Meditation Brought True Happiness When There Was No Hope — The Story of Alan

From an early age, Alan had always dealt with depression and anxiety due to many challenging situations he experienced in his life. He lost his parents early. With time, all his problems only got worse. He met with an accident so serious that it required multiple surgeries and a lengthy recovery, because of which he lost his job. Due to chronic stress, he also developed skin problems and digestive problems.  

Eventually, he found himself at the lowest point in life. His depression became debilitating—he did not have enough strength to even answer the phone or go out with his friends. On some days he could not get out of bed or find a reason to do anything. He stopped eating regularly. Nothing made him happy. He was on medications for pain, anxiety, depression, skin condition, and high blood pressure. He tried to exercise and eat healthier, but all these changes only brought temporary relief. He felt miserable and withdrawn and did not want to be around anyone. Even when he was around others, he still felt lonely and sad. His doctor diagnosed him with a severe form of depression, and this scared him even more.

During his recovery from the accident, he had a lot of time to sit and think about his next step. It was the darkest time in his life, and he thought how none of the things he had achieved—finishing school, advancing professionally, and getting married—had brought him any fulfillment or satisfaction. He found himself becoming more reflective, and he turned toward spirituality. He was looking for something that would give his life a purpose.

It was at that point in his life that he joined a program at a local meditation center. On the first evening, he sat in meditation for two consecutive sessions, and he noticed that his self-deprecating thoughts began to fall off. The next day, he found himself eager to meditate again. The relief he experienced through meditation was so significant that, after a week of meditating, Alan started to feel brighter. He realized that he was not alone at all; he belonged, and he was part of this world. Everything began to look beautiful in his life. The people were beautiful. The houses were beautiful. The sky was beautiful!

He finally felt positive and connected to the world. He had never felt that way before. The effect of meditation was much larger than any benefit he had ever gained from any medication, exercise, diet, or medical advice. Those had only been coating the real problems and giving him a temporary feeling of relief. Now, for the first time in his life, something was effective. Alan recognized that meditation helped him get better, so he meditated diligently for the entire next year.  

As a result, he was finally able to get back into the game – back to life! He got off all his medication, after which he felt even better. His doctor was shocked when he saw how positive and happy he was. His blood pressure returned to normal. His signs of anxiety and depression faded away. For the first time in his life, his skin was clear and back to normal. It was a miracle!  

Alan realized that he had been living within a self-created dark world inside his mind. When he became aware of this, he finally found peace, fulfillment, true happiness, and purpose. By letting go of all his preconceived ideas, negative thoughts, and painful memories, he was now able to feel the benefits of a healthier, clearer mind. His physical body was now able to function properly, ultimately healing all previous ailments—both mental and physical.

Alan stopped the loop of negative thinking and opened up to life. His relationships improved. People would often ask him “Why are you smiling?” without him even being aware he had a smile on his face. He began to work more effectively. He became able to accept others as they are and accept the world as it is, without any judgment. This newly discovered freedom from negative thoughts brought so much peace and wisdom into his life.

Meditation brought two gifts into Alan’s life—freedom from stress and a feeling of oneness/connectedness with the entire world. Most of Alan’s physical health problems—such as his chronic skin condition and digestive problems—were psychosomatic or stress-related, resulting from traumatic experiences (such as the death of his parents and the serious accident he had). When he began to meditate, Alan learned how to bring his awareness to the present moment, and to disassociate himself from the painful memories. By doing this, Alan no longer allowed stressors from the past to affect his physiological state. As he reclaimed his energy which used to dissipate toward negative thoughts and painful emotions, that energy became available for healing and regeneration. Alan's body began to self-heal. At the same time, in deeper states of meditation, Alan was able to change his dominant brainwave patterns from beta to alpha, and further to theta and delta. In those frequency bands, many meditators experience shifts in their state of consciousness and report feelings of (self)empathy, connectedness, and oneness with the universe. This is what contributed to Alan’s mental and emotional healing, eventually helping him to overcome his long-term depression.  

Sources

Santa Clara meditation center, California (testimonials)