Mentally Healthy Society

By editor in Within Our Space March 5, 2025

Among the problems of modern society, one of the most pressing is the increase in depression, neuroses, psychoses, phobias, and generally various psychological issues and mental illnesses. Well, let’s say depression is a fashionable illness, and nowadays it is used to describe any mood decline. True, it used to be prevalent too, but it wasn’t publicly acknowledged in the same way. However, even with such qualifications, it is evident that the mental health of today’s society has significantly deteriorated. This is confirmed both directly, through research and statistics, and indirectly, through the huge surge in demand for psychologists, psychoanalysts, and similar specialists. When there is demand, supply appears in the market. And if people once hesitated to admit they visited a psychologist, now they almost boast about it. A sort of trend has developed, partly turning into snobbery.

The psychological climate is worsening both in less prosperous regions of the world and in more affluent ones. In the former, it’s because of the multitude of problems, uncertainty about the future, all kinds of dangers and threats, failures and grievances, violence, deception, disorganization. In the latter, it’s because when the mentioned problems are more or less eliminated (though still not 100%, of course), other issues surface, ranging from overindulgence and boredom to disappointment with everything and the belief that life has no meaning. And as though some common denominator for both is loneliness. A fair belief in the value of the individual and the importance of personal freedom tends to mutate into egoism and an unhealthy form of self-sufficiency, leading to internal detachment from society as a whole and from close ones in particular. Each one is for themselves and for their own sake. This is beautifully and impressively called: the atomisation of society. In simple terms, it’s the disconnection of relationships between people, internal self-isolation, and as a result — lostness and loneliness. Some achieve this on their own and then suffer, others are forced into such a position and suffer too. Everything is worsened by mutual distrust, and disbelief in people. And this is understandable. How can you trust and believe in others if you live for yourself, use other people for your purposes at every opportunity, and logically expect the same from them? In the end, the more you try to improve your life, the darker and more joyless it becomes. Hello, depression — not the fashionable malaise, but the real, hard one that often leads to suicide.

By the way, suicide is becoming more and more common, which logically follows from the described situation. And the fact that suicide is often more prevalent in affluent countries than in less fortunate ones might suggest that material well-being and good living conditions are far from the most important aspects of life.

One could list many more things — from the development of criminal tendencies in people to sexual perversions, from the necessity of daily tranquillisers and sleeping pills to the emergence of more and more maniacs and serial killers. All of this goes into one pot. A pot of facts showing that the mental health of society, on a global scale, is severely disturbed and continues to worsen. The question arises — what should be done about it?

Neither the growing army of psychiatrists and others whose professions start with “psy” nor the mountains of medications, which now include more and more names, can solve the problem. On the other hand, various religions, which are supposed to provide comfort, calm, set moral guidelines, and teach proper living, also cannot do anything. Either their tools are outdated and do not meet modern circumstances and challenges, or people have stopped believing in them genuinely. Most likely, it’s both. And in this sphere, a similar story repeats itself: the number of various religious teachings and what can be broadly termed spiritual paths and practices continues to grow — literally for all tastes and demands — but it doesn’t help. The situation doesn’t improve, it only worsens. And in addition to other psychoses and manias, new ones arise on religious grounds.

I believe the problem has been described in broad terms. Many readers themselves have noticed this situation and could add much more. And those who haven’t noticed anything like this — how did they manage that? — should inquire, search for information, read, and watch. Then they might ask me, “What are the options? What can you offer? Well, it’s clear — the Teaching, of course, what else?” Yes, exactly. I have reason to believe that in our space, a mentally healthy society will be formed. At least, one much healthier than the one we have now.

What is “the space of the Teaching”? It’s not so much a physical space, some territory, as it is people. It’s a society whose worldview and foundation for life are the Teaching. It already exists, albeit on a small scale. In the future, as we usually discuss in this section, such a society may also have territory. It could be a state, most of whose citizens will be followers of the Teaching, or even the whole world, when the Teaching becomes the worldview of all humanity. But the most important thing is that it will be people; it will be a society.

