I’ve always had a feeling that Bipolar is much more of a gift than the curse that our mainstream society makes it out to be. After looking into the connection between psychosis and spiritual awakening, I now understand the meaning of these episodes and how they are meant to be a healing process. During psychosis we are diving deep into our subconscious and confronting our ego, with all its inner-demons, but most of us don’t have the tools or mentors to undertake such an enormous spiritual battle so we succumb to our egos dark side.
Instead of taking our desires and impulses literally, we have to look through them to see their true meaning. These impulses are usually a defense for a fear we have. For example, if your desire is to make a whole bunch of money, then you probably have a fear of living in poverty. We have to face these fears in our own ways, but instead of trying to overpower them, we have to surrender to them and be at peace with the knowledge that everything is impertinent. The harder that you try to hold on to something the more pain you will experience when that thing eventually leaves you.
People labeled as Bipolar and depressed are gifted with an extreme-sensitivity, not just in the physical sense, but in a spiritual way. Mania and depression is your subconsciousness prompting you to live with a higher purpose. Mania is your ego run amok with your higher purpose because we haven’t accepted our humbleness and our insignificance in the universe. Minimalism is important in order to alleviate the overwhelming feeling in depression, whether its material possessions, tasks or relationships.
It can take a long time for people to find their calling in life and even after they do, it requires a great deal of patience to progress, which is where meditation and mindfulness comes to our aid. By practicing mindfulness we are bringing our attention to the current moment to enjoy the process, instead of the end goal. Mindfulness allows us a deep appreciation for things we would normally find insignificant or take for granted, which means that just our sheer existence is meaningful because we are radiating out a loving positive energy.
Some people find their higher purpose by devoting to a religion, because of the comfort zone that it provides, like the community and explanation for all the mysteries of life, but by taking one religion literally, you are negating the power of the mythology and symbolism that can be learned from other religions. The core of all religions is love, compassion, empathy and humility.
The power of a close community has been negated in favor of individualism in our modern western society, which I think brings out a lot of insecurities and stress in people because the bare essentials of food, shelter and clothing are not guaranteed, as they would be if you were living in a tight community. Even though there are government programs that are supposed to be safety nets, we have huge gaps leaving many people struggling for these essentials, which leaves them with a deep fear.
A spiritual awakening is practically impossible by yourself, which is why we need communities dedicated to this purpose as a type of spiritual refuge, where you can go there as a retreat and have mentors who will be there for you the entire time to guide you through this difficult time. For some people, these types of communities may become their home because they find their sense of purpose in being part of something greater and giving back by mentoring others who come there in a state of turmoil, just as they had.
I believe that this type of mindful eco community would have the opposite affect of mental hospitals which make people crazier because they are exposed to people who have spent prolonged periods of time being dehumanized. We vibe of the energy of the people around us, so if you enter a peaceful loving slow-paced community, you will naturally shift your energy to match.
Mindful-Body-Community 