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| Image borrowed from placeofpersistence.com |
Love-
betrayal, work- stress, need- want and others like, anger, depression, loneliness
etc. have tied us today to a bond when happiness seems scarce, peace is rare,
love is a miracle and we are all haunted by fear of the unknown.
Anxiety
is a “feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain
outcome”. Depression is “feelings of severe despondency and rejection”.
People
feel anxiety or depression when they lost a loved one, got fired from a job,
divorced or experienced other major life changing issues. This is a natural
human reaction. But some people feel depression or anxiety almost every day of
their life for no apparent reason, leaving them with difficulty to carry out
day to day activities of a normal life.
A
phase in life when a person feels hopeless, sad, unmotivated etc; But if this
phase continues more than 2 weeks affecting their daily lives, it is a major
depression, but a treatable illness.
According
to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “At any point in time, 3%
to 5% of people suffer from major depression, the lifetime risk is about 17% ”
Depression and anxiety disorders are not the same. However, people with
depression disorder may show symptoms of anxiety disorders like nervousness,
irritability, problems sleeping and concentration. According to the Anxiety and
Depression Association of America, “Many people who develop depression have a
history of an anxiety disorder earlier in life. There is no evidence one
disorder causes the other, but there is clear evidence that many people suffer
from both disorders.”
Meditation
is a state of deep peace with oneself; a mind aware of their surroundings and
peace within itself; a state free from agitation; It is difficult and very
rarely possible to not think anything at any point of time. Hence, a time when
you are listening to the sounds of nature and listening to your soul, you are
at peace.
Like
a computer system which needs to be shut down after processes, so does our
mind. This article on how meditation affects your brain is scientifically
proven.
Using
the MRI scans, scientists are able to understand the activities of the brain
before and after meditation. The Beta waves show reduced frequencies after meditation of 20 minutes.
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| Photography Credits: Linda Lauren |
Linda Lauren, is a 4th
Generation Psychic Medium who owns and operates Linda Lauren’s Embracing The
Universe in Mountainside, NJ. She has been a professional psychic since
consulting with law enforcement in a murder investigation dating back to 1978. She is also a Color and Energy
Consultant. She has been featured in various journals, magazines, TV shows like
Buzzfeed.com, CNN, ABC-TV Nightline, Fox and Friends, Vice.com, The Nightly
News with Chuck Scarborough on NBC New York, HuffPost Live, Better TV, WPIX,
Open House NYC, in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York
Post, People Pets, A&U magazine, The Daily News, Hamptons magazine, The
Star Ledger, and the Chicago Tribune. It was a privilege to know her and ask her
a few questions. Here are her answers to the secrets of meditation.
Debby Sharma: What is meditation? How and why is it done? Does
meditation mean to concentrate on one object (focused attention), or not to
think at all or to let the emotions flow?
Linda Lauren: Meditation refers to a variety of practices that includes
techniques to promote relaxation and healing so that one can deal with life and
unhealthy stress. It allows us to
respond with reason, rather than react with emotion. Meditation is the simple
act of slowly breathing in and out with your own body rhythm. People meditate
for the purpose of quieting the mind so that one can think more clearly from a
relaxed place. There are two types of meditation: active and passive. In active you are listening to a certain
sound or focusing on an issue or an object. In passive meditation you are
allowing things to just come to you while you sit and breathe in silence.
Debby Sharma: What are the common problems that people come to you in
Second Life for help or for counseling? Are these much different from the real
life? Could you please share the percentage of people coming to you for help in
anxiety or depression?
Linda Lauren: Many people come for a session with me in Second Life because
they have lost a loved one and are trying to deal with life without that
person. Grief is the number one issue
that I help people with in SL and that is not much different than in real life.
I would say that perhaps 55% come for anxiety or depression.
Debby Sharma: What do you think causes such problems?
Linda Lauren: The everyday stress of life, such as work, relationships,
world news, etc. may cause depression and anxiety.
Debby Sharma: What are the other problems that can be cured via
meditation other than anxiety and depression?
Linda Lauren: There are a host of other issues that meditation can assist
with and these are just a few: it lowers blood pressure, add more hours to your
day, increase your attention, control anger, reduces aging and can help you get
a good night’s sleep.
Debby Sharma: What is the difference between
meditation and self-hypnotism? Is there any possibility that one may move from
meditation to self-hypnotism? If that happens, how can one keep oneself under
check?
Linda Lauren: Meditation is used to quiet the mind. Hypnosis is used to
program the mind. Both meditation and hypnosis use similar relaxation
techniques to achieve the relaxation response.
Self-hypnosis is not necessarily done without a hypnotherapist’s
assistance, even though a person is going to practice it eventually alone. There should always be a guide to assist in
hypnotherapy. Meditation, the guidance
is more universal and can be taught and guided but then you can continue on
your own. In many ways, meditation is
done more via the self than hypnotherapy.
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| Photography Credits: Linda Lauren |
Debby Sharma: Can relaxing and exploring in Second Life or other
virtual worlds help people in almost the same manner as meditation?
Linda Lauren: At this time, I do not promote other worlds, only the virtual
world of Second Life. There is nothing out there that is better in terms of
community. That said, yes, relaxing and
exploring in Second life does help.
Debby Sharma: What do you think was the reason for the development of
the process of mediation ages ago? How much importance do you think does it
play today? In our busy life, when we all are running for the Golden cup, how
do you suggest one must try to be stress free?
Linda Lauren: These questions would require too much of an in-depth answer
to be able to shorten it. So I will say
this: Meditation is the key to a happy, productive, relaxed life that helps us
to enjoy our relationships, our work and our day to day travels. I would suggest that if you are serious about
those things, then meditate to open your day and meditate to close it. Twenty minutes in the morning and twenty
minutes at night is all you need to sustain a well-balanced persona of spirit.
About Linda Lauren:
Reference links:
Anxiety and Depression Association
of America: http://www.adaa.org/
Please Note:
*The information expressed in this
article are opinions only and not professional medical advice. If you think you
are suffering from depression or anxiety there are resources available that can
help you. Speak to your doctor or reach out to your local church for available
resources in your area. You are not alone.
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