snake

'I've said it before and I'll say it again - God was conceived by us humans.'

I would of thought displaying your ignorance once was enough.

Pelican

I have a chronic illness which forced me to rethink everything. Ironically, I suffered from clinical depression from since I was a teenager, for which I self medicated (as many do) and suffered the career ruining results of that. However, since my body no longer recovered like it used to, I either had to start looking after myself or deal with the consequences.

Everything we do has consequences – sooner or later. No-one could’ve convinced me of that when I was young, I just would’ve nodded in agreement but I never really understood it at any visceral level. I do now.

The irony comes in that since I have changed my outlook, started to ‘smell the roses’ my depression has eased a lot. And when it does come swooping down on me I can manage it better, even though I am struggling, tire easily and my finances are unenviable, I am happier and more self-possessed than I have ever been in my life.

I have always had a deep love for the natural world around me and this has helped me to some extent determine what really matters. But the techniques I have learned through meditation and changing my outlook; how I respond to situations now, have given me a contentment I never had before.

So many of us fail to nourish ourselves from the inside, concerned only with the external, the material: plasma TV’s, bigger houses or investing in shares instead of our environment, to what end?

A smile is far more energising than a disparaging thought and both show on our face.

Fractelle,

Your story is inspiring (consider yourself hugged). :)

My problem was thankfully not life threatening but life changing - a severe gastrointestinal condition that caused mobility problems (won't go into the gory details) and occasional pain. I am much better now and have been back at work for about four years but take time off between contracts to recharge. I only get an odd relapse now and then and like you have learned to manage it better and indeed to 'smell the roses'.

It sounds like you have all your priorities right and your attitude and approach to life I am sure have helped you in managing your illness.

runner: "I would of thought displaying your ignorance once was enough."

Doesn't seem to stop you.

Perhaps one day you'll accept that petulant little nuggets such as this which don't really have much by way of justification or an attempt to understand other views, are about as persuasive as blowing raspberries into the wind.

God is one answer to spirituality, though it's strange that people simultaneously say god is beyond knowing his motives, but also profess to understand he is good and kind and so forth.

It's not the idea of god I find hard to accept. It's the idea that it's some kind of intelligence that has been outlined in a book written by mystics.

Spirituality is such a broad concept that means different things to different people - some people can see spirituality simply in the feelings shared by loved ones and the patterns of wind blowing on long grass - it doesn't have to revolve around some guy sitting in the sky playing games with human chess pieces.

I haven't been following this thread, so I hope this information isn't redundant, but this link is interesting. http://www.thewesterner.com.au/news/article.aspx?ID=1950. Dr. Rosemary Aird has researched "the links between spirituality, mental health and social behaviour as part of a groundbreaking new study".

It seems her research (and I haven't read it, so I'm not advocating it as being correct, just worth some discussion) finds religion more beneficial to mental health and social behaviour than spirituality.

An interesting article there Graham - though there are quite a number of interpretations.

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"Young men and women who held non-traditional beliefs were up to twice as likely to feel anxious and depressed and to have higher rates of disturbed and suspicious thoughts.

They were also more likely to believe in the paranormal and that they were special, unusual, or destined to be important, than those who rejected this belief."

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I dare say it's quite likely that those who have a problem with an authority figure or structure - in this case, a religion - would gravitate to disorganised forms of spirituality.
I think it would be a fair assumption that those that can't co-operate with authority figures are presented with more challenges and are more likely to be depressed.

This would also manifest in a lesser extent - those who question assumptions are probably more likely to question the organised nature of a religion, rather than simply accepting teachings at face value. It may be, that people who are constantly skeptical - or critical if you prefer - are unhappier than those who simply accept and move on.