Freedom from Mental Problems

(Prologue: In 2019, few months after I left DJ Academy of Design; almost all the students, walked all the way to my house to pay respects and talk to me. It was a moment I shall never forget in my life, as we talked sitting on the floor of terrace till late night. I dedicate this article as a token of my love to all of them!)

Let us start by looking at some real life incidents which establish the mind-body relationship.

Case 1: Readers Digest Report – 1985

In Germany, in a beautiful farm house near Budapest lived a small family: A teen age graduate girl and her parents. The father was a painter. Then one day the mother died and the father and daughter continued staying. The house was absolutely safe and secure and they had a hunter dog to guard.

After few months, a shocking incident happened.

Early morning the girl drove to the nearest police station, in a battered condition, with grave body injuries and complained that her father got drunk and repeatedly beaten and raped her. The police, on circumstantial evidence arrested the father and put him in Jail. The father denied the charge. But there was no way a third person could enter the house. A search of the house and a thorough medical examination of the girl, were held.

The medical report stated that there was no rape and the injuries were self inflicted.

The girl swore that she had no enmity with father and she was indeed raped by him. She gave many details of the act. Re-examination by another medical team confirmed the previous report. Lie detectors confirmed that she was not lying. What happened then?

Case 2: Medical Report – 1982

Padmini was pregnant with her first child. We took her to Doctor Anklesaria, the best gynecologist in Ahmadabad. After examining her he said that there was a big, healthy baby inside. Padmini said she would like to have natural delivery and not caesarian operation. Doctor Anklesaria laughed and answered that considering her small stature, small vaginal opening and the large size of the baby; it was absolutely impossible. God made her like that. But Padmini was adamant. The doctor emphatically said that no doctor on earth can do it.

We went to Bombay and showed Padmini to several expert doctors. All had confirmed Anklesaria’s report. But Padmini was hell bent on natural delivery.

Finally an old doctor Mehta pacified her saying that he would try his best to fulfill her wish but she should leave the final decision to him as a medical professional. Padmini agreed.

Padmini had labor pain few days before due date, but it was natural delivery! A healthy baby Sourabh was born. All doctors including Anklesaria could not believe this. How was this possible?

Case 3: Newspaper Report – 1972

In Kerala, a poor fisherman went at night to steal fish from a fenced pond and caught many fish manually. What he did not know was that he also caught a poisonous water snake, mistaking it to be an eel. The snake bit him but he thought it was a crab. He went home, slept soundly till late morning when his wife woke him up. He found the snake in the closed basket and realized that he was bitten by a deadly snake. Within minutes, the poison spread in his body and he died. Why did the poison not work for so many hours and suddenly did?

Case 4:

I fast every Saturday and will not touch any food at all.  On all other days I feel hungry and eat sumptuously but on Saturdays I will not feel hungry at all. How is this so?

Case 5:

Science confirms that a non-medical pill called “placebo” is administered saying it is the last word in the treatment of incurable diseases. It is a lie but in most cases it cures. How is it possible?

Only one answer. Subconscious mind! Thinking has tremendous power and influence over the body. Sexual thoughts cause erection; fear of a danger cause sweating or urination; thoughts of favorite food cause mouth watering and so on.

I have experienced that if I have to wake up to catch a flight at any time at night, I tell my mind clearly before going to sleep when I should wake up and it always works. It is common experience with many other people.

Based on my experience, I offer three types of freedom practices to get rid of mental problems:

1.      Freedom from Covering Up

Given the realities of social media and isolation, some degree of mental problem is common in all people. Some psychologists say that mental depression has become “addiction” and “fashionable”. Any addiction is harmful. One must realise this and should not feel self pity or seek pity.

 

Like the “emperor clothes” story, everybody is mentally ill but covering it up. The unexpressed emotion ferments inside and turns into psychosomatic illness such as insomnia, head ache, rash, fever or over tiredness, etc.  If you are afraid to talk to someone else, talk to yourself, write on a piece of paper (destroy later); sketch, paint, play music, or do anything. Any expression is theraptic. I de-stress myself by cooking sketching, writing or binding books. Of course, if the illness is severe; you should take treatment like any physical illness.

