When I started having the odd phase-related hallucinations about five years ago, I realized how tough it must be for people with real mental illness - seeing, hearing, and feeling things which aren't there.
Then I started to wonder, are some diagnosed schizophrenics actually having strong projections without realizing what they are? I once worked at a local mental health agency for a few months and was told that the first indication of illness (often a teenager) is when they say "Someone was in my room last night." My daughter just told me about her recent "visit" (which she fully realized wasn't real because I've mentioned my own). But what if nobody in the family is familiar with the phenomenon? I can think of four scenarios:
1) the parents believe there's an intruder
2) the parents believe the kid is lying
3) a doctor thinks the kid has a sleep disorder
4) a psychiatrist thinks the kid has a mental disorder
None of which are good. Is there anyone on this forum who's been "diagnosed" as a result of astral projection experiences? I'd be interested in hearing the story. I have my own experiences with conventional therapists who feel it's their job to put a diagnosis on everything.
I heard for experiment who almost gone terrible wrong,group of psychologist gone in mental inst.complaining(falsely,of course)of mental symptoms.Point was to see if mental health workers can make difference between healthy(and faking)and true case.They all end up in inst.for real,they get out when they stop telling that they were healthy and start telling that they are not sure about their mental health.This is one of most certain sign that you are not hard ment.case-when you can actually doubt your one mental state.
i was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a psychiatrist but not because of me claiming to have out of body experiences. however, my father thought my out of body experiences were part of my illness.
Hi Lizelle
I believe many people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia are receiving contact from Spiritual sources, and they are simply misunderstood.
I also believe part of the psychiatric system is designed as a control mechanism to prevent communication from above entering this reality.
When I initially used to channel, I used to talk out loud. This would certainly be seen as "talking to yourself". Now I channel quietly.
I never had any problems with AP and "mental illness", but a friend used to think he was friends with Isis. Who's to judge?
Just my 2 cents worth,
Neil
I believe people who are schitz, bipolar are closer to spiritual side. I saw a documentary about it but it was a long time ago so i can't link y'all. :/
~astraladdict
Hell, the first anthropologist to really look at Shamanism, Mircae Eliade, came to the conclusion that they were all schizophrenic. Our contemporary Western culture does not understand these things and therefore labels them all under the umbrella term of schizophrenia.
Our western culture is ruled by the scientific method... and what it can't readily solve, people deem "crazy" and "wrong".
Quote from: Ryan_ on August 08, 2011, 15:02:22
Our western culture is ruled by the scientific method... and what it can't readily solve, people deem "crazy" and "wrong".
^^ That's right that.
In early twentieth century I believe almost anything was called "schizophrenia", even MPD. At some point they realized that bipolar is something else, that MPD is something else, and that other things are something else. I am concerned that there are still some doctors that are from the old-fashioned school of "anything that isn't strictly objective is schizophrenia". Doctors who think OBE is schizoid are probably from that school.
I asked a psychologist friend of mine (when I was in college, years ago) if hearing voices when you are going to sleep was a symptom. He told me "everybody at some point or another hears voices when they are going to sleep" (hypnagogia). "The difference is hearing them at all times when you're awake, and substituting their judgement for yours". He went on to tell me that 'real' schizophrenics will hear voices, believe they are 'real' people telling them what to do, and that they should do it. That is, they're getting their judgement from the voices, and can't seem to be able to say to themselves "this isn't right, I should not go around killing people because my dog told me to". This kind of thing.
I don't know if psychiatry has changed their mind about this, I understand there is now something called "borderline personality" disorder, which means "almost schizophrenic", so who knows what they consider 'ill'.
schizoid type personality disorder.
yea, it's "almost" schizo, but not quite, apparently.
*sigh*
stupid psychologists.
everyday with a new disorder.
i had a long argument with a member here like last year about how i believed schizophrenia to be a shamanic state, and that it's the "schizophrenics" that are identified at birth to become the shaman's apprentice because they are between worlds. the reason schizophrenia presents so badly in the western world is because of the treatment they receive, it shapes the presentation of the "condition".