alchemy

The 19th century was, in a way, the opposite of the 21st century. Back then, science and technology as we know them, were in their infancy, and poetry was an important part of life. Today, poetry is very peripheral and technology is central to our lives. 

Before the existence of anti-depressants, John Stuart Mill wrote about how the poetry of William Wordsworth was a 'medicine' for his 'state of mind' because it 'expressed, not mere outward beauty, but states of feeling, and of thought coloured by feeling, under the excitement of beauty.' 

I think one of the mistakes we make in modern society is to think everything is accomplished by science and technology and we ourselves are inert and passive. One of the lessons that I've learnt in my own experience of mental health issues, medication and therapy, is the immense power of my own thoughts in creating or changing my mental state. 

We neglect that natural ability we all have because we've always had it and now we have all these great medications and therapies that we can use instead. I think that's a huge mistake, and we are paying the price for it. Not that we shouldn't use medications and therapy and continue to develop them, but those things shouldn't be a replacement for our own personal work on ourselves.