Postscript: Psycho-spiritual Events

A short video on the inner experience of schizophrenia. Another type of psycho-spiritual event, the so-called “visionary experience” (Perry), originates from a different source and leads to alternative outcomes, but curiously, it shares many of the same traits as classic schizophrenia. Visionary experience, along with kundalini arousals and other types of spiritually-originated states, are termed “spiritual emergencies.” It is important to distinguish between the visionary experience, with the prospect of a favorable and growth-enabling outcome, and a more pathological true schizophrenia. One should not mistake one of these for another, and a trained professional can conduct a differential diagnosis of the two. That said, the two do share remarkable similarities in content, which this video masterfully illustrates. It is not my intention to minimize or discount the tragic toll of schizophrenia, a mental illness that is pathological; one should definitely seek appropriate mental health care if one’s diagnosis is schizophrenia.