Is mental illness actualy messages from god?

by highdose 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  highdose

  i don't mean depression or somthing of that nature. I used to work with patients who suffered from severe schiofrenia etc, they would claim that they were god, son of god, gods mesanger etc.

  Of course they were highly medicated and put in a place where they would be taken care of. it was a rough section of the hospital to be put, in fact the chances of making it through a shift with uniform undamaged were silm and there was porters ( guards) behind each locked door. Alot of the time though those porters had to be called in to drag some patient off a screaming nurse before she was killed/raped.

  An arguement that could be posed is that those patients WERE actualy what or who they said they were, and that modern disbeliving society has classed them as crazy. Does anyone have any thoughts/views on this please?

  I know where i stand... my mind was made up the day i had a patient try to smash my head in when i took him to the toilet.... lets just say you had to be a loud screamer in those days because the emergency bell was always near at hand.
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  highdose

  sorry not always near at hand i meant to say
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  Georgiegirl

  Yes, I think it is actually a brain dysfunction. In schizophrenia, the voices that are heard are usually "evil and demonic" voices (in other words, they are not friendly happy voices instructing the person to have a nice day!) Dr. Michael Persinger had done several studies as well - there is a syndrome called temporal lobe lability. It's almost like have a mini-epileptic seizure in the brain so it's unnoticeable on the outside. Anyway, when he re-created the seizures, the people in his study experienced a feeling of peace and divinity - some felt that "god" was actually speaking to them, some felt god-like, etc. There are doctors now who are trying to reproduce his studies to verify the results. So...yes. In my opinion, the empirical science shows there is mental illness involved.

  Of course, try telling that to someone who feels they actually receive messages from God!!!
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  creativhoney

  I always thought that the wtnesses who claimed to hear demons etc were simply suffering from mental health issues.

  (although back in the day deafness was enough of a reason to be banged up)
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  nicolaou

  You might enjoy this highdose; Could religious belief be considered a sign of mental illness?
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  Satanus

  In shamanism, schizophrenia is often an early phase. I don't have all the details, but, the shaman in the making went through a few phases, and would finally arrive at a state of soundness of mind, although different than everyone else. He or she was described as being partly in the other world, the spirit world. As well, i have heard that a modern day shizophrenic could be cured by a bonfied shaman.

  There is no place in our society, and no help, other than suppression of the symptoms for these. For the spiritual, modern people go to church, not to a shaman. The priest could play the part, if he truly had the gift. But generally, they are merely book taught.

  S
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  AdaMakawee

  That's interesting, Satanus, not one of the Shamans I know are schizophrenic. Not to mention the fact that modern paganism is alive and well, and many modern people do go to Shamans for help in healing. It may not be your cup of tea, but you can't discount it as mental illness. Paganism is one of the most rapidly growing religions (classing it all as a single group). Also, these many many pagans in the world do not worship in churches, yet worship they do. I realize that a lot of people think pagans are flakes, thats why so many are in the closet. Many professionals of all types are pagan. Not just a religion for hippies.

  I will admit we do seem to be a magnet for some people who are way out there. Unfortunately those are the ones people see and thereby a stereotype is made.

  Ada
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  Satanus

  Ada

  In the tribal setting, shamans didn't decide to become shamans, they were chosen. Often this was signaled by a life threatening disease, from which they recovered. Or, schizophrenic symptoms. It was semihereditary, ie, it travelled within a family, but it skipped a generation. So, your grandfather was a shaman, your father wasn't, but you were. That is the traditional knowledge. There are many variations on it, i'm sure. As well, in this modern world things are different.

  Being a pagan doesn't make one a shaman. A shaman needs to be able to dip into the other side. He should have several spirit helpers. I think that psychics fit well the traditional shaman.

  S
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  Elsewhere

  I find it very interesting that people would even entertain the idea that a malfunction of the brain is somehow a communication from the supernatural..... yet when their computer crashes the same person does not see this as a communication from a supreme being.

  Blue Screen of Death? NOPE! It's the Blue Screen of the Afterlife!
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  garyneal

  marking for later comment