Dr Manju Antil (Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist)

1 Reduces Stress

Making mindfulness meditation a habit for only a few days can reduce overall anxiety (and who could not benefit from less Stress?). In a 2015 study of 133 stressed, unemployed adults, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, a three-day intensive mindfulness meditation training intervention showed reduced activity in participants’ amygdala. This brain region triggers the release of stress hormones.

2 Improves Cognition

Reaping the benefits of mindfulness meditation takes less time than you might expect. Practising mindfulness for just 20 minutes a day for four days significantly increased the cognitive efficiency

(i.e., the ability to think clearly) on tasks that required sustained attention in 63 college students who had never practised mindfulness previously, according to a 2010 study published in Consciousness and Cognition.

3 Boosts Immunity

While practising mindfulness isn’t a surefire way to prevent sickness, it may play a role in boosting brain and immune function, according to results of a 2003 clinical trial published in Psychosomatic Medicine. Scientists performed an eight-week study measuring brain electrical activity before and after mindfulness meditation training, with test and control groups receiving an influenza vaccine afterwards. They found significant increases in antibodies among those in the meditation group and higher activity in the logical left side of the brain.

4 Supports Working Memory

A 2010 clinical trial published in Emotion showed how mindfulness could increase our short-term memory capacity. Researchers examined two military groups in high-stress situations. The group participating in an eight-week mindfulness training course (and practising on their own after class) showed less degradation in working memory ability than the group that didn’t undergo mindfulness training.

5 Helps Manage Chronic Pain

A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness may make it easier to cope with chronic pain. John Kabat-Zinn, PhD, a pioneer in the field, conducted research in the 1980s on the effects of using mindfulness-based training to treat chronic pain. More recently, a 2017 study published in Annals of Behavioural Medicine showed that mindfulness meditation significantly decreased chronic pain in patients. More research and extensive studies are needed to confirm mindfulness meditation’s viability as a pain treatment.

6 Increases Empathy

Multiple studies have shown that mindfulness meditation increases overall empathy levels, including results of a 1998 clinical trial published in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine and a 2015 study published in Mindfulness. In the latter study, researchers investigated the effects of psychotherapists practising loving-kindness and compassion meditation, which helped them develop more empathy toward clients and reduced the adverse impact of heart pain.

7 May Help Lower Blood Pressure

A 2019 study published in PLOS One backed up what was previously largely anecdotal evidence that mindfulness can help to reduce hypertension (a high-risk factor for heart disease) in adults. The results of a trial of 48 participants—80 per cent of whom had hypertension—showed that practising mindfulness-based stress reduction could influence the behavioural underpinnings of this disease by improving participants’ self-regulation (i.e., the ability to avoid overeating) and enhancing their self-awareness and attention control. The results were long-lasting: An assessment one year later showed that participants’ blood pressure remained lower than the baseline taken at the start of the study.

8 Bolsters Cognitive Flexibility

Are you always multitasking? Mindfulness may help you shift your thinking among multiple concepts more quickly. A 2009 study in Consciousness and Cognition compared a group of Buddhists experienced in mindfulness meditation with non-meditators, finding that the first cohort performed significantly better on all measures of focused attention via timed written tests.

9 Improves Quality of Sleep

Waking up groggy after a night of tossing and turning can make it tough to function at your best. Practising mindfulness can help you to clock better Zzzs, however, according to results of a 2015 clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The trial tested 49 older adults (with a mean age of 66.3 years) experiencing moderate to significant sleep disturbances (such as insomnia) before and after a structured mindfulness meditation program. Post-intervention, sleep quality was improved mainly, and sleep-related daytime impairment was reduced. Researchers noted that more research is needed to determine the longer-term effects of mindfulness on sleep.

10 Decreases Emotional Reactivity

If you make decisions based on emotions, practising mindfulness can help you disengage from emotionally upsetting situations and think more logically. A 2007 study published in Motivation and Emotion demonstrated that individuals engaging in mindfulness meditation had a weakened emotional response to unpleasant photos, allowing them to focus better on a cognitive task and increase well-being.

11 Improves Relationship Satisfaction

Improving your mindfulness skills can r satisfaction to your relationship. A 2007 study in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy suggests mindfulness leads to an increased capacity to handle relationship stress positively and plays a beneficial role in the health of romantic relationships.

