Everybody tries to be happy most of the time. But often it seems the harder one tries, the harder it is to attain happiness. As a result, many people have feelings of being unsuccessful, miserable, and even depressed for long periods of time. These conditions may very well be psychological in nature and in turn, may give rise to a series of physiological health problems, which can be treated by medical professionals. However, the cause of the problems may be left unattended and hence may get manifested in other symptoms.
For instance, many times the cause of a psychological or psychosomatic problem is illusionary.
In other words, the cause of the problem may be a wrong perception of a situation or one that is filled with doubt. Let me give you an example. Tom is an employee of a business owner, John. One morning Tom wished his boss John good morning. The boss, either because he was busy or had an argument earlier with his wife did not return the greeting as usual. As a result, a chain of imagined thoughts swept through Tom’s brain with lightning speed. His boss must not be happy with his performance. What if he fires him? Who would pay the mortgage of his house? Who will take care of his son’s college expenses? How would he even think of supporting his aging parents? When and how would he ever think of breaking this news to his wife, who is a serious patient of hypertension? As a result, Tom’s blood pressure is on a rollercoaster ride. His heart beats at an abnormally high speed.
Medical tests show evidence of these physical disturbances in Tom’s body. But the doctor gets so heavily involved in solving the physical problems of high blood pressure, etc., that he does not even take time to look for the cause of the problem.
The real solution lies in understanding the cause of the problem. This requires putting oneself in a very silent, fully composed and serene state of mind, free of blaming external reasons. Once the cause of the problem is subtly and thoroughly understood, one finds out that there is NO problem at all and hence there is no need for a solution.
Later that evening, Tom’s wife mentions that she saw John’s wife in the supermarket, who casually mentioned that she had had an argument with her husband, John that morning which upset him.
Upon hearing that, Tom immediately felt a wave of relief over his body.
Another example of this is the problem of the “bent pencil.” If you look at a pencil dipped in a glass full of water, you see a bent pencil. Since you need a pencil, you will think of getting another pencil or try to figure out how to straighten out the pencil without breaking it. Maybe you will have to go to the store to buy a new pencil. But one thing for sure, you have made up your mind that the bent pencil is a serious problem. You become so busy solving the problem that you fail to consider that the pencil may not be bent. And, in reality, the pencil is not bent. It just appears bent due to the principle of refraction explained in physics. The cause of the problem is just a mirage and hence there is no need to solve the problem. There is no problem. In real life there are many perceived problems. They look so real that we spend our entire lives trying to solve them, when they are not there in the first place.
Many psychological and psychosomatic problems can find their solution in thoroughly understanding the cause of the problems. Instead of getting involved in solving problems which are NOT there, try to relax, and find a change of scenery. Once your mind is silent and composed, you may find there is another explanation for the situation and therefore, there is no problem for you to solve.
Relax, smile and enjoy life, as it is a mirror image of DIVINITY. May His grace help us realize we are divine!
Hari AUM