The way they followed Spartacus is terrifying. Man, you should write a novel or screenplay. Even if you do it on a different subject, you have lived something few of us have--the visceral experience of being a hunted creature.

Here's another article. A clinician describes the role of external social cues and depression.

Depression
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In subjects who work, it is common to observe a worsening of depressive mood at the beginning of the week, when social rhythms have been lost during the weekend and have not yet been retrained by professional constraints (Monday mornings).

And in this same article, the author notes many are already short on sleep. This would enhance vulnerability for anyone put in some workshop where they are made short on sleep.

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A certain number of other arguments highlight the clear link between emotional control and sleeping time. It suffices to spend a night without sleep to understand the degree to which a simple reduction in sleeping time can cause moodiness, aggressiveness, episodes of crying, explosions of rage, and other emotional reactions. All these symptoms are directly linked to the most archaic parts of our brains, collectively called the limbic zone. Under normal circumstances, these areas are linked to the prefrontal lobe, which is the “adult” and reasonable area responsible for our intelligence. Indeed, many authors think that human beings are above all a “prefrontal animal.”

It was in order to allow the development of the prefrontal lobe that our ancestors experienced a gradual diminution of the supraorbital ridge and disappearance of the receding forehead characteristic of most large apes. This part of our brain, capable of controlling instinctive and affective movements, is probably the anatomical seat of what differentiates humans from other animals. Indeed, it has been shown that experimental conditions of sleep deprivation will “disconnect” the prefrontal lobe from the limbic zone. This disconnection deprives the conscious and reasonable part of our brain of any control over emotions, hence an increase in emotiveness and ultimately in violence and aggressiveness. It is therefore possible to hypothesize fromthesemechanisms that chronic sleep deprivation favors depression, which would help to explain the increased incidence of this condition at a general epidemiological level.6

Finally, the author lists these interventions. Note the high protein diet--- a contrast to the low protein diets one hears about in many high demand groups.

(Note)I dunno what kind of diet you guys followed in SGI. But in a lot of guru ashrams, such as Amma's, the diet would run high in refined carbs, with very little concentrated protein.

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Therapy involving adjustment of rhythms must be considered as supplementary to the therapies referred to above. It is thus necessary to reinforce the circadian rhythms through behavioral measures: getting up earlier in the morning (always at the same time), physical exercise immediately on rising, a long hot shower, a relatively high-protein breakfast, and exposure to brilliant white light at 10 000 lux.
In the evening, no intensive physical exercise or excessively stimulating or stressful activities, an evening meal containing slow-release carbohydrates*, a warm bath, and low lighting to encourage the release of endogenous melatonin.

When these recommendations regarding healthy rhythms are respected, a rapid improvement can be observed in general wellbeing and a reduction in residual symptoms: morning tiredness, insomnia, morning gloominess. Although there is a dearth of studies in this area, it is possible that rigorous compliance with this chronotherapy may to some extent reduce the risk of recurrence.

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Corboy: 'slow release' carbohydrates are those that digest slowly and produce slow rises in blood sugar. Old fashioned steel cut oats, barley, beans are all 'low glycemic index' slow carbohydrates.

This contrasts with the diets high in refined starches one hears about in many groups--sugar, white rice, white flour breads, etc, without enough concentrated protein to offset the fast release of carbohydrate. Indian and Chinese vegetarian/vegan[www.google.com]
cooking tends to fit this profile.

I never heard of any "prescribed diet" while I was in SGI. Everybody just did whatever they liked. A friend of mine was Sufi for 7 years - they had to be vegetarian (and they were supposed to wear turbans - both men and women - at all times - though she and her husband only wore the turbans on the month-long retreat each summer in the blistering heat of the desert). She said she had stomach problems when she was vegetarian, and that she does better now that she includes meat in her diet. I guess she doesn't eat a lot of meat... My daughter, on the other hand, has always had a difficult relationship with meats. She was very picky about meats all through her childhood and went vegetarian last year (at age 13). She's done well on it - last weekend, I made a *righteous* minestrone soup using fresh herbs from the garden and fresh veges from the farmer's market - it was delish! And the cheese enchiladas I made after that were very well received as well. At least she'll eat eggs, but she has stopped drinking milk, as it gives her a sore throat (I had the same thing when I was in my teens). She can eat cheese and yogurt, though, and she willingly eats a lot of vegetables. She prefers sprouted whole-grain breads.

