ISPS Abstract 2017 Liverpool
In this paper I will present a fresh interpretation of the language of madness through a theological lens. The paper will be informed by my personal experience, and scientific research findings. My personal experience stems from caring for my daughter, Helia, through her journey into madness and catatonia, and years of working as a volunteer to help families dealing with similar challenges. After 17 years of caring for Helia, I became convinced that a psychotic experience is not merely a medical problem, but is laden with theological content. Therefore, spiritual discernment and theological reflection are essential components for successfully leading the person toward true recovery.
Scientific research on the brain of those suffering from “schizophrenia” has shown hyperactivation of the Default Mode Network (DMN) in their brains. It appears that such individuals take on the external stimuli from their environment, internalize it, and manifest it in the forms of “symptoms.” We have seen this phenomenon, not only in those diagnosed with “schizophrenia,” but also in the influential biblical prophets, such as Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Likewise, my daughter, had become the manifestation of all that was wrong in our family. In her madness a mirror was provided in which we were forced to catch ourselves in the midst of our distractions, and in doing so, our family encountered our own illness in hers.
I will argue that not only is madness not pathological, but rather it touches on the most fundamental fragility of the human soul, and that it ought to be recognized as a phenomenon, both theological and teleological, with a deep prophetic language, demanding attention. In extreme states, by manifesting signs, madness speaks to the true human condition with vivid clarity. By overmedicating the individual to suppress the “symptoms,” we silence the illness’s prophetic voice.
Spirituality , The language of madness , Society's impact on mental health
