The Spiritual and Emotional Challenge of Virus Fatigue
July 9, 2021
Nothing is harder on an “immediate gratification” society than delay or loss of gratification. In so many ways the pandemic is making life “unsatisfying”. Real restrictions and limitations are being forced on large segments of the world population and many want the whole situation to “be over”. Even with the vaccines being deployed, humanity will have to endure a long period of impact and recovery that is unlikely to abate any time soon.
The Great Depression and World War II
To gain some perspective about world-changing events that truly had global, not localized impact, we need to go back to the Great Depression and World War II. The timeline for the start of the Great Depression and the end of World War II was 1929 to 1945, a sixteen-year span!
In some historical accounts, the Great Depression ended in 1939, according to economic measures that define a depression and when the system is out of one. World War II began in 1941 with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into the war; previously it had been watching events unfold from abroad.
Next after this publicity
Now, the image being a youth or young adult spanning this time period. Sixteen years of constant economic uncertainty and military strife is largely unimaginable in our modern era. While there have certainly been upheavals, wars, and economic strains since 1945, none of them have been as comprehensive as what happened in the years between 1929 and 1945, or what is happening now.
The Spanish Flu and the Black Death (Bubonic Plague)
Similarly, the Spanish Flu raged from 1918 to 1920, killing one-third of the global population. And from 1346 to 1353, the bubonic plague (known as the Black Death) remains the deadliest pandemic in human history. While the psychological and spiritual impact of each of those periods were severe, the mentality surrounding hardship and death was decidedly different than in the current era.
The Good Old Days Were Not
Not only do we have longer lived, but also freer ones. In the book The Good Old Days: They Were Terrible! by Otto Bettmann the back cover explains:
The Good Old Days—were they really good? On the surface they appear to be so—especially the period to which this term is most often applied, the years from the end of the Civil War to the early 1900’s. This period of history has receded into a benevolent haze, leaving us with the image of an ebullient, carefree America, the fun and charm of the Gilded Age, the Gay Nineties.
But this gaiety was only a brittle veneer that covered widespread turmoil and suffering. The good old days were good for but the privileged few. For the farmer, the laborer, the average breadwinner, life was an unremitting hardship. This segment of the populace was exploited or lived in the shadow of total neglect. And youth had no voice. These are the people, the mass of Americans, whose adversities this book attempts to chronicle.
Similarly, the book Good Old Days, My Ass by David A Fryxell states similar terrible facts with a cloak of humor:
Welcome to the Not-So-Glorious Days With the uncertain economy, lingering wars, and the ever-present threats of everything from bird flu to Bieber Fever, it’s tempting to long for the “good old days.” But just how good were they? Buckle up for a bumpy ride down memory lane (and try not to get trampled) as these 665 funny history facts and terrifying truths reveal the unfortunate reality of life during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. From patents that should still be pending to hairdos that attract vermin, these horrors will leave you thankful you didn’t have to struggle to live through them. Brace yourself as the truth hits you like an ice-cold Victorian-era shower with enough pressure to knock you unconscious. Get ready to shudder with laughter (or horror) at these funny moments in history that are not to be forgotten.
We do live in our own struggles and they meet the definition of our times, but some exploration of history can provide insight that may help lessen our fear and frustration with the additional perspective that books like these can provide.
The Virus Never Tires
People may get tired of masks, social distancing, and a new level of health and cleanliness vigilance, but the virus counts on human inconsistency, arrogance, laziness, and wishful thinking to help keep its spread ongoing and strong. It is not that we will not have days, and many of them, when we will feel “put upon” by the virus and the consequences that follow, both in terms of health and physical suffering and erratic, chaotic, and inconsistent human choices. We will have them, and many more are ahead, which is why, from a spiritual and emotional standpoint we need to “fortify” our souls for a much longer haul than we would like to acknowledge or accept.
We are collectively caught in global grief moment, moving through the strains of anger, denial, bargaining, and depression to reach acceptance. The sooner each of us gets to acceptance, the more settled and safer we will feel even if the world remains unsettled and unsafe around us. So, what must we accept that will help us spiritually and emotionally?
First and foremost, from a spiritual perspective, we must choose to accept that we chose to be here. Every soul is part of a large collective attempting to understand every aspect of three-dimensional existence, which cannot be achieved in a single lifetime, which is why reincarnation offers one of the best explanatory models for consciousness and the fragmenting of human existence into so many different positive and negative stories.
Second, if we acknowledge that the virus is a catastrophic event, then those of us who do so can begin to adjust faster and more securely than those who do not. Reality has a way of winning out in the long run, which is why I began this article by talking about the duration of previous pandemic and global events. Adaptation is key, and the faster you can adapt, the safer you will be.
The fatigue is the new norm. What we measure as fatigue might be best shifted and understood as the new norm. We are changing how we interact with each other, how we think about travel, work, and health. And it is always harder to face the tyranny of fewer choices than the tyranny of too many choices. We are collectively caught up in “remember when …” and can feel the loss of things we took for granted or thought of as “normal”. Normal is just another construct in human existence that changes over time, but not something we see as a construct when we are in “our” normal.
I am a spiritual adviser based in Cumming, Georgia, serving clients both locally and worldwide. With a background in academics and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I bring a unique blend of knowledge and intuition to my practice. After a fulfilling career in academia, I transitioned into the role of a stay-at-home father in 2007. In 2013, I established Black Unykorn Enterprises, LLC, offering spiritual guidance and support to individuals seeking insight and clarity on their life's journey. My services encompass various tools, including astrology, tarot/oracle cards, numerology, and past life regression utilizing muscle testing. I am dedicated to providing personalized sessions that empower and guide my clients towards their highest potential.
Conveniently equipped with a home office and utilizing platforms like Zoom and WhatsApp, I offer virtual sessions for local clients and for those around the world. Distance is not a barrier to the transformative experiences and guidance I provide. To learn more about my practice and explore how I can assist you on your spiritual path, I invite you to visit my website at https://www.blackunykorn.com. There, you will find detailed information about my services and a contact form to initiate a conversation.
By clicking "Allow All" you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Notice
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
__cfduid
1 year
Used by the content network, Cloudflare, to identify trusted web traffic.
_ga
2 years
This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports (Google analytics)
_gat_UA-#
1m
Used to throttle request rate
_gid
1 day
It appears to store and update a unique value for each page visited. (Google analytics)
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_icl_current_language
1 day
Stores the current language
_leadup_js_detail_storage
Session
used to store timezone and locale information from client device.
catAccCookies
1 year
cookie consent plugin to record that you accept the fact that the site uses cookies
PHPSESSID
Session
used to store and identify a users” unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
store_notice[notice id]
Session
Allows customers to dismiss the Store Notice.
wc_cart_created
Session
Necessary for the shopping cart functionality on the website.
wc_cart_hash_#
Persistent
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
wc_fragments_#
Session
Necessary for the shopping cart functionality on the website.
wfwaf-authcookie-#
30 minutes
Identification of the visitor by a security plugin to prevent attacks on the web.
woocommerce_cart_hash
Session
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_items_in_cart
Session
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_recently_viewed
Session
Powers the Recent Viewed Products widget.
wordpress_logged_in_#
Session
After login, wordpress sets this cookie, which indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use.
wordpress_sec_#
14 days
This cookie is used to store your authentication details
wordpressuser_#
1 hour
This cookie is used to store your authentication details
wp_woocommerce_session_#
2 days
Contains a unique code for each customer so that it knows where to find the cart data in the database for each customer.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.