LONGEVITY. FACTORS AND PROBLEMS. COMPONENTS OF GETTING OLDER IN A POZITIV WAY. THIRD AGE PREVENTION OF THE PSYCHE

Orlin Baev

web | Transpersonal psychology. Sacred sexuality

Contemporary science still looks for the chromosomes responsible for the degenerative processes leading to old age and death. While it is looking for them, we are progressively getting older. Turn around. Each of the people, whom we meet around, will not exist in a hundred years time. At least not physically. Life is so ephemeral. Like a small candle in the abyss of eternity: we are being born, survive, socialize, accept social laws for granted, we strive for purposes dictated to us from institutions or media, get more or less aware, look for something valuable or primitive and... fade out. We all get old. Power flows out, the libido melts down, vitality is not enough. As a result organs and physiological systems get sick and wither. Since they lack the core of being that kept them alive in youth and regenerated them, all bodily system degenerate until they totally collapse into what we call death!

I will mention some factors which if followed during the whole life, could improve health, protect from sickness and prolong life and well-being.

Components of Longevity

Nutrition Regime

Multiple longitudinal studies and as well as the experience of all humanity show that nutrition, the quantity and quality of food affects directly the health and longevity. Multiple books have been written about diverse nutrition regimens, their physiological influence etc. Here I will mention the psychological benefit from the specific nutrition regimen and the successful periods of fasting for health purposes.

Vegetarianism and Veganism

One makes the decision to be vegetarian or vegan (consuming only plants and plant products) for implicit impulses corresponding to his quality of mind. The difference between consuming animal flesh and consuming of human meat is not so very great. The same primitive understanding of life, the same or almost the same level of mind, frozen at the primitive stage of development, are the drives of the wild cannibal and his "civilized" prototype. The modern cannibal like his primitive brother mercilessly dig their teeth into the flesh of living beings. Unlike his mate from the past, the "civilized" primate has organized enormous ferocious manufacture to kill mammals such as him. These living creatures that differ from man only for their limited ability for formal operative thinking, are being called production and their bodily members - products...

Behind vegetarianism there stands a deep vision of life, emotional intelligence, awareness about the wholeness of life. The vegetarian is not only wiser but he is also more deeply connected with the primary principles of life. Vegetarianism is a result of broader consciousness and perspective of thinking.

The sense of harmony and beauty, kindness, emotional intelligence, love for life and optimism, wisdom and knowledge of human mental components and functions, as a result of vegetarianism and veganism, contribute to a balanced state of mind of the vegetarian. The sense of wellbeing is naturally heightened, a spontaneous joy of life as well as understanding of the natural laws and the meaning of death which leads to overcoming of the fear of death and its acceptance as a natural part of life. Of course, such mental changes affect immediately the hormonal balance which slows down the processes of aging.

Fasting for Health

The benefits from periodical fasting for health are undeniable. In the world practice there are many empirical studies which have shown that it does miracles - heals even the worst diseases, just by activating the natural immune processes of the organism and the psyche. At a finer physical level, the lack of rough food makes the organism switch on a more refined way of feeding teaching the cell to accept the energy immediately from the sun, water and air, without the mediation of the substance food, which usually mediates this energy. This process very literally leads to getting the body younger and regeneration of the health functional activities of all the systems of the organism.

Parallel to the physical and energy processes the connected to them mental processes are also active. In the one, who practices healing fasting the most primary drives, impulses, fears and animal impulses get activated. The instinct of self-preservation and the drive to feeding connected with it are awakened with enormous power. The unconscious, the spheres of "ID", the Shadow within our minds surfaces which is a difficult but healing process. All the impulses, desires and fears, which have been successfully repressed up to that moment, come up to the surface, driven out by the primal drives. The one who practices fasting comes to recognize what is available within his mind, which liberates him from many mental burdens, unrest and neurotic states. The feeling experienced during these processes is of "unsticking" from the burdens of life, liberation from the heavy worries and fears. The whole process is consciously governed by the higher cognitive functions - will, which is mobilized and strengthens the stability of self-consciousness, the stability of the conscious self, drastically rise up its strength. A balance in the mental processes is established and the Self establishes control and awareness of the mental components and flows. Thought, will, the high human emotions rise up to unsuspected height, the brain begins working with dormant zones, consciousness extends its borders. The one practicing healing fast gets aware of the qualities which define him as Homo Sapiens. Control over these qualities contributes to "harnessing" the impulses of the unconscious, of the old brain structures in the whole process of the humane self-implementation in life.

