Consciousness
Loneliness: A Health Problem That Could Be Deadlier Than Obesity, Study Says
Loneliness can reliably be linked to a significant increase in the risk of early mortality, according to a study at Brigham Young University.
Head author, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, notes that “substantial evidence
now indicates that individuals lacking social connections (both
objective and subjective social isolation) are at risk for premature
mortality.”
Holt-Lunstad believes the risks associated with loneliness are already greater than such established dangers as obesity:
Several decades ago scientists who observed widespread dietary and behavior changes raised warnings about obesity and related health problems. The present obesity epidemic had been predicted. Obesity now receives constant coverage in the media and in public health policy. The current status of research on the risks of loneliness and social isolation is similar to that of research on obesity 3 decades ago… Current evidence indicates that heightened risk for mortality from a lack of social relationships is greater than that from obesity.
Update for our readers: This
hard-hitting documentary series (2020) explores the most powerful
alternative medicines known to man – all backed major scientific
studies. These remedies have been kept from us because big pharma
doesn’t want you to have the power to heal yourself. That ends now. Get
your free spot here: collective-evolution.com/a/provendoc
Furthermore, she warns that “researchers
have predicted that loneliness will reach epidemic proportions by 2030
unless action is taken.”
Why Are We So Isolated From Each Other?
From the long view, it can be said that
Western civilization as a whole has fostered a gradual disintegration of
our physical and social ties. With an emphasis on individual goals and
an almost fanatical regard for personal achievement, the traditional
institutions of family and community and their capacity to provide their
members with a sense of belonging and shared purpose have become
significantly fragmented.
advertisement - learn more
The family unit has gone from large
generations-linked mutual support systems to small and immediate units,
sometimes involving single parents whose necessities make it very
difficult to create a stable home environment for their children. Add to
that the fact that more and more people are not even building families,
and our society has more people living alone than at any other time in
history. This includes the elderly, who are less likely to find a ‘fit’
living within their children’s families than ever before.
The decline of the ‘community’ is
perhaps as significant as the disintegration of the family unit. In
Western-style communities, people work as a collection of individual
units interacting by specific functions rather than as an interrelated
whole with a significant shared identity. Naturally, attempts are made
today to join or build ‘communities’ all the time, but like the Meetup
model, they are founded on the gathering of select people with similar
interests and purposes, rather than a shared embrace of all people
within a certain geographical area.
The Rise of Social Media
I believe the rise in prominence of
social media has in part been fuelled by the sense of alienation we have
long felt within our modern society. I don’t believe social media is
the root cause of our loneliness, as some speculate, but rather a
symptom of this much longer-standing social problem. Connecting via
chats and web pages is just something that we have gotten into the habit
of reaching for since it is so immediately accessible. But like any
quick fix, it does not end up fulfilling our deeper needs, either individually or as a society.
If we see that our society has been
slowly disintegrating over hundreds of years, then it becomes incumbent
upon us as a society (if we can still even identify ourselves with our
‘society’) to take measures to remedy this situation. What those
measures might be, though, given how things seem to be trending, is a
matter of great conjecture.
On Being Alone
One approach is to first acknowledge
that Western society’s emphasis on the individual is not necessarily a
bad thing. In fact, I believe that the development of personal
integrity, creativity, and autonomy is a critical step in the evolution
of human consciousness. Learning how to be alone with oneself is a part
of that process. In his work entitled Pensées, French
philosopher Blaise Pascal observed that “All of humanity’s problems stem
from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
As evidenced by Eastern gurus and
mystics, one can be perfectly content in isolation. This can be greatly
facilitated by the practice of meditation and other such methods that
give us a direct perception of our energetic connectedness not only with
other people, but with all things. In this higher state, the damaging
emotional impact of loneliness and social isolation are not experienced.
Our Next Step
Still, the life of the yogi remains for
the few. The rest of us, it seems, have come to this planet to interact,
share, and love. And we have not incarnated into this dense physical
world to get better at virtual relationships. At this stage, we have
perhaps gotten a bit too accustomed to social isolation for our own
good.
Holt-Lunstad notes that “although living
alone can offer conveniences and advantages for an individual, this
meta-analysis indicates that physical health is not among them.” She
also cites another study that “has demonstrated higher survival rates
for those who are more socially connected.” And then there is the seminal 75-Year Harvard University study,
where “it was universally clear that without loving and supportive
relationships, men in the study were not happy.” The message is becoming
clear: we need to come together.
We are perhaps at a larger turning point
in our development than most of us realize. It seems that we have
reached the extreme edge of the exploration of individualism, and we are
readying to move into greater balance with a collective identity. This
is not a return to traditional ways, but rather a synthesis of our
growth as individuals with the shared experience we are now hungering
for. This synthesis signifies the next stage of our evolution.
Free: Don't Miss The 5G Summit
The 5G debate is going to be one of the biggest social issues of our time in the next year or two. Understanding the basics behind 5G dangers will be very important.Sign up for the free 5G Summit starting June 1st. Hear from 40 of the world's leading experts on the subject, all FREE! You can also download our free ebook on the science of 5G once you sign up!
Click here to register now!
No comments:
Post a Comment