Maintaining Mental Function and staving off insanity post SHTF

[Tartar Horde]

It is interesting to note culturally in the West a "strong body" has always been the ethos. You only have to study the roots of Western Civilisation to understand where this comes from. A culture that sees physical strength as a combat against mental stress will always find it difficult to overcome something you can't defeat through force.
In the West, silence and solitude are a punishment, for the above cultural reasons and are very effective in breaking down our defences. Anyone who has spent time meditating/yoga and continues to follow this mind training will find solitude and silence to be nothing new or threatening as through meditation the whole process is to still the mind and find silence within you. To someone who can do this effectively solitary confinement is laughable, indeed many proponents of Eastern Philosophy would find it most revitallising to be "cut off" from all external stimuli, and many people in the East go to great lengths to actually accomplish this in their later lives.
The body is weak, the mind is strong.

[bigpaul]

(21 July 2013, 11:58)Tartar Horde Wrote: It is interesting to note culturally in the West a "strong body" has always been the ethos. You only have to study the roots of Western Civilisation to understand where this comes from. A culture that sees physical strength as a combat against mental stress will always find it difficult to overcome something you can't defeat through force.
In the West, silence and solitude are a punishment, for the above cultural reasons and are very effective in breaking down our defences. Anyone who has spent time meditating/yoga and continues to follow this mind training will find solitude and silence to be nothing new or threatening as through meditation the whole process is to still the mind and find silence within you. To someone who can do this effectively solitary confinement is laughable, indeed many proponents of Eastern Philosophy would find it most revitallising to be "cut off" from all external stimuli, and many people in the East go to great lengths to actually accomplish this in their later lives.
The body is weak, the mind is strong.

depends how we were brought up TH, todays namby pamby PC obsessed generation wouldn't last 5 minutes, but the "only" child loners amongst us, who have spent most of their time on their own, or the bushcrafters amongst us who spend lots of time on their own in the woods wont have any problems spending long periods on their own.

[Tartar Horde]

You are right to a point BP, it is to a great extent as you say "how you were brought up", but training the mind is something that can be done by anyone from any culture or background, and has great physical benefits.

[bigpaul]

(21 July 2013, 12:15)Tartar Horde Wrote: You are right to a point BP, it is to a great extent as you say "how you were brought up", but training the mind is something that can be done by anyone from any culture or background, and has great physical benefits.

yes very true, meditating or just sitting quietly on ones own would certainly tend to clear the mind, I have spent a lot of time on my own and being alone has no qualms for me, in fact I enjoy it.

[Tartar Horde]

Agreed BP, "being happy in ones own company", and enjoying solitude tends to make people of that persuation quite mentally robust and able to handle stress effectively. You also find that those people who spend time alone in the country also tend to be "chilled" or relaxed in everyday life.

[bigpaul]

(21 July 2013, 13:42)Tartar Horde Wrote: Agreed BP, "being happy in ones own company", and enjoying solitude tends to make people of that persuation quite mentally robust and able to handle stress effectively. You also find that those people who spend time alone in the country also tend to be "chilled" or relaxed in everyday life.

quite so, the only times I was stressed was when I got divorced...twice! being on my own just seemed natural to me.

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feeling the way I do about people, its being WITH people that's the problem not being on my own.

[Tartar Horde]

(21 July 2013, 13:46)bigpaul Wrote:

(21 July 2013, 13:42)Tartar Horde Wrote: Agreed BP, "being happy in ones own company", and enjoying solitude tends to make people of that persuation quite mentally robust and able to handle stress effectively. You also find that those people who spend time alone in the country also tend to be "chilled" or relaxed in everyday life.

quite so, the only times I was stressed was when I got divorced...twice! being on my own just seemed natural to me.

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feeling the way I do about people, its being WITH people that's the problem not being on my own.

I don't doubt it mate, you must be a bugger to live with

[bigpaul]

(21 July 2013, 13:52)Tartar Horde Wrote:

(21 July 2013, 13:46)bigpaul Wrote:

(21 July 2013, 13:42)Tartar Horde Wrote: Agreed BP, "being happy in ones own company", and enjoying solitude tends to make people of that persuation quite mentally robust and able to handle stress effectively. You also find that those people who spend time alone in the country also tend to be "chilled" or relaxed in everyday life.

quite so, the only times I was stressed was when I got divorced...twice! being on my own just seemed natural to me.

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feeling the way I do about people, its being WITH people that's the problem not being on my own.

I don't doubt it mate, you must be a bugger to live with

you better ask Jane that one!!

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I think she'd probably agree with you!

[Tartar Horde]

I tell you something else that people don't do anymore that used to be so commonplace and great for families and a great mental work out, play games like chess, draughts etc, playing against another Human rather than a machine.

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HEEY, thats a great idea, lets get a Survival UK game league?

[bigpaul]

I find most people are into "mind games" these days!