SS Disability for Every Mystic?

[Jhanon]

Something occurred to me today regarding my disability case. So, psychiatry won't recognize the mystical experience as genuine, right? And so we tend to hide it from our doctors. But why? If I tell my doctor that I see entities in normal waking life, and communicate with angels, and that it is difficult to live an ordinary life as a result; I'm telling the truth.

And they have no choice really but to diagnose me as schizophrenic or manic delusional, or recognize my experiences as genuine, or risk malpractice. Does anyone know a schizophrenic that was turned down for disability? Where is the downside here? Maybe we ARE massively delusional afterall--just extremely intelligent delusional schizophrenics.

The only remaining obstacle would be guilt, which comes from ignorance of the true state and behavior of the government, or clinging to rights and rituals--which are all fetters and should be eradicated.

Am I seeing this clearly? Because it sure as hell feels rock solid.

.....!

[bodhimind]

I think a simple test of brain chemistry will tell the difference in brain state between that of a mystic or a person suffering from delusion. I might have to dig for one of those studies, but I am pretty sure I did see something like that before. It is also reasonable to say that there is a fine line between divinity and insanity, the eastern mystics used to liken wrong understanding to "walking into the demonic fire of delusion" where malpractice apparently led to schizo cases and loss of sanity.

[Jhanananda]

If society is going to demonize its mystics, and prevent them from acquiring gainful employment, then Social Security Disability seems like a lot better than getting burned at the stake.  However, there are problems with a psychiatric diagnosis:
1] The good news is ever since William James the religious experience has been called "Religious Psychosis," and appears so in the DMSVI
2] Once you have received the psychiatric diagnosis, then it is all too easy to institutionalize and/or heavily medicate a mystic.
3] bodhimind is right, there are several diagnostics that can be used to confirm whether one is truly schizophrenic. My guess is all genuine mystics would come out positive.

[Jhanon]

I think a simple test of brain chemistry will tell the difference in brain state between that of a mystic or a person suffering from delusion. I might have to dig for one of those studies, but I am pretty sure I did see something like that before. It is also reasonable to say that there is a fine line between divinity and insanity, the eastern mystics used to liken wrong understanding to "walking into the demonic fire of delusion" where malpractice apparently led to schizo cases and loss of sanity.

Just a heads up I don't actually think we're delusional. It was a joke

[Jhanon]

If society is going to demonize its mystics, and prevent them from acquiring gainful employment, then Social Security Disability seems like a lot better than getting burned at the stake.  However, there are problems with a psychiatric diagnosis:
1] The good news is ever since William James the religious experience has been called "Religious Psychosis," and appears so in the DMSVI
2] Once you have received the psychiatric diagnosis, then it is all too easy to institutionalize and/or heavily medicate a mystic.
3] bodhimind is right, there are several diagnostics that can be used to confirm whether one is truly schizophrenic. My guess is all genuine mystics would come out positive.

I have never been forced to take medication, even when I was sent to the psych ward for suicide attempt. Do they actually do this in America, to peaceful "schizo's" like myself ?

[Alexander]

Jeffrey mentioned it before:

When you realize all the spiritual authorities are frauds, that may make you go quite insane.

When you realize all the people around you are spinning uselessly in samsara, that may make you go quite insane.

When you realize the lengths (and depths) to which you must go to attain liberation, that will make you go quite insane.

[Michel]

I have never been forced to take medication, even when I was sent to the psych ward for suicide attempt. Do they actually do this in America, to peaceful "schizo's" like myself ?

Here in Ontario, Canada, they are legally allowed to medicate you without your consent when they think you to be a threat to either yourself or anyone else. Two burly security people held me down once, when I was in a manic psychosis at a mental hospital, while a nurse sedated me with an antipsychotic. I have never threatened anyone or was anywhere near wanting to commit suicide while in a psychotic state. I actually very much enjoy being totally insane, it's a wonderful feeling, on the whole, to feel universal love, euphoria, and to have tremendous energies.