Besides its direct physical effect, the healing fasting also harmonizes the psyche, at which the brain functions of the cortex the limbic system and the psycho thalamus directly change the secretion of the endocrine system for harmonic synthesis and life-asserting hemostasis. Thus the regular sessions of healing fast effect rejuvenating and prolong life.

Physical Activity, Breathing Exercises, Communicating with Nature

Human beings are inexorably related to nature. Separation from nature means separation from their inner life. When we relate to nature, to plants, birds and animals, when we breathe in the fragrance of flowers, when we listen to the buzz of the bees, we get in touch with the vibration of life. Relation to nature takes place not only at the sensory motor level but a fine energy exchange takes place also, empathy and connectedness. The natural harmony penetrates the body and soul of the one who loves her and often relates to her.

Breathing exercises charge with energy - power so much needed to the aging organism. Besides, holding back breathing brings forth processes similar to those of the healing fasting but more rapid ones. The unconscious impulses are being awakened and are brought to the light of consciousness, which integrates them. Self-control and self-confidence grow; one begins to explore unknown regions to consciousness. Thus breathing practices can become an indispensable part of psychotherapy in advanced age, at which they will help improve the mental integrity and psychosomatic health.

Physical activity in moderate scope mobilizes all bodily systems, awakens vitality; keeps health. Physical exercises strengthen the will, determination, resiliency, the desire to live, self-confidence. They give the so called bodily induced joy because normalize the biological functions and regulate the hormonal balance. Mind and body are actually one and each psychotherapy if it pretends to be whole and complete and have complex effect with apparent and powerful results should include both typical orthodox psychotherapeutic interventions and work with the body since the body is indispensable part of the mind.

Healing Sexuality

In all psychological systems of the East the healing, vitalizing, health-stimulating and psychotherapeutic value of healing love has been well known. The adepts of the psychological systems of the East have been taught about the process to sublimate the libido energy so that it serves their higher human functions and their destiny as intelligent people. Control over the strength of the organism changes the activities of the sexual glands - from exocrine to endocrine ones. The libido power is being harnessed into the internal energy network as called in the East which is well known and recognized by the science of the West through the methods of Chinese medicine for instance and the Indian Ayurveda. The conscious controlled love act brings forth hormonal synthesis and transformation, balance and harmony. By changing the short culminant orgasm with the so called vale long orgasm, the brain neuro-mediation drastically changes. During conventional act the testosterone drives the dopamine climax of the passion followed by the dynorphin break down of depression and irritation leading to the stress situation fight-or-flight and adrenaline and cortisone secretion. This process leads with age to hormonal misbalance more obvious with man and more refine and unconscious with women which activates emotional effects such as irritation, attack, unstable moods, uncertainty and unhappiness. The vicious circle of hormonal misbalance - emotional cognitive change, which are reciprocal gradually in the course of years affects the mental and physical health. The emotional effect of hormonal break down of the loving couple is being projected to the partner, which brings forth alienation, jealousy, infidelity and is the inner cause of a great part of the family problems and divorces.

In healing sex the break downs of dopamine with the following dynorphin, adrenaline and cortisone secretion (lasting for days after the act) are being avoided by mastering the orgasm, which possesses the whole body. Mentally this leads to powerful unending love and unity with the partner up to the states of identification and non-dual unity known in transpersonal psychology, walking up the ladder of the contra-sexual complex Anima/Animus and uniting with its highest manifestations. In hormonal respect the unabated passion of the dopamine activated by testosterone is being gradually transformed in saturating the blood plasma with brain mediation with oxytocin, the hormonal equivalent of the most delicate and gentle love of which man is capable. The endorphins emanated keep on their effect for days after the act since contra-active hormones are not secreted. Mentally the healing love brings forth kind and joyous mood, feeling of happiness and joy, concentration and well being. These feelings are projected on the partner and their life together becomes endless love and joy from the presence of the beloved one.

Thus healing love has great effect on health and prolongs the life-cycle. At present there are biochemical and psychological experiments initiated in the West, which will study experimentally these well known and experienced processes.

Partnership

Loneliness is a merciless and effective murderer. While observations all over the world show that partnership in the third age are an important factor for psycho-somatic health, motivation for life and the joy from it. If at an earlier age loneliness is a torturing inquisitor, during the third age it is a sure forerunner of death.

The cognitive emotional and energy exchange between the partners results in optimistic attitude, gives love and feeling of wholeness stabilizing health of the mental and physical organism and respectively prolongs the life of the aging individual.

