Mysticism and Madness: A Matter of Perspective?
April 28, 2026 Marilyn Charles
Psychoanalysis challenges purely biological models of psychosis by arguing that psychotic symptoms convey a story rooted in intergenerational trauma, even when parenting is otherwise adequate. The chapter proposes that 'madness' is a socially constructed label used to avoid confronting difficult truths, noting that qualities deemed pathological in one culture may be valued in another. It explores overlaps between psychotic, poetic, and mystical experience, and examines how a person's culture can either support or alienate them. The authors contend that limited understanding by those who define such meanings alienates society from qualities of profound human value.