Barbara Hebert – USA
There are many difficulties that individuals deal with in this world of physical manifestation. Mental health is just one of those difficulties. It is a huge topic, and one that concerns each and every one of us. It has been said that the after-effects of the global pandemic continue to impact the mental health of many. As we follow the events that are occurring in various parts of the world right now–divisiveness, war, oppression, death, continued surges of Covid19 and other viruses–we can only assume that struggles with mental health will be exacerbated.
Exploring mental health issues from a spiritual perspective is something that is uncommon. Discussion about it is usually left to the medical or therapeutic professionals. Yet, we need to address it from all angles. We are whole beings—body, mind, and spirit—and it is useful to address it in this way. Not only is it useful, addressing mental health or psychological issues is a part of our work as spiritual seekers.
Joy Mills, in her article The Human Journey: Quest for Self-Transformation writes “For HPB, … stated explicitly that the next developmental stage in our evolution would have ‘more to do. . . with psychology than with physics. . .’ ” (The Secret Doctrine, II, p. 135).
Joy continues, saying:
To repeat, the focus of our work today is at the psychological level... It involves dealing with the … kâma-manasic field of operation within us …. As said so often by HPB and her successors, as well as by her Teachers, it is a change in consciousness that is required today. And it is this message that is being repeated by many of the leading thinkers of our time.
We find, therefore, that navigating the difficulties and complexities of mental health issues play an important role in walking the spiritual path. We also find that the Ageless Wisdom provides a framework for us to understand this component of our work.
The discussion begins by talking about feelings. When we think of feelings, we may consider emotions and the emotional field of consciousness–the astral plane. When we think of mental, we consider thoughts and the mental field of consciousness—manas. When we talk about mental health, we are typically referring to the concrete brain/mind, referred to in the literature as lower manas, and its interworkings with the emotional field of consciousness. These interworkings are frequently referred to as kama-manas: kama meaning desire, wishes, or feelings and manas meaning mind. We are referring to that mixture of thoughts and feelings that coalesce, for want of a better word, to impact us as physical beings. Although we talk about the emotional and mental fields of consciousness as if they are completely separate, they are not. They are interpenetrating, and the reactions from these components of our consciousness occur almost simultaneously.
For example: an individual has an upsetting or distressing experience in his/her life. The emotional field is electrified, so to speak, and the emotions begin to swirl. The individual experiences feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, and so on. Thoughts then begin to join the fray. The person may think such things as: “I’m not good enough”; “If I had only done…”; “If I had only been…”; “My life isn’t worth living”; and so on while feeling sad, depressed, anxious, etc.
As the feelings and thoughts continue to swirl around the individual in a tornado of invisible energy, we recognize that the kama-manas has taken control. The kama-manas may remain in control for a significant period of time, even possibly to the point of diagnosable depression or thoughts of self-harm or suicide, unless the individual can bring it under control. Or, the polar opposite may occur. In an effort to avoid or deny the distress caused by this swirl of thoughts and feelings, the individual may begin to self-medicate in some way, and addiction may potentially occur.
It is important to feel our feelings, not to shut them out or push them away. Repressing or suppressing them does not make them go away. Learning to express our feelings in a safe and appropriate manner is a part of our journey. We have thoughts and feelings for a reason. However, it is equally important not to allow them to overwhelm us for a long period of time. Humans feel sadness, anger, frustration, happiness, joy, love, etc. Part of our spiritual journey includes considering the underlying causes for these feelings. What can we learn from this situation so that we can respond differently in the future? This is the work that HPB indicates in her statement that this stage in our evolutionary development has “more to do. . . with psychology than with physics. . ..”
While focusing more on psychology than physics may sound simple, it is not. How do we find that balance between feeling the feelings and drowning in them? What does it mean to appropriately handle our feelings? All feelings are appropriate but it is never acceptable to hurt ourselves or others—in any way--when we are in the depth of them. There are many ways to regain control when the kama-manas is swirling. Some people may cry while others may write in a journal; some may spend time in nature while others choose to do some intense physical activity. The use of meditation or contemplation about the situation, the thoughts, and the feelings may be helpful for others. The way in which a person manages the swirling of the kama-manas is unique for each of us.
