Facing the winds of change

The world is full of all kinds of people. There are doctors, lawyers, journalists, astrologers, astronomers, priests, bhikkhus, archaeologists, criminals and judges. It is interesting to ascertain as to why they chose to do what they do. Did they choose their particular jobs willingly? Were they victims of circumstances, having to do any job for survival? A folk psychologist would say that people do what they do because of their thoughts and mental processes which are synonymous with beliefs and desires.

Not all people would agree with this explanation. Some people would say that they do what they do because of Kamma or destiny. They tend to believe that one becomes a criminal because of one's Kamma. If you leave everything to Kamma or Destiny where will we end up? Why do some people win lottery prizes and others never win anything more than Rs 20? Can this be explained by those who believe in Kamma or destiny?

Behavioural influences

Changes and shifting of careers may occur due to behavioural influences. A teacher who sees a neighbour practising as a successful lawyer may decide to follow suit. A banker may decide to become a journalist to be in the limelight. Similarly, a child who sees a lot of violent films and videos is likely to engage in violent activities in his adult life. Psychologists call this “Observational learning”.

Wayne Weiten: Effects of meditation can be attained through a systematic relaxation of the mind.

Unlike animals, humans have the unique ability to make choices at any stage of their life. In fact, everybody has choices to make. A fatalist of course can wait without being controlled by the winds of change. However, all humans are not fatalists. So, they have to face the winds of change from time to time. If human cannot make choices, their very existence will be meaningless.

We cannot underestimate peer pressure, cultural influence and other social phenomena that force people to change their professions. Sometimes, political, economic and social changes too urge people to change what they do for a living. For instance, in the 1940s and 1950s women did not go abroad as housemaids. Today, it is a common sight to see even young women leaving their kith and kin in search of the pot of gold.

Consciousness

Apart from changing professions, some people try to change their consciousness too. One of the commonest methods of altering the consciousness is the use of drugs. Drug use is nothing new to human society. Archaeologists have found traces of cocaine in mummified bodies unearthed from ancient Egypt. Why people use drugs to change their consciousness is a problem that has drawn different solutions from religion, psychology and sociology.

Those who take drugs claim that it gives them an added insight to consciousness. When they get intoxicated, they seem to be transported to a different state of consciousness. In fact, the temporary bliss they get is due to the change of consciousness. Such changes that occur in the consciousness give them a temporary sense of illusory happiness. In a way, it is a means of escaping from worldly woes. However, all the drugs do not change our consciousness. For instance, if you take an aspirin, it is not going to change your consciousness.

The problem lies with mind-altering drugs such as LSD, marijuana, cocaine, hashish or even any brand of alcohol. Some people take alcohol only on certain occasions such as birthday parties and weddings. There are others who take alcohol for health reasons. They believe that alcohol is an antidote to high-blood pressure or cholesterol. Whatever the reason they may give, any mind-altering drug is injurious to health. Modern psychology has found many other ways to seek higher states of consciousness without the use of drugs.

Dreams

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in meditation as a method of relieving stress. Meditation refers to a family of mental exercises in which a conscious attempt is made to focus attention in a non-analytical way. In other words, those who meditate wish to enter a higher state of consciousness. Here too, the person who meditates does not use any mind-altering drugs.

Meditation has its own approaches and people practise it in association with yoga, Zen and Transcendental Meditation. Although most forms of meditation had their roots in eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism, it is practised in the West without any religious connotations.

The effects of meditation seem to be beneficial. Those who promote meditation claim that it improves mood, lessens fatigue and reduces anxiety. Some studies suggest that meditation improves physical and mental health. However, modern psychologists such as Wayne Weiten of Santa Clara University and Margaret A. Lloyd of Georgia Southern University claim that some of these effects may be attainable through a systematic relaxation or other mental focusing procedures.