I think it is all pertinent to all of us Arch, the cog in the wheel thing. It is no longer a day of lolling in some pastoral scene eating wild berries and grapes near the crystal clear stream. Few get to realize their dreams and so as you say the rest us are forced to live in their dreams. We therefore engross ourselves in the celebrity circus and the arenas of sport challenge, somehow through identity with them we find some sense of achievement and success. I have to say that I don't spend much time in a depressed mode due to the fact that, using Don's offering, I schedule my time so that I have plenty of it to do what I want, I decide in the morning what I want to do for the day and if I don't want to do anything I don't. I get many comments at market and other places telling me that I am always happy, and this lets me know that it does work. I can see and feel the sadness that people live with, the burdens that are suppressed, so even if I can give a moment of laughter or just elevate the mood for that wee bit of time, I know it may help. I have to say that I don't take life all the seriously, I have no expectations based on action as I really think that anything can happen at any time. Live today and die tomorrow, that is all we can do, the earth may open up and swallow us, a bomb may be dropped down, or a truck may just run us down while crossing the street, sadly it is now possible that some insane gunman may go off on some sniper rampage. If I enjoyed today then I'm a step ahead. Many have devoted 30 years to a company and have nothing to show for it. I have spent a great deal of time in "down time" mode. Sure it cost me marriage and lifestyle at times but then again other times proved to be more rewarding. We're taking holiday tomorrow and traipsing about the hillsides gathering in the scenery, a stop for lunch at a micro brewery, some photo taking and who knows what. Let the sun shine, its going to be a great day. Oh and try to remember your "not" a bee!
On Mar 3, 10:51 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > You got to a lot that might matter to me above Slip. I suspect I go > some way with Orn and certainly recognise what Darkwater is saying. > Perhaps strangely for a materialist (only where things start in > analysis for me), I think we are forced to live in the dreams of > others. > I would like to know what 'down time' is - even the 'busy bee' spends > most of its life in such, despite our inappropriate metaphor. > > On 3 Mar, 15:53, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > In most situations, even professionals are not competent in expressing > > this Dark. We each, who care, merely do our best. Looking back over my > > lifetime, I now am aware that on numerous occasions, when I thought I > > was doing good…the actual result was the opposite. Wisdom is rare. > > > On Mar 3, 6:49 am, DarkwaterBlight <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > "These antidotes are in > > > fact little more than a better understanding of what we are and what > > > our processes are along with our purpose." - Orn > > > > I toally agree with this! How does one express this to the one who is > > > afflicted though? > > > I have had personal relationship(s) in which my mate would fall > > > into episodes of deep depression. My initial response to such episodes > > > would be to try to "lighten the air" a bit, in order to distract her > > > from this rumination. Consequently it was like salt or vinager on a > > > wound. So it is when singing songs to a heavy heart I guess. Trying to > > > discuss the problem seemed as though it was useless and as if my > > > efforts would compound things even more. Despite my empathy, I would > > > be accused of "not understanding" and being unable to relate. It > > > wasn't long before I became the object of her scorn and the supposed > > > cause of her woes even though I had been a temporary remedy early on. > > > Drugs helped alot, but I don't do them any more;-)! > > > > On Mar 3, 7:05 am, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Slip, I too agree that depression is ‘normal’ in the sense that it is > > > > the common human experience. I also agree that drugs are not indicated > > > > unless one wishes to use them. > > > > > Beyond this truth though, and without wishing to be evangelical like > > > > many here are, I do strongly suggest that there are antidotes to the > > > > vast majority of depressive manifestations. These antidotes are in > > > > fact little more than a better understanding of what we are and what > > > > our processes are along with our purpose. > > > > > On Mar 3, 12:49 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Probably one of the most debilitating aspects of depression is the > > > > > implication that it is a bad thing in need of treatment. It is most > > > > > likely just the obverse condition of exuberance, which one would not > > > > > expect to be engaged in full throttle at all times. If there is cause > > > > > for the lapse then we might consider it a natural remedy, a coping > > > > > mechanism. I've often slept away several days and emerged like a hard > > > > > drive that's gone through the series of file scans and > > > > > defragmentation. The only notion of being depressed comes from the > > > > > outside world defining it as such, they sell drugs that way. Sadness > > > > > is normal and a part of our reverence to things gone by or a loss of > > > > > anything important. We've been sold on joy and happiness to the point > > > > > of not recognizing that being down is as necessary. We can't spend > > > > > all our time in the awake state, we have to sleep, rest and > > > > > rejuvenate, reorganize. This is the primary function of depression > > > > > and of course I think it needs a new name. We've been pushed out of > > > > > our bio rhythms for so long by social systems that we forget that > > > > > being down is simply natural. There is no longer any time to be down > > > > > because we are in a constant state of motion, one that dictates we > > > > > operate routinely and function in a robotic way. The world is > > > > > noise. > > > > > > On Mar 2, 5:01 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > One of the most challenging aspects of studying depression is the > > > > > > vast > > > > > > amount of contradiction in the literature. Virtually every claim > > > > > > comes > > > > > > with a contradictory claim, which is also supported by evidence. I > > > > > > tend to believe this confusion will persist until our definitions of > > > > > > depression become more precise, so that intense sadness and > > > > > > paralyzing, chronic, suicidal despair are no longer lumped together > > > > > > in > > > > > > the same psychiatric category. (Lehrer) > > > > > > > I've been 'depressed' since middle teenage, with some bouts of > > > > > > clinical depression, partly associated with trauma. I've had some > > > > > > periods I'd call madness, and though I have never done anything > > > > > > 'serious' have found myself out of control at times in some sort of > > > > > > desperate way. I can claim some fairly good achievements in such > > > > > > periods, but mostly they are debilitating rather than manic periods. > > > > > > I'm coming out of difficult times at the moment and am almost > > > > > > 'champing at the bit', but really screwed by being physically crook. > > > > > > I'm about to force myself to write and 'get straight' and just > > > > > > beginning to feel it will work. Lehrer may help - the blog is good. > > > > > > > On 2 Mar, 01:41, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi Rigsby, > > > > > > > Slip and I have been tangentially discussing this in the Robert > > > > > > > Thurman post. We both want to digest it and come back here for > > > > > > > discussion. Very interesting. > > > > > > > > On 28 Feb, 03:00, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I meant to respond sooner Riggers, but was too depressed! True > > > > > > > > sadly! There is little not to be depressed about in > > > > > > > > contemplation of > > > > > > > > the human condition. I would like to believe that a world more > > > > > > > > engaged with truth and knowledge would help prevent this, but > > > > > > > > know > > > > > > > > many people who don't want to contemplate reality because it is > > > > > > > > too > > > > > > > > painful. > > > > > > > > > On 27 Feb, 13:18, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > "Depression's Upside" By Jonah Lehrer > > > > > > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28depression-t.html-Hidequ...- > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
