Meditation vs Anxiety and Depression- Interview with Linda Lauren- Debby Sharma Reporting…

Image borrowed from placeofpersistence.com

Love- betrayal, work- stress, need- want and others like, anger, depression, loneliness etc. have tied us today to a bond when happiness seems scarce, peace is rare, love is a miracle and we are all haunted by fear of the unknown.

Anxiety is a “feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome”. Depression is “feelings of severe despondency and rejection”.

People feel anxiety or depression when they lost a loved one, got fired from a job, divorced or experienced other major life changing issues. This is a natural human reaction. But some people feel depression or anxiety almost every day of their life for no apparent reason, leaving them with difficulty to carry out day to day activities of a normal life.

A phase in life when a person feels hopeless, sad, unmotivated etc; But if this phase continues more than 2 weeks affecting their daily lives, it is a major depression, but a treatable illness.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “At any point in time, 3% to 5% of people suffer from major depression, the lifetime risk is about 17% ” Depression and anxiety disorders are not the same. However, people with depression disorder may show symptoms of anxiety disorders like nervousness, irritability, problems sleeping and concentration. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Many people who develop depression have a history of an anxiety disorder earlier in life. There is no evidence one disorder causes the other, but there is clear evidence that many people suffer from both disorders.”

Meditation is a state of deep peace with oneself; a mind aware of their surroundings and peace within itself; a state free from agitation; It is difficult and very rarely possible to not think anything at any point of time. Hence, a time when you are listening to the sounds of nature and listening to your soul, you are at peace.

Like a computer system which needs to be shut down after processes, so does our mind. This article on how meditation affects your brain is scientifically proven. 

Resource: https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-meditation-affects-your-brain

Resource: https://outwittrade.com/meditation-benefits-and-stories

Using the MRI scans, scientists are able to understand the activities of the brain before and after meditation. The Beta waves  show reduced frequencies after meditation of 20 minutes.

Photography Credits: Linda Lauren

Linda Lauren, is a 4th Generation Psychic Medium who owns and operates Linda Lauren’s Embracing The Universe in Mountainside, NJ. She has been a professional psychic since consulting with law enforcement in a murder investigation dating back to 1978. She is also a Color and Energy Consultant. She has been featured in various journals, magazines, TV shows like Buzzfeed.com, CNN, ABC-TV Nightline, Fox and Friends, Vice.com, The Nightly News with Chuck Scarborough on NBC New York, HuffPost Live, Better TV, WPIX, Open House NYC, in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, People Pets, A&U magazine, The Daily News, Hamptons magazine, The Star Ledger, and the Chicago Tribune. It was a privilege to know her and ask her a few questions. Here are her answers to the secrets of meditation.

Debby Sharma: What is meditation? How and why is it done? Does meditation mean to concentrate on one object (focused attention), or not to think at all or to let the emotions flow?

Linda Lauren: Meditation refers to a variety of practices that includes techniques to promote relaxation and healing so that one can deal with life and unhealthy stress.  It allows us to respond with reason, rather than react with emotion. Meditation is the simple act of slowly breathing in and out with your own body rhythm. People meditate for the purpose of quieting the mind so that one can think more clearly from a relaxed place. There are two types of meditation: active and passive.  In active you are listening to a certain sound or focusing on an issue or an object. In passive meditation you are allowing things to just come to you while you sit and breathe in silence.

Debby Sharma: What are the common problems that people come to you in Second Life for help or for counseling? Are these much different from the real life? Could you please share the percentage of people coming to you for help in anxiety or depression?

Linda Lauren: Many people come for a session with me in Second Life because they have lost a loved one and are trying to deal with life without that person.  Grief is the number one issue that I help people with in SL and that is not much different than in real life. I would say that perhaps 55% come for anxiety or depression.

Debby Sharma: What do you think causes such problems?

Linda Lauren: The everyday stress of life, such as work, relationships, world news, etc. may cause depression and anxiety.

Debby Sharma: What are the other problems that can be cured via meditation other than anxiety and depression?

Linda Lauren: There are a host of other issues that meditation can assist with and these are just a few: it lowers blood pressure, add more hours to your day, increase your attention, control anger, reduces aging and can help you get a good night’s sleep.

Debby Sharma: What is the difference between meditation and self-hypnotism? Is there any possibility that one may move from meditation to self-hypnotism? If that happens, how can one keep oneself under check?

Linda Lauren: Meditation is used to quiet the mind. Hypnosis is used to program the mind. Both meditation and hypnosis use similar relaxation techniques to achieve the relaxation response.  Self-hypnosis is not necessarily done without a hypnotherapist’s assistance, even though a person is going to practice it eventually alone.  There should always be a guide to assist in hypnotherapy.  Meditation, the guidance is more universal and can be taught and guided but then you can continue on your own.  In many ways, meditation is done more via the self than hypnotherapy.

Photography Credits: Linda Lauren

Debby Sharma: Can relaxing and exploring in Second Life or other virtual worlds help people in almost the same manner as meditation?

Linda Lauren: At this time, I do not promote other worlds, only the virtual world of Second Life. There is nothing out there that is better in terms of community.  That said, yes, relaxing and exploring in Second life does help.

Debby Sharma: What do you think was the reason for the development of the process of mediation ages ago? How much importance do you think does it play today? In our busy life, when we all are running for the Golden cup, how do you suggest one must try to be stress free?

Linda Lauren: These questions would require too much of an in-depth answer to be able to shorten it.  So I will say this: Meditation is the key to a happy, productive, relaxed life that helps us to enjoy our relationships, our work and our day to day travels.  I would suggest that if you are serious about those things, then meditate to open your day and meditate to close it.  Twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes at night is all you need to sustain a well-balanced persona of spirit. 

About Linda Lauren:

WEB SITE: http://LindaLauren.com

FB PAGES:
https://www.facebook.com/EmbracingTheMetaverse/
http://www.facebook.com/LindaLauren

SECOND LIFE URL FOR ETU ABBRRACCIARE – Landmark: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Etu%20Abbracciare/121/96/43

Reference links:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America: http://www.adaa.org/

https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-meditation-affects-your-brain

Please Note:

*The information expressed in this article are opinions only and not professional medical advice. If you think you are suffering from depression or anxiety there are resources available that can help you. Speak to your doctor or reach out to your local church for available resources in your area. You are not alone.