Comment by Theodores | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Theodores | Hacker News Reader

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Well... I believe depression is actually quite normal, everyone experiences depression (not to confused with sadness) at some stage or other.

What is not normal is sitting in front of some app, taking micro doses of LSD and 'meditating' in some stereotyped new-age fake-hipster-American way.

For normal depression for normal people it is possible to meditate without the LSD and the feigned posture. What you do is you go outside the front door and walk, ride a bike, go for a jog or go for a swim. Sure these normal activities do not have the pretence of the believe system that goes with mindful-LSD-taking but, for normal people with normal depression (including the suicidal thoughts), normal healthy activities can help too, e.g. a gentle stroll with no funny meds needed.

That you describe mindfulness meditation as "new-age" suggests to me that you aren't familiar with it, and are dismissing it out of hand rather than thoughtfully. The new-age movement has a spiritual element to it, mindfulness meditation does not. The complete, entire point of mindfulness meditation is learning to be present and aware of the workings of your mind. Real-time self awareness is not "new-age fake hipster", it's a valuable skill, particularly for depressed people. Having this improved self awareness can include recognizing when you become relatively more or less sad, which can lead you towards or away from various situations and behaviors.

I think you're reacting negatively because of the commenter's association with LSD. That's not representative of the mindfulness practice in general, so if that feels a bit too "Berkeley" for you then don't throw away the baby with the bath water. Personally, I've never tried LSD, and although I'm a bit curious about it, I've read accounts of people being mentally crippled for years by a bad trip - not worth the risk.

What is normal depression? What is a normal person?

How do you leave the house when you are depressed?

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