 

2.      Freedom from Inadequacy

The main reason of mental illness is “I am not up to the mark” feeling. There is nothing like a mark. It’s just media myth. Ignore it. Refuse comparison firmly. Dalai Lama could retain his wonderful smile always because he refuses to compare; smilingly. Everything, everybody is good, in their own way, Unique in their own way. Everybody is liked by somebody; nobody is liked by everybody. Dalailama also never talks of his beauty, his wealth or his super intelligence because these are superficial. Why should we give them too much importance, just because of media hype? Your name and my name are different but it does not mean your name is better than mine. Comparisons are silly and meaningless. We all know that “Beauty is in the eyes of beholder”. Don’t be a slave to social media which is deciding that for you. Why should media tell you how you should look, how you should talk, what you should eat, how you should live and so on. It is unfair on you.

 

3.      Freedom from Truth

This is hard to digest but all the five case studies I cited at the beginning prove this.

Hide truth or go beyond it. Tell your mind so strongly and affirmatively what you “want” and the mind will miraculously make it come true through your body. Placebo is a lie but the mind does not know, so works on the belief that it cures.

 

We don’t realize it but we are constantly giving auto suggestions to our mind. Our subconscious mind is our powerful servant which tries to mould you to suite whatever strong command it receives repeatedly. If a child is scolded repeatedly by her uncle that she is clumsy, her mind makes sure that she becomes clumsy; even if she is originally not.

 

Even after many years, when she is going on a bicycle, her mind reminds her that she is clumsy and make sure that she falls or she cuts her hand while cutting onions which is a simple job. You see, her mind is trying to follow her command given some time ago. “I am clumsy, as my uncle said”. The mind is programmed and will keep doing it till she consciously; strongly changes it. But if she tries to run away with “I will not ride bicycle again” she is enforcing the command; “Yes. I am clumsy”.

 

A girl dominated in childhood by someone grows up to invite predatory behavior in people around her. She is the willing sucker. In group work she works the hardest, even takes pain but finally let some others take credit. In her heart she feels bad but her mind is forcing her “free will” to get dominated. Our mind is creature of habit; even if it is hurting habit.

 

Over - admiring your friend as “gifted/best” is a comparison and has a danger of telling yourself “but in comparison I am a total shit” and the poor mind tries to make your wish come true. Anything over done is negative and has influence on subconscious. This should not be misunderstood as advising arrogance. Praising yourself publicly is arrogance but praising yourself internally is confidence.

 

 I used to wear glasses in my late forties but I hated this extra gadget stuck on my face all the time. I very strongly and crazily wished to have “eye sight without glasses”. A book by that name gave me the confidence to even wish so. Many times we are afraid to wish because it was never done, it was not truth. Our knowledge is pre-conditioning our mind.

 

But if you strongly tell and repeat even a lie and the subconscious mind makes it truth. Mohammed Ali shouted publicly “I am the greatest” and his mind made him so.  My biological age presently is 76; but I can read, write (I read & write a lot) and see without glasses! My doctor does not believe it; but it is TRUE. I told my mind that I want to read without glasses. Do you need further proof than this?!

 

So praise yourself and know that if someone is praising you, he/she is doing good to you in building your mind and body. All the Hindu ‘stotrams’ are nothing but praise of God. Even if it is a lie, accept it as long as there is no vicious motive. Your mind will work on it to make it true.

 

According to Dr.Bruce Lipton: Mind is the primary cause of illness on this planet. A gene is just a blue print but the reading of the blue print is done by electric impulses called thought. Human body is made of 50 trillion cells each carrying 1.4 volts of electricity. Since your mind is the government of your thoughts, it can change your biology. Since thoughts can be negative or positive, it is your belief that (ultimately) controls your body. If someone tells you that you are ill and you believe it, you become ill and vice versa. In Placebo effect, it is not the pill but your own positive thought that makes the body heal.

To sum up:

Mental illness is not a big deal, you are second to none, and you are phenomenal!

(Written on Teachers Day, 05.09.2020)