madbook ~

VIRTUAL REALITY PSYCHOSIS
I believe there's such a thing as "mental illness" | This appears to place me at odds with the likes of R D Laing and Thomas Szasz and other rights advocates in the so-called 'anti-psychiatry" movement | But, I would maintain, I am not at odds with them at all | Longer story |
     What I'm getting at is that far too many people have reported experiences, scenarios and descriptions of reality that vary significantly from what is generally accepted as "real", that none of us can afford to set these reports aside without serious reflection |
     It isn't just Americans who fail to reflect on these alternate perceptual worlds that most dismiss as madness | Historically, people around the planet have not wanted to hear about visions of life they may find disturbing |
     Yet humanity grows from learning about how others outside the dominant cultures see the world | We have come, begrudingly, to accept the idea of multiculturalism with tangible objects like modes of dress, furniture styles and manners of writing and art | Accepting the cultures that cannot so easily be seen ~ and which are sometimes idosycratically single ~ is a much harder sell |
     And the first step in learning is to recognize and understand personal language and experience | Since much in the mental health system is focused on pathology and "fixing" it, the task of understanding pretty much gets forgotten | Yet this kind of advance is vital if we are to ever get beyond the stunted concept of "treatment" and on to learning how to communicate with souls whose worlds look very much like that of dominant culture, but are veiled in ways imperceptable by the naked eye |
With this in mind, here are some folks who are trying to bridge these psychic communications gaps |
 • Second Life Blog writes about an alternate 3-D virtual world, with occasionaly forays into the reals of physical planet earth | This is one entry about beginning communication |
 • Virtual Reality Psychosis is a VR program developed by an Australian researcher, together with consultation and assistance from a woman who has experienced life through a set of "schizophrenic" filters |
 • A BBC article that posits the opinion that VR "hallucinations" can be helpful | Paul Corry of the UK's National Schizophrenia Fellowship told BBC News Online: "One area where it could be introduced immediately is in tackling the public's prejudice, ignorance and fear of severe mental illness.
 • 
A film about visual hallucinations, Spider, with Ralph Fiennes | One reviewer of the film commented on its pace:

I'm also tired and irritated of idiots who say its too slow moving for them. These are the type of shallow viewers that expect things to keep happening and hopping every minute! I like the pace of this film. A pace like this enhances the performances and the dark mood. If you think its too slow then their is something wrong with you. You lack the type of patience that is required for thought provoking films.

 • A Mind's Eye | A new site, not much on it, but the site authro's references to transcultural mapping seem worth keeping a watch on |

posted by Will Brady @ 20:33