The Archaeologist

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Philosophy and Healing: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Mental Health

We live in an age where everyone's obsessed with self-care — green juices of celery, scented candles, meditation apps, Sadhu boards, and much more — and yet, peace is difficult for us. Perhaps the reason is much deeper than we thought and lies in the essence of our existence. In this article, we are not going to reinvent the wheel because it has already been done for us: we will turn to the legends of the world of philosophy to find out what their advice can be applied in our present.

Buddhism: You Make Your Reality

"Buddha" is translated from Sanskrit as "one who has awakened" in the sense of "awakened to reality." This is what happened to the Buddha himself, who suggested that maybe the problem wasn't the world but how we perceived it. One of the Buddhist truths is that the cause of suffering lies in attachment to someone or something. "You create your own problems," Buddha almost said, leaving us 2,500 years ago with this hard truth.

However, in order to come to this truth, many need help from a psychic advisor, psychologist, or life itself. We cling to our beliefs, expectations, and aspirations. When things don't work out the way we want them to, we lose it. Sometimes it seems that the more we are in love with a person, the more strength we have to destroy everything: with jealousy, worries and simply the inability to believe that the person really wants to be there for us.

The healing magic here comes from learning to let go of attachment. It does not mean that you should not fall in love or be passionate about your favorite things. Think of it more in a "be present" sort of way. Buddhism encourages us to concentrate on the now rather than obsessing over what is supposed to or could happen. The only place we can find peace is in the here and now. Not in the future, which is essentially a blank canvas, or the past, which is full of regrets and embarrassing moments sometimes. It should be now.

Philosophy of Aristotle: You Are Who You Are

If one of the psychics online was asked who Aristotle could be according to the horoscope, most would answer that he was Libra, a sign that always seeks harmony. This is what Aristotle was also doing: building his wisdom around balance and harmony.

According to Aristotle, happiness is more about what you do than what you own. He believed in living according to your principles and values. If you are feeling a little lost, Aristotle would advise you to determine whether you are living a life that is honest to who you are inside. 

Chasing the picture that your parents, colleagues, or even yourself have drawn for you, trying to please someone, is difficult to call a fulfilling life. Strike a balance. Remember that anything in excess is bad for your mental health, whether it's work, drinking, or researching your symptoms at three in the morning. Aristotle would be the first to advise you to put down your phone and take a walk—not because it's a revolutionary idea, but because sometimes we need to refocus on the little things to find out who we are.

Stoicism: You Can't And Shouldn't Control It

If you feel that your whole life is a race for something that you still don't have, maybe the advice of Stoicism will help you. The main one is to stop comparing your life with the life of your friends or your peers from movies and Instagram feeds. The only person you should compare yourself to is yesterday's self. This truth goes hand in hand with another statement of Stoicism: stop worrying about things you cannot change. 

Marcus Aurelius, who was a Roman emperor and a philosopher of Stoicism, had a lot of problems to deal with. Take at least the plague from which he died: there is no doubt that in his time, there were plenty of reasons to worry. However, somehow he managed. He realized that the only thing he could actually control was his own reaction to it all. Stoicism, in its simplest form, is the original "it is what it is."

Try to notice what really worries you during the day. Is it the weather? The economy? A poor Wi-Fi connection? The person who broke your heart but still texts you at 2 a.m.? Sometimes, you just need to let it go. Only your response is within your power. Instead of attempting to stop the crisis, your strength is in how you handle it. Visit a psychic website to gain insights on how best to handle these stresses, using your inner strength.

Conclusion

If, after reading this article, you stop seeing philosophy as a set of quotes to flash at a party, good for you. Although times have changed, some problems have remained the same, as have the ways to solve them. The wisdom of the philosophers reminds us not to chase after what is impossible to catch up with and to stop controlling what does not need our control.

It's time to enjoy the small things in life and, above all, not to take things too seriously. After all, life is just one big philosophical experiment, and you are free to make mistakes.