12 Restores Child-Like Wonder

Children can be enamoured by an errant leaf, bug, or flower—things we often don’t pay attention to as adults. However, mindful awareness may help us see the world with fresher eyes. In a 2015 study published in PLOS One, practising mindfulness meditation was shown (in some cases) to weaken sensory habituation, our tendency not to notice things around us in our everyday environments.

Romantic Inconsistency is Addictive (literally)

You Have Confused Obsession With Love

The More Focus & Energy You Give Someone, the More Invested You Become

Rejection Makes You Want to Work Harder

Someone Who is Unavailable Allows Us not to Face our Own Subconscious Intimacy Fears

What You Can Do

Buddhism is a religion which emphasises the human mind and analyzes emotion, cognition, behaviour, and motivation. It also deals with psychological therapeutic methods. The aims of Buddhist psychology in therapy are: The householder must lead a healthy and virtuous life. Nirvana is the aim of life, which means the complete cessation of dissatisfaction and suffering. Erich Fromm is a psychotherapist who explains Buddhist enlightenment experiences. Sutta peetika, one of the writings of Buddhism which is a part of Tripitaka consists of psychological materials. Buddhism also explains theories of perception and cognition. And also psychological cravings, manas (conceit) and ditthi (dogmas) are explained in Buddhism. The three basic drives in Buddhism namely, Kama tanha (craving for pleasure satisfaction0, Bava tanha (craving for existence) and bhava tanha (craving for annihilation) are compared to Freud՚s drive theory. Buddhism explains consciousness, self-development, and cognition. It also deals with mental illness. 

Sufism consists of psychological concepts. The basic three concepts include Nafs, which means self, ego, or psyche, the qalb which means heart and the ruh meaning spirit. Nafs is the self or ego. According to Sufism, nafs at the lowest level are the negative trait of humans and are related to negative tendencies, which are controlled by emotions and desires. Sufic psychology explains about seven types of self. They are the tyrannical self, regretful self, inspired self, serene self, pleased self, pleasing self and the pure self.

Qalb is the spiritual heart. It includes deeper intelligence and wisdom. According to Sufic psychology, qalb is the mediator between nafs and spirit. The self is controlled by qalb.

Ruh is related to divinity. It is the whole of the soul, mind and body. Ruh is the concept related to ego psychology, cognitive psychology, behavioural psychology, and transpersonal psychology

Integral yoga is also called Supramental yoga. It is developed based on the philosophy and practice of Sri Aurobindo. It finds all life conscious or subconscious. It is also a methodized effort towards the highest condition of victory. Integral yoga suggests that spirit manifests itself in a process of involution. According to Sri Aurobindo, there are two extreme views of life. They are as follows:

The materialists: Sri Aurobindo argues that materialists believe only in matter or force. They deny anything else and consider them as inert, illusions or hallucinations.

The ascetics: accept the belief in spirit. It is termed as the mechanical unintelligent substance or energy, leading to believing reality to be an illusion of the senses.

Sri Aurobindo considers whole life as yoga which helps to be aware of the divine. According to him, there are three types of being. They are:

Outer being which means being physical and aware of everyday consciousness and experience.

The inner or subliminal being means the inner aspects of the mental being. They have a larger and freer level of consciousness.

The psychic being is the personal evolving soul. It is the innermost being, which supports the physical and mental principles.

Despite the variability, the Great Depression affected every area of Europe. In the worst-affected nations, Poland, Germany, and Austria, one in every five people were unemployed, and industrial production plummeted by more than 40%. Trade levels between nations have also fallen. By 1932, the value of European commerce had plummeted to one-third of what it had been in 1929, and several of Europe's most recognised banking institutions and currencies were on the verge of collapse. By the end of the decade, there was some appearance of recovery, but it was neither total nor sustainable. If preparations for another war had not created demand and investment, the world would very certainly have experienced a second 'Great Depression' after 1937 

The downturn caused widespread unemployment and destitution throughout European society. As a result, domestic politics grew extremely volatile. In most of central and eastern Europe, like in the Weimar Republic, when leaders from moderate, centrist parties (Liberals, Conservatives, Democratic Socialists) failed to implement crisis-response measures, they were defeated by extreme groups on the Right and Left of the political spectrum.

