What Is the Energetic Basis Of Depression?

Previously, we have explored poorly understood conditions, such as autism, bipolarism, schizophrenia, ADHD, OCD and anxiety disorders. Now I’d like to explore what we know about Depression, since it is becoming more prevalent around the world, including more younger people than ever before. What is the energetic basis of depression?

What is the Energetic Basis of Depression?

What is the conventional view of depression?

According to the WHO, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide affecting about 5% of the adult population. Over 300 million people of all ages suffer from this condition. Even though it is highly treatable, over 75% of people in poor countries receive no treatment, because of lack of resources and health care providers and the social stigma associated with mental disorders.

Depression is different from transient mood fluctuations that arise in response to our daily life challenges. There are many different types of depressive states that may vary in severity over time, including seasonal affective disorder, cyclothymia, bipolar disorder and major depression, which at worst can lead to suicide.
Persistent symptoms include feeling sad, irritable or empty, loss of pleasure or interest in activities, poor concentration, feelings of guilt, low self-worth, hopelessness, disrupted sleep, changes in appetite or weight, and feeling tired or low in energy. Children may manifest sadness, irritability, anger and acting out.

The cause of depression is unknown. It is thought to be a complex interaction of genetic, biological, social, environmental and psychological factors. People with depression have brain changes in certain parts that regulate mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior. Generally, sadness, grief or depressive episodes may be triggered by major life events and negative or disruptive individual and collective experiences, such as:

Abuse (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, torture, mental oppression, cyberbullying, etc.).
Age (being elderly/young), no social support (being cast out/living alone/no school or community support).
Death or loss of a loved one (partner/child/pets), major life events (graduation/retirement, new job/loss of job, getting married/divorced, miscarriage/childbirth), substance abuse (alcohol/drugs), chronic pain or incurable diseases (heart, cancer, arthritis, thyroid) or certain medications (steroids, antiviral, acne drugs).
Global events (e.g. pandemic, climate change, natural disasters, migrant crisis, threat of local/regional/world wars, authoritarianism, income and wealth inequality, social injustice, water/air/soil/airwave pollution, etc.).

There are many effective treatments for depression, including antidepressant medications and psychotherapy, which addresses the thinking and behavioral patterns that precipitate depression. There are several natural approaches that include targeting inflammation (e.g. gut microbiome) and stress by mindfulness meditation, daily exercise (endorphins), nutritional supplements (e.g. magnesium, B vitamins, curcumin, omega-3 fatty acids), dietary changes (e.g. intermittent fasting), sunlight, acupuncture, social activity, etc. All of them help.

BUT we are still in the midst of an ongoing viral pandemic and emergent “climate grief” or “eco-anxiety,” as explained in Climate grief: How we mourn a changing planet – BBC Future by Panu Pihkala:

“For many middle-class citizens of industrialised nations this brings a profound existential challenge. The world is revealed to be much more tragic and fragile than people thought it was. For many young people, the climate crisis is the first enormous existential crisis that they face.

Climate grief comes in many forms. There is the bereavement-like grief and trauma when a climate change-enhanced “natural disaster” hits you or your close ones…Then there is transitional grief: a growing awareness that things are changing, and feelings of grief and sadness because of the many losses involved…loss of human, animal and plant life, but also loss of identities, beliefs, and lifestyles.”

What is the energetic basis of depression?

Are we doomed by all that is happening in our inner and outer worlds? That depends on us. These events are designed to help us remember our connection to each other, to nature and the planet as an interdependent web of life. As sensitive, empathic sentient entities, whatever happens to one of us happens to all of us to some degree. Those of us who are able to handle the changes will hold space for those who are struggling right now. We take turns in holding and handling things, as we continue to evolve together. How?

Each of us has a life plan with a unique soul blueprint or energetic design that tells us what we came to be and do in human form. It gives us clues as to which states of “beingness” we came here to explore.
There are at least 22 different “Gates of Melancholy” described by the ancient I Ching system (modernized as Human Design). If you have one of them in your blueprint, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Why?
Each gate can be expressed in three ways: The Shadow level corresponds to ego’s state of “melancholy.” The Gift level shows what the soul wants to express, and the Siddhi level shows the most enlightened expression of the same gate. You get to explore all these states in human form, if you like.

