Daily Times

In these times of Corona, global uncertainty and fear, lot of our anchors like science, control, money, external validation and intellect are collapsing and people are naturally latching more on to their core defenses. During this quarantine, it is perhaps the rising fear – fear of being alone and without the distractions of entertainment and work, and fear of being without all those people around us who otherwise keep giving us validation of our very selves.

The experience of loneliness is usually seen as a negative aspect of human existence and something to avoid. Many of us feel that unless we are part of the crowd, and productive in the sense of our market and capitalistic system of constant and mindless production and consumerism, we cannot justify our very existence. How our existence is always under the lens of validation that we seek from our own capitalist mindset. In that quest to be commercially productive we lose the essence of living moment by moment and somewhere ignore the true essence of life. Thus sometimes unknowingly, we keep living a life that is spent in fulfilling the culturally and socially acceptable patterns.

For a third world country like Pakistan, which has faced severe deprivation, the survival instinct is especially more predominant than mental well-being and addressing of trauma. People are returning to whatever is left of their core anchors with a more intense and defensive stance whether that be performance, intellect, screens, jobs, faith, or relationships, and anything that makes them feel attached to these ‘familiar’ anchors will help them survive through this time.In a culture with a lack of laws but a subculture layered with invisible superficial rules there is idolization of the archetype of perfection hence brushing the unwanted things under the carpet to sustain functionality is an inherited habituation

While Corona crisis looms indefinitely, are we allowing space within ourselves to address the present; whether that be shared grief, trauma, uncertainty, loss of connectivity, systems collapsing, fear of survival, or lack of mobility? Right now, we are making every possible effort to stop the internal structure from collapsing and latching on to normalcy in the quest of keeping the system functioning. Is there room to address what might be our inner experiences; are we able to give words to our shared grief? Are we scared of losing what we feel is ‘our’ normal?

For instance, let us consider the case of schools, which immediately jumped to online classes. From webinars to zoom meetings and face-time we immediately tried to fill the vacuum, scared of losing our routines and schedules. How helpless, fragile and out of control we will feel without these routines that for many give their lives a meaning. Exceptions to these are few and perhaps for these, the current lockdown might also be a feeling of empowerment and for them learning to be without all the external anchors is also an eye opening experience, where they realize that life has much more to offer in much simpler ways. However, for a great majority, current times are traumatic to say the least.

Being from a poor country, our survival instinct especially, predominates other emotions as we have survived in threatening situations with a lack of trust on the governmental systems. Like abandoned children, survival of the fittest is the rule that governs our lives and in order to survive we miss the essence of emotional development. Our collective subconscious has seen our elders and the entire country in a state of constant struggle, with lack of economic development and being condemned globally at multiple levels. Our national psyche has developed a general lack of trust in the democratic and/or governmental institutions and for some, the older agrarian system and tribal mindset provides a better alternative in times of global uncertainty and support of modern systems. In a culture with a lack of laws but a subculture layered with invisible superficial rules there is idolization of the archetype of perfection hence brushing the unwanted things under the carpet to sustain functionality is an inherited habituation.

New structures can only develop after we allow the old ones to collapse. But are we allowing the old structures to collapse? Perhaps not commonly realized as such, but the importance of spiritual and cultural quarantine is very significant in our spiritual tradition, and if we look at the lives of Prophet Younus (AS) who was engulfed by darkness: the darkness of the whale’s stomach; the darkness of the deep; and, worst of all, the darkness of despair, with his external and internal anchors and constructions in shambles that’s when faith came in. Noah’s Ark was tossed by the waves in a storm with the “first quarantined family” in history.

The Prophet and the cave of the Mount Hira holds tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world, as the Prophet (PBUH) is said to have spent a great deal of time in this cave meditating, and it is widely believed that it was here that he received his revelation. It is interesting to note that ‘isolated retreat’ is a crucial component even in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition allowing the internal expansion and breaking of old patterns and habituations, hence giving room for something new to emerge. Perhaps somewhat like the time the pupa spends in the cocoon and emerges as a butterfly, the creation and development of a child in the womb, the birth of the seed in the depths of the mud, and rising of the phoenix from the ashes of its predecessor.

The creativity and adaptability of life expresses itself through the spontaneous emergence of novelty at critical points of instability. Every human organization contains both designed and emergent structures. The challenge is to find the right balance between the creativity of emergence and the stability of design

fritjof capra

Introspection and self-reflection can significantly change the way we see ourselves and those around us, and help us strengthen our emotional intelligence and thus better meet the emotional challenges of our unnecessarily burdened and stressful lives programmed around a false sense of well-being under the illusion of productivity. Away from the performance anxiety of a capitalistic mindset; far from the stress of having to remain constantly productive and in the rut of continuous consumerism, connecting with our bodies and minds during this time of forced quarantine can thus help us slow down and start experiencing each moment of life in all its natural beauty while we go through solitude in a deeply organic and spiritual way.

A life best lived is day to day moment by moment, in the present moment, time in essence is only a perception, the loss of time, the wastage of time, let go of these attachments to live more fully, more abundant, more fulfilled, more connected. It is time to let go of preconceived notions about our structures, about survival and let go – let go of our rigid inner structures and open up to experiences of life as nature intended it to be.

The writer is a psychological therapist and a well-being consultant . She is also a trainer in emotional regulation and holistic development of an individual, cultivating socially connected mindfulness.She can be reached at momina. ma15@gmail.com