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A view associated with people like R.D. Laing & John Weir Perry
Criticized as “romanticizing madness” But if we leave this possibility out, might we be
“awfulizing madness”?
A more complex view: madness as a possible result of attempts to cope and to heal that may backfire Better explains diverse antecedents and outcomes? Balances view of risks and opportunity?
Often make it more scary by defining experiences as definitely part of a
terrible illness
Puts emphasis on suppression of experience This may stimulate a “psychic civil war”
Increase in helplessness “Passive victim of an active illness”
Increase in stigma & isolation Over-emphasis on stability contributes to
rigidity in people and in culture
Interpret voice itself as a threat
Hearing a voice
Increased emotional arousal hypervigilance, listening harder for more voices
StressVicious Circle
More
Interpret the voice as an effect of stress or as a source of information about aspects of self
Hearing a voice
Accept the voice as a useful signal of stress, take action that reduces the stress
StressVirtuous Circle
Less
Less trouble from
Traumatic situations require, or seem to require, extreme reactions Extremes are achieved by excluding or pushing away all
other possibilities Black and White thinking, Dissociation from alternative ways of looking, thinking, and
acting that seem threatening
At other times, the person may seem to require exactly the extreme that was shut out previously “Black” and “White” may flip
Instead of integration of opposites, there is conflict
The Apparently Normal Part, or ANP This part wants to move on with daily life, and avoid
traumatic memories and/or upsetting emotions
The Emotional Part, or EP This part is preoccupied with the trauma and/or
possible recurrences of the trauma It is fixated on action systems that were activated at the time
of the trauma It is likely to have “vehement emotion” and emotional
reasoning that is not tolerated by the ANP
• I must stop thinking
about it
• It’s not normal to keep
thinking about the
trauma
• I must be weak to
respond like this
• I could lose my mind if I continue to think this way
• My mind has been
damaged by what
happened
• I must go over events to
make sense of them
• It is important not to
have gaps in my
memory
• Thinking about threats in
the future will help me
cope
• Worry keeps me safe
• Paying attention todanger will keep me safe
Taken from PowerPoint by Dr. Peter Scragg on Metacognitive Therapy
In “Negative Dissociation” we identify with one part of ourselves, the other part seems to be missing
In “Positive Dissociation” the other part is present, but is seen as intrusive and as causing a disturbance rather than as being a valued part of self Flashbacks are a form of “positive dissociation” In more extreme states, intrusions may be seen as
completely alien, as a voice, demon, or CIA installed implant
Negative Symptoms Positive Symptoms
Map of Extreme States
When people are trying to control something And there is no direct way to do it
Then they become more likely to see unlikely patterns Including
seeing images in noise, perceiving conspiracies, and believing in superstitions
Whitson, J. A., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Lacking control increases illusory pattern perception. Science, 322(5898), 115-117.
1. Construct system breaks down Common cause of that: trying to solve a
problem not solvable within existing constructs
2. Temporary suspension of constructs Encounter with the “transliminal”
3. Construct restructuring
If done under high stress etc., errors are more likely, leading to getting attached to defective constructs, and/or back into…..
Success! If done under low stress and/or with luck etc., the process can result in new vision that enriches the person & possibly the culture.
There are striking parallel between a fully resolved psychotic process and the metamorphosis of a butterfly:
They both entail an initial stage of profound disintegration.
They both entail eventual reintegration into a form that is much more resourced than the original form.
Slide borrowed from Paris Williams, author of “Rethinking Madness”
Rely on defective, dissociated, and/or dogmatic constructs:
Mystery, or awareness of limits to the constructs, is denied.
Lost in the mystery:
Since constructs were not adequate, all attempts at constructs are abandoned.
But then there is no way to organize or communicate.
Attempts at constructs coexist with an awareness of the mystery that surrounds them:
Attachment to constructs is tentative, humble, maintains a sense of humor about their limits. Lively.
People may “flip” between being lost in the transliminal & relying on rigid & defective constructs
Negative Symptoms Positive Symptoms
Map of Extreme States
All statements are true in some sense, false in some sense, meaningless in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and meaningless in
some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true and false and meaningless in some sense From THE PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA
“Wherein Is Explained Absolutely Everything Worth Knowing About Absolutely Anything”
Where efforts to make things better are inadvertently making them worse As things get worse, misguided efforts to make them
better often intensify Leading to an acceleration of difficulties
Both efforts by individuals, and by “helpers” such as the mental health system may be making things worse
Without insight into the vicious circle, it just accelerates The whole pattern may then be labeled a very serious
“biologically based mental illness”
Serious problems, depression
Goes into trance and wild ideas to escape problems and depression
Acts on trance or wild ideas without using
adequate discernment
Bad results from person’s own
actions & from mental health
intervention leads to life going further out
of control
Vicious Circle
Mental health system intervenes in way that is traumatizing, stigmatizing and/or disabling
More
Serious problems, depression
Uses discretion, though
sometimes still goes into trance and wild ideas to escape problems and depression
Acts on trance or wild ideas
only after using adequate
discernment
Actions lead to better results,
life makes more sense
Virtuous Circle
Any mental health
intervention is normalizing, encourages reflection & discernment
Less
If we recognize that all maps, concepts etc. are only partially helpful & accurate Then we can listen to and respect those who see &
describe things differently than we do
When we respect both our own views & that of others We model for our clients how to do the same
Dialogue involves cultivating multiple views And bringing them into relationship with each other
There is need for dialogue at all levels Within the person being helped Between the helper and person With family and friends With the wider society or culture
Mental health workers should be trained in how to respectfully address issues framed as spiritual within such dialogue
reasonable mind
Ordinary thinking
Shared reality.
wiseMind –in touch With both
in the presentin control
emotion mind
or open to other ways
of experiencing
Non-shared reality
Shared and Non-shared Reality
Slide by Isabel Clarke and Donna Rutherford
Mental health system role should be: To protect the person going through extreme states Help people develop a dialogue with that which disturbs
them Train people prone to extreme states
in how to negotiate these states successfully And in how to draw on extreme states to support “creative
maladjustment” in interaction with social groups so the best aspects of “mad” or visionary experiences can play a
role in social transformation
Our survival may depend on a better relationship with the Visionary
