Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Angela Stewart6 said:Jose Ward4 actually gave me such a great explanation regarding shamans earlier. It turns out they have people just as troubled as we do—it’s just that the distinction lies in timing. A shaman perceives certain truths or visions, whereas someone struggling with mental health might experience those same things at the wrong moment. It's a pretty fascinating way to look at it!

And honestly, of course God exists. Without Him, true humility wouldn't even be possible—we'd all just end up thinking we're the center of the universe, which is a recipe for disaster. Otherwise, it’s just "me, myself, and I" over and over again. And we can't have everyone following that path, right?! 😲

I’ll try to lay this out clearly because it feels like we’re looking at two different pictures here. Personally, I don't buy the idea that God is some cosmic bodyguard waiting to fix everything if you just say a quick prayer. People love to say "sins are forgiven" as if it’s a magic wand. I don't believe that. And the Church? I avoid it like the plague. Given what they've done throughout history, they haven't changed much. They’re basically the same as they were centuries ago, just with better PR. That said, I truly believe *something* exists. Something had to kickstart all of this. Now, I’m not talking about how a fish ended up in the ocean—that’s likely evolution, a slow process of adaptation. But the absolute beginning? Even when you look at the cosmos, everything is too perfectly aligned to be a total accident. Someone had to design this. Just look at the trees providing oxygen, maintaining themselves through rain and soil, the animals, the weather cycles... it's all incredibly synchronized. From the very start, it works like clockwork. Scientists argue about whether DNA hitched a ride on a comet from deep space, while plenty of others are convinced there's an actual Designer behind it all. Then there's our consciousness—our soul. Our bodies are just shells without that spark. There's an energy governing this entire planet. My stance is that there is indeed a Designer, the one we turn to when life gets heavy. You know, those moments where you mutter, "God, please help me pass this exam." I get that. I believe in a Creator. Call it God or call it a Designer, whatever. Some days I feel a connection to that higher power, a sense that He wants us to do good through His guidance. He isn't going to save us if we don't actually want to be saved. I believe God works *through* us. If you want to save the world, do it through that connection. You don't need a Bible or some ancient text for that. Just listen to your inner self, because that's how He speaks to you. To me, that’s the only honest way to live. As for the whole "repentance" thing and all the nonsense churches preach? Not my cup of tea. Even Jesus, if He was here, taught us not to worship idols or buildings. But the Church has become a template, and people end up worshipping the architecture rather than the spirit, which isn't what God wants. As far as I can tell, God spoke through Jesus, His child. I could go on forever—I could write three more pages on this—but good grief, who has the time to read all that? This is already long enough.

I honestly see that as a bit of a logical fallacy. If we’re going to argue that creation requires an intelligent designer, then we really need to look at that designer through the lens of a supreme intelligence. To me, there isn't much "intelligent design" to be found in the biological systems you've described—take, for instance, how some animals have a single opening for breathing, eating, and waste; it seems like a pretty flawed setup if you ask me, given how easily they could choke. This is a total tangent, I know, but questions about religious hallucinations often crop up during psychotic episodes. Personally, I don't see any cosmic or supernatural interference happening there, though I certainly get why people believe what they do.

Jose Ward4, we really can't just rely solely on our own inner voices—not when you consider that there are both good and evil spirits at play, assuming you have even a basic familiarity with religion. To truly listen only to oneself, one would need to possess a state of absolute, perfect consciousness. Every single day brings its own unique blend of darkness and light, which is precisely why we need God. We need that connection to cleanse us, because let's face it—none of us are perfect. Usually, this process happens through the Church. In my view, this path was established for us by Jesus through Peter. Now, sure, you could attempt to navigate this on your own, but I honestly believe it’s much more grounded to go through the Church and the Gospel. Perhaps what you’re saying is true—that it might be "healthier" to simply pray, "God, please help me get through this test," and so on. But you have to understand—my own records would probably label me as obsessively religious, so please don't mind my constant references to God; that's just how I perceive the world! Even though I don't attend church services regularly, I still find such peace being in those spaces.

Laura Castillo6, your idea of a perfect being would be downright spooky based on what you’ve written here—honestly, it’s a little chilling! Sorry 🕺

I’ve actually landed on a specific conclusion after reading this. God created man in His own image, right? God is a Creator. Looking at your post, I see a very clear tendency toward trying to create a "perfect" being. Have you even realized the connection there? 🙂

The universe is basically this giant living organism, it just doesn't have a brain.

