On Suicide

The Many Facets of Suicide: A Socio-psychosomatic and Spiritual Evaluation of Suicide and its Solutions

I want to share my deepest condolences to everyone that was affected by the recent suicide. Grieving and loss can be difficult, and I pray that all of you grieving may go through the process gracefully. I hope you feel release from any feelings of hurt, anger, blame, or guilt, and that you may be able to channel all the love and respect that you had for Brian in your prayers to him. We all have suffered the loss of a life, and so I also pray that you may have a strong social network to give support to you- whether it is a listening ear, or companionship in your grieving. May the God who created the heavens protect all who grieve from any evil, Amen.

As we all are shaken up by the recent events, we ask ourselves why this could have happened. I believe, as in all things concerning humans, it is a variety of factors. From a sociological aspect, Emile Durkheim talks about the two lead causes of suicide. One is heavy inculturation into a society that causes the person to forgo their individuality. An example of this is Harakiri, or what the Japanese believe to be noble suicide- to sacrifice yourself for your country. Many soldiers knowingly go into battle knowing that their life is almost certain to end, and do great acts of courage because they believe it is for the greater good. In this case, the animalistic desire for self-preservation is overridden by the meaning that we put in brotherhood, patriotism, and the causes we ascribe to.

The second kind of suicide is the opposite- it often happens when an individual loses societal connection. Some suicides are done by people who feel alone and isolated. They don't have strong relationships around them, and they find no purpose to their lives.

It leads to the question why rockstars and extremely famous people, who have fans and a slew, even thousands and millions of people adoring them, still commit suicide.

I would posit that this kind of suicide is a lot like the second kind of suicide in that it is a saturation of focus on the self by the person. Even if they are surrounded by family and friends who love them, or even fans, if their main focus is their self- that is-they worry about themselves more than anyone else, the fears and burdens may cause them to implode into themselves.

Many of you are familiar with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's study on "Flow", that is, certain conditions of focus and being immersed in an activity actually cause the person to lose track of time and be happy. Their happiness is actually composed of a concoction of five happy hormones. Dopamine and norepinephrine are performance enhancing reward chemicals and give the romantic love feeling. Seratonin is a social bonding chemical, while endorphins are made between maternal love, familiar love and friendship love in adults. The last is anandamide, which is released by marijuana to give you that unconditional connection with all things. This is what makes us feel that we love everybody. All these together creates a "flow", a feeling that is so positive and pure that even mind-altering drugs cannot achieve it. This happens when we are so deeply engrossed and focused with our work. In fact, it is known that to try to replicate the positive hormones made by this state of flow artificially would result in comatose. Only the body can create this kind of happiness.

An unexplainable fact about the state of flow is what Steven Kotler, author of "Rise of Superman" calls Helper's High. People who help others can have that happy concoction for days on end. While in other cases of extreme sports high, it only lasts briefly and undergoes fatigue. Giving to others and thinking of others is truly a gift that keeps on giving. It allows the giver to experience flow for days on end. What is essential in this giving is not just the act of it, but also the internal consciousness of the other. As givers, we are aware of the plight of others. From this empathic feeling, we act in love and unity with others, giving and sacrificing for them. There is no thought of self, yet, inversely, the self is filled to the brim with happy hormones.

The second part of this study is more relevant to our discussion on suicide. There is a thing called "group flow". That is, a group of people so in line in their objectives that they perform excellently. The book, "The Rise of Superman" notes well-oiled football teams playing in the Superbowl as an example of group flow.

I myself saw such an example in the MRT on my way home. They were a gaggle of girls, of women actually, who were all quite unconsciously standing in a circle. They were talking about an issue in the office, but they were discussing in rapid fire succession, yet the emotion that emanated from them was not strain, but rather, cooperation. As one person would talk about the issue, all others would stand in rapt attention. As the person stopped, another would add information and the focus would completely shift to them. Each person was completely respectful of each other. Sometimes, a funny remark would be said in between, and as a group, they all laughed their own awkward guffaws, before almost in-sync, returning to the issue at hand. It was only through complete trust, and positive familiarity that they all could have only one focus. They kept at it all throughout the queue outside the train, and had happily given way to each other as they walked in, only to form a new circle inside the train. They all bantered and gave way to one of them, saying that she needed the seat the most, and the way they did it was out of pure love and concern for that one. To me, they were beautiful.

