Mental illness is a large topic. Some pundits, such as R.D. Laing, see mental illness as a sane adaptation to an insane world. But if you have been around the mentally ill who exhibit the inner torment that most of us hide, you will recognize that they are being run by a maladaptation that disconnects them to the reality and behavioral norms we have agreed upon.
Enlightenment is precisely not being run by the smaller mind, which is subject to all kinds of injuries, chemical imbalances, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Enlightenment is alignment with a higher, more transcendent, organizing Intelligence that is far beyond the capacity of the human brain and its hard wired propensities.
To contact this higher Intelligence, we must clear the static of the obsessive human mind. We can use it but not let it use us. Meditation has shown through the centuries that it is a viable path to observing our disturbing thoughts and rise above them like a balloon. Then we can get into that alpha brain wave state that clears out the dust balls of memory and fears about the future. Scientists have studied the brain waves of consistently meditating monks and have found beneficial changes in the structure of the brain itself.
But the first step, regardless of meditation or any other method, is the burning desire for enlightenment. The burning desire to rise above the chattering mind and its desperate need to survive at all costs is a must. If a previously mentally ill person needs, with all their being, to find inner peace and live an orderly, joyful life, it’s of primary importance to make the effort.
Enlightenment isn’t for everybody. It is not democratic. If it happened for everyone, this planet would not be in the state it’s in, with crimes against humanity and malignant disruption of the environment. Yet everyone is capable of it too, if they deeply desire it with a sincere longing that is like a passionate love affair. The Universe will find a way to bring them the answers they are looking for.
Extremely self-absorbed people who have to deal with personality disorders such as Narcissism often do not have the insight into their behavior and thinking patterns that cause so much grief to them and all around them. But enlightenment is open to everyone who shows the slightest bit of passionate effort. It has to come from a sense of responsibility for our lives. We don’t let the insane mind put us in a place where others need to care for us or put us away and structure our days. However, if there are structural and chemical diseases involved, the prognosis for enlightenment is that it won’t happen this time around.
Not everyone is equipped to climb Mt. Everest. Not everyone is capable of being an international chess master, regardless of the amount of training. Enlightenment is like that too. You have to be ready for it. It is not attainable through magic formulas or wishful thinking, or a step-by-step process. You have to know what it is to be drawn to it. Unfortunately, mental illness, because of its centeredness on the little me and its fearful, disorganized mind, presents a large roadblock to enlightenment in this lifetime.
Enlightenment is precisely not being run by the smaller mind, which is subject to all kinds of injuries, chemical imbalances, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Enlightenment is alignment with a higher, more transcendent, organizing Intelligence that is far beyond the capacity of the human brain and its hard wired propensities.
To contact this higher Intelligence, we must clear the static of the obsessive human mind. We can use it but not let it use us. Meditation has shown through the centuries that it is a viable path to observing our disturbing thoughts and rise above them like a balloon. Then we can get into that alpha brain wave state that clears out the dust balls of memory and fears about the future. Scientists have studied the brain waves of consistently meditating monks and have found beneficial changes in the structure of the brain itself.
But the first step, regardless of meditation or any other method, is the burning desire for enlightenment. The burning desire to rise above the chattering mind and its desperate need to survive at all costs is a must. If a previously mentally ill person needs, with all their being, to find inner peace and live an orderly, joyful life, it’s of primary importance to make the effort.
Enlightenment isn’t for everybody. It is not democratic. If it happened for everyone, this planet would not be in the state it’s in, with crimes against humanity and malignant disruption of the environment. Yet everyone is capable of it too, if they deeply desire it with a sincere longing that is like a passionate love affair. The Universe will find a way to bring them the answers they are looking for.
Extremely self-absorbed people who have to deal with personality disorders such as Narcissism often do not have the insight into their behavior and thinking patterns that cause so much grief to them and all around them. But enlightenment is open to everyone who shows the slightest bit of passionate effort. It has to come from a sense of responsibility for our lives. We don’t let the insane mind put us in a place where others need to care for us or put us away and structure our days. However, if there are structural and chemical diseases involved, the prognosis for enlightenment is that it won’t happen this time around.
Not everyone is equipped to climb Mt. Everest. Not everyone is capable of being an international chess master, regardless of the amount of training. Enlightenment is like that too. You have to be ready for it. It is not attainable through magic formulas or wishful thinking, or a step-by-step process. You have to know what it is to be drawn to it. Unfortunately, mental illness, because of its centeredness on the little me and its fearful, disorganized mind, presents a large roadblock to enlightenment in this lifetime.
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