Mental health vs emotions

[ananda]

Sure, but we were discussing correct apprehension of the cause of this super-sadness: a brain problem. We hadnt even mentioned any possible response.

No delusion, but still a mental illness.

(I agree that some mental illness is caused by delusion. But just not all of it like you say.)

I include "responses" in my earlier statement regarding ignorance: "Those who are experiencing some level of ignorance are somewhat mentally ill". The experience of ignorance produces delusion.

 

[W2L]

I'm glad it helps you. I feel similarly about the Buddha and His Message.

I guess i had that coming. Have a nice day friend.

 

[ananda]

I guess i had that coming. Have a nice day friend.

Have a nice day!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

The feelings themselves are simply feelings. It's what our consciousness does with them, and how we respond to them, that determines if we are acting under delusion or not.

Feelings and thoughts can be from demons. Not only from Yahweh (in fact, rarely).
Our minds are battlefields of the devil,
and most people lose. (Most souls are lost too).

 

[W2L]

The feelings themselves are simply feelings. It's what our consciousness does with them, and how we respond to them, that determines if we are acting under delusion or not.

Could you elaborate?

 

[ananda]

Feelings and thoughts can be from demons. Not only from Yahweh (in fact, rarely).
Our minds are battlefields of the devil,
and most people lose. (Most souls are lost too).

I find that my higher consciousness can either choose to listen to, or to ignore, my lower feelings and thoughts, and change them for the better through proper, wise choices.

 

[StrivingFollower]

I think the overall mental health of a person can effect the intensity with which those natural emotional states are experienced, or what evokes them. I may get angry, for example, but I'm not so caught up by it that I scream and assault. Or at the very least, the conditions that would provoke me to scream and assault are very, very unlikely to occur in everyday life and I am generally able to recognize 'I am entering the state of anger' and take steps other than screaming and assaulting to handle that emotional state and the circumstances that are occurring.

Someone with a mental illness may not have that luxury - they may suddenly be 'in the middle' of an emotion, a very intense one, and the ability to step back and separate themselves from the emotion is not there. They may shift from one emotion to another very rapidly without understanding why. Their inhibitions may drop drastically. Handling that can be just maturity or practice, but it's easier for some than others, particularly if they were raised where things got expressed that way and there's no sense of self outside of the emotional state they are experiencing. It may be virtually impossible for some without medication.

There are broad spectrums on mental illness anyway. I wouldn't categorize someone who was 'emotional' as mentally ill, unless it was impacting their relationships, career, etc. leading to legal trouble and the like. At that point it's outside the bell curve of the norm and causing damage to themselves and others.

I'm heavily disordered and I get enough emotion for 7 heads. It doesn't even feel like my emotion. I could have nothing but positivity in my head but my inner mind will be screaming like it's dying. I never attack people though. Years ago, i learned to stop yelling even. But man, does my mind get cooked. Actually i think the statistics show that mentally ill people are less violent than mentally healthy people. Most are too sickly to commit violence.

But the ones that are violent catch the media's attention for being so wacky. A violent mentally ill person is scarier than a violent mentally "healthy" person because he's less predictable.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I find that my higher consciousness can either choose to listen to, or to ignore, my lower feelings and thoughts, and change them for the better through proper, wise choices.

Feelings and thoughts can be from demons. Not only from Yahweh (in fact, rarely).
Our minds are battlefields of the devil,
and most people lose. (Most souls are lost too).

 

[ananda]

Could you elaborate?

In my experience, the consciousness can choose to accept & act on the information it's given by the lower mind (thoughts and emotions), or reject them, or neither. For example, my lower mind can feel like eating junk food, but my "chooser" - the higher consciousness - can choose to give in, reject it for healthier food, or ignore the impulse altogether.

Choosing to give in - in this example - trains the mind towards greater & stronger unskillfulness, which manifests as even more powerful unskillful thoughts and feelings in the future. Choosing to reject it trains the mind towards weakening unskillfullness and strengthening skillfulness, which manifests as greater skill in the future.

It's like a man (conscious chooser) who owns a dog (lower mind). Does he allow the dog to drag him everywhere it impulsively wants to go, or does he command obedience from his dog instead?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Actually i think the statistics show that mentally ill people are less violent than mentally healthy people. Most are too sickly to commit violence.

For decades, all the school shootings were by people on drugs (or had been on prescriptions and came off them).
Prescribed for altering the conditions in or of the mind.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

A violent mentally ill person is scarier than a violent mentally "healthy" person because he's less predictable.