If I had to take a shower in the morning and a bath at night, I think my skin would dissolve. My skin is too dry for that much bathing. And I do well with just a glass of OJ for breakfast, then a tall iced coffee - I don't usually eat until mid afternoon. Anybody who puts a brilliant white light at 10 000 lux in my face first thing in the morning gets it shoved up his ass. I am NOT kidding.

Although there is a dearth of studies in this area

Aha. I'll just *bet*. The fact that there are no data to evaluate doesn't give anyone free rein to just make up whatever they like! My husband's boss and his entire family are Indian from India, and strict vegetarians. We've known them for 12 years, and they do just fine on their traditional diet, thank you very much. Let's not allow any cultural imperialism to creep in!

And, just between you and me, there is no shortage of "diet guru" wannabes - I hear them on their little infomercials on public radio (when I guess the station is running low on money or something). I don't put much stock in the "magic foods" thinking - just eat a well-balanced meal with a lot of variety and you'll do well. I don't know if you were around, but back in the late 1980s, someone was interviewing Ikeda and asked him, "What should people eat late at night?" He said something stupid like, "Well, you shouldn't eat a heavy meal, but if you have to eat something, maybe just some fruits or vegetables." Somehow, people thought that because he had, like, the "perfect practice", that meant that he must know *everything* about *EVERYTHING*!! At the time I thought it was pretty retarded...my opinion hasn't changed.

There were never any dietary restrictions involved with the $oka Gakkai Cult Org.. In fact, on tozans (pilgrimages to the motherland head temple before the priesthood split), you were kept pretty well fed (buffet breakfasts, luxurious obento lunch-boxes, and dinner was usually back again at the hotel, which again, was pretty plush.

They controlled everything else while on Tozan, but not your food or diet.

I can't speak for how things are today (FNCC or $oka Cult U., etc.), but I don't think anything has changed.


- Hitch

PS - Oh, I also forgot, but gakkai cult org. bus trips (or large car pools) were also always well stocked by the Japanese WD. As soon as those doors closed, it was rice ball picnic fest time.

This fellow was writing in description of persons with severe depression--the ones who need medical intervention.

The kind of light he describes (10,000 lux) is a medically prescribed photo therapy light.

I own and use one of these but only turn it on after I am up in the morning at at my computer.

Many people do well on vegetarian diets. But some dont maintain health or energy unless they do eat meat. A very dedicated Zen priest who has lived long term at a local monastery told me that he was one of a number of people who had medical prescription to eat meat. He had tried hard to live and work while eating the lacto ovo vegetarian diet that was the norm at the monastery and he could not maintain his energy or morale.

Genetic profiles differ.

I cited that article because of the insights the guy provided about social cues and how some of his depressed patients felt much worse after weekends, precisely because they had omitted zeitgebers (external prompts) that actually kept them steady. For some persons sleeping too late in the day might be enough to throw body clock off and tip them back into a depressed mood. Or they dont have as much social give and take on weekends as they do at work.

So, its not a matter of working like a dog and never taking a break, but identifying what external cues keep us at our best and hanging onto those during weekends.

Or, by knowing which external cues we need to remain at our happiest and best, we can know to hang onto them and not permit a tyrannical person or group to bluster us into abandoning those props.

Machines come with instruction manuals -- dont let it sit in the hot sun, dont let water fall on it, what kinds of lubricants to use.

But unlike machines, we dont come into this world with a maintainance manual. We have to figure ourselves out.

It would make things so much easier if we were told from the start,

'This particular dietary profile is what you will do best with, combined with this pattern of exercise.

Certain foods and drugs should be avoided or at least, taken in tiny quantities and not very often.

You are best advised to get X number of hours of sleep a night, and between this time and this time.

But...we have to figure this out by trial and error.

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Hitch
PS - Oh, I also forgot, but gakkai cult org. bus trips (or large car pools) were also always well stocked by the Japanese WD. As soon as those doors closed, it was rice ball picnic fest time.

