SSRF publishes these case studies with the intention of providing some direction to our readers with regard to problems that manifest at a physical or psychological level, but which can have their root cause in the spiritual dimension. When the root cause of a problem is spiritual in nature we have observed that the inclusion of spiritual healing remedies generally gives the best results. SSRF advises continuation of conventional medical treatment along with spiritual healing remedies for the treatment of physical and psychiatric illnesses. Readers are advised to take up any spiritual healing remedy at their own discretion.
Abstract
Mr. Auritra Mallick was suffering from insomnia since 2007. He tried many different methods as treatment for insomnia, but none provided a lasting cure. The following is an account in Auritra’s own words of how spiritual practice helped him to overcome insomnia permanently.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
My name is Auritra Mallick, I am 25 years old and live in Houston, Texas (USA). I have been doing spiritual practice as advised by SSRF for the past 2 years, since 2010. I studied engineering in college and found that spiritual practice helped me to overcome some problems I was facing in life, one of which was insomnia.
Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep or to sleep well at night.
2. Experiencing insomnia and treatments for insomnia
I started to suffer from insomnia around the year of 2007. At first I found myself waking up at night. I would be unable to go back to sleep for some time. Slowly, the intensity of my insomnia increased. Sometimes I was unable to sleep for more than one or two hours in two days. I became chronically deprived of sleep, and found I was only able to get rest in the early hours of the morning. This sleep was not restful and was often filled with strange and violent dreams.
The long nights took their toll, and I looked for many ways to cure myself. I tried things like Magnesium supplements, traditional Chinese medicine, meditation, herbal teas, exercise, melatonin, etc. I avoided prescription medicines as I thought they were addictive and did not want to become dependent on a pill and suffer side-effects. When nothing worked, I told myself I would be resigned to insomnia for life and accepted it.
3. Spiritual practice and spiritual healing as treatment for insomnia
In May of 2010, I found the SSRF website. I found the articles fascinating and started doing spiritual practice seriously that September. I found that chanting helped to calm me and it made me feel like a constant companion was with me. At the time, I was driving a lot, so I avoided feeling bored by chanting. I noticed that when I would have difficulty sleeping, I could at least chant and feel better than I would if I just lay there. I also noticed that the Shrī Gurudev Datta seemed to help me to doze off sometimes, though I would still lie awake much of the time.
I had actually suspected I was affected by some sort of negative subtle-entity since 2007 itself due to the strange symptoms I would experience, and the information about ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) on SSRF strengthened this belief. That November, I attended my first SSRF satsang and got in touch with SSRF seekers. An SSRF seeker contacted me after satsang and asked me how I liked it. I told him it was very nice, and I began to ask him about Spirituality and spiritual practice. We started having regular satsangs soon afterwards and he would give suggestions about how to reduce distress by applying various remedies.
I found that doing the salt water therapy, box treatment and applying Holy ash (Vibhūti) over my head before sleeping was very effective. The problem was still there but much more controllable. I started doing spiritual healing remedies together with concentrated chanting for 2 hours per day, and noticed that the insomnia would not occur on days I did this. I felt hopeful and realized I may have found a cure for my condition at last.
4. The lasting treatment for insomnia
As I continued spiritual practice and implemented successive steps in spiritual practice like rendering service unto the Absolute Truth (satsēvā), undertaking the process of personality defect removal and awakening of spiritual emotion (bhāv) etc., I found that my insomnia became more and more controllable. It seemed that the more spiritual practice I did, the more insomnia became a distant memory.
Now in 2012, I especially find that writing mistakes made during the day and learnings from them before bed helps me to fall asleep very easily. The days I do not do this, I sometimes experience a recurrence of insomnia, but even then it is nothing like it was before, and I usually still manage to fall asleep at some point.
It is truly amazing that spiritual practice helped to solve a difficult and crippling issue that I thought I would carry for the rest of my life. Doing spiritual practice has given me so much aside from ridding me of insomnia that I really cannot pay enough gratitude. I can only resolve to continue with consistent spiritual practice and help others realize its importance.