Laura Castillo6 said:I honestly see that as a bit of a logical fallacy. If we’re going to argue that creation requires an intelligent designer, then we really need to look at that designer through the lens of a supreme intelligence. To me, there isn't much "intelligent design" to be found in the biological systems you've described—take, for instance, how some animals have a single opening for breathing, eating, and waste; it seems like a pretty flawed setup if you ask me, given how easily they could choke. This is a total tangent, I know, but questions about religious hallucinations often crop up during psychotic episodes. Personally, I don't see any cosmic or supernatural interference happening there, though I certainly get why people believe what they do.

Look, I know this is off-topic and I won't harp on it, but I actually think that design is more efficient. Think about it: if you had two separate openings, you'd be burning way more energy maintaining that extra structure. Sugar, proteins, amino acids... it all flows through one channel. It's designed to minimize the energy required for upkeep. In most of the animal kingdom, choking isn't really an issue. To be honest, I'm not even sure why we struggle with it so much here in the States.

Angela Stewart6 said:Jose Ward4, we really can't just rely solely on our own inner voices—not when you consider that there are both good and evil spirits at play, assuming you have even a basic familiarity with religion. To truly listen only to oneself, one would need to possess a state of absolute, perfect consciousness. Every single day brings its own unique blend of darkness and light, which is precisely why we need God. We need that connection to cleanse us, because let's face it—none of us are perfect. Usually, this process happens through the Church. In my view, this path was established for us by Jesus through Peter. Now, sure, you could attempt to navigate this on your own, but I honestly believe it’s much more grounded to go through the Church and the Gospel. Perhaps what you’re saying is true—that it might be "healthier" to simply pray, "God, please help me get through this test," and so on. But you have to understand—my own records would probably label me as obsessively religious, so please don't mind my constant references to God; that's just how I perceive the world! Even though I don't attend church services regularly, I still find such peace being in those spaces.

I find being in a church beautiful too. I actually didn't realize religion acknowledged spirits.

Jose Ward4 said:Look, I know this is off-topic and I won't harp on it, but I actually think that design is more efficient. Think about it: if you had two separate openings, you'd be burning way more energy maintaining that extra structure. Sugar, proteins, amino acids... it all flows through one channel. It's designed to minimize the energy required for upkeep. In most of the animal kingdom, choking isn't really an issue. To be honest, I'm not even sure why we struggle with it so much here in the States.

I find being in a church beautiful too. I actually didn't realize religion acknowledged spirits.

To me, this is just more proof that "intelligent design" doesn't hold water—it isn't actually intelligent, nor is it well-conceived from a design standpoint. One opening serving two functions (breathing and eating) was developed through evolution, and then we humans just tacked on a third function: speech. Animals don't chat while they eat, after all. 😁

Jose Ward4 said:Look, I know this is off-topic and I won't harp on it, but I actually think that design is more efficient. Think about it: if you had two separate openings, you'd be burning way more energy maintaining that extra structure. Sugar, proteins, amino acids... it all flows through one channel. It's designed to minimize the energy required for upkeep. In most of the animal kingdom, choking isn't really an issue. To be honest, I'm not even sure why we struggle with it so much here in the States.

I find being in a church beautiful too. I actually didn't realize religion acknowledged spirits.

If it didn't acknowledge them, certain priests wouldn't be performing exorcisms or even mentioning the Holy Spirit. When Christianity spread across America, it essentially had to "assimilate" all those pagan deities that were already present in these regions—rebranding them as saints so people could continue their worship without too much friction. And those old deities didn't just pop out of nowhere; they evolved from even older ancestor cults and animistic beliefs in nature spirits. Just as everything in nature constantly transforms, develops, and changes shape to adapt to its environment, the same thing happens within society. That said, we shouldn't claim a specific way of thinking is "better" or "more advanced" just because it's newer. It isn't. It's simply better adapted to its era. The way people with schizophrenia or autism function might have been more suited to the natural and social environment during certain phases of history than our current rationalist paradigm. Look at Abraham—if he wasn't experiencing schizophrenia, then nobody was, yet he's considered the father of three major world religions. Nowadays, if a man took his son into the mountains to sacrifice him because voices told him to, only to change his mind because the voices gave him new instructions, he wouldn't be seen as a figure of respect. He'd be viewed as dangerous to the community, forcibly hospitalized immediately, and kept on antipsychotics for the rest of his life. Back then, people valued and honored him. Those who hallucinated burning bushes or apocalypses... they wouldn't fare so well today. Unless, of course, they knew how to keep quiet and turned it into a movie or something. 🕺

Angela Stewart6 said:I’ve been thinking lately—and I really do believe this—that for those of us struggling with illness, the mind can be an incredible servant, but it makes for a truly terrible master. Joseph Bailey41, I absolutely love the way you frame your thoughts on this subject! Anyway, I'm signing off now because I am absolutely exhausted. I'm heading straight to bed. 🥱