I think the mentally "healthy" are scarier because millions* have been killed by those,
while the (so-called) mentally ill have only done about 1% as much, just guessing though.

*as in war, medicine, politics, etc

 

[W2L]

In my experience, the consciousness can choose to accept & act on the information it's given by the lower mind (thoughts and emotions), or reject them, or neither. For example, my lower mind can feel like eating junk food, but my "chooser" - the higher consciousness - can choose to give in, reject it for healthier food, or ignore the impulse altogether.

Choosing to give in - in this example - trains the mind towards greater & stronger unskillfulness, which manifests as even more powerful unskillful thoughts and feelings in the future. Choosing to reject it trains the mind towards weakening unskillfullness and strengthening skillfulness, which manifests as greater skill in the future.

It's like a man (conscious chooser) who owns a dog (lower mind). Does he allow the dog to drag him everywhere it wants to go, or does he command obedience from his dog instead?

How does Buddha help though? Jesus is a Spirit who discerns the intentions of the heart. He is alive within us.

 

[StrivingFollower]

For decades, all the school shootings were by people on drugs.
Prescribed for altering the conditions in or of the mind.

The side effects of these drugs can be pretty intense and strange. I would guess these folks that shot up schools would've been mean with or without their mental illness though. Like I never run the risk of being violent because I still have my compassion. But the drugs are odd sometimes. I got one antipsychotic and it was supposed to make me calmer, and it made me feel the worst anxiety of my life.

Actually I never consistently used meds, which is quite odd for someone like me. I have a delusional disorder in the same family as schizophrenia. I just kept getting strong reactions to drugs. But now I think i have to start taking them because the illness won't stop getting worse. It's wrecked my functioning.

 

[ananda]

How does Buddha help though? Jesus is a Spirit who discerns the intentions of the heart. He is alive within us.

The Buddha helped by explaining in great detail (e.g. MN 61) how these psychological processes work, how we can modify them to achieve greater skillfulness, dispel delusion, and to achieve progressively higher states of peace and bliss in our own lives, all through the power of our own volitional choices. I find his message quite empowering.

"You yourselves must strive; the Buddhas only point the way." (Dhp 276)

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

How does Buddha help though? Jesus is a Spirit who discerns the intentions of the heart. He is alive within us.

A note aside from the thread: Yahweh is Spirit, not "a" Spirit. Yeshua was also, then
1 John 4:2 By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every ... - Bible Hub

https://biblehub.com/1_john/4-2.htm
Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: ... out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.
------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus still has flesh and bone, as written (He showed Thomas and the Apostles). His Spirit is still eternal, and echad with us and with the Father, yes. We abide IN HIm, and His Word abides in us as written. Yes!

 

[W2L]

A note aside from the thread: Yahweh is Spirit, not "a" Spirit. Yeshua was also, then
1 John 4:2 By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every ... - Bible Hub

1 John 4:2 By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: ... out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.
------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus still has flesh and bone, as written (He showed Thomas and the Apostles). His Spirit is still eternal, and echad with us and with the Father, yes. We abide IN HIm, and His Word abides in us as written. Yes!

He is Spirit who lives in us.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I would guess these folks that shot up schools would've been mean with or without their mental illness though.

No.
Don't guess.
Not everyone who shot others was mean, perse.

No mean person , and there are multitudes of mean persons, shot up a school, unless when they had been on Rx for their mind. So a multitude of mean persons who were not on drugs, they never shot up a school. (except in the army/ military)

 

[bhsmte]

I include "responses" in my earlier statement regarding ignorance: "Those who are experiencing some level of ignorance are somewhat mentally ill". The experience of ignorance produces delusion.

Very intelligent people, can experience delusional thinking, on topics they would seem to have significant knowledge.

 

[ananda]

Very intelligent people, can experience delusional thinking, on topics they would seem to have significant knowledge.

That is true; in the Buddhist Path, the degree of enlightenment and resultant freedom involves wisdom, foresight, willpower & ability (functions of consciousness) more than intelligence and knowledge (functions of mind).

 

[durangodawood]

I include "responses" in my earlier statement regarding ignorance: "Those who are experiencing some level of ignorance are somewhat mentally ill". The experience of ignorance produces delusion.

What you failed to include are mentally ill people who are correctly apprehending the results of their brain dysfunction.