We humans are social creatures in which we depend on each other for support. Infants depend of their mothers and fathers for guidance and nourishment as they grow older. The poor depend on the rich’s charity to survive from day to day. These are examples of our dependence on being social. If one is antisocial, such as a hermit, they are shunned by society as being abnormal, but is there such a thing as too much social stimulation?
There are many side effects that come with social interactions. Things like crowding, noise, stimulus overload, and impatience are just a few side effects that come with social stimulation that can take a toll on human well-being. There is a treatment for this, and it comes in the form of solitude.
Social solitude has been shown to heal the wear and tear on the human well-being due from social stimulation. A study was conducted to test this theory. In the University of British Columbia, Peter Suedfield conducted a study on Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. In REST, a person would be lying down on a comfortable bed in a dark, soundproof room. All necessities are provided, but there is limited interaction for the person in REST. The study proved to be a success in assisting those with self-control issues, weight loss, speech fluency, and other issues people were having.
Other examples of beneficial solitude include those who have been shipwrecked, or placed in solitary confinement. It is not uncommon to hear stories of those who have survived a shipwreck and came out with a new appreciation for God, or a new perspective on life. This undoubtedly comes from solidarity experienced by one who has been shipwrecked in which the person in question has all the time in the world to focus on introspection. The same goes for prisoners locked in solitary confinement. They are left alone with nothing other than their own thoughts to keep them company.
These are my most treasured times because I come out feeling refreshed. We are told to meditate on scripture throughout the Bible. In doing this, perhaps we would see a different meaning to a passage of scripture that we have not seen before. If we meditate on scripture, perhaps we would be killing two birds with one stone. We would be fulfilling our need to study and understand God’s word while restoring our mental well-being. The problem we run into is time. In our culture, we rush to do everything and find little time to do these things like meditate in solitude. Perhaps we should set apart time each day, or maybe once a week to do such meditations. It would be intriguing to conduct a study on the physical health benefits of such a routine, something I may look into doing in the future.
There are many side effects that come with social interactions. Things like crowding, noise, stimulus overload, and impatience are just a few side effects that come with social stimulation that can take a toll on human well-being. There is a treatment for this, and it comes in the form of solitude.
Social solitude has been shown to heal the wear and tear on the human well-being due from social stimulation. A study was conducted to test this theory. In the University of British Columbia, Peter Suedfield conducted a study on Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. In REST, a person would be lying down on a comfortable bed in a dark, soundproof room. All necessities are provided, but there is limited interaction for the person in REST. The study proved to be a success in assisting those with self-control issues, weight loss, speech fluency, and other issues people were having.
Other examples of beneficial solitude include those who have been shipwrecked, or placed in solitary confinement. It is not uncommon to hear stories of those who have survived a shipwreck and came out with a new appreciation for God, or a new perspective on life. This undoubtedly comes from solidarity experienced by one who has been shipwrecked in which the person in question has all the time in the world to focus on introspection. The same goes for prisoners locked in solitary confinement. They are left alone with nothing other than their own thoughts to keep them company.
These are my most treasured times because I come out feeling refreshed. We are told to meditate on scripture throughout the Bible. In doing this, perhaps we would see a different meaning to a passage of scripture that we have not seen before. If we meditate on scripture, perhaps we would be killing two birds with one stone. We would be fulfilling our need to study and understand God’s word while restoring our mental well-being. The problem we run into is time. In our culture, we rush to do everything and find little time to do these things like meditate in solitude. Perhaps we should set apart time each day, or maybe once a week to do such meditations. It would be intriguing to conduct a study on the physical health benefits of such a routine, something I may look into doing in the future.
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