“If we didn't live venturously, plucking the wild goat by the beard, and trembling over precipices, we should never be depressed, I've no doubt; but already should be faded, fatalistic and aged.” - Virginia Woolf
On Mar 3, 7:51 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 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.
