Spiritual Crying: A Medicine That Cleanses The Soul
There are those who weep quietly, for a moment, in their own loneliness. However, the only way to start again, to clear the grief, frustration, and tension, is mental crying. True liberation is possible only through tears that flood like seas calmed by a broken voice.
Experts in psychobiology say that few behaviors make us as human as laughing and crying. In fact, these two expressions of emotion have much in common. They both involve a certain kind of “toughness,” that is, when laughter or tears begin they have a certain duration that cannot be easily shortened. In addition, with both, we achieve the same result: feeling better.
On the other hand, we all know that spiritual crying – the one that really produces real relief – is socially resentful. In contrast, a subtle cry that slips into political discourse mixed with pride, or associated with contemplating beauty, is acceptable.
Maybe that’s why most of us avoid crying out loud. It’s always safer to look for a dark corner where no one can see us, and then let our tears free, in subtle silence. We can’t let anyone hear us, see us, find out we’re not as strong as we look.
Nonetheless, psychiatrists and neurobiologists tell us quite clearly: relief, whether done alone or with someone, must be genuine, cleansing, and liberating. Anything that refers to a certain type of “self-control” increases tension and stress. Crying is essential for people.
Spiritual crying has many purposes
Most babies cry when they enter the world. Admittedly, there are no tears associated with their crying. The mechanisms of the brain that cause the lacrimal glands to produce tears have not yet matured. Nonetheless, their crying fulfills an essential biological function: to ensure that they survive by receiving attention, care, comfort, and caring.
As we grow and mature, our crying fulfills various tasks that are as interesting as they are necessary. Although, in fact, we do not always take advantage of all these opportunities.
First, one of the goals of crying is to eliminate the harmful substances caused by stress and anxiety in our body. It is not necessary for something negative to happen to us to feel grief. Sometimes we may cry out of exhaustion alone, and this crying is extremely healthy.
According to a study commissioned by the University of California, crying also serves as a warning. It is like an alarm signal to our own consciousness. There are times in our lives when we are frustrated or overwhelmed by something we should react to but don’t do.
The mere fact that we let our tears come out triggers advanced biological mechanisms that give us the ability to see the situation more clearly.
According to scientists, mental crying is, in fact, an exceptional innovation of evolution. It’s not just about “shedding tears”. Genuine, deep crying that gives us relief activates neurotrophins. These are proteins that are able to increase the plasticity of neurons.
In other words, “it fixes us”. It encourages learning new things and helps us to be more creative, to implement new ways that allow us to better adapt to our environment.
Crying, vulnerability and comfort
Work obligations make us need solitude. Doctors, nurses, firefighters, police… Many of us look for a moment away from others to ease drama and daily stress. Sometimes, however, these moments are not enough. There is no real “correction”. This continues until we gradually find ourselves anxious, blocked, overwhelmed… And our spine no longer allows us to breathe.
The same phenomenon happens with our daily problems, the words we don’t say out loud, the losses we don’t face, the pain that throbs but that we try to hide. Why is it so hard to ask for help? Why does spiritual crying make us so vulnerable to others?
Reaching out a hand is a skill we all don’t know
The fact is as difficult as it is obvious: not everyone can lend a helping hand. Saying things like “Why are you crying now?” or “Don’t bother, it’s not that big of a deal,” we get the other person to go even further locked. Negative emotions and depression become most intense.
When we need help and relief from another person, it’s worth looking for the right person for it. Not everyone has the best strategies or values to give us intimacy and the ability to let go of the hurtful feelings that torment us. Good friends and of course psychologists are our best guides in this process.
Liberating ourselves by feeling emotionally in front of someone is not a sign of weakness or vulnerability. It is a step a strong person takes to ease their tensions, fears and sorrows. He does so to rebuild himself from scratch so he can heal and get help.
When it comes to reaching out, it’s not just about giving a hug. It’s not that it says “everything is going to be fine.” It is intuitive and is designed to help with this process of relief, knowing how. It is knowing how to tell that “I am here with you” without being a burden, without condemnation. It is subtlety, presence, giving intimacy.
In summary, no matter how difficult it is for us to give ourselves these moments of genuine spiritual relief, whether alone or with others, it is necessary at times. Emptying our souls is a psychological and biological need. Consider this classic saying of Ciara Molina : “expressed emotions are processed emotions.”
