Dr. Rajesh Bhola
India
Oct 11, 2013
It
often happens that we weep inconsolably when we remember some tragic
events. I still have not recovered from the death of some near and dear
ones. Emotional distress, if not expressed, gets stored and can create
pressure in the system; venting of emotions decreases this tension. The
venting occurs through sobbing and crying. Deeper layers of pain are
released by uninhibited convulsive sobbing. The pain of separation, of
love frustrated, pours into our consciousness and is fully experienced.
Silence can be very uncomfortable, even for family members.
Emotional expression, such as crying, is a natural human necessity. Crying
itself is instinctual: a baby comes out of the womb with an ability to
cry – this ability is unlearned. What is learned (later) is the ability
to suppress crying. Suppressing emotions has a negative impact on
individuals and societies. As a part of the socialization process,
children are taught, very often with punishment, how to control their
emotional reactions and suppress the instinctual need for discharge.
Most people accumulate repressed emotions and the accompanying body
tension, which is always present but usually not recognized. Suppressed
emotions interfere with our thought and perception processes – with our
ability to respond to others and to co-operate; and with our ability to
tolerate strong emotions in others. Undoubtedly, mindfulness can aid
inner healing, but it does not go very deep. The
really deep mindfulness comes out of conviction; from a sort of inner
change, a kind of catharsis. Enlightenment is a cathartic experience, an
inner cleansing. Often such an experience is triggered by something
unexpected; sometimes it comes out of a feeling of penitence and
sometimes out of gratitude or grief. The fire of enlightenment is
kindled by our passion – to make something of our lives. It is only
strong authentic emotion that has the power to penetrate to the core of
our being. No intellectual procedure will ever reach deep enough.
One
of my dear friends recalled how she had to sobbingly make calls to her
parents and other family members when her grandfather had a fatal heart
attack. Her mother was in her office, her father was out of town and her
brother was at a beach in Goa, with friends. My friend loved her
grandfather and still sobs when she remembers how he fell down so
suddenly from his favourite chair and left the family so unexpectedly.
She still caresses the empty chair at the dining room table. In such
situations we are tripped by a chance contact with some deep grief or
grief laden events buried in our memory. We start weeping copiously. After a deep cathartic experience we may see familiar sights as if for the first time.
The effect of such experiences may normally be brief. In some
enlightenment experiences this brilliant reality may persist for weeks
or even months.
Catharsis
has long been recognized as a healing, cleansing and transforming
experience, and has been used in cultural healing practices, literature,
drama, religion, medicine and psychology. Some contemporary modalities
such as psychodrama, primal therapy and emotion - focused therapy, make
use of catharsis as their core technique to achieve positive therapeutic
change. Although it takes different shapes, the essence of catharsis
remains the same: it is a release from some burden, either physical or
mental, and furthers healing through its cleansing effect. Catharsis is
described as an involuntary, instinctive body process – like crying. It
is also defined as the process of reducing or eliminating a 'complex',
by recalling it to conscious awareness and allowing it to be expressed.
It is also known as the discharge of effects connected to traumatic
events, which had previously been repressed - by bringing these events
back into consciousness and re experiencing them.
We
cannot avoid natural disturbances and turbulences impacting us; and we
cannot help responding to them. We also face, at one point or another,
some deep trauma. We make many unrealistic attempts to extinguish such
disturbances permanently. We should not think that an awakened being is
one without any personal problems. An awakened being is one whose
enlightenment is constantly unfolding. The processes of Catharsis
Therapy are not just for those who are failing; they are also
appropriate for those on the path to enlightenment. spiritual
and cultural rituals have been known to help people process collective
stress situations, such as death or separation, or major life
changing events like the rite of marriage. Traditional societies have
ceremonies and rituals for funeral rites, mourning and curing, which
most often include cathartic activities such as crying, weeping, beating
of drums or ecstatic dances. Similarly, different forms of mass
ceremonies promoted mass cathartic experiences, attracted mass audiences
and became the socially acceptable way for collective crying. It is
apparent that collective forms of emotional re-experiencing and
discharge in social, cultural and spiritual events are highly popular,
attract massive audiences, are known to provide relief and increase
group cohesiveness and solidarity.
Catharsis
can cleanse us and help us revive. Just as the rain pours down and
sweeps the earth clear of all impurities, catharsis seeks to flush our mind and soul of all their accumulated burdens. Every
humiliation that we have ever suffered, every rejection thrust upon us,
every sorrow or loss that invaded our life, every slight that we
received as a child, every time our heart broke, every time we witnessed
tragedy – has weighed us down. Because we have not learnt to move on.
So many times such experiences are merely brushed aside and interred,
only to resurface in our life many years later as the ghostly remnants
of those pains. They prevent us from reaching out to the peace and happiness that can be easily ours. They create emotional strain, which is intensified if these worries are buried in the subconscious. Emotional
pain can be a strange thing. It leaves an imprint on the mental surface
even after the storm has settled down. And this imprint haunts every
other experience that is deposited on that surface. Sadly, we are many
times not even aware of the imprint.
The
problem of not being able to let go is more serious than just a lack of
life skills. It is a source of mental maladies. Unfortunately, half of
all the beds in our hospitals are reserved for patients with nervous and
mental troubles, patients who have collapsed under the crushing burden
of accumulated yesterdays and fearful tomorrows. One of the tools for the purging of such feelings is Cathartic Meditation.
Shut your eyes and simply observe your breathing - do not try to
control it. Let the inhalations and exhalations happen naturally. You
will find thoughts rising into your conscious mind. Stay calm and do not
try to wish away the thoughts - observe them. As you surrender yourself
completely to the feelings of deep relaxation you may encounter
thoughts of painful or embarrassing experiences coming up. You may even
fall asleep from pure exhaustion. As you recall the forgotten details of
excruciating experiences, try to look at them in a better light.
Understand that they were meant to happen and that they only brought you
more learning. Practice rationalization. For instance, if it is the
death of a loved one that torments you, accept that dying is inevitable.
May be it taught you to be more independent and to value the people
around you better. For some people, reliving a repressed memory helps
diminish its pain or discomfort. If there is something that you have
avoided confronting, do so now. Cry if you must. Let tears roll down
your cheeks. We are conditioned to believe that tears are a sign of
weakness, but nothing could be further from the truth. Tears are
fundamental to catharsis. As the tears flow out, your pent-up emotions
find release as well. Let everything flow out. Hold nothing back.
Sometimes
catharsis occurs naturally. When you hear some very beautiful music,
you may cry for no reason and feel rejuvenated. People have this
experience with movies as well. It is seen that movies and books
depicting great suffering and tragedy often attain the highest success.
This is because you let go of your burdens when witnessing the catharsis
experienced by the characters. Great suffering often brings great
purification. Artists experience catharsis through their paintings,
music and poetry.
If every individual were to undergo catharsis, we may have a care-free, pure world that would mirror paradise.
The word catharsis is derived from a Greek word, which means
'cleansing' or 'purification'. There are two essential components of
catharsis: the emotional aspect - strong emotional expression and
processing; and the cognitive aspect of catharsis - insight, new
realization, the unconscious becoming consciousness - and as a result,
positive change.
Dr. Rajesh Bhola
is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working for the cause
of children with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and
multiple disabilities for more than 20 years
No comments:
Post a Comment