Aug. 28, 2024
How Many People Have Psychic Powers Misdiagnosed as Psychotic Disorders?
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Introduction, pg. xi This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/08/23/how-many-people-have-psychic-powers-misdiagnosed-as-psychotic-disorders/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,440
In the movie 6th Sense, a
psychiatrist meets up with a
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,000
young boy who claims to see dead
people and interact with them.
3
00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,720
The psychiatrist spends the
better part of the film trying
4
00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,760
to understand the boy and bring
him out of his delusion.
5
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,240
In the end, it turns out that
the psychiatrist gains the
6
00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:27,080
realization that he was shot by
one of his earlier patients and
7
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:32,640
he is himself a dead person.
The child's experience was true.
8
00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,280
The perception of it from the
side of psychiatry was
9
00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,640
misdiagnosed.
In this case, the child with the
10
00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,760
psychic ability to interact with
dead people helped heal the
11
00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:50,160
ghost of the psychiatrist.
In what may be something of a
12
00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:54,360
characteristic incident, a young
man began experiencing various
13
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:59,040
types of spiritual experiences
and receiving guidance about his
14
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,840
life, focus and direction.
He eventually dropped out of
15
00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,760
college and went off to study
and practice yoga.
16
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,280
After several years, he met his
parents, who had objected
17
00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,440
strenuously to his change in
life direction, his failure to
18
00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,280
complete college, and his lack
of a career path.
19
00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,240
They insisted he meet with a
psychiatrist to get himself
20
00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,560
straightened out.
In this case, he refused, went
21
00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,960
on to a long life, committed to
his yogic practice, integrated
22
00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,320
it into a full and balanced
life, and eventually found his
23
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:40,080
peace with his parents.
How many such individuals face a
24
00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,880
similar circumstance?
How many wind up on the
25
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:48,720
psychiatrist's couch?
How many try to conform to the
26
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,000
family's insistent demands,
thereby suppressing their
27
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:58,800
spiritual aspirations?
In many cases, the individual
28
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,600
himself is confused about what
is happening.
29
00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,440
He has imbibed a set of
expectations, he feels the
30
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,800
pressures from his family and
friends, and he is subject to
31
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,040
the norms of the society within
which he lives.
32
00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:18,400
Suddenly, he finds that he is
experiencing things that fall
33
00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,960
outside all of those norms and
expectations.
34
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,400
He finds his direction moving
contrary to those that he has
35
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,800
accepted throughout his life up
to that time.
36
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,240
He does not know how to adjust
and reconcile the inner
37
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,560
experiences with the outer life
he is leading.
38
00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,840
This can lead to behaviour that
appears disoriented and may
39
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,800
actually mimic psychiatric
disorder.
40
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,960
Not because it is, but because
the individual has not found the
41
00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,160
way to reconcile the inner
experience with the outer life
42
00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,520
and he does not have the support
and guidance needed to integrate
43
00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,760
them into a harmonious life.
The solution is not to treat
44
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,520
this as a disorder, but to go to
the underlying experiences and
45
00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,480
help the individual appreciate
the deeper and true sense of
46
00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:22,280
what he is experiencing, Doctor
Dalal writes quote psychiatrists
47
00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,400
tend to look upon persons who
apparently possess psychic
48
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,720
powers as abnormal, that is
suffering from a psychiatric
49
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,360
disorder.
Doctor Judith Orloff, the
50
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:38,320
psychiatrist in Los Angeles and
author of Second Sight, Thomas
51
00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,600
More 1997, writes that she
displayed paranormal abilities
52
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,040
since the age of nine, but for
years refrained from speaking
53
00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,240
about them because her mother
and others around showed no
54
00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,680
understanding of these abilities
and gave her the feeling she was
55
00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,680
abnormal.
It was only when, after an out
56
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:06,640
of body experience, she was seen
at an institute for ESP that she
57
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:11,040
learned that she was gifted
rather than psychiatrically
58
00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,920
I'll.
According to her estimate,
59
00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,880
perhaps based mainly on her own
practice of psychiatry, about
60
00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,880
25% of those who seek
psychiatric help and are
61
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:29,240
diagnosed as suffering from
psychosis are in fact psychic
62
00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:35,560
rather than psychotic.
