If our feelings come from the soul, how does brain chemical deficiency cause depression?

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Transcript

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If our feelings are because of our feelings and our feelings’ capacity comes from the person, the soul, then how is it that sometimes because of certain problems in brain functioning, people become depressed. And when those problems are corrected by administering certain chemicals, antidepressant pills, people’s depression goes away.
Yes. See, from a philosophical perspective, we are not the body. But from a practical perspective, we are a composite unit.
In the soul, there is the mind and the body. And all three are together, right now. So, any phenomena we experience, that experience will have a physical component.
So, there is the spiritual, which is a source of emotions. There is the mental, which is the route through which the emotions are coming. And then the physical, wherein most of the emotions are expressed.
So, to take a simple example, that the way we experience emotions right now, that can be changed by physical stimuli. So, for example, if we eat a lot, we feel sleepy. So, this is my feeling of sleepiness, that is a feeling, whereas the food is physical.
But the physical affects the psychological. Now, this is relatively easy to understand. But further, let’s take an example of say, painkillers or anesthesia.
So, here what is happening? There is a physical input given, certain chemicals are given, input. So, what do they do? We have a capacity for consciousness, which comes from the soul. But that capacity requires certain physical channels for expression.
So, if say my hand, there is surgery to be done, then I am given anesthesia, local anesthesia. Then when the hand is cut, what is happening? I would feel tremendous pain. But if anesthesia is given, then the physical channels through which consciousness transmits, those channels are interrupted.
And when those channels are interrupted, then I don’t experience anything over there. So, there is the capacity for consciousness, which is independent of the body also, but the expression or experience associated with certain physical parts, that will depend on whether the channel is active or not. So, the channel is important.
Now, going further backwards, say, now when people have depression, there are different kinds of depression. In the past, mental health and mental diseases were often stigmatized. If somebody was depressed, it was almost thought that that is a moral deficiency.
What is this? You can’t face problems in life, you got depressed. No, it is not always a moral deficiency. In some cases, some people are very pessimistic, they are very morose, they tend to get depressed very easily.
But, we don’t have to stigmatize people. We need to help people. See, for us, our feelings are facts.
Now, suppose, say, somebody insults me and I feel angry. Somebody may tell me, that person just insulted you, why do you bother so much about it? But the fact is, it is bothering me right now, isn’t it? So, we can’t wish away our feelings. Our feelings are facts for us.
We will have to work our way through those feelings. And working our way may require different kinds of help. So, maybe sometimes, somebody has insulted me, and I just have to keep away from that person.
Then I will calm down. Then I will myself realize, this is not so much to be worried about. So, the feelings, when they are there, they are real.
So, we need checks and balances, so that we don’t immediately act on those feelings. But, we can’t just deny those feelings. If I am feeling angry, and I say, anger, go away.
It’s not going to go away like that. So, as long as the feelings are there, they are facts for us. when we, when somebody is depressed, that person needs to be helped in coming out of depression.
Sometimes, just feeling of being cared, valued, appreciated, encouraged, we give that, and depression goes away. But, the sometimes depression can also be a clinical phenomenon. So, there are different kinds of depression, and clinical depression means that in the brain, certain chemicals are either not secreted or secreted excessively, depends on which kind of depression we are talking about.
Because of which, a person tends to have a certain kind of emotions more. So, this is also one way in which that is a result of our past karma. Just like by our past karma, some people may be tall, some people may be short.
Some people may be well built, some people may be very thin. So, like that, just as our physical build may vary according to our past karma, similarly, our mental build may also vary according to past karma. And, when you say mental build, it is not just the inclination of the mind.
It can also refer to the nature or the structure or the function of our brain. Just as some people may just have low RBC count, they may have anemia, and then they have to take some artificial chemicals. Sometimes, for some people, there may be certain parts of the brain, or certain chemicals may be less in the brain, because of which they are more prone to depression.
So, it is not that the soul is depressed, but the soul’s consciousness is expressed in the body and through the body. And, the channels through which that consciousness is expressed are impeded in a certain way. Then, that consciousness will accordingly get affected.
So, just as this happens at a physical level, we easily accept it. You know, if I eat a lot, as an example, if I eat a lot, I feel heavy. If I am insulted, I feel dishonored.
So, the same thing happens at the level of chemicals also. That is, so, depending on the nature or structure of the channel for consciousness, the expression of consciousness changes. And, that can happen at a physical level, it can happen at a psychological level, it can also happen at a neural level.
Does it address your question? So, in such cases, even devotees, if they need to take antidepressant pills, they can and should take it. But, there is a tendency nowadays among many people to try to find chemical solutions to life’s problems. Life’s problems need spiritual solutions.
We can’t have chemical solutions. Every time something goes wrong, I start taking antidepressant pills. That’s not going to work.
But, in some cases, when there are serious problems, we should not think that because I am chanting Hare Krishna, I should never take antidepressant pills. It’s not necessary like that. If there are serious problems, just as if I have got a fracture in my leg, you know, chanting Hare Krishna can help me tolerate the fracture.
But, chanting Hare Krishna will not cure the fracture. We don’t expect Krishna to do that for us. See, Krishna is a transcendental Lord who raises above sufferings.
We shouldn’t make Him, reduce Him to a magic fracture curer. That’s what Krishna says. Similarly, if there is a clinical problem in the brain, even whatever problem is there, if we take shelter of Krishna, we will be able to tolerate it better.
But, see, sometimes we use the word spiritual solutions to material problems. It’s not exactly true. Material problems need material solutions.
But, there needs to be a spiritual motivation while applying those solutions. So, if there is no spiritual motivation, then people who are solving the problems, they will act with a selfish motive and that will create further problems. See, Arjuna won the war against Kurukshetra not just with the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita.
He won it by the knowledge of archery which he had acquired through a lifetime of practice and discipline. What the Bhagavad Gita did is, it gave him the inspiration and the wisdom to use that knowledge wisely. So, the spiritual is not the substitute for the material.
The spiritual is the director of the material. Whatever material resources I have, where do I use them? How do I use them? That guidance will be provided by spirituality. But spiritual is not the substitute for the material.
So, if I have a health problem, chanting Hare Krishna is not a substitute for that. But chanting Hare Krishna will help me to stay positive, stay tolerant, stay patient while I am taking the medicines and I am getting cured. Okay.
Thank you. Yes.