In one of the studies done at AOL some time ago the results illustrated that almost 50% of people who blog about their experiences because it is therapeutic. 40% responded that their blog foremost helps them connect with their friends, and 28% responded that it helps improve their writing skills.

I see blogging as an excellent method of reflection and personal expression - both of which are therapeutic on a number of levels. From personal experience I see the main issues in mental health and unhappiness arising from hiding our feelings and not talking about them with someone. Talking about things brings them out into an objective plane - rather than being held onto in the subjective mind. Let me explain.

To experience a particular feeling or a state of being and to avoid expressing that to others causes it to be pushed into the subconscious mind where it has a negative effect on our conscious life. Secrets and feelings of discomfort cannot exist when their presence is made known to those in our lives. The inhibitions we have often have a certain power over us when we fail to acknowledge them.

How to acknowledge pain

That which we do not bring conscious acknowledgment to often turns into pain or discord that becomes held against us in our own mind. Destructive thoughts tend to be those that go unacknowledged. Reflecting on our feelings and reactions to others is often difficult because their judgments can cause them to be labelled as wrong rather than being acknowledged for their true nature.

There are several healthier methods of acknowledging inner pain. Blogging and writing is one of the best. It provides a non-judgmental space for reflection and also offers a means to dig deeper into the causes and impact of our emotions and actions. Perhaps one of the best aspects of this process is that it can be therapeutic for both the author, and the reader too, who might be dealing with the same crisis, problem, or dilemma in their life at a certain point.

Connections

Picking a topic that is meaningful and sharing it with others is a productive method of self-exploration. It also helps establish a deeper connection with those who get a chance to read personal reflections others have written on that topic.

Some of the most life-changing discussions I have had have involved the other person in the conversation talking for most of the duration. Listening to their reflections made a substantial impact on the worldview I held at that time. The process of sincere introspection transforms both the listener and the speaker - both the reader and the writer. It is this channel of expression that facilitates inner-healing.

1 Event - 1 Million Experiences

Or perhaps I should write - 1 Million Experiences to make 1 event.

The worldview I grew up with was that there is one objective world and each person perceives that world in a different light. Until about 2006 I had this idea that the world was absolute and our perspective of it was skewed. You could write 1000 articles about a single event, but the single event would still be constant irrespective of differing perspectives.

I was wrong.

Perspective and consciousness of an objective event alters the nature of the event itself. This is the reason blogging and expressing ourselves through writing and discussion is like food for the soul. It is not the event that it is important - it is what the event is like for the person experiencing it that gives it importance.

Through sharing our experience of the world with others and the meaning it has for us, we are able to participate in the process of re-creating the world at large. There have been a great number of historical periods where humankind was forced into living in accordance to a particular worldview, where the thoughts and feelings people had about the world were disregarded in place of an authoritative brand of order.

Through the process of writing and expressing where the point of meaning most resonates in his or her life, a person is able to gain a greater sense of personal balance and to share that with others to bring collective knowledge through experience to light.