I was concerned for my own comfort, selfishly thinking of myself. I wanted a seat and scurried to get one, slightly leaning too much on one side to afford the space I needed to get to the free seat. Inside me were hormones of fight or flight, and if someone were to always be in this state, it would be "stressfull".

A person can give, but if their consciousness is still wrapped in self, then they did not give. They are still bio-chemically scurrying, like I was, in that MRT. It is something that I do for myself only, and therefore does not aid in my flow. In the same case, some people may become famous and adulated but if their perspective remains to be based on a state of lack, no adulation can ever be enough. On the flip side, nothing can take away from a consciousness that has decided that it is full.

Thankfully, biology has provided for us the most natural way of being happy. The more we get into flow, into the focus of work, and enjoy the positive flow of a strong and trusting community, it creates a nature that is altruistic. By being good at what you do, you tend to become good. In the other sense, by being good, you tend to enjoy more flow in your life and are able to focus more on your work. That is the beauty of our biochemistry that sets us up for a generally happy and productive experience. This flow is received from social interactions which you can only get if you are being a positive force in a positive community.

Now we see the social aspect of suicide. For it to be fully enacted, it would not only be a lack of positivity in the person, but also a lack of positive social relations around that person. Our society nowadays grooms selfishness. We are literally made to believe that the purpose of life is acquisition, and self-aggrandizement. Even as an individual 'succeeds' in this culturally imposed success, his or her biology is calling out for more.

Emile Durkheim was able to successfully predict the number of deaths of frogs, and eventually suicides based on societal data. This implies that suicide is symptomatic of the culture it belongs to.

According to the National Statistics Office, the suicide rate from 1984 to 2005 went up from 0.46 to seven out of every 200,000 men. On the other hand, it jumped from 0.24 to two for every 200,000 women. Majority of the cases are of young men and women aged 24 and below. The World Health Organization's consultation on suicide prevention revealed that the increase was seen in the young aged 5-14 and 15-24. Most of the suicides occurred in their houses during daytime when no one else was home. Though our statistics are lower than neighboring countries, it is still an increasing trend that deserves to be addressed specially among the youth.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of illness affecting 300 million worldwide. This is a statistic 18% higher than the previous decade (2005-2015).

Intellectually, suicide can be prevented by being in group flow. However, if seen spiritually, suicide is a weapon of darkness. Father Jocis Syquia, Head of the Ministry of Exorcism of the Philippine Roman Catholic church, cites some suicide cases to be attributed to demonic attack. Anything that sets itself against God, sets itself against love, and life. Suicide is an affront to both. First, God says, any blood spilled, specially man's blood, will be counted against all humans. Secondly, all humans are created in the image of God, for which, He cares for. To take your very life is an affront to Him and the life that is in you. I say this not in judgment, but as a fact that makes it all the more worthwhile for the enemy to engage. It's one of those double sins, like incest, which is fornication and an offense against the blood and the land, and homosexuality, which is an offense against the father-head as well as the mother-head and the land.

It is well known that there is something that can fill the void. I'm going to tell you what it is. I want you to know that everyone in this world is "hungry" or "lacking" in some aspect. It is borne out of our parents' imperfections, the hate in the world, and the lack of love that we live around. The thing that can fill and perfect this longing, the void, the fear, the anxiety, the feelings of self-defeat and unworthiness is God's love. Love is good, I could just say love, but so many people have altered its meaning to lust, mutually beneficial relationships, convenience and many other truer and more painful terms.

SOLUTIONS

If you have ever felt this lack, I'm telling you as a person who has been loved, forgiven, and accepted by Christ and God, that you can feel God's complete and perfect love and be filled into wholeness. His love is stronger than anyone else's. While others may let you down, where others may have betrayed, God's love will uphold you in your weakest moments, love you in your entirety, and keep you safe in His loving arms for always. His love is faithful, his love is complete, his love is perfect for all that you would ever need and surpasses all that you would ever dream.