[Michel]

When you realize the lengths (and depths) to which you must go to attain liberation, that will make you go quite insane.

Well then my friends, I raise my glass to insanity.

When reality becomes impossible to take, the mind often responds by going psychotic. Sometimes I've been in deep, deep depressions before going manic. I suspect that psychiatric drugs can also trigger psychotic states. Anyways, in manic psychosis, and it doesn't always happen like this, I theorize that the mind seeks an ultimate and complete resolution to what is the cause of this unbearable pain. This is where the insights come. Some of them are delusional, but others are brilliant. But if you haven't reached a complete resolution then you go back into an even greater depression than you started out with. I would described the feeling of this post manic depression as a deep sense of failure and a strong desire to be psychotic again. You just want another kick at the can. I think you should allow a psychosis to run its course, and the person should be isolated and confined from the outer world around people who love and care for them, and who, above all, understand what is going on. The last thing you need is to be around are arrogant, unloving, condescending psychiatrists in a psych ward with all their damned drugs.

[Jhanananda]

I completely agree with Alexander, and Michel.  Wouldn't be just so nice if the GWV had its own retreat center where people could go and be safely insane by mainstream values?

[Jhanon]

I completely agree with Alexander, and Michel.  Wouldn't be just so nice of the GWV had its own retreat center where people could go and be safely insane by mainstream values?

I'm trying.

[GypsyMeditator]

A little info to help with the disability processing. Go to a doctor/psychiatrist and get a diagnosis/label. If they use different vocabulary than you do, so be it. Getting into the system is a bit of a game. Apply for disability benefits. Keep your original application. Realize that unless someone is very clearly disabled, such as blind or wheel chair bound, they will be denied on their first application. Reapply on your own. Don't pay anyone to do this for you. Many people are accepted on their second try. If you are accepted, you will be back paid from the date of your original application. Good luck 

[jay.validus]

I can see everyone's point, but I would not trust the label the authorities would give a self-titled mystic, ie Psychotic, schizophrenic.  I would have strong misgivings they would use that against the person in question to detain, medicate, and suppress one's rights.  The conception of the mystical experience would be understood from two different levels, two separate views of the world.  Although one should stand up for themselves, one should also know the rules of the game so you know how to break them effectively.  Allowing one to be labelled for a welfare payment just doesn't seem like a good trade-off to me.

[Jhanananda]

Yes, I agree with jay.validus, while a psychiatric diagnosis might lead to a monthly SSI check for a mystic, the diagnosis is surely going to lead to being labeled paranoid and/or schizophrenic, which leads to being marginalized.  Also, it is all too easy to get institutionalized and heavily medicated that way. 

Another draw-back on the psychiatric diagnosis is typically one will be required to have a "payee" who disburses the money for you.  This means a small amount of money to buy food with, and rent will be paid for you to live in a slum.  The Social Security Administration definitely discourages people living in a motor home, because a high percentage of the people on SSI have drug and/or alcohol dependency issues, which tends to lead to lots of social problems; so they prefer to keep all of the SSI recipients in the ghetto.

Another disadvantage to SSI is one is not allowed to leave the country.  The Social Security Administration does not want to be paying for yogis to retire to India on an SSI check.

I did end up on SSI myself, but only about 2 years ago after applying about 5 times for a well-documented back injury, so it is not that easy to get SSI.  Since I just turned 62, the Social Security Administration switched me to early retirement.

The back story on how easy verses how hard it is to get an SSI check is political.  Under a Republican president and/or congress & senate SSI is very difficult to acquire, because they depend upon votes and funding from the wealthy and middle class who resent the poor and disabled getting a check. 

Whereas, under a Democratic controlled government, which depends upon its votes coming from the poor, SSI is far easier to get.  Also, it is common practice for a president to fudge the unemployment figures by shifting the unemployed over to SSI, and thus making it look like unemployment has declined in their administration.