Self-observation in an honest and authentic manner can also be helpful. Sometimes, we may require the help of a professional who can facilitate honest and authentic self-observation as well as self-awareness when we struggle with controlling the kama-manas. This self-awareness through self-observation, whether done alone or with a professional, provides us with the opportunity to move forward, creating balance in our lives. Self-observation and self-awareness are key components of walking the spiritual path. How can we move forward if we don’t have a continually deepening understanding of self?
For an individual on the spiritual path, if we understand the swirling and controlling of the kama-manas, then we are less likely to get caught up in it. We learn to regulate the kama-manas and stop it from controlling us. Our self-understanding grows as does our ability to ameliorate the feelings and thoughts that hold us in their grasp.
An example may be helpful at this point. A woman attended therapy because she was experiencing anxiety about her son. He was in his 20s, and she felt that the life choices he was making were potentially harmful to him (although they were the typical ones for a 20-something year old man who was trying to find himself and his way in the world).
The mother, however, indicated that her anxiety was becoming such a problem that she had difficulty sleeping, concentrating, and focusing. She worried about him almost constantly, impacting both her work and her relationship with her son. She felt him pull away from her as she tried to help him; that is, she felt him pull away as she attempted to manage his life, make his choices, and protect him. The mother’s background included being a single parent for many years, raising all three of her children (two girls and a boy) alone after the unexpected death of her husband.
The woman was averse to using relaxation methods, including meditation. She said she could not keep the thoughts out of her mind, and she didn’t really want to. Her perception was that as long as she worried about her son, she was keeping him safe. This, of course, is not a rational thought, but it is a common one.
Throughout therapy, the woman discussed her own journey to adulthood, including the situations in her life when she learned the most and the times when she gained the most understanding of herself and others. She had the opportunity to talk about her perceptions of her current place in life. That is, she addressed questions such as: Did she like herself? Did she feel like she had accomplished some of the things she had imagined? And so on.
This mother indicated that she had learned the most when she made mistakes or when she managed to overcome some hurdle in her life. She felt as if she had grown tremendously as she worked through the grief over her husband’s death. She also believed that being a single mother had made her stronger and wiser. When she looked at herself, she liked what she had learned and who she had become. She began to see herself—or at least her personality and her current life--in a more complete and accurate manner.
She finally was asked: if this is the way you feel about your journey, why would you want to deprive your son of these growth experiences, too? Needless to say, this shocked her and she began to think things through very differently. She began to realize that her worries for her son were not helpful to him. Having him live the life she wanted was about her, not about him. She began to see her son as a unique individual, separate from, although deeply loved, by her who was on his own journey to fulfillment. As she changed her thoughts, her feelings began to settle as well. Her anxiety dissipated. She began a new and different relationship with her son.
It seems evident that the Ageless Wisdom teachings provided a framework for this particular situation. This wonderful woman had never stopped to really look at herself, to see how her thoughts and feelings were swirling around her, causing her to feel anxious and worried. She did not see herself for who she truly was–a strong, independent, caring person. She never stopped to realize how she had grown through her life and the obstacles she had surmounted. Her self-awareness grew tremendously through this process. Furthermore, she realized that her selfish (but understandable) attachment to her son was hurting him as well as their relationship. She came to think of him as a capable person who would experience trials and tribulations in his life that would only make him stronger and wiser–just like her. She saw him on his journey, just as she was on hers. She began to trust the process of life and to let go of her useless attempts to control her son.
This very brief discussion of mental health from a spiritual perspective provides only the smallest glimpse of how the Ageless Wisdom can help as we navigate the hurdles and obstacles we face in the manifested world. We can recognize, however, that learning to manage the swirling of the kama-manas and focusing on the psychological aspect of our being through self-observation and self-awareness is the next step on our evolutionary journey.
Note: Due to the serious nature of mental health issues, there are a few things that need to be addressed.
- This is a brief discussion on a massive topic that frequently requires help from a professional. This exploration is not meant to be a therapeutic answer to specific problems or to provide solutions, but rather to shed light on a topic that impacts all of us.
- Some individuals are born with brain chemistry that is not balanced. That is, the brain does not make the appropriate chemicals to keep the emotions and/or thoughts balanced. In these cases, medication is most useful because it is a biological issue and needs to be addressed as such with a professional.
Sources:
Blavatsky, HP. The Secret Doctrine, Volume II, p. 135.
Mills, Joy. (2016). The Human Journey: Quest for Self-Transformation. To read this article click HERE