HEALTH AND PLAY

    Whether in a dungeon or in the limelight -

Whether blissful or cursing your plight,

             You're just a mask the Almighty wears

To act in a comedy full of tears. 

We all assume that business should come before pleasure; that is, one should spend most of his time and energy on work and relax only when work is done. Recent developments in biology and medicine, however, suggest a different approach.

Causes of aging and disease

Premature aging and disease are now thought to be caused in part by the malfunctioning of the adrenal cortex due to, as they say, "too much work and too little play"

More than fun and entertainment, play is the most effective way of restoring the nervous system, the immune system and the hormone system

Play turned out to be much more than fun and entertainment. It is the most effective way of restoring the nervous system and, as a consequence, the immune system and the hormone system. A lack of play overloads the human stress adaptation systems, impacts body self-control, and triggers autoimmune reactions causing chronic inflammation in blood vessels, joints, the brain, and endocrine glands. This leads to premature physical decrepitude, which we usually call old age.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players"

Krishna playing the flute.

In order to refresh your adrenal glands, you should replace your social reflexes with primeval instincts rooted in smelling, hearing, vision and intuition…

It was obviously for a reason that the Lord included observance of the Sabbath in the 10 commandments for His people received by Moses at Mount Sinai. Do business for 6 days and play on the seventh. Right, you should play! Playing is not so easy. Even childish pranks, frolicking, and hysterical laughter are an alternative way of life that emphasizes the process rather than the result. From this standpoint, some "serious" activities, quite surprisingly, also qualify as play.

For instance, take fishing or hunting. You are certainly interested in the results, though the size of your bag or catch is unlikely to affect your own or your kid's menu. You will most probably buy your food at a supermarket after hunting. Something else is much more significant: you go primitive outdoors, you forget all your troubles; a single cell phone call, God forbid, can easily ruin the whole game.

In order to refresh your adrenal glands, you need to be truly oblivious to "the damned world" (as Joseph Brodsky, the Nobel Prize winner, put it), and replace your social reflexes with primeval instincts rooted in smell, hearing, vision and intuition. This is when your subcortex starts recovering. All chronically overstressed neuron chains associated with projects and contracts calm down and stop "squeezing" the tired adrenal glands.  The adrenalin level drops, the serotonin level increases - and you return from the country with the greatest of catches, with your nervous and hormone systems restored.

Types of games we play

Why do people waste so much time on computer games or Internet forums?  How come social networks are so wildly popular? It happens for the same reason: people are anxious to dodge the plight of hunted prey and (at least for a while) become free shooters breaking the enemy resistance. They want to overcome the habitual loneliness and lack of understanding from others by plunging into the world of virtual friends and conversations, especially because no one would overstay their welcome, no dishes need to be done after the party, and no headache will hit you in the morning after excessive imbibing. Social networks are a game that simulates victory, success, communication, and an alternative self. This game eliminates stress by switching to an alternative identity and by assuming a different social and psychological mask. 

"...Ishtar's ritual objects are mirrors. The official image that best reflects the sacred symbolism of her cult shows the goddess in a golden mask looking into the mirror...".

Viktor Pelevin, "Generation P"

When we play musical instruments, we transform into silent and ethereal angels!

Music works in a similar way. When we play musical instruments we briefly turn into those who communicate without words, without language, just with pure sounds, intonations and emotions. We impersonate some intelligent and emotional yet silent and ethereal   - whom? – right, angels. This game also give us a chance to communicate with magic creatures, whether we believe them to be real or just a figment of our imagination. For a short period, we become capable of contacting the superior world of harmony, pure feelings, and associations.

To activate our capacity for spiritual and physical recovery, we need a designated day for prayer, rest, and “play” in a broad sense. Hence the commandment concerning the Sabbath is a tribute to God, who also rested after six days of creation. Christians have Sunday as a special day to celebrate the Resurrection, rest, and play. This is why this seventh day of the week is called the Lord’s Day. We are all children of God,

and we need to play as children to relax, recover, and prevent premature aging.