Honestly, that goes for pretty much everyone.
The real question is: does your ego actually work for you, or have you become its servant?
What Buddhism and Freud say about self-slavery

Sam Green73 said:Honestly, that goes for pretty much everyone.
The real question is: does your ego actually work for you, or have you become its servant?
What Buddhism and Freud say about self-slavery

Great read. It strikes such a nice, healthy balance between that overly spiritual "the ego is evil, just throw it away" mindset and the rampant narcissism that seems to be in everywhere lately. I think there's actually a lot of value to be found in Buddhist psychology, even when dealing with things like schizophrenia: http://psychoticbuddha.blogspot.com/...-buddhism.html

Joseph Bailey41 said:To me, this is just more proof that "intelligent design" doesn't hold water—it isn't actually intelligent, nor is it well-conceived from a design standpoint. One opening serving two functions (breathing and eating) was developed through evolution, and then we humans just tacked on a third function: speech. Animals don't chat while they eat, after all. 😁

If it didn't acknowledge them, certain priests wouldn't be performing exorcisms or even mentioning the Holy Spirit. When Christianity spread across America, it essentially had to "assimilate" all those pagan deities that were already present in these regions—rebranding them as saints so people could continue their worship without too much friction. And those old deities didn't just pop out of nowhere; they evolved from even older ancestor cults and animistic beliefs in nature spirits. Just as everything in nature constantly transforms, develops, and changes shape to adapt to its environment, the same thing happens within society. That said, we shouldn't claim a specific way of thinking is "better" or "more advanced" just because it's newer. It isn't. It's simply better adapted to its era. The way people with schizophrenia or autism function might have been more suited to the natural and social environment during certain phases of history than our current rationalist paradigm. Look at Abraham—if he wasn't experiencing schizophrenia, then nobody was, yet he's considered the father of three major world religions. Nowadays, if a man took his son into the mountains to sacrifice him because voices told him to, only to change his mind because the voices gave him new instructions, he wouldn't be seen as a figure of respect. He'd be viewed as dangerous to the community, forcibly hospitalized immediately, and kept on antipsychotics for the rest of his life. Back then, people valued and honored him. Those who hallucinated burning bushes or apocalypses... they wouldn't fare so well today. Unless, of course, they knew how to keep quiet and turned it into a movie or something. 🕺

Joseph Bailey41, don't get mad, but I really don't have the headspace to talk this through with you right now. You're being way too complicated for me. Maybe we can be friends come autumn, but right now, I just don't have the energy for this whole debate. I just don't. It's too much. Like you said when it gets this hot out—even with the AC blasting—you don't even feel like lifting a finger. And yeah, I've written some rude posts, things I shouldn't have, so maybe you see I'm an idiot and that's why you should stop replying to my stuff. I'm telling you, these topics are just too heavy for me right now. I'm just chilling or talking about love. That's where I am. I have a couple of buddies who are historians and Theta healers, and I love talking about the stuff you bring up in person, but right now, I'm just not feeling it. Believe me. I hope you aren't upset that I'm being so blunt, or that I used those harsh words—I wouldn't say them to your face, at least not the first time—but I hope you understand. I'm just totally checked out right now. Just chilling. I just wanted to explain that to you.

Jose Ward4 said:Joseph Bailey41, don't get mad, but I really don't have the headspace to talk this through with you right now. You're being way too complicated for me. Maybe we can be friends come autumn, but right now, I just don't have the energy for this whole debate. I just don't. It's too much. Like you said when it gets this hot out—even with the AC blasting—you don't even feel like lifting a finger. And yeah, I've written some rude posts, things I shouldn't have, so maybe you see I'm an idiot and that's why you should stop replying to my stuff. I'm telling you, these topics are just too heavy for me right now. I'm just chilling or talking about love. That's where I am. I have a couple of buddies who are historians and Theta healers, and I love talking about the stuff you bring up in person, but right now, I'm just not feeling it. Believe me. I hope you aren't upset that I'm being so blunt, or that I used those harsh words—I wouldn't say them to your face, at least not the first time—but I hope you understand. I'm just totally checked out right now. Just chilling. I just wanted to explain that to you.

Oh, you don't need to explain yourself at all... you can reply whenever you want, or not reply at all, or let someone else jump in, etc. And you don't even have to read everything that's been posted. We're just on a forum; there's absolutely no pressure here, and there's certainly no hard feelings on my end. Enjoy yourself. 😉

Joseph Bailey41 said:Oh, you don't need to explain yourself at all... you can reply whenever you want, or not reply at all, or let someone else jump in, etc. And you don't even have to read everything that's been posted. We're just on a forum; there's absolutely no pressure here, and there's certainly no hard feelings on my end. Enjoy yourself. 😉

Fair enough. Thanks. 🙂 It’s just that I have this nagging feeling that I *have* to respond when someone reaches out to me. If I don't, I end up feeling this weird sense of guilt, like I've done something wrong. But you're right. Honestly, who cares? I need to stop overthinking things like this. Have a good one.

