This **YouTube transcript** discusses how depression is a **vicious cycle** perpetuated by **cognitive biases** that warp perception. The speaker, who is both a **former monk** and a **psychiatrist**, highlights how depression makes individuals **interpret ambiguous events negatively**, **selectively focus on bad information**, and **overgeneralize negative experiences**, often centering on a **negative self-attitude**. He suggests that traditional psychotherapy struggles to address this perceptual problem directly but introduces a **non-clinical perspective** from yoga and Buddhist practices, such as the **mentality materiality exercise**, to help **train perception** and break this cycle. The speaker also touches on the concept of **depressive realism**, noting that depressed individuals may have a more accurate view of the world, although this accuracy can be detrimental to mental health.