If a person is totally depressed because of a love relationship, or serious unemployment problems, etc., the practice of virtue will not sound like anything useful for dealing with depression. This is because the depressed person has nothing to be grateful. If they did, he or she would not be depressed in the first place.
So at first glance the person has nothing to be grateful. And consequently, there is no way to apply gratitude.
Please do not despair. It's necessary to learn how to be grateful. This only takes a few hours to learn and it's costs nothing. But in order to actually practice gratitude, it's necessary to gain a deep understanding of what causes depression.
When we examine more closely, we will discover the events in the outside world, are not really the problem. The problem is really inside the mind. The problem of all emotional pain is one of the opposite extremes. In the case of depression, it's the Deficient Energy State of mind. That's the bad news.
Here's the good news. Thoughts of virtue automatically open the door of the Mean or Balanced Energy state of consciousness. Accordingly, the Mean or Balanced Energy State of Mind holds the key to true happiness.
Aristotle says, "True happiness lies in the middle of these two opposite extremes."
The two opposite extremes are first, Excess of Energy. True happiness is of course, a happiness that doesn't depend on any physical thing or event to happen.
Although we can't always change the material world, once we learn how to be grateful, we can always practice gratitude. Then we can effectively produced a, "Change of thinking sedative!" It's is just as fast acting and effective as a drink, pill or drug. Although this might at first sound absurd, we shall find by experimenting in the laboratory of our own mind, all emotional pain can be pacified very quickly.
The basic Antidotes for Dealing with Depression and All Emotional Pain are:
1. Wishing love is the antidote for anger.
2. Renunciation is the antidote for Greed.
3. Gratitude is the antidote for depression.
4. Faith or Heroic Stance is the antidote for fear.
