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The links between madness, creative genius, and spiritual experiences have tantalized philosophers and scientists for centuries. In Healing the Split, John Nelson brings the lofty ideas of transpersonal psychology down to earth so they can be applied in a practical way to explain the bizarre effects of insanity on the human mind. Drawing on a vast knowledge of Eastern philosophy and mainstream neuropsychiatry, he heals the split between orthodox and alternative views with a comprehensive approach that goes beyond both. Starting where R. D. Laing and Thomas Szasz left off, Nelson revises and expands their radical views in light of modern brain science. He then turns to ancient tantric yoga for a synthesis that weaves brain, psyche, and spirit into a compelling new conception of mental illness.
For professionals who seek to meet the needs of their patients more creatively, this book offers a unique synthesis. For people in emotional crisis, it clarifies the distinctions among intractable psychosis, temporary breakdowns in the service of healing (spiritual emergencies), and psychic breakthroughs (spiritual emergence). And for anyone interested in the seemingly inexplicable workings of the human mind gone mad, this fascinating exploration of psychotic states of consciousness will be exciting reading.
"An enormously impressive, profound, and important book." — Ken Wilber
"An overwhelmingly valuable book." — Robert M. Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
"John Nelson has written an important and compelling book. He provides us with a thorough, well-referenced review of contemporary theories of psychotic illness, including a broad sweep of how conventional psychiatry views the psychoses." — The Association for Humanistic Psychology Newsletter
"Nelson's level of expertise with both the Western medical model and the Hindu chakra system is quite exceptional and perhaps unique among transpersonal theorists. Healing the Split would make an ideal textbook for a transpersonal psychology course." — The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology
AUTHOR'S NOTE
FOREWORD
by Ken Wilbur
PREFACE
by Michael Washburn
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART 1 MADNESS IN HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS
CHAPTER 1 Madness, Consciousness, and The Spiritual Ground
CHAPTER 2 Madness as an Altered State of Consciousness
CHAPTER 3 The Many Faces of Madness
CHAPTER 4 The Madman in Society: Psychiatry versus Antipsychiatry
PART 2 MADNESS AND THE BRAIN
CHAPTER 5 The Anatomy of Madness
CHAPTER 6 The Chemistry of Madness
CHAPTER 7 Madness and Drugs: The Highs and Lows
CHAPTER 8 Brain Holograms and The Seven Chakras
PART 3 MADNESS IN PSYCHE AND SPIRIT: THE SEVEN CHAKRAS
CHAPTER 9 First Chakra: The Roots of Madness in Early Life
CHAPTER 10 Second Chakra: Hallucinations and The Occult
CHAPTER 11 Third Chakra: Madness, Myth, and Logic
CHAPTER 12 Fourth Chakra: Madness as Spiritual Emergency
CHAPTER 13 Fifth Chakra: Madness and Creative Genius
CHAPTER 14 Sixth Chakra: Madness, ESP, and Dreams
CHAPTER 15 Seventh Chakra: Madness and Mysticism
PART4 HEALING THE SPLIT
CHAPTER 16 Artful Healing I: Schizophrenic and Borderline Conditions
CHAPTER 17 Artful Healing II: Spiritual Emergencies and Mania
EPILOGUE
INDEX