ABSTRACT
In the Tanya the Alter Rebbe distinguished some different manifestations of a low, depressed state of mind. He described "lowness of spirit," what he called nemichat ruach. The experience is akin to an unfathomable dread, especially when an individual becomes aware of his personal or spiritual inadequacies and failings. A person suffering from lowness in spirit realizes that he has a long way to go to reach his goals. Sigmund Freud's formulations of lowness of spirit and black depression are not dissimilar to his understanding of melancholia. In the Tanya the Alter Rebbe advised that to overcome the self-abasement and self-punishment that occurs during a relentless bout of lowness of spirit, a person has to redirect his aggression into soul-searching and use it as a weapon against his evil inclination. This situation contrasts with lowness of spirits where the internal criticisms are also exacting, but not as violent.
