Catharsis: Do you know where it comes from and its true meaning?

The human being throughout his trajectory through life, is exposed to all kinds of circumstances, situations, people, places, environments. It interacts by nature, and it develops in an environment where it receives so much, and from everywhere, that there comes a time when it collapses. It is saturated in a way, that it is necessary to look for an alternative that helps drain all those emotions and feelings that disturb the tranquility and prevent the development of a normal and healthy life. For years, studies have been carried out to find a solution to this type of emotional situation that affects many people, finding great advances in the field of psychology, when discovering that there are ways to purify the mind with a series of techniques that will be evaluated in this post.

What is catharsis?

The word catharsis comes from greek catharsis which means purification or purge. It is known as a procedure used in the field of psychology, and psychiatry, which is performed on people consciously or unconsciously, in order to cleanse them, get rid of all feelings of guilt, anguish, pain, frustration, remorse or worry, in short, those emotions that eat away at the soul. Thanks to this procedure, people can relieve their sorrows and free themselves emotionally from the weight and stress that it generates.

History of catharsis

The term catharsis was born in ancient Greece. When Aristotle gave him the definition of emotional, corporal and spiritual purification through experiences of mercy and fear. The philosopher I include is his poetics, of ancient tragedy, which was nothing more than a theatrical literary work, where the protagonists placed in scenes were subjected to tragic situations that generally had a fatal end.

Where they clearly expressed in the course of the plot feelings of fear, hatred, jealousy, sadness, compassion and love, with the aim that the presentations served the audience and saw the consequences that these acts had, felt identified with the characters and They would perceive the fear of the consequences that they originate, without having carried out an improper act, so that, in this way, they will be able to understand themselves better, and will avoid repeating the actions that led the protagonists to those fatal destinations.

These literary catharses can be shown with the examples of:

• That feeling of fear compassion, illusion, joy, sadness or love that can come from reading a book or watching a movie. The empathy felt for the characters in fiction.
• When the hero suffers or is victorious, all those emotions that emerge are an example of catharsis.

Later the term was taken up again by the psychoanalysts Josef Breuer and Sigmund Freu, who called it the cathartic method, which consisted of applying hypnosis and subjecting the patient to relive events that have caused trauma in the past and thus free the repressed emotions and feelings that cause hurt and frustration.   

The technique of therapeutic treatment was also implemented, where the psychologist, through questions, sought to reach the origin of the traumas and thus try to find a remedy for the Condition permanently, so that the patients left the therapy with the ability to talk about the subject without any problem, that when mentioning it they did not feel any type of pain or feeling of regret or sadness, thus proving the total overcoming of the trauma, by releasing the repressed feelings and achieving the inner peace so longed for. Both techniques are still applied today.

How is the catharsis process carried out?

Before starting, it must be borne in mind that each person is a world, totally different from one another, with unique problems and needs, which must be treated individually. Therefore, the procedure to be applied is different, and it adapts to the personality, tastes and needs.

Depending on the preferences, there are various catharsis alternatives  that can be used to initiate the treatment of the emotions and achieve the liberation of the spirit. They are quite simple processes, despite how complicated it seems, they can be done anywhere, as long as you have the intention of improving. Here are some of the most useful techniques.

• Find who to talk to: Whether you're a friend, family member, or professional, venting is one of the most efficient ways to drain extra energy from your body. Sharing worries helps to make the load less and easier to handle, freeing the body of stress, which although taken lightly is a silent disease that can be very harmful to health, causes diseases, such as headache, anemia, mood swings, weight loss, insomnia and in more severe cases it can cause cancer, and later death.
• Exercising or playing sports: that deserve a great physical effort, activate the adrenaline hormone also known as epinephrine, which when secreted, increases the heart rate, which causes an alert sensation and power that helps to release the tensions of the body.
• Artistic activities: such as singing, dancing or acting, as well as the practice of relaxation or meditation exercises, such as yoga, are an excellent alternative to express yourself, release tension, and in this way leave your worries behind, reaching a state of enjoyment and inner peace.
• The humor: joy, fun, recreation and entertainment. Find ways to laugh. Laughter treatment has been found to be one of the simplest and most effective ways to let go of worries and frustrations.