Mental Health and Spirituality
The state aspired for
The purpose of spirituality is to take you to the other end, much above what is considered normality. The normal person is functional and able to live his life, but is dependent on circumstances and situations, which may make him depressed, upset, excited etc. Mental health is considered only when you go below normal, typically states such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and the like. In spirituality, the purpose is to go above normal to inner peace, inner serenity, sanity, equanimity, being unperturbed, unagitated, no anxiety, no stress, being able to live life moment to moment and yet optimally effective. There may be trouble, but it will no longer trouble you. That is the goal of spirituality.
Shri Ramana Maharshi had no possessions – zero, zilch, nada, absolutely nothing. No house, no family, no relatives, no car, no degree, no clothes even, absolutely none. No place to call his own and yet he lived one of the most peaceful, blissful, happy lives. Conventional wisdom or worldly materialistic views call this “doing nothing”, “being crazy”. But he actually worked harder than everybody else. His shop was open 24×7, 365 days a year, throughout his life, up to his very last breath.
People came from nearby and all over the world to solve their difficulties, questions, problems, worries and his shop was always open to anybody and everybody. Of course he didn’t charge, but that does not mean he did not work. His state was supranormal – functional, aware, alert and yet no frustration, anxiety, depression, anger, greed. Even when he had cancer, there was no sadness, sorrow, grief, anger, frustration or restlessness. His shop was open even then. Hence we are referring to this state as supranormal – not something seen in daily life.
Relevance to mental health and sub-normal states
Can spirituality be used for subnormal cases – where the state of mind is below normal to the point of troubling normal functioning? Psychiatry has labeled these as anxiety, depression, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, mood swings etc.
The short answer is yes, the understanding and knowledge of spirituality can and should be used in these cases too. However, the key difference from conventional medicine is that the subject has to take initiative, interest and do the work themselves. It’s not something fed from outside except for guidance.
Spirituality is largely a long-term process yielding gradual results, not instant solutions. It needs steady, careful practice rather than expecting a big bang. Though rare instant solutions may occur.
As mentioned, this is mind management of the mind by the mind itself, and eventually mind transcendence. It’s tricky, long-term, but neither too hard nor impossible. The person needs to have sufficient awareness and alertness to start the journey. The goal is to improve awareness of your mental patterns, gain insight, and reside in awareness rather than be swayed by the mind. This reduces the mental push and pulls, leading to stability and equanimity.
The process of knowing oneself
Sachin is a middle-aged family man working in IT. Lately he has become extremely stressed with a poor state of mind. Small things like a plumber’s visit stress him high, triggering disproportionate reactions. He knows his reactions are excessive but doesn’t know why they happen or how to change them.
This shows superficial self-knowledge. We know ourselves at the surface but not why deeper reactions surface or how they originated. If you fully knew yourself, you could change the reactions. There’s a universe inside us that needs penetrating – the process of spirituality to cleanse these issues.
But it’s tricky, long-term, needs commitment. It’s not easy but not impossibly hard either.
Comprehensive three-pronged approach
The process has three aspects – Shastrasang, Sadhansang and Satsang. Shastrasang involves being with scriptures to understand reasoning and logic. Sadhansang is practice like yoga, meditation, devotional singing etc. that works on calming and quieting the mind. Satsang means being with spiritually elevated people which uplifts your own being.
A comprehensive approach is needed like learning tennis – understand theory, improve practice with a coach’s help. Shastrasang is learning, Sadhansang is actual practice, and Satsang is the coach’s guidance. Ad hoc efforts help a bit but not deeply or lastingly.
Medicine is palliative at best. Use it temporarily till spiritual practice means you don’t need it. Ramana Maharshi lived in bliss without any possessions or shield from elements, happy with whatever food came his way. Attachment to possessions causes stress and anxiety of losing them. The spiritual process takes these out over time.
The difficulties involved
It takes time to penetrate the mind’s layers completely. Many do a quick look and make incorrect conclusions or try to just understand intellectually. Confusions arise needing resolution. Persistent commitment is required, not just a meditation retreat or reading scripture for 10 minutes daily.
To become like Warren Buffett requires decades of aligning your mindset. Similarly, the mind trying to understand itself and manage itself is tricky. Initial missteps like bad coaches are part of the process. Not everything will be optimal initially. Eventually the right way becomes apparent.
You don’t have to renounce everything, rather spiritualize your life gradually so nothing causes anxiety or stress. Prevention via spiritual practice is better than cure after problems arise. The commitment needed is like becoming a professional tennis or chess player – read, understand, practice, be with the right people.
Take small steps but start the journey when mentally fit. Bad states make it harder and the desire for instant relief greater. But prevention is better than cure in avoiding internal and external issues.
The process is tricky. My first experience with the Bhagavad Gita, it actually stressed me out. I just opened the book and tried to read and there was this statement that kill this enemy called desire.
And I was already under mentally deep trouble. It was like, hey, am I drinking water? Is this a desire? Should I kill it? Because I was already under a very anxious state, a bad state, and I had picked it up to resolve those issues. And I just kind of randomly started reading and it was a worse experience.
Similarly, with the Vipassana meditation, Goenka Vipassana (https://www.dhamma.org/) meditation, it was a pathetic experience. It made me much worse, and I would recommend nobody go there. There are many things wrong with it, and detailing them here is not the purpose of this article. But it was still a learning. It was still a learning and it all is part of the process.
Since I was desperate for some relief, I also went to Dada Bhagwan (https://www.dadabhagwan.org/). It was just a 3 hour process. It gave me some relief that I was desiring. Made life more livable. But not everything disappeared. Some anxieties however went completely never to return. I still practice it and I would recommend everybody interested in spiritual development do so. It is phenomenal spiritual process.
Just like a bad tennis coach, some methods don’t work out but give you an idea of what to avoid next time. This is a long process with missteps, but eventually the right way becomes clear.
In conclusion
The spiritual path requires a comprehensive approach to transform oneself, but brings deep and lasting rewards. Persistent intelligent effort with the right guidance can give substantial improvements in our life and state of mind. Not all may reach the ultimate goal of self-realization or enlightenment as it is called. But the benefits obtained are still more than worth it. The author has personally experienced and seen that in some cases of anxiety and panic disorders, spirituality has helped substantially reduce intensity or solve the problem altogether.
The journey begins with a single step – take it today. Start by thoroughly understanding one Upanishad – the Ishavasya Upanishad.
