Hah. Who here remembers my dear old 'Who Here Is Crazy?' thread? That was similarly-themed but more along the lines of asking which magickians actually had come in contact with the psychiatric services. Not that many, as I recall - which may be relevant.
Basically, definitions of psychosis are problematic. The important aspects to consider are a) whether there's been a sudden, dramatic change in someone's beliefs, b) whether they put him squarely at odds with his cultural (or, crucially, subcultural) context, and c) whether anyone is actually suffering (or likely to suffer) as a result.
So, looking at the question this way, the majority of posters here make use of magick within an established subculture (ie. they're not 'abnormal' within The Magick and the 'alternative spiritualities' scene, generally). Most, I'd guess, have developed their beliefs over time, through reading, talking, experimenting - rather than having the information suddenly 'dumped' into their brain from, say, a transmitter implanted by, ooh, the CIA. Most are not 'suffering' as a result of their magickal forays; nor are they causing those around them great physical or mental anguish (I don't think so, anyway).
So no, I wouldn't say any of you were immediately, obviously psychotic - although if I was completely unfamiliar with the context, you might seem so. Laila and @GOD, though, I've frequently wondered about; from the brief glimpses they've provided of how their beliefs took shape, I'd imagine they'd be more likely to fit my own 'treatment criteria', above...
From another angle, those who do suddenly fall ill with a psychiatric disorder - critical auditory 'voices', say, in schizophrenia - tend to seek an explanation for their symptoms, and are perhaps more likely than most to start reading up on the occult because the concept of 'demons', 'astral entities', etc. provides a ready explanation of their experiences. So there's a link there, albeit a somewhat tenuous one.
Another link might be drug use. Those who use hallucinogens regularly in order to access heightened or altered states are obviously more vulnerable to developing a drug-induced psychosis - or, if they're genetically-susceptible to developing schizophrenia, say, a more permanent psychotic disorder.
How do you tell when you've lost the plot? Tough one. I'll get back to you on that one.
[ 30-11-2001: Message edited by: Ganesh v4.2 ] |
Just managed to scare myself there. Course, I don't believe any of the above, (the bits about Bush,etc), just saying, that with an over-inflated opinion of oneself and/or your 'enemies' can put you in some very strange headspace. Which is, I suppose, part of the reason grounding and banishing and whatnot is so important... 
