[Severe Depression / "The Devil's Bath"] │ ▼ [Desire to Die + Fear of Eternal Damnation] │ ▼ [Murder of an Infant/Child] │ ▼ [Immediate Confession & Absolution by Priest] │ ▼ [State Execution / Beheading] │ ▼ [Guaranteed Entry to Heaven] Plot Summary: Agnes's Descent into Darkness
In the 21st century, we have specific clinical terms for depression: Anhedonia, MDD, Serotonin deficiency. Yet, the power of the phrase "The Devil’s Bath" lies in its visceral, tangible dread. A doctor’s diagnosis of "major depression" feels sterile. Telling someone you are "taking a bath with the devil" communicates the heat, the sulfur stench, and the drowning sensation of mental illness. the devils bath
The water level and shade of yellow fluctuate depending on rainfall and the amount of steam rising from the hydrothermal system beneath the crater. [Severe Depression / "The Devil's Bath"] │ ▼