The more we feed and give in to the body with its drives and passions, the more we are nourishing the animal soul within the body, and the more we must suffer all the consequences and penalties the body will create for us. Self gratification turns the body into itself, which is a very lonely place to be. Making a habit of giving in to bodily wishes brings anger, constant hunger to fulfill our desires and allows for control of the body over the spirit.
The body is heavy and lazy and is no different than an animal; after all it is motorized totally by the animal soul. The spirit of G-d within, is light and fulfilling, rewarding, meaningful and purposeful. One of the very painful situations the body will put a person into, is depression and sluggishness. Depression is the ultimate control of the body over the spirit. As a matter of fact, a depressed person has no energy or spirit left in him since it’s been totally blocked by the drives of the body. Happiness and internal joy is the spirit driving the body.
The following are four methods mysticism utilizes to address the condition of negativity in one’s life, especially depression, by shifting away from the bad and/or discovering the good or transforming the bad to good.
Depression ( in its’ many degrees) is a negative force since it takes the life away from a person. The following four steps must be done with the help of an outsider since there is a rule, “A person cannot untie his own knots.”
The first method is the weakest one and applicable to the right person at the right time. The depression is still there but a positive use was found for the depression which allows for the beginning of a small crack of light to shine into the person’s life.
It is to use the depression against itself as a handle to knock out the depression or better yet the depression itself is used against itself.
Depression, if carefully directed, can be used AGAINST those elements in life that a person should truly be unhappy about. This is temporary since we are dealing with a poisonous and harmful energy which should be avoided.
The second method is based on the axiom, “everything comes from a positive, G-dly source”. Depression started out as either frustration over a worthwhile desire or some other positive reason. We trace the negative back to its trigger and source and we sublimate the negative outcome, namely the depression, by addressing the positive need.
For example, if a person was frustrated over a lack of validation in life at work or at home, which is a perfectly healthy need and desire, once the validation is addressed, the depression will be for the time being eliminated.
This method can temporarily ignore the propensity to feel depressed, but potentially it’s still there should the problem recur.
The third method is completely shifting, focusing and training oneself through habit to ignore the bad and to focus entirely on the positive in life. Here again the bad is still there but not being allowed into this person’s consciousness.
The last and most powerful step which transforms the depression into joy is an understanding and developing the faith and trust, that all G-d does is for the good. Things that appear in life as challenges are disguised goodness. This attitude transforms all the bad in one’s life. Everything becomes only positive and good.