transcending depression = religion?

[J. Stew]

say somebody hates something about themselves. they feel angry about it, but feel they can't do anything about it, like they think the bone structure of their face is ugly. so they repress the anger or don't fully accept the hate their mind perceives, and they eventually cover up the hate with fake happiness, because they don't want to feel depressed anymore. they 'make the best of it' instead of eating the suffering, and they develop delusion because of it. . . like someone who inflates their own ego to make themselves feel better about themselves. an example would be crappy american idol auditioners who believe they are actually good singers.

now this person has repressed anger because they feel helpless about the thing they hate, but they're tired of feeling so bad about it so they create a surface personality to gloss over the pain they are averse to accepting.

time goes on, and the person continues to operate on this surface level, with a nagging feeling that something isn't quite right. they feel like they aren't living a genuine life and eventually 'lose touch' with what living a genuine life feels like.

they see people enjoying life and think, 'i used to feel like that, what is my problem, maybe i should try harder', to which their problems get worse because they are reinforcing this same surface attitude that began practicing avoidance in the first place, and they remain unhappy.

is not religion what is there to help people like this?

getting through depression means you reinhabit the parts of you that you cut off or repressed, make yourself whole again etc. isn't that the aim of religion, even if people's intepretations are limited to their un-whole-y, perspective?

[Taraz]

I agree with you that the above is one of the functions of religion. In terms of a society, it is probably the most necessary function of religion.

[thylacine]

[ QUOTE ]
........ is not religion what is there to help people like this? ........

[/ QUOTE ]

No, of course it isn't. Religion doesn't serve any positive purpose for people that could not be improved by some non-religious alternative. Religion just uses people as a medium of storage and propagation.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
so they repress the anger or don't fully accept the hate their mind perceives, and they eventually cover up the hate with fake happiness, because they don't want to feel depressed anymore.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought u were gonna say the fake happiness=religion, lol.

[MidGe]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
so they repress the anger or don't fully accept the hate their mind perceives, and they eventually cover up the hate with fake happiness, because they don't want to feel depressed anymore.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought u were gonna say the fake happiness=religion, lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, me too! It really sort of match the antics you can see at some religious meetings, charismatic ones specially. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[J. Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
........ is not religion what is there to help people like this? ........

[/ QUOTE ]

No, of course it isn't. Religion doesn't serve any positive purpose for people that could not be improved by some non-religious alternative. Religion just uses people as a medium of storage and propagation.

[/ QUOTE ]

1. what are the alternatives that would be considered socially acceptable. my point being, a lot of people are mildly depressed therefore mildy insane/dis-eased and wouldn't go see a shrink. and on top of that, you pretty much need to be your own shrink so it seems religions like buddhism, which is socially acceptable, accomplish the feat of pointing people in the right direction, even if the people stumble at first.

2. i see how people misinterpret religion in a literal sense instead of understanding what religion points to but that's not religion's fault is it? it's not like you have to play a tag style of poker, you can lag it up or better yet have no defineable style and move with the flow of the game. how does religion bind you unless you bind to religion? if you are of an addictive mind and attach to anything that makes you feel good in this oh so confusing world of suffering then maybe that is the general problem that needs to be addressed.

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
how does religion bind you unless you bind to religion? if you are of an addictive mind and attach to anything that makes you feel good in this oh so confusing world of suffering then maybe that is the general problem that needs to be addressed.



[/ QUOTE ]

I can't address how religion binds an adult, but religions bind children through indoctrination. Children are not addicts, they simply are systematically indoctrinated into religious ideology. This brainwashing has a profound effect on their minds for the rest of their lives. This depression that you are talking about, although I am not an expert, may actually be brought about by an intelligent adult mind realising the absurdity of the religion that he was brainwashed with from his youth.