In 1931, Britain attempted to counteract this trend by creating a National Government comprised of MPs from the Conservative, Liberal, and Labour parties in order to 'create national unity.' In the mid-1930s, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands saw comparable changes.

The Great Depression also harmed international relations. The severity of the crisis compelled countries to prioritise their national interests above everything else. By November 1932, every country in Europe had implemented or improved tariff and quota systems to prevent foreign imports from harming home industry and agriculture. The globe was now split into rival commercial blocs, which had serious ramifications for international peace. For Germany and Italy, economic nationalism was the first step toward establishing new empires. By 1935, it was evident that their nationalism was not limited to economics, as Mussolini and Hitler began to stake territorial claims in the Mediterranean, Africa, and eastern Europe.

By that time, it was also clear that the Depression had weakened other countries' ability to turn down similar demands. Britain and France felt vulnerable as a result of their economic problems. Diplomatic cooperation was also difficult in the midst of heavy economic competition, especially among nations like Britain, France, and the United States who had a similar purpose in safeguarding democracy and capitalism.

America as the ‘World’s Banker

The causes of the Great Depression may be traced back to the economic and political upheavals brought about by World War I. A lot of noteworthy developments occurred. The first was the rise of the United States as the world's leading economic power: the "world's banker." America had become the world's most powerful economy as a result of the Entente states' reliance on American loans to support their war effort and as a result of growing demand for American products across the world. As British economist John Maynard Keynes memorably put it, when America sneezed, the rest of the world acquired a cold.

The First World War and the Allies' demands for reparations from the vanquished Central Powers at the Paris Peace Conference strengthened the links between the European and American economy. In the 1920s, the United States became the primary supplier of loans for countries facing currency crises or general economic challenges. With the Dawes Plan, the Americans stepped in to help the Weimar Republic stabilise its economy in 1924, and private American investors contributed $4 billion to Germany over the following five years. During this period, German banks, companies, and regional government agencies were accustomed to using US money to smooth out any flaws in their economic performance. Indeed, Germany was hardly the only country to gain from American loans. Between 1924 and 1930, Europe as a whole got around $7.8 billion. However, when these American loans dried up, as they did substantially after 1929, the European economy's difficulties reappeared with a fury. What exactly were these issues?

Conclusion:

The globe as a whole struggled to recover from the Great Depression. Throughout the 1930s, foreign investment remained extremely low, making life especially tough for the world's poorer countries. Because of excessively high levels of trade protection, the amount of international commerce has likewise remained weak. European governments were also unable to escape the dread of financial turmoil and inflation. Government expenditure in most nations remained comparably modest as compared to the years before and after the Second  World War, and huge budget deficits were avoided with zeal. Indeed, European governments were unable to break the tendency of viewing practically all crises as pecuniary in nature. The form and degree of countries' adherence to the gold standard highlight the significance of policy decisions in the interwar economy's history, as well as the strength of domestic political goals in dictating economic policy.

During the Great Depression, countries all over the world faced very similar challenges, but each chose to tackle them on its own. Although there was discussion of the necessity for international cooperation, particularly among the 65 various countries whose delegates attended a World Economic Conference held in London in the summer of 1933, international cooperation amounted to nothing more than that: talk. Across Europe, administrations of many political hues chose to pursue economic rebirth in a national or imperial framework. Furthermore, by the mid-1930s, Germany, Italy, and Japan were using Britain and France's retreat into the empire to support their own ambitions for the empire.

Indeed, it was large-scale rearmament, both in Europe and the Far East and, after 1939, in the United States, that eventually absorbed surplus industrial capacity inactive since 1929.

Timeline

• ·         1922-23 Hyperinflation in Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria; new currencies listed.
• ·         1924 Dawes Plan. Britain returns to the gold standard.
• ·         1927 World Economic Conference Geneva. First signs of recession in Germany.
• ·         Oct 1929 Wall Street Crash.
• ·         May 1931 Creditanstalt Crisis, Austria; controls on economy introduced.
• ·         July 1931 Banking Crisis, Germany; controls on economy introduced.
• ·         Sept 1931 Britain leaves the gold standard.
• ·         June 1932 Lausanne conference signals end of reparations. Britain adopts General and Imperial Tariffs.
• ·         April 1933 USA leaves the gold standard.
• ·       June 1933 World Economic Conference, London.