All you have to do to accept this love is to be sorry for all the times that you know in your heart, you acted less than the good that you know you are capable of. It is a heart issue. Quell the fear that you are unworthy, take out every thought that separated you from the love of Yahweh, Abba, our father, and from that contrite heart, accept His loving embrace. He runs to meet the Prodigal Son, He seeks you like a lost lamb. He comforts all who mourn and sit in darkness, for He is light, and love, and in Him, there is no shadow.

God is as near as your very breath, and with each breath is a promise of your hope, and of your repentance. God is here, in your heart, and His breath is your very spirit. You cannot run away from His love.

Why is it that some feel powerless and inspite of their efforts, continue to feel depressed? Depression is a warfare condition. It seeks first to isolate the human being, away from people, taking the desire to participate in society. Why? Only alone is a person's reality susceptible to influence from fallen spiritual entities. One great misconception that they have taught in warfare is that the enemy cannot read our thoughts, when in fact, it is in the realm of thoughts that the enemy lies.

Thoughts are a plane that the spiritual entities can control and manipulate. However, the reality of earth, as well as heaven and all spaces in between are God's and God's alone. A person alone holds his or her own reality in their hand as a subjective mental existence, and there, the other spirits can affect their perception by fantasies, visions, doubts and fears. However, once in a group, the spirit will have a more difficult time affecting all, unless this group supports the belief that the spirit needs for it to "manifest" or be perceived in the objective sense.

A depressed person, being alone in their room is therefore most susceptible to even the lowest spirits. First, their sadness emanates a consciousness that the lower spiritual entities can reach. If you are happy and grounded in reality, you cannot see dark spirits. If you are sad, hurting, angry, fearful and such, your emotions become food for those dark spirits. They will try to keep you in the state for as long as possible, and, if they choose, they can take the route of suicide, self-harm to finally "win" your soul to the dark side.

While there is life, there is repentance. How can you go to heaven if the last act that you committed is an affront to life itself? According to the CCC 1022, each person receives retribution at the very moment of his death. I would say that it is possible to be saved by other living human beings, who by their prayers may purify your soul, ask for your repentance and only by the love of God would you again be restored to grace. Please, pray for all those who lost the spiritual battle to suicide. I ask you to pray now, as I pray with you, for all the people who have committed suicide, and all those whom you are dedicating this prayer to, to be forgiven their sin, and to find a path to the resting place of God, amen.

It doesn't end there. Knowing this is just the first step. To be spiritually safe, one must not have any spiritual openings, that is, spiritual sins that keep you away from God. At all times, specially now, when the end of the era is near, we must fight for goodness and for God by keeping away from ALL known sin.

Sin is like feces. It is dirty, and it comes from our lower natures. Once you have even the smallest feces on your clothes, it will smell. It will become dirty, and it will pose as a danger to your health. Therefore, let us clean ourselves from all the sin we see in our lives.

God requires very little. That is to be righteous- it simply means to do the right thing for all concerned, all the time, and to walk humbly with our God. The latter is a gift, more than a requirement.

I tell you the moment you take out all sin from your life, our Father will walk with you. He will take your hand, and guard you from the enemy. He will give you wisdom, and inner peace. He will flood you with contentment. He will sing to you with His love, and surround you with people that will be good for you. Each step you take toward goodness is a step toward God.

I pray now for anyone reading this, that they may be protected from all evil. I pray that God Almighty, who created heaven and earth, the God of Jacob, and the God who is near all the brokenhearted, protect and guide you to the fullness of love and life. May you see peace inside you and peace around you. May you see the value of giving, and loving and practice it so fully in your life that all others will see love and God personified in you. Amen :)

After the spiritual, the practical solutions are apparent. Do not be alone to mull over negative thoughts. Seek the company of positive peers and family who love and accept you. Use your time well by creating more flow in your life: Use 3 hours to help other people in your life, then use one day to help in communities that are less fortunate. You can use Sundays for praise and worship for God, and in all your working hours, give it your best and be focused so that all your time will be consumed by flow and may your happiness likewise flow into your life.

Go with the flow and be blessed!