Hitch, those rice balls were sometimes all I (and often many others) had to eat during those 3000 mile round trips on a bus. Sometimes it would take every cent I had to get enough money for the SGcultbus trip fare, leaving me with nothing in my pocket. That made each precious rice ball an absolute lifesaver. I remember having to sit in restuarants during meal stops and watch everybody else eat while I went hungry. Too proud (and ashamed) to beg or ask for food, I (sometimes we) would wait until most everybody was back on the bus (I was TCD chief so I got on last) watching for tables where patrons or members had finished and left, and had not yet been bussed, so that the leftover food remaining on the plates could be stealthily grabbed and quickly eaten. There I was, having to steal a meal for cousin rufu. Going hungry and going without sleep made me (us) prime candidates for mind control, brainwashing, and cult indoctrination. "Yes! I'll do anything for Sensei, even cheat, steal, lie, bully, manipulate, donate, masterbate, whatever it takes! No matter what - MY LIFE FOR YOU, MASTER!" High demand cult anybody?

Spartacus

I remember back in 1987, when I was a brand new YWD and hadn't yet gotten my gohonzon, we were driving down to Chicago for the weekend to practice for the Liberty Bell Parade in Philadelphia in July. We would sleep in sleeping bags (provided, I think) or bedrolls in the kaikan. Breakfast was rather random - I remember there were bananas and cold hard-boiled eggs, and cereal, I think. But the hard-boiled eggs stick in my mind. So they were making sure we all got our protein! Yeah, the rice balls. It was in NSA that I discovered one of the most delicious things in the world - rice ball with a sour plum in the middle. Sometimes, I'll still buy pickled plums at an Asian grocery, cook up some rice, and eat it cold with the pickled plum. Mmmm...been a while since I bought pickled plums...

It was later, at SGI pot lucks, that I got turned on to the wonders of Yaki Soba, which is a noodle/seasoning packet combo you can get near the produce section in the grocery, and stirfry whatever you like and add it in. Yumtown!

I (sometimes we) would wait until most everybody was back on the bus (I was TCD chief so I got on last) watching for tables where patrons or members had finished and left, and had not yet been bussed, so that the leftover food remaining on the plates could be stealthily grabbed and quickly eaten.

That's so sad. Bums for cousin rufu! I heard that that sort of thing happened a lot, that people would overextend themselves financially for some big gakkai whing ding and then come back to overwhelming financial problems. More than a few members dropped out for that very reason - I remember my fellow upper level leaders back in Minneapolis talking about it and saying that was one of the reasons the big bus trip era came to an end. It had to.

If all you eat is a rice ball, with no concentrated protein such as an egg or chunk of fish to balance it, that rice ball is a grenade of super fast acting carbohydrate.

The kind of sticky rice used to make rice balls and other sorts of goodies has a special type of starch that non sticky rice doesnt have; the sticky rice has a lot of starch that digests super fast and will produce a blast off in blood sugar, followed by a slump. Unless you have concentrated protein and (ideally a salad with a vinegar dressing) to offset the effect.

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Mandatory dietary restrictions would have went over like a lead balloon in the gakkai USA cult org., those Japanese WD were always stuffing their faces with food, whether it be on cult trips or in the "spontaneous" parties that broke out right after daimoku sansho at meetings. Many of them were / are pretty plump and lived for their food fests.

Corboy got me thinking though. One thing they did do was remind you at every opportunity that "Sensei" was providing for you. "This lunch box is from Sensei", "this drink is from Sensei", "Sensei cares about you, that's why you have this luxurious buffet breakfast or extravagant dinner" (this was all in Japan). In America, it was, "this McDonald's lunch is from Mr. Williams - he has such compassion for you "YOUTH!"", etc..

It was also fairly common at "YOUTH!" practices (for cultural festivals, brass band, kotekitai) and long cult parades, for YMD or YWD to easily become dehydrated and there were usually one or two people who would come down with heat exhaustion. Having myself participated in such events, I can tell you that if you were thirsty or needed a break, people were very hesitant to take time out to do so, for fear of getting scolded. You basically just toughed it out. Those that did get sick and couldn't man up, were usually pulled out, put through the mind game ringer and made to feel guilty about being "out of rhythm", succumbing to "sansho-shima" or "not chanting enough" to have enough "fortune" to endure.

So, while there was no control of adult member diets, there was some restriction going on in the "YOUTH!" events, especially practices. It was never stated explicitly that you "can't", but it was understood that enduring was part of your "YOUTH!" "training."

So, yeah, it was going on in the gakkai cult org..


- Hitch

Say, is there something special you're supposed to do to the rice when you make rice balls? When I have the pickled plums around, I usually just eat them with a bowl of rice, but I remember the rice balls being especially delicious...