Insight Into Depression - Sadhguru

[Marina9]

Lately i've been listening a lot to Jaggi Vasudev's (Sadhguru) talks and conferences he gives. When it comes to this type of talks I am careful, as we know about all this false gurus around the world and so on, so I take what he says with a pinch of salt and not take everything he says as an absolute reality. On this note, I do enjoy his talks and have found some very interesting topics, IMO he is very intelligent and has a certain way of speaking that catches you, and not with the "oh my god he has the whole banana". One of the talks that has been stuck in my mind is the following, and this quote has been stuck in my head since:

"You think it's your right to throw tantrums, you think it's your privilege to be depressed so that you'll get attention from somebody. You keep playing this and one day you will not be able to turn back."

I know it's not all meant to be pink and roses, but I think he has good points in this conversation. Maybe some of you will enjoy it.

 

[Laura]

I don't think that's a very clever way to look at depression since we know that prenatal and neonatal influences and genetic influences can have a profound effect on a person's way of being and state of mind. And women, above all, know how hormones can kick your butt once a month and throw you into a tailspin. And just as quickly, when the hormones shift again, you are right as rain. It's KNOWING THE MACHINE that is important, and knowing how to help it when the genetic and societal cards are stacked against. That's one of the reasons for our close and careful study of diet, genetics, evolutionary biology, and so forth; also one of the reasons for our exploration of NeurOptimal brain training.

Probably more useful insights about depression and such can be gained by reading Damasio's book "The Strange Order of Things". It's very deep level probing into consciousness and emotions; and, along with that, "The Dopaminergic Mind".

The one way I can agree with this guy is that it is up to the person to own their depression, and to research everything they can to find out the cause, and try to deal with it. That means, again, to KNOW YOUR MACHINE.

So, no, it's not a "privilege" to be depressed, it is a burden and networking can make that burden a lot lighter.

 

[Marina9]

Thank you Laura for your reply, maybe it's just that phrase got stuck in my head cause in a way I resonated with it due to the recent chats I had with my kinesiologist about my stuff.

Like in the way that if I look back at what I went through with the eating disorder and stuff, right now after all therapies and such I do think it was my election to do that, which then lead to all kinds of things, anxiety, depression etc, and an unecessary drama to me and my family. It was not until I decided to actually do something about it and be responsible about my life that things started changing. But this is just my personal case.

 

[Deleted member 4320]

It is true that saying things like: "be depressed is just matter of mind" is incorrect, because reality is much more complex. And scientific knowledge is necessary to see this. Self-observation and intuition about inner processes, is just part of the bigger puzzle.

However, when he is saying in that video: "You think it's your right to throw tantrums, you think it's your privilege to be depressed so that you'll get attention from somebody. You keep playing this and one day you will not be able to turn back."

I understand that he warns about making excuses about being angry as it would be others fault or use depressed states to get attention of others to gain selfish benefits from it. Because it can turn against such person.

So, this is not so stupid, if this is exact interpretation?

 

[mrtn]

What he said in the video about depression is in my opinion certainly an aspect, i.e. people also cling to their problems and so add to the intensity of it. It might be that they create an experience for whatever learning purposes. But on the other hand if people really want to change and improve then it won't just work easily by choosing. It's a process that also needs understanding, actions, reflection, awareness, willingness to bear difficulties, persitence and so on.

I watched another video with that man and found it quite refreshing, he's not talking 'from above' as much as it seemed to me in the video above. He may see some things in a simplistic way, but he also says very deep things.

 

[Turgon]

I get where Sadhguru is coming from and what he's trying to convey. He's basically saying sometimes the reason your depressed has to do with your perspective and outlook towards the problems in your life and how you relate to your own issues, and the more you feed that part of yourself that wants to indulge in that way of thinking and being, the further along that pathway you'll go until one day you won't be able to turn back no matter how hard you try. Which wolf are you willing to feed? But, like Laura said, in our world, that alone isn't enough to combat depression because it could be caused by so many different variables that we need a wider perspective, and one size doesn't fit all and won't work for some, or a lot of folks.

What if your depression is caused by health issues or food-related allergies, and you keep on eating the things that are causing your depression to begin with? Is taking an attitude of pushing through it and not feeling sorry for yourself the way to go about dealing with it? If your in such dire straits that your on your last legs because your body is severely inflamed and needs to heal, it might push you over the edge. Maybe once you find out what's causing it and takes steps to deal with that, the depression clears up on its own and your perspective changes as a natural consequence to the change in the body's biochemistry.

What if the reason your depressed is because you do feel sorry for yourself or feel like your a victim of circumstances and don't have the power or strength to change your situation or at least your perspective towards things you can't necessarily change, and start to believe all sorts of self-defeating narratives and start acting in ways to gain attention to fill that void and insecurity? That doesn't help anyone, especially the person that's depressed, so in a situation like that, I can definitely see questioning your beliefs and understandings and creating different perspectives could go a long way towards finding a way through it.