Here is a Table that summarizes the 22 Gates of Melancholy (compiled from various Human Design sources):

Note: All these gates are arranged in specific pairs that create powerful energy channels inside the body. For example, Gate 1 (Purpose) is connected to Gate 8 (Contribution) to create the Channel of the Creative Role Model. Similarly, Gate 2 (Direction) links to Gate 14 (Power Skills) to create the Channel of the Alchemist, and so on. These channels connect specific energy centers (chakras) to move energy around the body.

When we are depressed, we feel low in energy, because our energy is not moving around properly.
As Anodea Judith (“Eastern Body, Western Mind”) noted, depression is basically a state of undercharge or a lack of excitement or enthusiasm in our chakras. They become undercharged, when energy is held back or “blocked” by something (e.g. fear, guilt, shame, grief, deceit, illusion, attachment).

Each chakra has its own characteristic manifestations of deficiency of energy, according to Anodea Judith:

Root chakra deficiency: disconnection from the body, poor focus and discipline, restlessness, etc.
Sacral chakra deficiency: lack of desire, passion or excitement, denial of pleasure, fear of change, etc.
Solar chakra deficiency: low energy, weak will, low self-esteem, passivity, victim mentality, etc.
Heart chakra deficiency: depression, loneliness, being withdrawn, antisocial, cold or narcissist, etc.
Throat chakra deficiency: introversion, shyness, fear of speaking, difficulty putting feelings into words, etc.
Third eye chakra deficiency: denial, lack of imagination, difficulty seeing future, insensitivity, etc.
Crown chakra deficiency: apathy, learning difficulties, rigid belief systems, spiritual cynicism, etc.

The healing practices suggested by Anodea Judith for each chakra reclaim the body in energetic terms:

Root chakra deficiency: reconnect with body using physical activity, touch, massage, grounding, etc.
Sacral chakra deficiency: movement therapy, emotional release, inner child work, boundary work, etc.
Solar chakra deficiency: risk taking, stress control, martial arts, vigorous exercise, psychotherapy, etc.
Heart chakra deficiency: breathing exercises, journaling, inner child work, psychotherapy, etc.
Throat chakra deficiency: singing, chanting, toning, storytelling, automatic writing, psychotherapy, etc.
Third eye chakra deficiency: creating visual art, guided visualizations, meditation, psychotherapy, etc.
Crown chakra deficiency: reestablish spirit connection, spiritual discipline, meditation, psychotherapy, etc.

Final Thoughts

I hope this helps you see Depression as a complicated condition with many layers and levels of understanding. Some people have proposed a new way to think about depression. They see it as an existential shift in how the person experiences life. It’s a distinct state of consciousness, like waking, dreaming, and drug induced states. All these states have different capacities to think, feel, and interact with the world. This helps to explain the ebb and flow of the depressive symptoms over time.

This way of thinking is not too far off, when you consider that depression results from the shadow level of existence, which is a valid experience, just like any other frequency we choose to explore in life. We have experiences, but we are not that experience, as described in “Spiritual Guide To Our Awakening.” Think of it like pain often linked to an underlying problem that may need treatment, but the pain itself is also an issue that merits its own treatment, as noted by Mark D White, PhD (see Is Depression Actually a Unique State of Consciousness? | Psychology Today).

The other point is that in the old spiritual paradigm, we are used to growing through suffering, whereas in the new spiritual paradigm, we are growing through healing. We have to heal the body, the head and the heart, as suggested by Anodea Judith and others to strengthen our central channel that connects us to “Heaven” (Gate 1 of Purpose) and grounds us on “Earth” (Gate 2 of Direction). That’s how we become walking vortices of sentient energy while embodied in the human form.

Wendy Kennedy said that depression is lack of connection or perceived disconnection from Source energy. You are never separate from Source/God, but you are cutting off Source energy to a trickle when you are depressed. What you need to do is come back to the heart center (soul seat), where you are present and grounded. That’s easier said than done when you are in that difficult space, but she suggested you make a list of all the things that you know uplift you (e.g. certain music, a spot in nature, a friend that makes you laugh, a movie you like to watch, etc.) — anything that opens your heart or makes you laugh, feel lighter or carefree.

According to Kennedy, breath is the great connector, because it moves energy at both the physical level and energetic field level. When you are breathing consciously, you are moving more energy and reinforcing your conscious awareness of your connection to Source. The other thing is to take the focus off yourself and your limiting programs. The fastest way to do that is to be of service — volunteer your time, help your friends, do something for someone else. That takes the focus off yourself and will help you get into that heart centered space faster, where your soul is always waiting for you (see What Is In Our Soul Seat vs. Ego Seat? – Big Picture Questions.com).