Adolescent age is a strange phenomenon. An identity is born and yet this very identity is in crises.’ Me’ is born but the picture of this ‘me’ is hazy. It’s relationship with others is also unclear. An individual going through this crises is an adolescent. He may be teenager or in middle age or in old age. In teenagers hormones do play a major role. This crisis is the ‘adolescence’ irrespective of age.
In a large majority of people, with age and experience, self-image is stabilized and rest of the life is spent in maintaining that image. Relationships that serve that image are carried on. Relationships that distort the self-image rather hurt it are discarded.
Problem also arise when the self-image suddenly torn apart by sudden turn of events. For example loss of job with little prospect of finding new one or destruction of property changing financial status drastically. These events cause an identity crises, same as suffered by a teenager in adolescence. While in teenage adolescence is borne by all concerned with patience; but in adulthood, unless stabilized sooner, one lands up in psychiatric care and very few recover.
However the only treatment which would work is the realization that we live in images. Mind is projecting these images. ‘I’ exist independent of my possessions, my profession, my family. Successful living is harmonizing all the images. Which is not possible unless we do not cling to any particular image or combination of images. In fact the combination of images is the reality we live in. Hence the famous saying that reality is projection of mind.

Just another lazy thought for lazy sunday.

© Sandeep Bhalla