Onset of Disease & Human Health

Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:34:23 -0600
To: AM-GLOBAL
From: "Punya'tman Deva"
Subject: Onset of Disease & Human Health

Baba

UNDERSTANDING GHOSTS #1

Namaskar,

In this present era, we are step by step witnessing the spread of various mental disorders etc. This outbreak is happening most drastically in those so-called first-world nations.

Around the globe, and especially in the materialistic communities, many medical professionals and psychologists are under the impression that all such mental disorders fall within the realm of brain diseases. Thus whether one has brain cancer or clinical depression, western medical specialists are treating all mental disorders as brain diseases, using traditional allopathic medicines. This is their standard approach.

BRAIN DISEASE & PSYCHIC DISEASE ARE DIFFERENT

In Ananda Marga, however, our approach is different. Baba clearly guides us that within the realm of mental disorders there are both (a) brain diseases and (b) psychic diseases. And furthermore, these two problems are worlds apart. According to Baba, brain diseases and psychic diseases are not of the same nature.

Ananda Marga philosophy teaches us, "Psychic disease and brain disease are not the same thing; they are quite different." (1)

So in His above teaching Baba is clearly differentiating between brain disease and psychic disease. And here below Baba explains how they are different.

Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "Brain disease occurs due to some disorder in a part of the brain, or due to a congenital defect, or perhaps due to hereditary causes which hamper the proper formation of the brain. Mental disease is different. It arises due to a disorder in the objectivated mind." (2)

BRAIN DISEASE VS. PSYCHIC DISEASE

Thus, per Baba's aforementioned teaching, brain disease means a physical disorder or biological defect in the brain such that the brain is unable to function properly. Some examples of brain disease are strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's disease, brain cancer, metabolic brain diseases, autism, brain tumors, etc. These all come within the scope of brain diseases.

In contrast psychic diseases stem from a "disorder in the objectivated mind", such as depression, mania, phobia, inferiority complex, hallucination, being 'possessed' by certain deities, superiority complex, fear complex, melancholia, schizophrenia, maha'many'ta' (superiority complex) etc.

So by these above examples we can see that brain diseases and psychic diseases are two clearly different categories - according to Ananda Marga philosophy. Already it is been explained that brain diseases result from a structural defect or biological problem in the brain organ. Here below we will discuss how psychic diseases develop.

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVATED MIND & SUBJECTIVATED MIND

AND HOW DO THEY WORK

In your mind, there are two chambers: The objectivated mind and the subjectivated mind.

WATCHING THAT CAT

Now, suppose in real life you saw a cat walking in the grass. And then you closed your eyes and you recollected that cat. In that case, one part of the mind creates the image of the cat and another portion of the mind sees that image. So the part of mind that took the shape of the cat is the objectivated mind, and the part of mind that is watching that cat is the subjectivated mind.

Thus, everyone has an objectivated mind: It is that chamber or part of the mind which contains one's object of thinking. So the first step is to look at how the objectivated mind works.

FROG IS THINKING ABOUT A MOSQUITO

If someone is thinking about the post office then the post office is in their objectivated mind. And if a frog is thinking about a mosquito then a mosquito is in its objectivated mind. So anyone's object of thinking is what comprises their objectivated mind.

Furthermore, this objectivated mind functions in two ways. Suppose your eyes are open and you see a cat in front of you. Then when you close your eyes and see the cat in your mind, then the picture of the cat in your mental sphere is your objectivated mind.

THERE IS A GHOST IN THE ROOM

The second way the objectivated mind works is as follows. Let's say you start imagining something that does not exist - like a ghost. That ghost has no basis in reality. In truth it does not exist. Yet you start thinking that there is a ghost in the room which has big fangs and twisted feet and lives in the dark. This is completely imaginary, but when you start thinking of that ghost then it takes the place in your objectivated mind. And the portion of mind that is watching that imagined ghost is your subjectivated mind.

Most of the psychic diseases that people suffer from are related with this second scenario. People imagine things that do not exist and they take that to be real.

CONSCIOUS MIND REFUTES THE IDEA

In the initial stage, the conscious mind (with the help of the indriyas) examines the scene to determine whether that ghost is real or not. Ultimately, the conscious mind refutes the idea - and concludes that there is no ghost. This is 100% appropriate. The subjectivated mind (witnessing portion of the mind) should be more powerful than the objectivated mind (witnessed part of the mind.)

PSYCHIC DISEASES TAKE SHAPE

The flip side to the story is if the objectivated mind overpowers the subjectivated mind. In that case one will think that ghost is real. If this happens once or twice it is manageable etc. But if on a consistent basis the subjectivated mind is overpowered by the objectivated mind, then that is when psychic diseases take shape. Then one truly believes in their heart of hearts that the ghost exists. That false notion will become one's living reality. And they will suffer from a terrible psychic disease.

So in this letter we talked about the difference between psychic diseases and brain diseases. Plus we reviewed key elements of Guru teachings about the objectivated mind and subjectivated mind, and how a ghost takes birth in the mind. And in the next letter we will expand on these ideas.

Namaskar,

In His Service,

Shriideva

REFERENCES

1. 'Faculty of Knowledge-3'

2. 'Faculty of Knowledge-3'

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Speciality of the Rg Veda

Baba says, "Although the Rgveda is mainly concerned with hymns, it also contains various tales and anecdotes. While not all of these stories and tales carry equal spiritual value, they are representative of the cultural heritage of those ancient humans. They paint a portrait of the gradual advancement of human thinking and the structure of society. When considered from this point of view, the language, literature and expression of the Rgveda is of special value to the world." (SC-2, 96-7)
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