Psychological Stability and Managing Stress

When one feeds appropriately and cleanses his body and soul through fast, when he spends time in nature and practices physical activity and healing love, he attains stable foundation for a healthy body and psychological power to build upon his mental safety and integrity. Such individual is aware about his mental experience, controls and integrates his drives by his higher cognitive nature in a harmonious whole. The so acquired psychological power and integrity allow for "working out" the challenges and stress of life. The stress turns from a source of turmoil and unbearable burden into a valuable life experience and wisdom!

We know that inability to manage stress is the foundation of many psychosomatic sicknesses as well as the main cause of untimely aging.

Within this context the development of psychological stability, calm, control and redirection of fear, anger and passion, are directly connected to health and longevity.

Social Activity

Human society has firm expectation from people in the third age. According to psychological studies of the life cycle society expects people over 63 to gradually retire from active social life. These same studies show that with retirement and diminishing of social engagements negative changes affect elderly people. Their physical as well as mental health gets worse. Their quality of life obviously changes which is a sure sign up to the threshold of death.

But for a small group of elderly people for whom old age is the best period in life allowing them for complete dedication to their inner life and self-knowledge, for most people retirement from social activities has quite different effects. Social life has been significant motivation and field of accomplishment a good part of their purposes. When an old man is deprived of his social activity, he is deprived of meaning and motivation in life. Then the natural degenerative processes come unobstructed by personal will and strife for life. That is why it is good for the elderly individual to keep on intensive social activity - profession, hobby, helping family, tourism, agriculture etc.

Knowledge

For millenniums human creatures have always known the natural place of death in the whole cycle of life. According to the science of eternity man is immortal while what ages and dies - his body - is only the garment of his eternal essence. Modern man, deprived of this holistic knowledge, being led to the threshold of death, sets off on an unknown and therefore threatening journey. According to the empirical experience of thousands of practitioners - psychologists, death is only a longer dream.

Knowledge of these original truths makes the process of aging and death natural and deprives it of the heavy shadow of doom and waste.

As beings of linear time limited in their cognition and space within too narrow parameters of knowledge, the present is our only recognized reality. We can of course learn also from our past, we could dream about the future and strive towards it - by means of our science and arts. But generally speaking the Human creature born in flesh has lost relation to knowledge as a whole. And this is threatening. Man clings to his ridiculously brief life. For him the life transition from the station A - birth - to station B - death, is the beginning and the end in the totality of his conscious presence in the system of life. Usually man thinks of death as total annihilation - loss of memory, knowledge, experience, consciousness, essence. It sounds threatening. With old age life flows away more and more, the physiological, emotional and social state of aging individual when observed through such a cognitive perspective is humiliating, unfair and even contemptible... Luckily, wise men - those empirical psychologists who traveled all over human life as a whole, have gotten up the veil of this limited cognitive vision. Not few psychologists have succeeded in reuniting back to their wholesome self, to cosmic life and unity. They share with us - imprisoned within narrow cognitive apparatus - that our idea of death is only a concept of ours.

Respect

Old age, if naturally developing, generates wisdom, unobtainable to youth. When we respect knowledge of elderly people, we get in touch with our own implicit knowledge. Let us respect the elderly ones. We can learn from them! Let us not adore only strength and beauty of adolescence but let us embrace life as a whole, and worship appropriately experience, vision and wisdom of our ancestors. We owe so much to them! Thus we will assist to them living a dignified and respected old age.

Mental Prophylactics of the Third Age

Foundation of mental prophylactics of the third age should be the combination of the above factors for rejuvenating, mental health and longevity: light food diet, alternating with healing fast, physical practices, breathing exercises and relation to nature, social inclusion and activity, intimate partnership with the other gender (intimacy may include emotional exchange and not only sex), receiving respect and empathy, knowledge about life and death as a wholesome process, as well as about the eternal quality of what is human in man.

It is natural that psychotherapy in the third age concentrates mainly on the transpersonal states of mind and life! Some old people instead of progressing towards post-conventional wisdom tend to regress to infantile childish state of mind. We should have an empathic but stern and requiring attitude to them. When living in harmony with nature the elderly individual should be autonomous and active until his last days and keep his intellect healthy and clear and death be an easy and painless transition!

© Orlin Baev
© Galina Markina - translated from bulgarian
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© E-publisher LiterNet, 29.12.2010
Orlin Baev. Transpersonal psychology. Sacred sexuality. Varna: LiterNet, 2010.