To: K-list
Recieved: 2000/03/07 12:08
Subject: [K-list] Mania and schizophrenia
From: mumble cat
On 2000/03/07 12:08, mumble cat posted thus to the K-list:
From: "mumble cat" <mumblecatATnospamangelfire.com>
>Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 15:29:56 +0200 (EET)
> From: Ville Vainio <vvainioATnospamtp.spt.fi>
>Subject: Mania ?
>
>that the people who most probably become schizophrenic are drawn towards
>yoga, because yoga brings pleasure through the person himself, instead of
>relying on the external pleasures (ie. other people).
Well, so does masturbation and eating, LOL !
and a lot of ppl do that without having
schizoid personality disorder.
It's really difficult to tell what is
a symptom and what is a cause.
The logic does tend to get pretty circular
in these matters.
I have read that what psychiatry calls
the schizoid personality is one withdrawn
from other ppl, though, but where to put
the line b/n "normal" and "withdrawn" anyway ?
By the number of close friends a person has,
or the number of times the person goes out
each week, or by a personality test to
judge whether the person is "outgoing" or
"shy" ?
>The same applies to
>psychedelic drugs, philosophy and mental hobbies in general, which are
>also evident in schizoid personality disorder (perhaps that is what caused
>the author to present them as schizophrenia-promoting personality traits,
I do see your point, that ppl with a
schizoid personality disorder often have an
above average interest in turning into
himself, philosophy, yoga, etc as you say,
mental activities in
general, but to say that these activities
may lead to schizophrenia in and of themselves
is a bit too simple.
Yes,
whereas psychiatrists may label a yogi in
closed eyes
samadhi as irrevocably mentally ill,
withdrawn schizoid etc, I personally hold that there is marked difference between spiritual characteristics and mental disorder.
The spiritual awakening, including Kundalini
awakening may bring on symptoms and signs of
mental illness and may be labeled as such,
but there is something else going in that
matter.
As I see it, a mental illness left to itself,
i.e. untreated,
deteriorates the functions of the individual
by in the instances of severe mental disease
such as schiziophrenia to cause physical
damage of the brain, leading to an irrevocable
change, which can be demonstrated
anatomically and physiologically.
Same with epilepsy. Untreated, it may fry
off so many neurons so that it shows up on CT scans.
A spiritual process, on the other hand,
when left alone, will not lead to a permanent
and increasing loss of neurons, vacuolizations of the brain tissue, brain edema etc and it does not leave the individual completely
unable to communicate with the surrounding
world.
It will on the other hand, often lead to
an individual able to take more mental
and physical strain, the mind and body
having become more flexible, less plagued
with anxiety and depression etc.
recapturing the balance of the transmitters
in the brain etc without the need for
medication, without the need for external
stimulation.
So in my view, Kundalini and the spiritual
process is /not/ without reservations
the same as psychiatric disease.
However, I do too think that
mainstream medicine
labels many different things as illness,
and most often measures illness after how
much or how little it affects function
of the individual. As most of us know,
the usual definitions of a functioning
individual is somewhat at ends with the
definitions spiritual traditions have.
A yogi in closed eyes samadhi is not
functional in the terms of main stream
psychiatry, whereas he most definitely
is in the terms of spiritual traditions.
In addition, mainstream psychiatry has as
goals to bring the individual back to
society to be able to function,
i.e. work etc.
It also aims at reintegrating the ego and
the views of the personality back to "normal".
The idea of giving up one's mental traits of
personality does not go under the label
of "normal" in psychiatric terms.
In many ways, psychiatry views spirituality
and religious emotions as delusion and
illness. There are many books devoted to
this view.
As one last comment,
I'd say that if you are overly interested
in psychedelic drugs and using it, yes, the
chances that you may develop some kind of
disorder is large indeed.
However,
if you are interested in philosophy
that does not automatically mean you're
prone to schizophrenia or schizoid
personality disorder (as I understand it,
the two things are not exactly the same).
That an interest in philosophy and
"mental hobbies" may lead to schizophrenia
and / or schizoid personality disorder
has not exactly been demonstrated, has it ?
Everyone judges information from the
surroundings based on their personal
experience, so I guess splitting hairs
about what is mental illness and what is not
is a somewhat futile exercise.
I did try, though. ;)
Best regards,
Amanda.
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