Could depression be an indication of spiritual enlightenment?

I have a plethora of opinions concerning depression. Considering I have been to therapists my entire life, those opinions war with each other and force a place into my brain. I do have depression, or to be exact, I suffer from Bipolar disorder which entails both depression and mania. I was told that this was a disease, that I would suffer for the rest of my life. I am medicated, as well.

So imagine the churning of my thoughts when I read that depression may actually be the gateway to a spiritual enlightenment, that on the other side of some door, I could find the answer to my pain. Of course, this doesn’t include the mania, and that’s a subject for another day.

So basically, is depression an illness or simply a step toward becoming one with all existence? I have to look further now, since, of the late, I’ve been hungry for knowledge in all areas. Now this, I have to examine, as well.

Enlightened by the darkness

Dr. Lisa Miller, researcher and professor of clinical psychology at the Columbia University, through a dark time in her life, discovered there may be more to depression than illness. Driven by her despair during infertility and sharing this despair with her husband, Miller began to gradually absorb the messages of healers and helpers along the way.

These healers offered support with words of wisdom about greater things in store for the Millers. Not only were there words of wisdom, but included in this journey were objects, animals and healers bound in synchronicity. What some may have seen as strange moments of coincidence, the Millers saw as a sign of what was to come. Maybe these synchronicities held the answers to their questions.

These moments ultimately left Miller with questions, questions about whether or not depression was really a disease.

If depression was a disease, then why do traumatic events in life cause this state-of-mind?

Miller’s team of researchers set out to find the answers to these questions, and they did! The study recruited a great number of those who suffered from a severity of depression which included long family histories of the ‘illness’. They paired these individuals with those who had long lineages of spiritual presence, for comparison.

It seems that the brain does actually look different in those who are depressed as opposed to those who have experienced spiritual enlightenment. Both groups showed a marked influence in the cortex region of the brain. For those with depression, the region was withered and small.

Those experiencing spiritual enlightenment, however, had large thick regions in the cortex. To Miller, depression and spiritual enlightenment seemed to be opposite sides of the coin, so this discovery was not all that surprising. It wasn’t just a metaphysical connection, it involved polarity.

Could it be? Could the cortex region only be experiencing starvation? If so, depression could indeed be a journey of reaching spiritual nourishment.

Wavelengths of the human brain

To help fortify this belief, results revealed that women, who had endured suffering before reaching spiritual enlightenment, exhibited an alpha wavelength, the same as with monks during meditation.  There are four wavelengths that the human brain can exhibit, including alpha, gamma, beta and delta. Alpha is the same frequency emitted by the earth, better known as the Schumann Resonance, so this means…

The spiritually engaged brain vibrates at the frequency of the earth’s crust.

– Dr. Lisa Miller

So, with this, new-to-my-ears information, I can add an additional layer to how I see depression. I cannot say that I am 100% convinced of this notion, but it is interesting. Miller does state that not all those who suffer from depression, suffer because they are on the road to an awakening, just some.

I don’t know what differentiates the two either. One thing is for certain, whether it’s enlightenment or just an invisible disease, as I have come to believe over time, depression can be treated. Maybe, the deeper the depression, the closer you are to the answer. Just keep up the good fight, the answer could be right around the corner.


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This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. J

    This clarifies, much for me in dealing with my own issues, but also gives me a much deeper understanding and validation. thank you for this very interesting article.

  2. Jaswinder Singh Chaggar

    There are many times in everybody’s life when the mind brain combination can be very busy, leading to withdrawal even, this can seem like a depressed state, what is worse is that people surrounding that person want the person they are used to., to be present and ask repeatedly for. Most annoying. being unable to explain, not wanting to be rude while having to hear all their suggestions of cheering up and enjoying ‘normal’ life. can and does interrupt the internal processing, causing further withdrawal, leading to a ‘breakdown’, (overload). We are in desperate need of truly ‘Enlightened’ people coming forward and guiding others along on their path.

  3. Naomi

    I am also depressed but its not so much to do with my mood, its more that I cant physically get out of bed to do things. I have very little motivation and energy. I barley do anything and its really bothering me. meds aren’t working either and don’t know what to do.

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