Why does deep thought lead to depression? (ritual, evolve, experience)

[evearael]

Here's a question for you... are you using deep thought as an escape from something else? Your depression may not be a result of pondering life's mysteries as much as the anxiety of avoidance.

[Ormiston]

Originally Posted by evearael

Here's a question for you... are you using deep thought as an escape from something else? Your depression may not be a result of pondering life's mysteries as much as the anxiety of avoidance.

I was sort of thinking something opposite to this. Maybe all of the hustle-bustle of day to day life combined with having fun, laughing, parties, friends help take our mind off of all that stuff and when you slow down and start thinking about life you get depressed. In other words, life causes us to avoid the deep thoughts.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Druidus

I find that when I engage in serious deep thought, I end up feeling at least slightly depressed. Perhaps it's because I no longer see any constants, and much of the thinking revolves around questions that cannot be answered. Perhaps the answers I come up with logically don't appeal to my emotional side. There are a myriad of possible reasons.

Does deep thought lead to depression for you? Why do you think it does/n't?

Because "deep" thought inevitably leads us to question the meaning/purpose of life and whether there is one. It brings us to the edge of the existential abyss and as we peer in we get a bad case of vertigo. (sometimes I love metaphor too much)

Dru, I love thinking as much as the next person, but you will never be able to think your way out of this. Living engages mind, heart and body.

As much as it pains your rational mind, you are going to have to make some irrational, heart-based choices. For example: why fall in love? There is no rational reason that you can give me why you love one particular person and not another.
If you say that the person is beautiful, there are other people who are just as beautiful if not more so.
If you say that the person is intelligent, there are other people who are just as intelligent if not more so.
If you say that the person is kind, there are other people who are just as kind if not more so.
If one were to be "rational" about love, every time you met someone who was more beautiful/intelligent/kind, you'd leave your old love for the new one. Yet we value fidelity. Fidelity is not rational. Love is not rational. And life would really suck without love.

So, in terms of your heart, value fidelity, or faithfulness. Pick something/someone to be faithful to, even if it isn't rational. Let your heart choose meaning in your life, because your mind can't.

And as much as you rely on your mind, don't neglect your body:

1) It's scientifically proven that excersize helps mitigate depression.
2) No amount of thinkng means anything unless you practice what you think. By "practice" I mean religious stuff like meditating, etc, but I also mean just "doing." Thinking spins us further and further into ourselves, away from connectedness with the rest of creation. Acting in the world keeps us connected, as does love. Over and over again, we hear stories of how things that sound so compelling on paper don't pan out in real life. Practice allows us to see whether our thoughts have any real validity.

The way the Buddhists and Liberation theologians look at it is:
practice -> reflect -> practice -> reflect -> practice -> reflect -> practice ..., all the while guided by love.

You have a beautiful mind, Dru, and from what I can tell a compassionate heart as well. Just don't forget to balance that with acting in the world.

[Flappycat]

Oh, don't worry! A lot of people suffer from intellectual agorophobia! Just expose yourself to it in babysteps. Set up a timetable for engaging in deep thought for a while to keep from stringing yourself out too much and to make sure you get plenty of shallow cool-down time. Take notes about your thoughts. Spend the first half of the next session examining those notes and critiquing the thoughts, and spend the rest taking more as you experiment with a new direction for the topic or a new topic altogether.

You could use music to control your time. Set up a playlist or put on a CD, no loop. When the music stops, always set down your pen, and give your mind a rest. You'll always be returning to it later.

Seriously, try it. Good luck.

[Shadow Wolf]

I think I know what you mean, too. Each of has a dark side that we must suppress so we don't hurt anyone.

I express my dark side, so I'm not worried about that, but when I get into deep thought, I analyze every last detail, possible outcomes, desireable outcomes, worst case scenarios, and anything else related to what I'm thinking about. When it's a very deep thought, I tend to fall into a trance that makes me seem almost dead. I never get depressed, rather I feel refreshed, but upset that I have a difficult time remembering any thoughts.

[Maxist]

When I am in deep thought I am far too deep to ralize anything happening around me save what I am thinking about. I have legendary deep thought. Comes from eating carrots, you should try it Drudius ---from the Hound of the Baskervilles, incase you do not know.

[Flappycat]

Actually, has anyone here ever heard of depersonalization?

[Moses the God Archetype*]

It depends on the spirtual development of that person as well as the thoughts the person might be dwelling on.

[EnhancedSpirit]

OK it took my a while to find this. In the book Ask and it is Given, the author talks about the levels of emotions. He admits that someone who is depressed cannot just stop being depressed and be happy. But he also has an explaination for why, and a HOW do get out of depression.

He explains that emotions fall into an order with Joy/Love/Empowerment at the top, with highest levels of vibration, and Fear/Depression/Powerlessness at the bottom with the lowest levels of vibration. It is not natural for someone to jump from the lowest to the highest, or the other way around, but instead there is a gradual increase or decrease through the emotions. Someone can jump from low to high with the aid of drugs (both legal and not) the problem is that this is only a temporary fix, and the person will fall back into alignment with the vibration level of their natural selves.

The way out of depression is to take little steps up the emotional ladder. Go from depression to hatred one day, then up to doubt or worry, as you work up the ladder gradually, you slowly adjust your natural vibrational level and once you get your natural vibrational level up, you are no longer depressed, but see life with a different percpective. Here is the emotional ladder:

1. Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Love/Freedom/Appreciation
2. Passion
3. Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
4. Positive Expectation/Belief
5. Optimism
6. Hopefullness
7. Contentment
8. Boredom
9. Pessimism
10. Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
11. Overwhelment
12. Disppointment
13. Doubt
14. Worry
15. Blame
16. Discouragement
17. Anger
18. Revenge
19. Hatred/Rage
20. Jealousy/Envy
21. Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
22. Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness