(Aeon) – Saffron and ostrich liver were prescribed but so were exercise, gardens, animals, socialising, and music

Influenced by stories of demonic possession (and there are lots of them, especially in saints’ lives and miracle collections), I long assumed that our ancestors’ attitudes to, and experiences of, mental health were completely different to our own – and that they would have little sympathy with our fast-growing mental health crisis. But when I turned my attention away from religious texts, and began to research medieval ideas about healthy living, I soon came across medieval people who discussed mental health in ways that felt far more familiar to me.

The similarities were particularly apparent in medical writings, which outline a sophisticated argument that mental wellness was at the heart of a healthy lifestyle. (Read More)