End Quote Reference Sri Oro
63
00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,640
Bindu and the Mother Powers
within Introduction page Roman
64
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:41,200
11.
00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,440
In the movie 6th Sense, a
psychiatrist meets up with a
2
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,000
young boy who claims to see dead
people and interact with them.
3
00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,720
The psychiatrist spends the
better part of the film trying
4
00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,760
to understand the boy and bring
him out of his delusion.
5
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,240
In the end, it turns out that
the psychiatrist gains the
6
00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:27,080
realization that he was shot by
one of his earlier patients and
7
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:32,640
he is himself a dead person.
The child's experience was true.
8
00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,280
The perception of it from the
side of psychiatry was
9
00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,640
misdiagnosed.
In this case, the child with the
10
00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,760
psychic ability to interact with
dead people helped heal the
11
00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:50,160
ghost of the psychiatrist.
In what may be something of a
12
00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:54,360
characteristic incident, a young
man began experiencing various
13
00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:59,040
types of spiritual experiences
and receiving guidance about his
14
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,840
life, focus and direction.
He eventually dropped out of
15
00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,760
college and went off to study
and practice yoga.
16
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,280
After several years, he met his
parents, who had objected
17
00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,440
strenuously to his change in
life direction, his failure to
18
00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,280
complete college, and his lack
of a career path.
19
00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,240
They insisted he meet with a
psychiatrist to get himself
20
00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,560
straightened out.
In this case, he refused, went
21
00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,960
on to a long life, committed to
his yogic practice, integrated
22
00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,320
it into a full and balanced
life, and eventually found his
23
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:40,080
peace with his parents.
How many such individuals face a
24
00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,880
similar circumstance?
How many wind up on the
25
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:48,720
psychiatrist's couch?
How many try to conform to the
26
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,000
family's insistent demands,
thereby suppressing their
27
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:58,800
spiritual aspirations?
In many cases, the individual
28
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,600
himself is confused about what
is happening.
29
00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,440
He has imbibed a set of
expectations, he feels the
30
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,800
pressures from his family and
friends, and he is subject to
31
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,040
the norms of the society within
which he lives.
32
00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:18,400
Suddenly, he finds that he is
experiencing things that fall
33
00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,960
outside all of those norms and
expectations.
34
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,400
He finds his direction moving
contrary to those that he has
35
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,800
accepted throughout his life up
to that time.
36
00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,240
He does not know how to adjust
and reconcile the inner
37
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,560
experiences with the outer life
he is leading.
38
00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,840
This can lead to behaviour that
appears disoriented and may
39
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,800
actually mimic psychiatric
disorder.
40
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,960
Not because it is, but because
the individual has not found the
41
00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,160
way to reconcile the inner
experience with the outer life
42
00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,520
and he does not have the support
and guidance needed to integrate
43
00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,760
them into a harmonious life.
The solution is not to treat
44
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,520
this as a disorder, but to go to
the underlying experiences and
45
00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,480
help the individual appreciate
the deeper and true sense of
46
00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:22,280
what he is experiencing, Doctor
Dalal writes quote psychiatrists
47
00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,400
tend to look upon persons who
apparently possess psychic
48
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,720
powers as abnormal, that is
suffering from a psychiatric
49
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,360
disorder.
Doctor Judith Orloff, the
50
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:38,320
psychiatrist in Los Angeles and
author of Second Sight, Thomas
51
00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,600
More 1997, writes that she
displayed paranormal abilities
52
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,040
since the age of nine, but for
years refrained from speaking
53
00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,240
about them because her mother
and others around showed no
54
00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,680
understanding of these abilities
and gave her the feeling she was
55
00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,680
abnormal.
It was only when, after an out
56
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:06,640
of body experience, she was seen
at an institute for ESP that she
57
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:11,040
learned that she was gifted
rather than psychiatrically
58
00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,920
I'll.
According to her estimate,
59
00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,880
perhaps based mainly on her own
practice of psychiatry, about
60
00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,880
25% of those who seek
psychiatric help and are
61
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:29,240
diagnosed as suffering from
psychosis are in fact psychic
62
00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:35,560
rather than psychotic.
End Quote Reference Sri Oro
63
00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,640
Bindu and the Mother Powers
within Introduction page Roman
64
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:41,200
11.