In a time of abundance and self-indulgence, of solace and enjoyment of the most exotic desires, of trips at will and desires fulfilled with the snap of a finger, in a supposedly global world where even psychology had entered the path of short-term well-being. , with techniques such as Mindfulness, so ancient and so modern, with the unique aspiration of being “all zen”, An unexpected visitor knocks on our door, with a strange name and numerical annex code typical of the computational times in which we live.
But this little friend comes from other planes, he doesn’t understand technology or economics, he doesn’t know that there are institutions as important as nations, and textile designs as captivating as the flags of said nations. He does not know that we are an evolved society, a civilization that has created something as unimaginably wonderful as democracy, or dictatorship, that there are tastes for everything.
It turns out that this individual is from a different class, neither middle, nor high, nor low. It comes from a very ancient lineage, prior to all human developments until now known and mentioned above. Apparently, experts tell us, it is a virus. It turns out that His family was one of the first to park on our planet and that viruses in the plural were one of the first manifestations of life in our world.
Funny, we didn’t expect this visit. Some scientists were telling us a while ago about something called a pandemic, a somewhat ignominious name with a bad image. But hey, at the end of the day, What is a microscopic being, whether it brings pandemics or any other with it, for a civilization of our height and technology to be scared? We have science, we have resources, we have politics and above all we have money, someone will do something and everything will remain the same.
But this new friend has not been introduced, he does not know the virtues of our system nor understand the perfection of our defenses. It only brings us a simple message, “you are vulnerable.” He speaks to us in direct and unambiguous language about illness and death. It is not his fault that we have been slow to understand the message, if we have understood anything.
Indeed, each country, each political system, without understanding ideologies or borders, has been slow to react We have all believed at the beginning that it was someone else’s thing, either distant countries, or poor countries without health coverage as on previous occasions. But no, this time our friend has entered our sacred homes of the West, without understanding that we are superior, different.
And for the first time in a long time, a terrible sensation has reached us, no matter how well known it is, the less welcome it is; the fear. Suddenly illness and death lurk literally around every corner, even in our best friend or, if truth be told, in our new lover. Hands cannot touch our faces, and our hugs cannot be excited about the bodies of those we love. Our mortal friend is there. Everywhere and nowhere.
Also literally The leaders of our species do not know where the air comes from They act, surely with good will, by trial and error, just as our species has done since we came down from the trees in an attempt to be something more than monkeys.
Fear and avoidance
In psychology we always talk about fear as a tool linked to almost all the traumas that we have to experience And we understand that consciously facing fear is the best way to address these psychological wounds.
Mindfulness in this case is a precious approach to knowing the origin, causes, future and consequences of our life experiences. We talk about mindfulness, living in the present moment, seeing things as they are. And one wonders, are we living this pandemic in full attention?
The virus brings us a warning, uncertainty, not knowing, not controlling. And this triggers the well-known consequence on a planetary level; the fear. But here is our response, conceived from the most atavistic fears, Instead of looking at the problem head on, we take the avoidant path just like we do with our daily problems.
Is it so difficult to “see things as they are” as the teacher would say? Apparently yes. Fear blinds our perception, our reflection and even our heart
Is it so difficult to understand that the message of this beloved enemy is planetary, global and that the response to his challenge can only be of the same level; planetary and global? Can we for once look beyond our little things in the form of fears and ambitions? Do we really believe that a local response, in our small piece of planet Earth, is going to save our economy, when it is sinking all over the world? Does anyone in their right mind believe that they are going to get rid of the pandemic individually in the face of a threat that floods the five continents?
Sad is the human condition that, faced with the fear of illness and death lurking, ungraspable, uncontrollable, takes refuge in an absurd search for culprits, whether politicians or scientists, embraces brainless gurus who promise promised lands, and curses and points out even the brave few, the health workers, who are on the front line of combat and those we love in our lives. We applaud from the balconies yes, we appreciate your courage yes, but please let them stay away from our portal, or do not cross too much into our lives.
The lessons of this unwanted visit are clear: politics has lost contact with reality, science has shown its limitations and healthcare has shown its shortcomings. But above all, nature, virus included, has exploded with an unknown force with a whisper that tells us, “you are not unique, nor essential, you are vulnerable and, if you step aside, life continues, it flourishes everywhere, business as usual, what would we say? Nobody is going to miss us.
Concluding
I hope we understand the message of the virus Health, climate, energy, after this scenario, are global challenges, and if we lived them from full attention, no one would doubt that they need a global response.
Globalization cannot be only economic in the sense of seeking the maximum benefit by relocating production, but it has to be a supportive and sustainable response at a planetary level.
In short, fear dressed in ambition, envy, greed, arrogance, intolerance must give way to consciousness expressed in the form of communication, solidarity, sustainability and, above all, never forget the humility of recognizing ourselves as part of that nature that has reemerged before us Let us accompany their dance, let us become one with their essence.
This and no other, is the new form of therapeutic intervention, which beyond approaches and protocols, should consist of teaching how to live and accompany in a different way. This at least is the challenge for Vitaliza and his entire team.
Author: Javier Elcarte Psychologist, Founder and Director of Vitaliza
