News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by hutzlibu on Thursday April 13, 2017 @06:30AM (#14105652)
> Maybe depression is a call from a higher being to wake up in your life and make big changes on your path

Less esoteric explanation: Or it is a call from deep within, the subconscious. But with the same implications. And that medications might not be that helpfull for that purpose.

Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by metaphorm on Thursday April 13, 2017 @08:45AM (#14106321)
"deep within, the subconscious" is a very esoteric thing.
Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by hutzlibu on Thursday April 13, 2017 @09:37AM (#14106716)
I would disagree, afaik the concept of a subconscious is quite accepted in science.

And the concept of a higher beeing... and in general esoteric things, and least in the common understanding of the word, not so much.

That beeing said, I am quite open and interested in esoteric things(even though I prefer the word spiritual), I just wanted to point out a more likely explanation to the op. Not ridiculing his version.

Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by metaphorm on Thursday April 13, 2017 @10:13AM (#14107054)
I'll point out to you, as I did another poster, that the word esoteric doesn't mean "mysterious" or "spiritual". it means "only understood by those with specialized knowledge".

additionally I would refute your claim that the subconscious (or really anything to do with consciousness) is well understood by science. it is acknowledged as being a thing that exists and just as readily acknowledged as being a thing that is poorly understood, at least from a materialist science perspective.

the models of consciousness that produce more thorough and well-explored theories tend to come from spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism, rather than materialist traditions.

Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by hutzlibu on Thursday April 13, 2017 @05:44PM (#14111148)
I read it. And I wrote esoteric in the common understanding of the word. Which is different than the original meaning.

And I did not said that subconscious "is well understood by science", just that it is broadly accepted that it exists, unlile gods.

Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by Sone7 on Thursday April 13, 2017 @08:58AM (#14106405)
Lol. Go on a ten day meditation retreat and tell me that. Your subconscious will be jumping out at you after 3 days of simply not talking to people.
Re:The Shamanic View of Mental Illness (2010) by metaphorm on Thursday April 13, 2017 @09:07AM (#14106465)
Esoteric doesn't mean "non-existent" or "spiritual". It means "understood only be those with specialized knowledge". I meditate daily and have a made a study of my own consciousness for years. I have some esoteric knowledge about the subject. That doesn't make it any less esoteric.