The coronavirus, looked at with different eyes

A reflection on the implications of the arrival of the pandemic.

At a time of abundance and self-indulgence, of solace and enjoyment of the most exotic cravings, of travel at will and desires fulfilled at the snap of a finger, in a supposedly global world where even psychology had entered the path of short-term wellbeing, with techniques such as Mindfulness, so ancient and so modern, with the unique aspiration of being "all zen", an unexpected visitor knocks at our door, with a strange name and a numerical annex code, typical of computerized times.of the computational times in which we live.

But this little friend comes from other planes, he does not understand technology or economics, he does not know that there are institutions as important as nations, and textile designs as ravishing as the flags of those nations. He does not know that we are an evolved society, a civilization that has created something as unimaginably wonderful as democracy, or dictatorship, that for everything there are tastes.

The arrival of the virus

It turns out that this individual is of a different class, neither middle, nor high, nor low. It comes from a very ancient lineage, prior to all human developments so far known and mentioned above. Apparently, the experts tell us, it is a virus. It turns out that its family was one of the first to be parked on our planet, and that viruses in the plural wereand that viruses in plural were one of the first manifestations of life in our world.

Curious, we did not expect this visit. Some scientists were already talking to us some time ago about something called pandemic, a somewhat ignominious name with a bad image. But well, after all, what is a microscopic being, whether it brings pandemics or anything else with it, that a civilization of our height and technology should be frightened?. We have science, we have resources, we have politics and above all we have money, someone will do something and everything will remain the same.

But this new friend has not been introduced, he does not know the virtues of our system nor does he understand the perfection of our defenses. He only brings us a simple message, "you are vulnerable".. He speaks to us in direct and unvarnished language of disease and death. It is not his fault that we have been slow to understand the message, if we have understood it at all.

Indeed, every country, every political system, regardless of ideologies and borders, has been slow to react.. We all believed at the beginning that it was a matter for others, either distant countries or poor countries with no health coverage as on previous occasions. But no, this time our friend has entered our sacrosanct western dwellings, without understanding that we are superior, different.

And for the first time, for a long time, a terrible sensation has reached us, no less welcome for being more familiar; fear. Suddenly sickness and death literally lurk around every corner, even in our best friend or, if we are honest, in our new lover. Hands cannot touch our face, and our hugs cannot illusionize the bodies of those we love. Our mortal friend is there. Everywhere and nowhere.

Literally too, the leaders of our species don't know which way the wind blows.. They act, surely with good will, by trial and error, just as our species has done since we climbed down from the trees in an attempt to be something more than monkeys.

Fear and avoidance

In psychology we always talk about fear as a tool linked to almost all the traumas that we have to live through.. And we understand that the conscious coping with fear is the best way to address these psychological wounds.

Mindfulness in this case is a precious approach to know the origin, the causes, the future and the consequences of our life experiences. We speak of mindfulness, of living in the present moment, of seeing things as they are. And one wonders, are we living this pandemic in mindfulness?

The virus brings us a warning, uncertainty, not knowing, not controlling. And this triggers at a planetary level the well-known consequence: fear. But behold, our response, sculpted from the most atavistic fears, instead of looking at the problem head on, instead of looking the problem in the face, we take the path of avoidance.just as we do with our daily problems.

Is it so difficult to "see things as they are" as the master would say? Apparently so. Fear blinds our perception, our reflection and even our heart..

Is it so difficult to understand that the message of this beloved enemy is planetary, global and that the response to its challenge can only be at the same level; planetary and global? Can we for once look beyond our pettiness in the form of fears and ambitions? Do we really believe that a local response, in our little piece of planet earth, will save our economy, when it is sinking all over the world? Does anyone in their right mind believe that they will get rid of the pandemic individually in the face of a threat that floods the five continents?

Sad is the human condition that, in the face of the dread of disease and lurking, uncontrollable, uncontrollable death, takes refuge in an absurd search for a cure, takes refuge in an absurd search for culprits.Whether they are politicians or scientists, embrace brainless gurus who promise promised promised lands, and curse and point fingers at the brave few, the sanitary ones, who are in the front line of combat and whom we want in our lives. We applaud from the balconies yes, we appreciate their courage yes, but please let them stay away from our front porch, or don't cross our lives too much.

The lessons of this unwanted visit are clear: politics has lost touch with reality, science has shown its limitations and health has shown its shortcomings. But above all nature, virus included, has exploded with an unknown force with a whisper that tells us, "you are not unique, you are not indispensable, you are vulnerable and, if you step aside, life goes on, it flourishes everywhere, business as usualas we would say". No one will miss us.

Concluding

May we understand the message of the virus. Health, climate, energy, after this scenario, are global challenges, and if we lived them with mindfulness, no one would doubt that they need a global response.

Globalization cannot be only economic in the sense of seeking maximum profit by delocalizing production, but it has to be a solidarity-based and sustainable response at the planetary level.

In short, fear dressed in ambition, envy, greed, arrogance, intolerance must give way to awareness expressed in the form of communication, solidarity, sustainability and, above all, never forget the humility of recognizing ourselves as part of this nature that has risen before us, let us accompany its dance, let us become part of it.Let us accompany its dance, let us become one with its essence.

This, and no other, is the new form of therapeutic intervention, which, beyond approaches and protocols, should consist of teaching how to live and accompany in a different way. This at least is the challenge of Vitaliza and all its team.

Author: Javier Elcarte Psychologist, Founder and Director of Vitaliza