Do something, or don't do anything?

[Blessed2]

I'm talking about emotions.

 

Lately I've been "experimenting" non-reaction in terms of emotion.

 

Before when there was discordant emotions, the interpretation was that something was wrong, and that the emotion has to be dealt with in order to not experience it again.

 

Like let's say ager arises. The interpretation is that the emotion anger is bad and that you're experiencing it means you're doing or being something wrong, and something about you or your thinking must be fixed, changed, let go. So that you won't experience it again.

 

Then there's a reaction to it. You google how to get rid of anger, you watch a video about non-duality and anger, then you watch a video about how to be more mindful, then you try to meditate more, then you try to become enlightened, then you come to a spirituality forum to ask about how to change it and how to heal it.

 

On the spirituality forum, they suggest you journal and utilize an emotional scale etc. and then you do that. The reaction goes on and on.

 

And it's all cause there's the belief/thought that you could experience the emotion again. We all know that thoughts & emotions come and go, but there's still the assumption that they will come back if nothing is done about it. A feeler of emotions in time.

 

But at some point I just had this idea of non-reaction. Not believing the interpretation, and not googling and watching youtube videos. Not even journaling per se, if you're not feeling like it.

 

Yesterday as I was meditating, an uncomfortable emotion came up. Lately I've been telling those emotions "you belong". But this time I didn't even say that. It's hard to describe. There was no reaction to the emotion. There was just surrender I guess.

 

 

I'm not talking about "feeling it fully" either. That's still a reaction, or at least interpreted as such.

 

 

I'm not sure what I'm even saying or asking.

 

Depression is just the belief that tomorrow can't be the best day of your life if you don't do, fix, or figure out something today.

 

[MetaSage]

Thinking or considering the possibility of a negative future is fundamentally what depression is about.

Which is why when certain things inspire hope, you look forward to the future with anticipation, for some sense of accomplishment.

[Robed Mystic]

30 minutes ago, MetaSage said:

Thinking or considering the possibility of a negative future is fundamentally what depression is about.

Which is why when certain things inspire hope, you look forward to the future with anticipation, for some sense of accomplishment.

Well, as a mental illness i think its just feeling depressed.   Considering the possiblity of a negative future isn't depression per se, its more just negative thinking.

Edited February 28 by Robed Mystic

[Robed Mystic]

1 hour ago, Blessed2 said:

I'm talking about emotions.

 

Lately I've been "experimenting" non-reaction in terms of emotion.

 

Before when there was discordant emotions, the interpretation was that something was wrong, and that the emotion has to be dealt with in order to not experience it again.

 

Like let's say ager arises. The interpretation is that the emotion anger is bad and that you're experiencing it means you're doing or being something wrong, and something about you or your thinking must be fixed, changed, let go. So that you won't experience it again.

 

Then there's a reaction to it. You google how to get rid of anger, you watch a video about non-duality and anger, then you watch a video about how to be more mindful, then you try to meditate more, then you try to become enlightened, then you come to a spirituality forum to ask about how to change it and how to heal it.

 

On the spirituality forum, they suggest you journal and utilize an emotional scale etc. and then you do that. The reaction goes on and on.

 

And it's all cause there's the belief/thought that you could experience the emotion again. We all know that thoughts & emotions come and go, but there's still the assumption that they will come back if nothing is done about it. A feeler of emotions in time.

 

But at some point I just had this idea of non-reaction. Not believing the interpretation, and not googling and watching youtube videos. Not even journaling per se, if you're not feeling like it.

 

Yesterday as I was meditating, an uncomfortable emotion came up. Lately I've been telling those emotions "you belong". But this time I didn't even say that. It's hard to describe. There was no reaction to the emotion. There was just surrender I guess.

 

 

I'm not talking about "feeling it fully" either. That's still a reaction, or at least interpreted as such.

 

 

I'm not sure what I'm even saying or asking.

 

Depression is just the belief that tomorrow can't be the best day of your life if you don't do, fix, or figure out something today.

 

Yeah, its OK to feel emotions.  We all feel them.  Sometimes they want to break through my skin.  But there is no shame in it.

It is what it is - and its OK to feel hurt, depressed, alone, and just flat out helpless.

 

The bright side is that you can't go anywhere else, so yeah, you're stuck here. Because you took a vested interest into this dream in the first tplace.  And its going to be a pain in the ass to get out.   So these feelings have no choice but to subside.

Edited February 28 by Robed Mystic

[Mandy]

Being told to do something or even being given the suggestion is a poor substitute for inspiration. No one can foresee what you might be inspired to.  But the apparent catch-22 is that if you aren't in the vicinity of inspiration, then you go to look for advice. The suggestion of meditation and journaling is great. The resentment might not be to the suggestions and offerings of potential means of tuning into inspiration but in the current lack of inspiration. If you stop saying and believing that there's lack of inspiration, it's come, in a flash when you least expect it. 

[Phil]

@Blessed2

Emotion is about how thoughts feel presently. 

[MetaSage]

9 hours ago, Robed Mystic said:

Well, as a mental illness i think its just feeling depressed.   Considering the possiblity of a negative future isn't depression per se, its more just negative thinking.

 

Don't overlook it. You're saying depression is depression, which doesn't say much.

 

When depressed, you're somehow projecting yourself and your life in time and see no hope, and as a result might feel stuck, powerless, etc. Relating to the possibility of a future is an essential component of it, the activity that causes it.

 

Can you be present and depressed? Take a look.