A general disclaimer: this article provides no succinct answers to the issues at hand. It is simply the discourse of a mind struggling to grasp the reality of a problem from the perspective of science and faith. Let me begin by declaring that these discordant entities need to move closer together, not just for the sake of an argument, but for a better quality of life for all those who seek answers.
Strangely enough, it’s a mystery why psychosis afflicts such a small percentage of the population — just around one per cent — considering all the minute things that could go awry in a structure as complex and fragile as the human brain. The incidence of psychosis and its unpredictable epidemiological distribution calls the attention of those who research at the cross border of mental health, anthropology and sociology. It has emerged that there are resiliency factors that operate to prevent psychosis, discounting the prevalence estimates.
However, the small proportion of those affected teaches us all we need to know about psychosis. The most obvious manifestation is the voices a patient starts to hear in his head, ‘ordering’ him/her to do things. Note that these voices always convey negativity — it is extremely rare to have ‘pleasant’ psychotic experiences! Mental health researchers have always placed great importance on the contribution of ‘expressed emotion’ in making a prognosis of psychosis. It has been established that there is a very close link between psychotic patients and overly critical and oppressive families.
So how do such seemingly trivial events lead to such a grave disorder? Many seem to expect a very complicated explanation — a solution to the mystery that could unlock the complexities of the syndrome. Yet there are no detailed explanations, only plain facts that stare us in the face. Does this give us another dimension of our existence to explore? Well, sort of. Our five senses aren’t alone in dictating our perception. Perception is a complex phenomenon, coordinated by the human mind. Besides the signals coming in from the sense organs, there are also avenues of insight which open within the mind — this is what we may call our subconscious or perhaps even ‘guardian angels’. It is difficult to scientifically define this phenomenon. This is the world of the unseen reality, which our minds experience every day. It is only when there is breakdown of barriers within the mind that unusual experiences are triggered. The internal struggle remains unabated. This struggle, witnessed by many of the remaining 99 per cent of the population is the social dimension of psychosis.
A review of literature shows that the idea of a mental illness being a manifestation of some sort of supernatural power has been around for centuries. For instance, Plato’s “Dialogues” portrays the esteemed Greek philosopher Socrates (470-399 BC) as a teacher and a man of reason who followed a divine voice in his head. Carl Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss psychiatrist and influential thinker, also greatly stressed the importance of understanding the psyche via religion, dreams, visions, etc. — in short, any form of “inspiration”. He was famous for recording all such “guidance” he received in the form of notes as well as paintings and even sculptures!
Such phenomena are so common in the annals of history and in literature that they can hardly be ignored, and may archaically be described as angels, or demons. The idea is not to argue about the existence of angels, but to describe, delineate and study the subconscious working of the human mind. Angels may have an existence seemingly invisible to our senses, but it is very real to an observant mind and a believing soul. Belief in their existence is testimony to the reality of truth that exists beyond our conscious perception. Disbelief leads to a state that ignores small fragments of the truth that could very well be assembled into the bigger picture.
True inquiry begins with accepting the limitations of one’s information and methods needed to acquire such knowledge. Let us conclude by stating that we don’t have enough information regarding the inner working of the mind, beyond a mere description of how various areas of the brain communicate through neural pathways and neurotransmitters, to really explain psychosis. The understanding of the neuro-centres where integration of information actually takes place is beyond the reach of the scientific methods available to researchers. We are in need of more robust technology, research paradigms and understanding which could explain the prevalent predicament in science
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