Angela Stewart6 said:I’ve been thinking lately—and I really do believe this—that for those of us struggling with illness, the mind can be an incredible servant, but it makes for a truly terrible master. Joseph Bailey41, I absolutely love the way you frame your thoughts on this subject! Anyway, I'm signing off now because I am absolutely exhausted. I'm heading straight to bed. 🥱

I’m currently diving into this article titled What if our consciousness isn't actually what drives our minds?.

It’s a bit of a long read, but I didn't really start questioning how the mind works until I went through my own experience with psychosis. I think anyone who’s been through that understands; during a psychotic episode, you don't really have access to your consciousness—you aren't "aware" in the way we normally define it. But the mind? It keeps running, keeps driving everything, even without that conscious awareness present. I spent quite a while lost in that headspace before things finally landed me in a hospital here in the States. There were moments where that sense of psychosis would drift, but even then, there wasn't any conscious realization that anything was going wrong. I just kept going. I survived it, though.

Honestly, I feel like we might eventually find answers to almost everything in life, just maybe not when it comes to the actual mechanics of how the brain functions.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles...017.01924/full

Laura Castillo6 said:I’m currently diving into this article titled What if our consciousness isn't actually what drives our minds?.

It’s a bit of a long read, but I didn't really start questioning how the mind works until I went through my own experience with psychosis. I think anyone who’s been through that understands; during a psychotic episode, you don't really have access to your consciousness—you aren't "aware" in the way we normally define it. But the mind? It keeps running, keeps driving everything, even without that conscious awareness present. I spent quite a while lost in that headspace before things finally landed me in a hospital here in the States. There were moments where that sense of psychosis would drift, but even then, there wasn't any conscious realization that anything was going wrong. I just kept going. I survived it, though.

Honestly, I feel like we might eventually find answers to almost everything in life, just maybe not when it comes to the actual mechanics of how the brain functions.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles...017.01924/full

New research is suggesting that the brain makes a decision about 10 seconds before we actually think we've made it. If you decide to lift your left hand, your brain has already committed to that movement 10 seconds prior to your conscious realization. That's what the latest studies are pointing toward.

I was watching this show earlier, and honestly, it got me thinking—I feel like I can actually predict exactly what kind of decision someone is going to make just by looking at a few specific parameters.

Laura Castillo6 said:I was watching this show earlier, and honestly, it got me thinking—I feel like I can actually predict exactly what kind of decision someone is going to make just by looking at a few specific parameters.

Exactly.

Laura Castillo6 said:I was watching this show earlier, and honestly, it got me thinking—I feel like I can actually predict exactly what kind of decision someone is going to make just by looking at a few specific parameters.

That’s right on the edge of science, isn't it? So, when does the season start?

Nah, I don't watch that show. It used to be this really solid science program over on PBS. 😁

By the way, does anyone happen to know if there's any new medication out or anything like that lately?

Have any of you ever considered experimenting with high-dose B-complex vitamins as a way to manage your condition and perhaps lessen the reliance on antipsychotics?

If you haven't truly explored this possibility, might it not be worth a serious contemplation, even if it means allocating a small portion of your modest income toward high-potency B-vitamin tablets or capsules?

If you simply search Google for filetype:pdf "Niacin" "Schizophrenia", you will discover a vast wealth of PDF documents regarding this subject; indeed, several consist of over thirty pages filled with rigorous scientific analyses.

In my own efforts to address thyroid issues and slow the decline of my vision, I relied heavily on B100 vitamins whenever they were available at local pharmacies. Nowadays, one can primarily find them through online retailers, with iHerb being the most reliable option. There is a certain domestic website that sells an incredibly overpriced B100 supplement, but I shall refrain from promoting it. You would be far better served by purchasing the Now Foods B100 formula. It contains 100mg each of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine, along with significant amounts of biotin, folic acid, and cobalamin.

I previously utilized the B100 preparation from Natural Wealtha, though they seem to have discontinued it; however, I felt a profound surge of vitality after consuming just two 100mg B-complex tablets.

Yeah, I actually used to take omega-3s for a while, but then I came across this https://www.businessinsider.com/omeg...aign=buffer-ti

It’s pretty much become common knowledge lately that those dietary supplements aren't nearly as effective as everyone used to think https://www.businessinsider.com/what...i-take-2015-10

Personally, I’m a big believer in actual medicine, so I decided to stop messing around with all those supplements myself.