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Depression and Spirituality
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Spirituality and religion are playing an increasingly important role in healing both physical and emotional illness, particularly depression.
Article: Mandy Collins from True Love
Some international studies have found that:

  • Depression and other psychological disorders increase in line with a decline in religious observance.
  • People with a strong religious or spiritual faith are healthier, both physically and mentally.
  • Depression is more common among those who lack spiritual practices or religious beliefs.
  • In the notorious German concentration camps of the Second World War, prisoners who were strongly religious showed a higher survival rate than those who did not, and were better able to withstand the brutalities inflicted on them.

    For the religious, a connection with a Higher Power is the key, while for the spiritual, connection to other people, the body and nature is the essence of maintaining well-being and warding off negativity. Of course, you can't simply "switch on" religious or spiritual beliefs in order to cure your depression.

    But the brain has other ways, besides belief, of allowing you to embrace the same benefits that spirituality brings. Scientists have actually found regions in the brain which are usually a hive of activity, but become quiet and inactive during intense prayer or meditation.

    So meditation, for example, may be a good way to tap into those areas of the brain if you're depressed but have no established religious or spiritual life. Similarly, functional relationships with other people, connecting to nature and your body, or even having a pet can all help. Psychologists have found the further we get from natural surroundings, the more depressed we become.

    So even a pot plant on your desk or windowsill, or a daily walk in a beautiful outdoor place, can make a huge difference to your state of mind. Focusing your attention on a tree, rolling hills, the waves of the ocean, your own breathing or the rhythmic motion of stroking an animal activates the part of your brain that generates your spiritual impulses. This allows you to separate from your depressed self, and therefore use your spirituality in a way that heals your mind.


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