Why will it be more mentally healthy than modern society? Because the Teaching is capable of solving a whole range of problems that have led to the current situation, as described above.

First and foremost, there will be no sense of loneliness. One of the most important concepts in the Teaching is unity. Unity of the person with the Universe, when they feel themselves to be part of a huge organism, a necessary and important part, and feel their connection with other parts of it. Unity with other people, when you care about them, and they care about you, when you help and bring joy to each other. Building a society together, directed towards the common good, work and creativity for the world and people, their work and creativity for you, mutual support, collective activity. In our space, no one is lonely — even if, due to circumstances, they have been separated from their loved ones. And even when isolating oneself for a time to rest, for example, one doesn’t feel lonely. The whole world and people are with them; they are loved and awaited.

Moreover, there will be no global mistrust, constant fear that you will be let down, deceived, used, left to the mercy of fate. In a society where unity is felt and highly valued, such things are not to be feared. First of all, we are talking about people from the Teaching, following it genuinely, not nominally, not for show. For them, the high moral standards of the Teaching are not an empty sound. It will be a society of people who have been raised in the morality of the Teaching or sincerely accepted it, for whom it is the foundation of their relationship with one another. They won’t have to fear each other, expect indifference, meanness, mockery, violence.

Next, our space will not be a space of rampant crime. Both because of the aforementioned upbringing of new generations in high moral standards, and due to the good organization of the state, if it comes to that. A decent standard of living for citizens, their social security, thoughtful and just laws, etc., will create the ground that will not nourish crime. And with the minimal manifestations of it that will always remain, even in the best of societies, it will be much easier to fight.

Furthermore, the sound and logical worldview of the Teaching, which explains the structure of the world and provides reasonable answers to the most important questions — such as the purpose of humanity — will help solve many psychological problems. Or it will simply eliminate the reasons for their emergence. The sense of meaninglessness of existence, the feeling of being lost, the fear of death will disappear. People will no longer be tormented and broken by problems and troubles, their psyche will not be destroyed by dangerous illusions, they will not be polluted by superstitions, many painful doubts will be resolved, many fears will dissipate. Adequate perception of reality and a normal way of life based on it will eliminate causes for many physical and mental health issues, as well as issues in the sexual sphere.

Moreover, the absence of conflicts on national, religious, cultural, class, and many other grounds in our space, as well as humanity’s future unification and the cessation of wars, will eliminate many more causes for psychological problems.

These are just a few important points, a few answers to the question of why a society living in the space of the Teaching will be mentally healthy. Why it won’t have so many phobias, neuroses, psychoses, manias, depressions, and suicides. Of course, eradicating 100% of these phenomena, just like with crime, will probably never be possible. There will always be people who, even in the best of circumstances, will be tempted by others’ things, or who may lose their minds over something completely harmless, like growing cucumbers or photographing kittens. Simply because there is no ideal. But it’s one thing when all this is rampant and it seems like the whole world has gone mad, and quite another when something like this happens occasionally and in some places. When it is not the norm, but a cause for surprise. As they say, feel the difference.

No, this is not a utopia. These are real prospects. The Teaching truly carries the potential for building such a society, such a world. Provided that people genuinely accept it as the foundation of their lives and follow it, or at least sincerely try to follow it. Then the space of the Teaching will become for humanity what it can become. And the stable mental health of society will be just one positive aspect of such a future.

Already now, the Teaching is helping people deal with psychological problems, get rid of depression, and so on. Of course, it’s not a pill you take and feel better. It requires certain inner work, which brings results not in a day or even a month. These problems go away when there are no longer conditions for their existence. That is, a person must change, their attitude towards the world, towards people, towards life and themselves must change. And such serious changes take time. Therefore, the Teaching does not position itself as a quick-fix solution, like those advertised with slogans like “Take a three-week course and forget about your problems.” Major problems are not solved quickly and easily — even when it’s about an individual. Let alone when it’s about society.

However, the Teaching can solve them. And it will. Give it time.

What will this time look like? We will see. As always, it all depends on the people themselves, on their free will. The Teaching is the path that leads in the right direction. But it’s up to them to walk the path.